12 Days of a J2 Christmas: Day 11
Master Post and Notes
There were so many times that Jensen griped about Jared’s home gym. It was a maze to travel through to get to the washer and dryer. Jensen’d trip over hand weights and bar bells left out of place to get to his music equipment. And half of it went untouched for most of the year. But every time he even broached the subject of getting rid of a piece, Jared argued that he used them at some time or another.
He knew every piece of it was important to Jared. Knew that even if Jared used the track glider just three times a year, it was still useful. If so many of the variably-weighted dumb bells were touched just a handful of days a month, he wouldn’t part with them.
It was with this knowledge that Jensen made his decision for Jared’s Christmas gift. A four-tiered triangle dumb bell rack. It was all Jared had fussed about for months, a place to put everything. But he’d almost wondered if Jensen would yell at him for it. He’d even dropped hints about it. If we could rearrange some of the studio stuff, he’d smile lightly, referring to the guitars and keyboard and mixer setup where Jensen recorded little bits of songs he fumbled through, maybe there’d be the space. Jensen usually ignored him.
It was Christmas, he knew what to do.
Nearly a year ago, it’d been a well-researched purchase, one Jensen had agonized over for cost and features, but was thrilled with the day he signed the credit card slip on the Yamaha digital mixer. It gave the highest quality production he’d ever managed at his old place. But truth be told, he didn’t use it much anymore since moving in with Jared, even if it had its own spot in the recording area. He often struggled with a clear sound when the guitars went tinny and echoed in the basement. At those times he usually gave up and just strummed his guitars in the open, singing along to whatever he felt like playing. Jensen recognized it was a lost cause to keep around.
Jensen plucked it from the desk, held it carefully with gentle hands as he looked upon it and felt a tiny twist in his gut, but it was for Jared. The desk could go, there’d be more room, every bit of Jared’s gym would have a place.
At a music resale shop, the counter guy brightened when he saw it. “Wow. Haven’t had one of these walk in the door.”
Jensen took a deep breath as he stared at it and watched how the guy’s fingers slipped between the buttons and sliding knobs, just as careful as Jensen always was. “What do you think? Good dollar?”
The guy looked up with amazed eyes and a gentle smile. “You really wanna sell this?”
Jensen wiped his palm over his mouth, cupped his chin then settled the hand around his neck. “Yeah,” he nodded, forcing himself to accept it. “Got other plans for Christmas.”
“Seventeen hundred?”
Jensen winced. He’d paid well more than that, nearly five times as much. But it was a used product. And it was Christmas, it was Jared, and he could live with his lonely guitars to fill the void. He finally nodded. “Okay, yeah.”
His heart stalled as he watched the check land on the counter and the guy arried the mixer to a back room. Jensen took a deep breath, settling himself, trying so hard to convince himself this was right.
When they settled together to exchange presents, Jared was physically antsy, smiling broadly and itching for Jensen to get his present. Jensen felt much the same way inside, if not a little edgy with the memory from the resale shop, but he would be fine. Because Jared was beaming, ready to gift Jensen and immediately dragging him into the basement to show it off.
Jensen slowed his first steps into the space. His mouth dropped as he took in empty space that was once littered with gym equipment. “Where’s … ” asked sharply with a hand out. “Where’s your stuff?”
Jared smiled carefully and motioned at Jensen. “C’mere.” He walked and Jensen numbly followed, his eyes taking in the bare carpet and how the space suddenly seemed so small, even with his guitars and equipment stowed away in the same corner. It made more sense when they went further and there was a wall … one that hadn’t been there before. Yeah, it’d been a few days since Jensen had been down there - he and Jared had spent the last afternoons and evenings out shopping, seeing Christmasy things like lighting ceremonies and parades - but he was confused when Jared popped a door open and wiped his hand through the air.
Silently, Jensen looked to Jared then stepped inside and saw black egg carton foam covering the small room. A padded stool sat in one corner with Jensen’s recording equipment laid out just so. His heart stopped, not only imagining the cost of this but the implications of it all.
Jared settled in behind him, light palms at his back as he spoke softly. “You said you can’t record right. That everything echoes.”
Jensen turned to Jared with surprised and nearly sad eyes. It was spectacular. His own soundproofed room to record his music. To play around and get the perfect, clear sound. But none of it would work. Not without his mixer. He swallowed hard, fought the heat in his eyes and the suddenly onslaught of tears begging to be freed. Turning back to the room, he took deep breaths to calm down.
With a smile and satisfied hum, Jared slipped his arms around Jensen’s waist, tucked his chin at Jensen’s shoulder. “Merry Christmas, baby.”
He swallowed again as his hands scrabbled to find Jared’s. “Where’s your gym?”
Jared cleared his throat and squeezed tighter. “Moved some of it to the garage.” He patted Jensen’s stomach and moved back with a careful smile. “What’d you get me? Can’t really top this, huh?”
Right then, Jensen decided to not mention the mixer. He’d get a new one, maybe not as nice or with so many luxuries, but he would. Just to make this present work. It’d take time to manage the purchase, but he would find a way.
Jared settled back into the family room, all jittery and excited as Jensen nudged the giant box into the room. He’d managed to wrap the most important sides of the package just so it wasn’t obvious to Jared.
As Jared pulled away the paper and large bow, Jensen crossed his arms and smiled, thinking about how excited Jared would be for this. How it would make everything worth it … selling his mixer even with the new recording space would be just fine once he saw the grin on Jared’s face. When the paper fell away, Jared stared at the picture on the box that showed the triangle rack with a few random dumb bells in place to prove its use. “For your gym,” Jensen pointed out. “Well, the one in the garage now.”
Jared looked up, eyes heavy and the face remarkably blank. There was so much in Jared’s features that Jensen knew by heart … but this stumped him.
“What?” Jensen asked.
Jared’s eyes went to the box and he looked confused, troubled.
He asked with humor, “What? Did you already buy one?” The way Jared wouldn’t look at him created panic. “You didn’t, did you?”
“No. No, I didn’t,” Jared quickly said, obviously trying to smile and to sound perfectly good.
Jensen pulled at the box top to open it. “Well, then let’s get it set up.” He used the flap of the box to tug it across the room on his own as Jared stood there, still staring at the box’s picture as it moved away. “You gonna help or what?” he smirked as he neared the hallway.
Jared rushed over, stopped the box. “No, it’s fine. We can do it later.” His smile was small but meaningful as he leaned over the box with soft eyes. “Thank you. So. Much,” he said slowly.
At his mouth, Jensen murmured, “You’re welcome.” They shared a short, but tender kiss, and as they stayed close, Jensen said, “Thank you. For the room. It’s unbelievable.” Because even while it was, at the moment, useless, it really was remarkable for Jared to have created it.
When Jensen moved to the garage door and opened it, Jared spoke up, “Hang on. We can do it later!”
Jensen didn’t process anything Jared was saying to stall him because he was then staring into the garage, seeing not even half of the gym Jared had once stored in the basement. All he saw was a weight bench, bar bells, and the tree that held a handful of large weights intended to all be used together. Gone was the decline bench as well as so many of the dumb bells and small hand weights that always created such a mess. Ones that should be stored on the new rack. He immediately turned to Jared with a question on his lips that couldn’t manage its way out.
Jared dumbly said, “It wouldn’t all fit in there with the truck.”
“Where is it all?”
He shrugged oddly, one shoulder up high. “Sold it.”
Jensen’s eyes bugged out and his voice rose high. “You sold the weights?”
The other shoulder rose as he struggled with the explanation. “I barely used some of them. And I mean, you always wanted space to play and record. Thought that was more important.”
They stared for so long, Jensen wasn’t sure how long they stood there. He thought through it all … Jared sold his gym equipment to make space for the new recording space that was worthless right then. Jensen shook his head, releasing a quick rush of air. “I sold the mixer.”
“Wait, what?”
Jensen tossed hands into the air and sighed with a somewhat humored smile. “I sold the mixer and tossed the desk to buy the rack. I hardly ever used it ...”
“ … Because you couldn’t record in the basement.”
“And I bought you the rack … ”
“ … That I can’t use.”
Jensen chuckled in disbelief and shook his head. “We’re quite the pair.”
Jared finally smiled, broad and bright. “I can’t believe this.”
He laughed then, more fully, and moved over engulf Jared with a tight hug. “Merry First Christmas,” he laughed at Jared’s ear.
Jared held him tight, pressing his face into Jensen’s neck. His voice came quiet, “I can’t believe you sold the mixer.”
Jensen’s mouth pressed against Jared’s shoulder. “You sold the gym.”
“Well, half.”
“You sold the exact pieces that go into my present,” Jensen said with a chuckle.
Jared pulled back, hand holding the back of Jensen’s head. “If you had the mixer, would you like the room?”
“I love the room,” he emphasized just before pressing their foreheads together. “Thank you so much.”
Jared took a deep breath and nodded. “I like the rack. A lot.”
Jensen’s eyes scrawled over the hesitation in Jared’s face. “You can get more weights.”
Then he smiled, “Really?”
“Of course. I don’t want my gift to go to waste,” Jensen said with a laugh.
“Won’t. I promise.”
“I know.”
Jared nudged him. “We should get the mixer back.”
He shook his head, not even wanting to consider how much markup the store would put on it. “No, it’s fine. I’ll get a different one.”
“No, the one you had was good. Right?” The way Jensen stared and fought his words gave Jared his answer. “Day after Christmas we’ll go get it.” Jensen mumbled a few things, but it didn’t matter because Jared pushed on. “I don’t want my gift to go to waste.”
He took a sharp, deep breath and then nodded slowly. “Okay, yeah.”
Jared smiled … then beamed and kissed Jensen. “Merry Christmas, Jensen” he whispered at Jensen’s lips.
“Merry Christmas, Jared,” he returned just as sweetly.
Day 12
