Rules of Engagement 1/4
Masterpost
“Is he in yet?” Jensen asks frantically, dumping his stuff on his desk, nearly spilling the tray of coffees in his left hand.
“Yeah, almost five minutes ago now,” Misha replies, wincing in sympathy.
“Shit.” He attempts to straighten his jacket and tie. There’s not much he can do for the scuffed shoes, but hopefully Mr. Padalecki won’t notice that. “Do I look like I got into a fight over a cab?”
Misha gives him a quick once-over, then shakes his head. “Nah. You’re presentable. Just, uh, fix your hair a bit. It kinda looks like you rode with your head out the car window.”
“Shit. Okay, thanks.” He lifts one of the Starbucks cups out of the holder and hands it to Misha, who glances at it with a puzzled frown. “For fielding that awful call yesterday,” Jensen explains.
Misha shakes his head, grimacing. “Dude, you owe me more than coffee for that! But we’ll discuss payment later. Go fix your hair and get in there before he comes out here looking for you.”
Wrinkling his nose, Jensen uses the blank monitor screen as a mirror and finger-combs his hair back down so it’s not sticking up all over his head in random spikes. Mr. Padalecki has never outright said anything, but Jensen knows he cares about proper appearance. It’s obvious, given Mr. Padalecki himself never has a hair out of place, a tie askew, or a shoe anything less than shiny.
Jensen sighs at his indistinct reflection in the monitor and straightens back up. He really needs to get Mr. Padalecki’s coffee to him before it cools down too much.
The door is partially open, so Jensen just walks inside, coffee in one hand and a stack of manila file folders tucked under his arm. Mr. Padalecki’s at his desk, reading over a manuscript, but he glances up when Jensen stops in front of him. He looks impeccable as always, from the tips of his dark, silky hair to his perfectly tailored Armani suit, a midnight blue pinstriped one today with a shockingly red tie. Jensen’s gaze lingers for a second on Mr. Padalecki’s broad shoulders and long-fingered hands before he snaps his eyes back up, blushing faintly and hoping he didn’t get caught.
One of the things he hates the most about his boss is how fucking gorgeous he is.
“Good morning, sir,” Jensen says, carefully placing the pile of folders on the desk and holding out the coffee. His fingers are slightly warm from the cup, so hopefully it’s still hot enough.
Mr. Padalecki takes the coffee and goes through his usual ritual- sniffing at it, popping off the lid, then taking three small swallows. He doesn’t look at Jensen or smile during the whole thing.
“You’re late,” he says, sitting back in his leather chair and powering up his computer.
Jensen suppresses a sigh and curls his hands into fists. One of these days, Mr. Padalecki is going to end up wearing his special peppermint mocha with skim milk. “There was a line at Starbucks. And it was only a minute or two.”
“Hmm, I see.” He somehow makes that sound like the gravest of insults, and Jensen shuffles his feet and tries not to blush.
“Sir-”
“I have a meeting with Singer and Beaver in 10 minutes. Come get me after a few minutes. Say I have an important phone call from Eric Kripke and he won’t get off the line till I talk to them. I don’t have time to deal with Singer and Beaver today.”
“Yes, sir.” Jensen wonders what Mr. Singer and Mr. Beaver would say if they knew Mr. Padalecki talks about them like they’re the lowliest of employees, considering they’re the owners of the company.
“We have a full schedule today, Jensen. I’m going to need you on time and on the ball all day.”
Jensen suppresses a wince. Mr. Padalecki never yells at him or anything, but he has a way of cutting Jensen to the bone and making him feel humiliated. “Of course, sir.”
“Do we have the Legend manuscript yet?”
“Courier is dropping it off today at 10,” Jensen assures him.
“And if it’s not here?”
“It will be.” Jensen certainly hopes so. It was due over a week ago, but the author asked for an extension due to a temperamental muse. Sometimes Jensen gets tired of dealing with temperamental authors, especially since the fallout inevitably lands on his shoulders.
Mr. Padalecki eyes him seriously for a few moments, then nods. “All right. I’m going to my meeting now. Remember to come get me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Misha’s sitting on the edge of Jensen’s desk when he gets back. He holds out the last Starbucks coffee as Jensen flops into his chair. “I know it kinda sucks this way, but I microwaved it for you. It was getting cold.”
“Thanks, Misha.” Jensen takes a cautious sip. Misha’s right; it does suck. But he doesn’t have time to make a fresh pot right now. He sifts through some of the messages and paperwork scattered over his desk, picking out the files with high priority. The problem is that Mr. Padalecki feels everything has high priority.
“I don’t understand how you put up with him,” Misha mentions, and Jensen jumps, not realizing Misha was still there.
“He’s not that bad,” Jensen automatically defends Mr. Padalecki. He may do his fair share of bitching about his boss, but he never does it where Mr. Padalecki can hear. “You get used to it.”
“Jensen, he’s an asshole! And he runs you ragged.”
“He’s good at what he does, and being the assistant to one of the vice-presidents looks good on my resume.”
“Yeah, but when are you ever gonna start looking for another job?”
Jensen shifts his shoulders uncomfortably, glancing behind him, expecting to find Mr. Padalecki standing right there. “I’m not. Not right now anyway.”
“You deserve better, man. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Thanks, but I’m good. Honestly.”
Misha shrugs and nods, then heads back to his desk.
Jensen sighs and drops his head onto his arms. It’s not that he hates his job. Far from it. He loves what he does, loves working with their authors most of the time, even the needy ones that require a lot of hand-holding. He just wishes Mr. Padalecki were less demanding. That every once in awhile he’d tell Jensen “good job” or “thank you.” Jensen doesn’t expect something like that to ever happen, and dwelling on it just depresses him.
*****
Jensen checks his watch and swears under his breath. It’s been close to 15 minutes since Mr. Padalecki left for his meeting.
“Shit, shit, shit,” he mutters, scraping his chair back and hurrying to the stairs to the 5th floor. He can always claim he got caught up on a real phone call if Mr. Padalecki asks.
He slows down once he gets close to Mr. Singer’s office. He smoothes down his tie and calms his breathing. He can’t look flustered in front of the owners. The door is shut, and Jensen can hear muffled voices inside. Mr. Singer’s assistant tells him to just go in, but Jensen feels awkward about doing that, so knocks once and opens the door after Mr. Beaver’s gruff “enter!” He walks in slowly and cautiously. The atmosphere in the room is tense and silent. Jensen very nearly turns around and hurries back out, but Mr. Padalecki said to come get him, so Jensen has to do it.
Mr. Padalecki sits opposite a stern-faced woman in a maroon power suit, her hair pulled back into a severe bun. She’s in Mr. Singer’s chair, while he and Mr. Beaver stand behind her with their arms crossed. Neither of them looks very happy, and Jensen knows from the tense line of Mr. Padalecki’s shoulders that he’s livid and barely holding it in.
“Uh, sir?” Jensen says hesitantly, hovering by the doorway in case he needs a quick getaway. “Mr. Kripke is on the phone. He’s very adamant that he talk to you right now.” Everyone but Mr. Padalecki turns to stare at Jensen, and he swallows thickly before going on. “Should I tell him you’ll call back later?”
“Yes,” Mr. Singer answers for him, blunt and succinct.
“And then will you excuse us, Jensen? This is a private meeting,” Mr. Beaver adds. The words are polite, but the tone is authoritative.
Jensen can only say, “Yes, sirs!” and back out the door, but Mr. Padalecki’s familiar deep voice stops him up short.
“Wait,” he demands, rotating in his chair to face Jensen. He flashes Jensen the most calculating, hostile smile Jensen’s ever seen. Jensen immediately takes another step out into the hallway. That smile can only mean bad things. “He’s part of this.”
“Jensen? How?” Mr. Beaver asks.
Jensen just wonders what the hell he walked in on.
“Yes, Mr. Padalecki. Tell us how,” the stern-faced woman speaks up for the first time, and it’s obvious she accepts no bullshit.
“It’s all right, baby. We don’t need to hide it anymore.” Jensen’s still boggling at Mr. Padalecki’s use of the word baby when his next statement completely knocks Jensen for a loop. “I told you it wouldn’t be an issue anymore. I was trying to keep it private, but since he’s here now I can tell you that Jensen and I are engaged.”
Jensen actually feels his jaw drop.
Is he fucking kidding? What the hell is going on? Jensen feels like he’s in an alternate universe or something. He’d notice if he suddenly went insane, right? He’s too stunned to protest and demand an explanation.
Stern-faced woman raises a perfectly sculpted brow at that. “Oh, really? And why didn’t you bring this up at the beginning?”
“Like I told you, Ms. Ferris, we were trying to keep it private. I am his superior, after all.”
“Yes, that would complicate things.” Uncrossing her legs, she leans forward over the desk, eyeing Mr. Padalecki and then Jensen. “When is the wedding?”
“We haven’t set an exact date yet, but sometime in the next couple months. We prefer a summer wedding.”
“I’ll want proof- marriage license, pictures, witnesses- as well as interviews with you and your fiancé, individual and together, within the next three weeks.”
“That’ll be fine.”
Ms. Ferris stands up and leans even farther over the desk, fists resting on the desktop and fixing Mr. Padalecki with a frosty stare. “You realize it’s a federal offense to falsify claims with Immigration, right? I will find out the truth and I will have your ass if you’re lying.”
“I’m not lying,” Mr. Padalecki insists. “Jensen and I are in love.”
She glances up at Jensen and smirks. “Right. I’ll see you soon.” She gathers some paperwork into a fancy leather briefcase, then brushes past Jensen on the way out the door. He’s still frozen in the doorway, and the assessing look she gives him sends a chill down his spine.
An uncomfortable silence follows for several long moments. Jensen eventually shakes himself and rounds on Mr. Padalecki.
“What the fuck was that about?” Jensen demands loudly.
Mr. Padalecki strides purposefully over to him and grips his elbow. Jensen tries to yank his arm free, but Mr. Padalecki won’t let him. “It’s all right, baby. We don’t have to hide anymore. I think our secret’s pretty much out.”
“Stop calling me that,” Jensen snaps, then looks away from Mr. Padalecki’s narrowed eyes.
Mr. Padalecki glances over his shoulder to Mr. Singer and Mr. Beaver, who both seem equally shocked by this turn of events, and pastes on a smile. “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse us? I think my fiancé and I are about to argue, and I’d rather do it in private.”
Mr. Singer chuckles at that, but Mr. Beaver still looks skeptical.
“Go on,” Mr. Singer says, waving them off. “But we will talk about this, Jared. Soon.”
“Of course. I understand completely, Bob.”
And then Mr. Padalecki’s propelling him down the hallway to his office, whether Jensen likes it or not. He practically shoves Jensen in the door, then locks it behind them and closes all the blinds at the windows facing into the common area of the office. Jensen crosses his arms and glares for all he’s worth.
“You want to explain yourself?” he asks, voice stiff and hostile.
Mr. Padalecki strides over to rest his ass against his desk, arms and legs crossed loosely. He appears perfectly relaxed, but the muscles in his neck and jaw are tight, betraying the truth. “I’m about to be deported.”
“Come again?”
“Ms. Ferris and the illustrious American government want to send me packing back to Canada.”
Jensen feels like he’s acting in a play where everyone got the script except him. “I thought you grew up in Texas?”
“I did. I was born in Ontario, though. I’m not technically an American citizen. It’s something I’ve been meaning to take care of for years now, but something else always seemed more important.”
“Regretting that now, are you?” Jensen says snidely.
Jared favors him with a cold smile. “No. Because now I have you to help me get out of this stupid mess.”
“By claiming we’re engaged?”
“No, by actually getting married.”
“Are you insane? That’ll never work! Are you even gay?”
“Yes. Not that it matters,” he dismisses idly. “And I already know you are, so you can’t use that as an excuse.”
Jensen’s head is spinning from all these revelations. He’s not sure how much more he can take. “I can barely stand you. Why would I marry you?”
“Because I can make you seriously regret saying no.”
Jensen’s used to Mr. Padalecki acting authoritative and expecting to get his way, but he’s never seen him like this, not this determined and hard. Too bad for him that Jensen’s tired of being pushed around.
“You know what? I don’t even care. Get yourself out of your own mess.” Jensen reaches for the door, unlocking it and throwing it open.
“Where are you going?”
“Outside to get some fresh air.”
Mr. Padalecki’s right behind him, of course. Jensen doesn’t get very far before he’s towed into the shadows between two buildings by Mr. Padalecki’s firm grip on his arm. Jensen yanks away from him, scowling.
“Look, I know you don’t like me much, but I’m not about to lose everything I’ve worked for these last several years because of a stupid technicality like a goddamned green card. I need a solution, and you happen to be it.”
“No,” Jensen grits out.
“Jensen-”
“Give me one good reason why I should help you. You can’t, can you?” he adds before Mr. Padalecki can say anything.
“You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”
“I am? Oh, really?” Jensen steps past Jared and calls over his shoulder, “Good luck with the whole deportation thing.”
“I’ll fire you,” he yells back, and Jensen stumbles to a stop. “I’ll fire you and then I’ll call every publishing company in this city from the big names like Random House down to the smallest mom and pop place and tell them not to hire you.”
“You can’t.”
“I can and I will.”
Jensen slowly turns around to face Mr. Padalecki, all the blood draining out of his face. In his mind, he sees his whole future crash and burn and for the first time, he starts to think there’s no way out of this.
“You’re an asshole.”
Mr. Padalecki shrugs one shoulder. “It’s been said before.” He approaches Jensen, looking almost like a stalking cat. “It’s not a life sentence, Jensen. We get married, I get my green card, we get divorced after an appropriate amount of time.”
“Easy as that, huh? And it’s no big deal if they find out the truth, right? We won’t go to prison or anything.”
“So we don’t let them figure it out.”
“That means lying to everyone we know.” Oh, God, his mama. She’d never forgive him for doing this.
“I have no problem with that, not if it gets me what I need.”
Jensen shakes his head incredulously. “You’re unbelievable. If I do this for you, I want something in return.” Mr. Padalecki lifts an eyebrow at that, but he nods shortly. “I want that promotion I deserved but didn’t get last year.”
“A promotion? You think I’m going to hand over a promotion, just like that?”
“Depends. How badly do you want to avoid getting deported?”
“If I give you the promotion, you’ll agree to do this?”
Jensen hesitates, but really, he stopped having a choice awhile ago. Mr. Padalecki- no, Jared. If he’s going to marry the man, Jensen will certainly start calling him by his first name. Jared looks into his eyes, gaze steady, braced for whatever objections Jensen might throw at him. But Jensen’s tired and has no desire to fight anymore. Jensen knows the exact moment Jared realizes he’s won- the cold smile is a clear sign. Jensen will let him think he’s given in, for now, but Jared will soon find out he can’t push Jensen around in this without Jensen pushing back.
“Ask nicely,” Jensen declares.
Jared’s eyes widen slightly. “What?”
Crossing his arms, Jensen widens his stance. “Ask me nicely.”
“I’m not going to-” Jared cuts off angrily and steps up to Jensen, right in his face. “Do I need to threaten to fire you again?”
“No. We’ve sufficiently covered that. But the way I see it, I’m doing you a favor, so you either ask me nicely, or I walk away right now.”
“Fine,” Jared grits out. “Will you marry me? Please?”
His voice sounds strangled, and Jensen could probably draw it out for longer, but he would rather go home and forget this day ever happened. Copious amounts of alcohol might be required for that.
“Wow. Once more with feeling.” Jared opens his mouth to reply, but Jensen cuts him off. “Whatever. I’m going home. I’ll see you at work tomorrow. Remember I’m leaving early.”
“Hey, hold on a minute!” Jared orders. “We’re not done here!”
“What now?”
“This needs to happen quickly. I’ll make some calls, and we’ll do it this weekend.”
“What? No. No, I can’t.”
“Jensen.”
There’s a steely thread of warning in his voice that Jensen ignores.
“No. I leave for Texas tomorrow evening. You promised me the week off for my parents’ wedding anniversary. I don’t care if you’re about to be deported. This week is not negotiable.”
Jared grinds his teeth, a muscle in his jaw twitching. Finally, he nods. “If I let you have this, you’ll marry me as soon as we get back from Texas?”
“Fine. I don’t-” Jensen stops, Jared’s words suddenly sinking in. “Wait. What do you mean by we?”
Jared smiles, but there’s nothing pleasant about it. “That must look good to immigration, right? Me going home with you to meet your family and telling them about the engagement together?”
Jensen really wants to wipe that smug look off Jared’s face, preferably with his fist, but instead he sighs, shoulders slumping. Bastard has him backed into a corner with no good way out.
“Fine. Meet me at JFK tomorrow at 6. I’m not waiting if you miss the flight,” Jensen snaps, then walks away, leaving Jared standing alone in the middle of the sidewalk.
Jensen always gets to the airport ridiculously early, no matter what. It’s a thing with him that his friends often make fun of him for. It’s been awhile since he traveled, though. Working for Jared eats up so much of his time, he barely has the chance to sleep, let alone go back to Texas to see his family. That’s why he begged Jared to get this week off and why he wouldn’t give up on it, despite the…new direction of their relationship.
Jensen snorts to himself, drawing a strange look from the older couple in front of him in the security line. New direction. Such a simple way to describe this fucked up mess he now finds himself in. Jared Padalecki has always complicated his life but never like this. Shit. How did this happen to him?
Once through security, Jensen settles in a seat by his gate, facing out so he can see Jared when he shows up. If he shows. It’d be easier if he didn’t, but Jensen knows he’d never be that lucky. There’s still over an hour before Jared’s supposed to meet him and until then, Jensen has a phone call to make, one he’s not looking forward to.
His mama is understandably confused and he’s sure she’ll have lots of questions for him when he gets to Texas, but the call actually goes better than he hoped.
“Mama, I should go. Jared should be here soon.”
“Of course, baby. I’m looking forward to finally meeting this young man,” Donna replies, though she sounds skeptical. It’s not surprising, considering the way he’s talked about Jared in the past.
Wincing, Jensen props his elbows on his knees and hunches over, dropping his head between his shoulders. How the hell is he going to explain this so his family believes him and won’t kick Jared out on principle alone?
“He’s-” Jensen stops because he doesn’t know what to say about Jared. He can’t lie to his mama. Jensen sighs quietly. “Well, you’ll see when we get there.”
“Call me when you land and have a safe flight, Jensen.”
Flipping his phone shut, Jensen slumps back in his chair. Their flight should start boarding in the next half hour or so. He and Jared hadn’t talked much at all today, except for Jared to inform him he not only got on the same flight but somehow convinced the airline employee to bump the passenger that was suppose to sit next to Jensen to another seat so Jared could have that one instead.
This is gonna be the worst flight of his life.
Ten minutes later, Jensen’s in the middle of checking his watch when Jared strolls up to him. He’s wearing worn-soft jeans and a blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looks good but strung tight, shoulders tense and a frown creasing his forehead.
“Hey,” Jensen says as Jared gets closer. He can’t help feeling a little disappointed that Jared actually showed up.
Jared acknowledges him with a curt nod before slipping into the seat next to him and dropping his carry-on to the floor by his feet.
“So,” Jensen starts, attempting to strike up a conversation. If he’s going to be stuck with Jared for however long, he may as well try to make nice with him. “When was the last time you went home to Texas?”
The silence afterward stretches on so long that Jensen stops expecting an answer.
“Six years,” Jared finally says bluntly, then immediately stands up, fidgeting with the hem of his untucked shirt. “I need coffee. I’ll be right back.” He glances back at Jensen and rolls his shoulders. “You want anything?” he asks, but it doesn’t sound entirely genuine.
He hurries away when Jensen’s still shaking his head no. Tilting his head, Jensen watches him go, wondering what the hell that was about.
Jared spends the next 20 minutes on his iPhone, furiously sending texts and emails and muttering under his breath about how much work he’ll miss because of this trip. It takes all Jensen’s will power not to snap at Jared and tell him to just stay the hell home then. Jensen grinds his teeth. He’s not looking forward to this, to introducing Jared to his family, and that’s so damn unfair. He fought hard to get this week off to finally spend time with his parents and siblings and little nephews. And now Jared will ruin what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation.
Sighing loudly, Jensen shifts to hook his right ankle over his left knee, ignoring the irritated glance Jared sends him. Jensen rolls his eyes. If anyone has a right to feel irritated, it’s Jensen. Not Jared. But whatever. He can get through this. It’ll be long and painful and annoying, and he and Jared may end up killing each other before the end, but he can do this.
He glances at Jared out of the corner of his eye. Even his profile is good looking. Jensen would be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to Jared. He’s gorgeous- tall and built and amazing, ever-changing eyes. But there’s always been three things keeping Jensen from wanting more from Jared- he’s an asshole, he’s Jensen’s boss, and he’s straight. Two of those are still true, but the last one turned out to be a misconception on Jensen’s part. It shouldn’t make a difference, but somehow it does. And Jensen hates that it does.
*****
Jensen can’t sleep on the plane, too keyed up from everything and having Jared freaking Padalecki sitting beside him to relax enough. Jared has no such issues apparently, since he’s out as soon as they take off. Jensen tries reading the novel he brought with him, but his mind won’t settle. He has no idea how any of this happened. How did he go from Mr. Padalecki’s harried and run-ragged assistant to Jared’s fiancé, all in the course of a day? It’s a mistake, and Jensen knows it, but he feels caught in the situation and not only by Jared’s threats. At the heart of it is someone that needs Jensen’s help, and he’s always been a sucker for a pretty face asking him for help. Though it was more like demanding in Jared’s case.
Sighing, Jensen rubs his temples with his thumbs. He’s stuck, so he might as well make the most of it. He glances to his left at Jared. He’s definitely asleep, breathing deep and even, head lolling to the side and almost on Jensen’s shoulder. He looks much younger this way. Jensen sometimes forgets that Jared’s barely in his 30’s, but he can see it now. The hard lines around Jared’s mouth and jaw have smoothed out, his hair falling in his face in a boyish way that makes Jensen itch to brush it away for him. Jensen’s never seen Jared so relaxed. It messes with the image of Jared he has in his head.
Luckily, Jared wakes up a couple hours later grumpy, pissed, and demanding more of those damn airplane pretzels, and Jensen’s mental picture of Jared rights itself.
Jensen munches on his own pretzels and stares out the plane window for awhile, Jared a restless presence at his side. Jensen might go crazy if he doesn’t quit jiggling his knee soon.
After listening to the endless drone of the airplane engine and giving up on watching the in-flight movie, Jensen angles toward Jared as much as he can in the confines of the seat.
“Do you think we should plan what we say about our relationship? Come up with a back story or something?” Jensen asks, watching Jared stretch out his absurdly long legs into the aisle. He almost feels sorry for Jared having to fold his tall frame into a coach seat. Almost.
Jared shrugs indifferently, but his expression is cloudy. It helps a little to know Jared is just as unhappy about this situation as Jensen is.
“I suppose. But make it simple. We don’t want to get caught in elaborate lies. Write up a plan, and I’ll approve it.”
“Wait. You expect me to do all the work?” Jensen can’t control the anger in his voice, and it only gets worse when Jared gestures dismissively. Dammit, he has to stay calm. He can’t let Jared keep getting to him like this, or no one will ever believe they’re in love. He’s not so sure people will believe it anyway. “Listen, you stopped being my boss the second you decided to blackmail me into marrying you. You have to meet me halfway if this is gonna work at all. No more orders. No more expecting me to jump every time you lift a hand.”
“I can still fire you,” Jared states. It’s even more chilling because of the calmness of his tone, and Jensen suppresses a shiver.
“And you can still be deported,” he reminds Jared with more confidence than he feels.
Jared stares at him for a long moment, eyes narrowed, before nodding, an infinitesimally small movement that Jensen would’ve missed if he weren’t looking directly at Jared.
There’s a charged silence for several more minutes, then Jared says, “All right. What do you suggest for a back story? I still think simple is the way to go.” The politeness seems to pain him, if his grimace is anything to go by, but at least he’s trying.
“Simple is good,” Jensen agrees. “I don’t want to memorize anything complicated. It’ll only trip us up later.”
“Exactly.”
“So how long have we been dating? How did we get together? Why not tell anyone?”
Jared drums his fingers on his knee. “Well, not long, I’m thinking. Six months or so.”
“That’s awfully quick to get engaged.”
“My parents were married after five months, and they’re still happily wed now,” Jared argues, shrugging offhandedly.
“I’m happy for your parents and all, but that’s kinda unusual.”
“Fine,” Jared grits out. “What do you suggest?”
They argue details for the rest of the flight, intensely discussing the finer points of their relationship and whether or not they should call each other pet names. They exchange some heated words and compromise on very little. By the time they land in Dallas and exit the plane, they’re both pretty grumpy and pissy.
It’s a great start to the week.
*****
Jensen, embarrassingly, gets tears in his eyes when he sees his mama standing by baggage claim. He talks to her when he can and they email all the time, but he doesn’t get to spend time with her in person as much as he’d like. He has never denied being a mama’s boy.
Donna’s face lights up when she spots him, and Jensen drops everything and immediately scoops her up into a tight hug. Her delighted laugh goes a long way toward easing the tension he’s been carrying around the past couple days. Jensen lets her go and steps back, noticing tears in her eyes as well. He grins.
“You look amazing, Mama,” he tells her, kissing her cheek.
She blushes in embarrassment and needlessly smoothes back her hair. “Oh, hush.” Smiling, she swats at his arm, then cups his cheek. “It’s so good to see you, baby.”
“You too, Mama.”
Someone clears his throat behind them and with a start, Jensen remembers Jared. He checks over his shoulder and finds Jared uncomfortably close to him.
Here we go, he thinks, then turns back to Donna.
“Mama, this is my- this is Jared,” he corrects, not quite ready to name Jared his boyfriend or whatever yet. “Jared, this is my mama.”
Donna assesses Jared quietly for a moment- she hadn’t exactly been happy when Jensen called to tell her about Jared, knowing what he’d put up with at work- but Jared immediately holds out his hand to her.
“It’s really good to finally meet you, Mrs. Ackles.” Jensen’s impressed; Jared actually sounds sincere.
“Oh, none of that. It’s Donna.”
“Donna then, though my own mama would probably lecture me about manners and respecting my elders.”
Jensen thinks he might be imagining things. Jared doesn’t even treat their clients this well.
Donna smiles, the soft, warm smile that always soothes Jensen, and the tightness in his shoulders and neck dissipates even more. He wasn’t sure how this would go, any of it, but he can handle Jared if he has his family around, even if they’ll never know the truth.
“All right. We should grab your bags and get back to the house. You boys must be tired.”
“Yeah. Not all of us slept on the plane,” Jensen mentions with a teasing look to Jared, who cocks his head good-naturedly. Jensen half expected a cutting remark back, but Jared seems to’ve left his pissy attitude on the plane. He knows it’s an act, so people will believe they’re a real couple, but he’ll take it.
The walk to the car and ride to his parents’ house is mostly silent. Donna asks about their flight and isn’t subtle at all about fishing for details about their relationship, but she falls quiet after a few minutes to better navigate traffic. Jensen only told her he was bringing Jared with him and that they’re dating. He figured he’d leave the engagement bombshell for face-to-face and when the whole family is there.
The streets start looking more familiar, and Jensen grins. His parents live in the same house they moved into when Josh was a baby. The simple white split level with the perfectly manicured yard will always be home to Jensen, no matter where else he goes or how long it’s been since he actually lived here.
Jensen’s the first one out of the car, Donna and Jared following at a more normal pace. Josh’s SUV and Mac’s new sports car are also in the driveway. Jensen bounces a little, excited. It’s been way too long since he saw his family.
They grab their bags and walk up the driveway, Donna ahead of them. When Donna opens the front door, a brown furry blur streaks outside and bolts straight for Jared.
“And who is this little guy?” Jared asks as the puppy dances around his feet.
“Oh, that’s Spike,” Donna tells them, shaking her head. “He knows better than to run out the door like that.”
Spike completely ignores her admonishment, too intent on jumping up on Jared’s legs. He’s cute, splotchy brown with floppy ears and a big bushy tail. His paws are huge, indicating he’ll be big once fully grown. His deep brown eyes stare at Jared like he’s just found his new best friend. All typical puppy. What gets Jensen is Jared’s reaction to the dog. Instead of shooing the dog away, he bends down and scratches at Spike’s ears.
“What breed is he?”
“Mutt. German Sheppard and lab for sure. We don’t know what else.”
“Mama, you didn’t tell me you were getting a dog,” Jensen says, patting the puppy back by his tail. Spike’s more interested in Jared anyway.
“We just got him a few days ago. It’s an early anniversary present from your dad.”
“He’s adorable.”
“And he knows it,” she laughs. “Come on in when you’re ready, boys.”
Nodding, Jensen watches Jared with Spike. He’s rubbing the puppy’s belly now and possibly cooing at him in baby talk. Jensen decides to leave them to it and heads for the porch. As he passes them, Spike rears up, licking at Jared’s face, and Jared smiles. It’s so different from the predatory, shark-like smile he wears at work that Jensen stumbles going up the porch steps, shocked into immobility. Jared has dimples. Three years of working with him, sometimes 60-70 hours per week, and Jensen never knew that. Dimples. Jared’s smile transforms his whole face. No longer stern and strained, it’s almost boyish, making him go from merely gorgeous to scorching.
And once again, Jensen’s mental picture of Jared tilts sideways.
Jensen forces his eyes away from the strangeness of Jared’s smile and continues up the steps. He barely makes it in the door before he’s assaulted by two little boys, one hugging him around the waist and the smaller one around his legs.
“Uncle Jensen!” they shout in unison.
“Hey, guys!” Dropping his bags, Jensen squeezes them tight. “Geeze, did you two get taller? What did I tell you about feeding them, Zoe?” Jensen yells the last part, knowing his sister-in-law will hear him in the living room.
“Only on Tuesdays and every other Saturday!” Ryan answers for her, giggling.
“Well, she’s obviously been breaking the rules, because you’re getting huge.”
“How dare I feed my children!” Zoe mocks dryly, coming around the corner to kiss him on the cheek. “Welcome home, Jensen,” she adds warmly.
Jensen lets go of the boys to greet Zoe with a big hug. Once upon a time, people used to think they’d end up together someday, back before Jensen figured out he’d rather date her hot cousin Matt, and it’s endlessly bizarre for Jensen that she married Josh.
The rest of the family soon piles into the entryway with them. Jensen shares hugs and kisses and chats with everyone but when the door abruptly slams shut, the whole room goes quiet, everybody staring suspiciously at Jared. He ducks his head and sets his bags down, then squares his shoulders.
“Um, everybody, this is Jared. My, uh, boyfriend,” Jensen stammers, tongue tripping over the word boyfriend. He’s gonna have to get used to that eventually. “Jared, this is my family. This is my dad, Alan. These two here are my nephews, Logan and Ryan.” Jensen ruffles their hair, earning him twin disgruntled looks, then points across the hall. “That’s their long-suffering parents, Josh and Zoe. And the one hiding in the back is my sister, Mackenzie, but never call her that if you want your head to stay attached to your neck. It’s Mac, unless you want to meet her famous right hook.”
Mac grins at him, her eyes dancing. Many people have made the mistake of thinking she’s tiny and delicate, only to be proven very, very wrong.
“Hi,” Jared says confidently. “It’s really great to meet you guys, though Jensen talks about you so much it’s like I already know you.”
Jensen mentally rolls his eyes. He’d be surprised if Jared knew his siblings’ names five minutes ago, let alone anything else about them. But he is an expert bullshitter. Jensen witnesses it every day when Jared interacts with some of their authors and coworkers. He’s sure Jared can fake it well enough.
“Uncle Jensen?”
Ryan’s excited voice distracts Jensen’s attention from Jared. “Yeah, kiddo?”
“Mommy and Daddy got me and Logan a new racecar game. You wanna play?”
“Oh, you know what, Ryan, I’m really tired after working today and flying here, but we’ll definitely play tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
“Tell me about it, though. Is it for your Wii?”
“Uh-huh!”
Ryan nods eagerly, then launches into a long, rambly explanation on how to play the game and how he plans to play every day until he can beat Logan, which will be quite a feat since Logan is six years older than Ryan. Jensen listens with half an ear so he can keep an eye on Jared, who’s currently talking to Alan and Josh. Despite being nervous about the situation and still angry at Jared for forcing him into this, Jensen can’t help smiling. There’s something about being home again and surrounded by his family that just sets Jensen at ease. At least until he catches the tail end of Jared’s conversation and wants to kill him.
“-I are engaged,” Jared throws out nonchalantly, and it’s all Jensen can do not to lurch across the hall and strangle the asshole.
He wanted to tell everyone, in a much nicer, gentler way, and holy shit. Now the real lying begins.
“You’re what?” Donna yelps, both hands pressed to her chest in a gesture Jensen recognizes. It’s the same thing she did when he told her he was going to NYU for grad school. She’d been happy for him then but not happy about his choice to go so far from home.
“Engaged,” Jared confirms, walking over to stand by Jensen.
“Uh, yeah. Surprise?” Jensen says lamely.
“Surprise? Hell, son, we just found out you were dating this afternoon!” Alan states. There’s no heat to his words, merely disbelief, but Jensen still winces.
“Sorry. It’s been a crazy few months, kind of a whirlwind romance.”
“And secret,” Donna adds. She does sound slightly hurt. Jensen usually doesn’t keep things from her.
“We had to, because of work.”
“I see.” She smiles then, taking the sting out of her words, and claps her hands. “Well, where are our manners, making everyone stand around in the entryway like this. Let’s go sit.” And she shoos all of them into the living room.
Jensen sits next to Zoe and Ryan on the couch while Jared leans against the opposite wall, arms crossed over his chest. Jensen gets into the traditional tickle fight with Ryan for a few minutes, determined to enjoy his family before any more shit hits the fan.
“So, how did you do it?” Zoe asks.
“Hmm?” Jensen must’ve lost the thread of the conversation while he was busy tickling Ryan, because he has no idea what Zoe means.
“How did you propose?” she clarifies, giving him a look that clearly means moron.
“I didn’t.” Ryan settles on his lap, head on Jensen’s chest and thumb in his mouth. Smiling, Jensen ruffles his hair. When he glances up, Jared’s watching him from across the room, an unreadable expression in his hazel eyes. He turns back to Zoe and clears his throat awkwardly. “Jared was the one who proposed. I’m sure he’d love to tell the story.” It’s close to the truth anyway, and Jensen wants the attention off him for awhile, to see how Jared does when he’s the one lying.
“Oh. Well, it’s not that interesting really,” Jared hedges nervously.
“Don’t be so modest, Jared. It was really sweet.”
Jared’s eyes narrow for a fraction of a second, then the hard, determined look Jensen knows too well comes over his face. Jensen may have thrown down the challenge, but Jared will gladly pick it up.
“Well, Jensen, he loves Wagner. Ride of the Valkyries. We went to an outdoor concert for the New York Symphony. Sat on the lawn and took a picnic.”
Jensen picks up the story as Jared pauses, though his brain is stuttering in disbelief. How the hell did Jared know about Wagner? It’s not like they ever sat around talking about their lives. He hadn’t even known Jared’s gay for Christ’s sakes.
“It was a real picnic, too. Good food and champagne and everything,” Jensen continues. “He went all out.”
“Exactly. It was perfect. He should’ve known something was up just from that.”
“Yeah, he’s not usually so romantic.”
“Anyway,” Jared says with a small scowl. “When he wasn’t looking, I slipped the ring into his glass, hoping he wouldn’t choke on it. But he noticed it right away. I had this elaborate speech prepared that I stumbled my way through, then he said yes.”
There’s a chorus of awws after that, mockingly from Josh but whatever. Jensen squirms a little at the happy look on his mama’s face, feeling guilty for lying to her and everyone else.
“That is so sweet,” Zoe gushes. She picks up Jensen’s hand, then frowns. “But where’s your ring?”
“Uh, at the jeweler’s getting resized,” Jensen stammers. Christ, he never thought about rings. They’d have to buy some cheap ones before they get married. Or expensive ones. Jared can certainly afford it and since it’s his Canadian ass on the line, he can foot the bill on this kind of thing. “It’s nothing fancy- neither of us likes anything ostentatious- so it’s just plain platinum with the inscription ‘you’re the light of my life’ on the inside.”
Zoe awws again, and Jensen looks at Jared, who lifts an eyebrow in a clear sign of I have no idea how we got out of that, but nice BS, man.
*****
Opening the door to what used to be his childhood bedroom, Jensen lets out a tired sigh. He’s exhausted and frustrated but still happy to be home. These conflicting emotions are draining him. The room has changed since he left for college all those years ago. It’s mostly a guestroom and Christmas decoration storage now. Donna’s deft touch is evident in the simple blue curtains and comforter and the sunny yellow walls.
Jared comes in after him, then pauses by the bed, hands on his hips. “I’m not sleeping on the floor,” he announces.
“Fine. You take the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor,” Jensen tells him shortly.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Jared says apologetically and for once, Jensen believes him.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind the floor and I know you have a bad back.” It’s one of the things Jensen does know about Jared’s past. He hurt it getting sacked too many times while playing college football. Jensen had to track down a specific ergonomic desk chair because of it. It was one time Jensen didn’t mind Jared’s ridiculous demands, since he’d been tired of listening to Jared bitch about his back.
“Jensen-” he starts, but Jensen cuts him off with a wave of his hand.
“Seriously, it’s all right. I crash on the floor with Logan and Ryan all the time when they stay over. I’m used to it.”
“Okay.” He bends down to haul his suitcase onto the bed, then turns back to Jensen. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“I’m gonna change and brush my teeth,” he announces and heads across the hall to the bathroom.
Jensen slowly lets out a breath and sits on the end of the bed. He appreciates the brief moment of solitude. He’s used to spending long periods of time with Jared, but it’s never like this. It’s never this unrelenting number of hours together. Truthfully, Jensen’s needed a break for awhile- from Jared, from lying to his family.
It’s short-lived, of course. Jared comes back a few minutes later, wearing a t-shirt and thin, cotton sleep pants. Jared always looks criminally sexy in his perfectly tailored Armani suits, but he’s somehow even sexier like this. Maybe it’s the casualness of it. Jensen only ever sees him dressed to the nines, and Jared like this is…approachable. It’s yet another thing messing with his mental Jared picture.
Sighing, Jensen grabs his own stuff and goes across the hall.
Later, as Jared’s crawling into the bed and Jensen’s arranging a stack of blankets on the floor, Jensen pauses with a pillow in his hand.
“Hey, Jared? How’d you know about Wagner?” he asks.
Jared shrugs and flops onto the mattress. “You listen to it every time you’re upset or mad about something.” He stops and smiles slightly. “You play it at work a lot.”
“Oh.”
Flushing, Jensen lies down. It’s easier somehow now that he can’t see Jared. He can pretend it’s just anybody up in the bed and maybe forget this whole mess for a few hours. He’s so exhausted from everything that he falls asleep within minutes.
Part 2
“Is he in yet?” Jensen asks frantically, dumping his stuff on his desk, nearly spilling the tray of coffees in his left hand.
“Yeah, almost five minutes ago now,” Misha replies, wincing in sympathy.
“Shit.” He attempts to straighten his jacket and tie. There’s not much he can do for the scuffed shoes, but hopefully Mr. Padalecki won’t notice that. “Do I look like I got into a fight over a cab?”
Misha gives him a quick once-over, then shakes his head. “Nah. You’re presentable. Just, uh, fix your hair a bit. It kinda looks like you rode with your head out the car window.”
“Shit. Okay, thanks.” He lifts one of the Starbucks cups out of the holder and hands it to Misha, who glances at it with a puzzled frown. “For fielding that awful call yesterday,” Jensen explains.
Misha shakes his head, grimacing. “Dude, you owe me more than coffee for that! But we’ll discuss payment later. Go fix your hair and get in there before he comes out here looking for you.”
Wrinkling his nose, Jensen uses the blank monitor screen as a mirror and finger-combs his hair back down so it’s not sticking up all over his head in random spikes. Mr. Padalecki has never outright said anything, but Jensen knows he cares about proper appearance. It’s obvious, given Mr. Padalecki himself never has a hair out of place, a tie askew, or a shoe anything less than shiny.
Jensen sighs at his indistinct reflection in the monitor and straightens back up. He really needs to get Mr. Padalecki’s coffee to him before it cools down too much.
The door is partially open, so Jensen just walks inside, coffee in one hand and a stack of manila file folders tucked under his arm. Mr. Padalecki’s at his desk, reading over a manuscript, but he glances up when Jensen stops in front of him. He looks impeccable as always, from the tips of his dark, silky hair to his perfectly tailored Armani suit, a midnight blue pinstriped one today with a shockingly red tie. Jensen’s gaze lingers for a second on Mr. Padalecki’s broad shoulders and long-fingered hands before he snaps his eyes back up, blushing faintly and hoping he didn’t get caught.
One of the things he hates the most about his boss is how fucking gorgeous he is.
“Good morning, sir,” Jensen says, carefully placing the pile of folders on the desk and holding out the coffee. His fingers are slightly warm from the cup, so hopefully it’s still hot enough.
Mr. Padalecki takes the coffee and goes through his usual ritual- sniffing at it, popping off the lid, then taking three small swallows. He doesn’t look at Jensen or smile during the whole thing.
“You’re late,” he says, sitting back in his leather chair and powering up his computer.
Jensen suppresses a sigh and curls his hands into fists. One of these days, Mr. Padalecki is going to end up wearing his special peppermint mocha with skim milk. “There was a line at Starbucks. And it was only a minute or two.”
“Hmm, I see.” He somehow makes that sound like the gravest of insults, and Jensen shuffles his feet and tries not to blush.
“Sir-”
“I have a meeting with Singer and Beaver in 10 minutes. Come get me after a few minutes. Say I have an important phone call from Eric Kripke and he won’t get off the line till I talk to them. I don’t have time to deal with Singer and Beaver today.”
“Yes, sir.” Jensen wonders what Mr. Singer and Mr. Beaver would say if they knew Mr. Padalecki talks about them like they’re the lowliest of employees, considering they’re the owners of the company.
“We have a full schedule today, Jensen. I’m going to need you on time and on the ball all day.”
Jensen suppresses a wince. Mr. Padalecki never yells at him or anything, but he has a way of cutting Jensen to the bone and making him feel humiliated. “Of course, sir.”
“Do we have the Legend manuscript yet?”
“Courier is dropping it off today at 10,” Jensen assures him.
“And if it’s not here?”
“It will be.” Jensen certainly hopes so. It was due over a week ago, but the author asked for an extension due to a temperamental muse. Sometimes Jensen gets tired of dealing with temperamental authors, especially since the fallout inevitably lands on his shoulders.
Mr. Padalecki eyes him seriously for a few moments, then nods. “All right. I’m going to my meeting now. Remember to come get me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Misha’s sitting on the edge of Jensen’s desk when he gets back. He holds out the last Starbucks coffee as Jensen flops into his chair. “I know it kinda sucks this way, but I microwaved it for you. It was getting cold.”
“Thanks, Misha.” Jensen takes a cautious sip. Misha’s right; it does suck. But he doesn’t have time to make a fresh pot right now. He sifts through some of the messages and paperwork scattered over his desk, picking out the files with high priority. The problem is that Mr. Padalecki feels everything has high priority.
“I don’t understand how you put up with him,” Misha mentions, and Jensen jumps, not realizing Misha was still there.
“He’s not that bad,” Jensen automatically defends Mr. Padalecki. He may do his fair share of bitching about his boss, but he never does it where Mr. Padalecki can hear. “You get used to it.”
“Jensen, he’s an asshole! And he runs you ragged.”
“He’s good at what he does, and being the assistant to one of the vice-presidents looks good on my resume.”
“Yeah, but when are you ever gonna start looking for another job?”
Jensen shifts his shoulders uncomfortably, glancing behind him, expecting to find Mr. Padalecki standing right there. “I’m not. Not right now anyway.”
“You deserve better, man. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Thanks, but I’m good. Honestly.”
Misha shrugs and nods, then heads back to his desk.
Jensen sighs and drops his head onto his arms. It’s not that he hates his job. Far from it. He loves what he does, loves working with their authors most of the time, even the needy ones that require a lot of hand-holding. He just wishes Mr. Padalecki were less demanding. That every once in awhile he’d tell Jensen “good job” or “thank you.” Jensen doesn’t expect something like that to ever happen, and dwelling on it just depresses him.
*****
Jensen checks his watch and swears under his breath. It’s been close to 15 minutes since Mr. Padalecki left for his meeting.
“Shit, shit, shit,” he mutters, scraping his chair back and hurrying to the stairs to the 5th floor. He can always claim he got caught up on a real phone call if Mr. Padalecki asks.
He slows down once he gets close to Mr. Singer’s office. He smoothes down his tie and calms his breathing. He can’t look flustered in front of the owners. The door is shut, and Jensen can hear muffled voices inside. Mr. Singer’s assistant tells him to just go in, but Jensen feels awkward about doing that, so knocks once and opens the door after Mr. Beaver’s gruff “enter!” He walks in slowly and cautiously. The atmosphere in the room is tense and silent. Jensen very nearly turns around and hurries back out, but Mr. Padalecki said to come get him, so Jensen has to do it.
Mr. Padalecki sits opposite a stern-faced woman in a maroon power suit, her hair pulled back into a severe bun. She’s in Mr. Singer’s chair, while he and Mr. Beaver stand behind her with their arms crossed. Neither of them looks very happy, and Jensen knows from the tense line of Mr. Padalecki’s shoulders that he’s livid and barely holding it in.
“Uh, sir?” Jensen says hesitantly, hovering by the doorway in case he needs a quick getaway. “Mr. Kripke is on the phone. He’s very adamant that he talk to you right now.” Everyone but Mr. Padalecki turns to stare at Jensen, and he swallows thickly before going on. “Should I tell him you’ll call back later?”
“Yes,” Mr. Singer answers for him, blunt and succinct.
“And then will you excuse us, Jensen? This is a private meeting,” Mr. Beaver adds. The words are polite, but the tone is authoritative.
Jensen can only say, “Yes, sirs!” and back out the door, but Mr. Padalecki’s familiar deep voice stops him up short.
“Wait,” he demands, rotating in his chair to face Jensen. He flashes Jensen the most calculating, hostile smile Jensen’s ever seen. Jensen immediately takes another step out into the hallway. That smile can only mean bad things. “He’s part of this.”
“Jensen? How?” Mr. Beaver asks.
Jensen just wonders what the hell he walked in on.
“Yes, Mr. Padalecki. Tell us how,” the stern-faced woman speaks up for the first time, and it’s obvious she accepts no bullshit.
“It’s all right, baby. We don’t need to hide it anymore.” Jensen’s still boggling at Mr. Padalecki’s use of the word baby when his next statement completely knocks Jensen for a loop. “I told you it wouldn’t be an issue anymore. I was trying to keep it private, but since he’s here now I can tell you that Jensen and I are engaged.”
Jensen actually feels his jaw drop.
Is he fucking kidding? What the hell is going on? Jensen feels like he’s in an alternate universe or something. He’d notice if he suddenly went insane, right? He’s too stunned to protest and demand an explanation.
Stern-faced woman raises a perfectly sculpted brow at that. “Oh, really? And why didn’t you bring this up at the beginning?”
“Like I told you, Ms. Ferris, we were trying to keep it private. I am his superior, after all.”
“Yes, that would complicate things.” Uncrossing her legs, she leans forward over the desk, eyeing Mr. Padalecki and then Jensen. “When is the wedding?”
“We haven’t set an exact date yet, but sometime in the next couple months. We prefer a summer wedding.”
“I’ll want proof- marriage license, pictures, witnesses- as well as interviews with you and your fiancé, individual and together, within the next three weeks.”
“That’ll be fine.”
Ms. Ferris stands up and leans even farther over the desk, fists resting on the desktop and fixing Mr. Padalecki with a frosty stare. “You realize it’s a federal offense to falsify claims with Immigration, right? I will find out the truth and I will have your ass if you’re lying.”
“I’m not lying,” Mr. Padalecki insists. “Jensen and I are in love.”
She glances up at Jensen and smirks. “Right. I’ll see you soon.” She gathers some paperwork into a fancy leather briefcase, then brushes past Jensen on the way out the door. He’s still frozen in the doorway, and the assessing look she gives him sends a chill down his spine.
An uncomfortable silence follows for several long moments. Jensen eventually shakes himself and rounds on Mr. Padalecki.
“What the fuck was that about?” Jensen demands loudly.
Mr. Padalecki strides purposefully over to him and grips his elbow. Jensen tries to yank his arm free, but Mr. Padalecki won’t let him. “It’s all right, baby. We don’t have to hide anymore. I think our secret’s pretty much out.”
“Stop calling me that,” Jensen snaps, then looks away from Mr. Padalecki’s narrowed eyes.
Mr. Padalecki glances over his shoulder to Mr. Singer and Mr. Beaver, who both seem equally shocked by this turn of events, and pastes on a smile. “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse us? I think my fiancé and I are about to argue, and I’d rather do it in private.”
Mr. Singer chuckles at that, but Mr. Beaver still looks skeptical.
“Go on,” Mr. Singer says, waving them off. “But we will talk about this, Jared. Soon.”
“Of course. I understand completely, Bob.”
And then Mr. Padalecki’s propelling him down the hallway to his office, whether Jensen likes it or not. He practically shoves Jensen in the door, then locks it behind them and closes all the blinds at the windows facing into the common area of the office. Jensen crosses his arms and glares for all he’s worth.
“You want to explain yourself?” he asks, voice stiff and hostile.
Mr. Padalecki strides over to rest his ass against his desk, arms and legs crossed loosely. He appears perfectly relaxed, but the muscles in his neck and jaw are tight, betraying the truth. “I’m about to be deported.”
“Come again?”
“Ms. Ferris and the illustrious American government want to send me packing back to Canada.”
Jensen feels like he’s acting in a play where everyone got the script except him. “I thought you grew up in Texas?”
“I did. I was born in Ontario, though. I’m not technically an American citizen. It’s something I’ve been meaning to take care of for years now, but something else always seemed more important.”
“Regretting that now, are you?” Jensen says snidely.
Jared favors him with a cold smile. “No. Because now I have you to help me get out of this stupid mess.”
“By claiming we’re engaged?”
“No, by actually getting married.”
“Are you insane? That’ll never work! Are you even gay?”
“Yes. Not that it matters,” he dismisses idly. “And I already know you are, so you can’t use that as an excuse.”
Jensen’s head is spinning from all these revelations. He’s not sure how much more he can take. “I can barely stand you. Why would I marry you?”
“Because I can make you seriously regret saying no.”
Jensen’s used to Mr. Padalecki acting authoritative and expecting to get his way, but he’s never seen him like this, not this determined and hard. Too bad for him that Jensen’s tired of being pushed around.
“You know what? I don’t even care. Get yourself out of your own mess.” Jensen reaches for the door, unlocking it and throwing it open.
“Where are you going?”
“Outside to get some fresh air.”
Mr. Padalecki’s right behind him, of course. Jensen doesn’t get very far before he’s towed into the shadows between two buildings by Mr. Padalecki’s firm grip on his arm. Jensen yanks away from him, scowling.
“Look, I know you don’t like me much, but I’m not about to lose everything I’ve worked for these last several years because of a stupid technicality like a goddamned green card. I need a solution, and you happen to be it.”
“No,” Jensen grits out.
“Jensen-”
“Give me one good reason why I should help you. You can’t, can you?” he adds before Mr. Padalecki can say anything.
“You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”
“I am? Oh, really?” Jensen steps past Jared and calls over his shoulder, “Good luck with the whole deportation thing.”
“I’ll fire you,” he yells back, and Jensen stumbles to a stop. “I’ll fire you and then I’ll call every publishing company in this city from the big names like Random House down to the smallest mom and pop place and tell them not to hire you.”
“You can’t.”
“I can and I will.”
Jensen slowly turns around to face Mr. Padalecki, all the blood draining out of his face. In his mind, he sees his whole future crash and burn and for the first time, he starts to think there’s no way out of this.
“You’re an asshole.”
Mr. Padalecki shrugs one shoulder. “It’s been said before.” He approaches Jensen, looking almost like a stalking cat. “It’s not a life sentence, Jensen. We get married, I get my green card, we get divorced after an appropriate amount of time.”
“Easy as that, huh? And it’s no big deal if they find out the truth, right? We won’t go to prison or anything.”
“So we don’t let them figure it out.”
“That means lying to everyone we know.” Oh, God, his mama. She’d never forgive him for doing this.
“I have no problem with that, not if it gets me what I need.”
Jensen shakes his head incredulously. “You’re unbelievable. If I do this for you, I want something in return.” Mr. Padalecki lifts an eyebrow at that, but he nods shortly. “I want that promotion I deserved but didn’t get last year.”
“A promotion? You think I’m going to hand over a promotion, just like that?”
“Depends. How badly do you want to avoid getting deported?”
“If I give you the promotion, you’ll agree to do this?”
Jensen hesitates, but really, he stopped having a choice awhile ago. Mr. Padalecki- no, Jared. If he’s going to marry the man, Jensen will certainly start calling him by his first name. Jared looks into his eyes, gaze steady, braced for whatever objections Jensen might throw at him. But Jensen’s tired and has no desire to fight anymore. Jensen knows the exact moment Jared realizes he’s won- the cold smile is a clear sign. Jensen will let him think he’s given in, for now, but Jared will soon find out he can’t push Jensen around in this without Jensen pushing back.
“Ask nicely,” Jensen declares.
Jared’s eyes widen slightly. “What?”
Crossing his arms, Jensen widens his stance. “Ask me nicely.”
“I’m not going to-” Jared cuts off angrily and steps up to Jensen, right in his face. “Do I need to threaten to fire you again?”
“No. We’ve sufficiently covered that. But the way I see it, I’m doing you a favor, so you either ask me nicely, or I walk away right now.”
“Fine,” Jared grits out. “Will you marry me? Please?”
His voice sounds strangled, and Jensen could probably draw it out for longer, but he would rather go home and forget this day ever happened. Copious amounts of alcohol might be required for that.
“Wow. Once more with feeling.” Jared opens his mouth to reply, but Jensen cuts him off. “Whatever. I’m going home. I’ll see you at work tomorrow. Remember I’m leaving early.”
“Hey, hold on a minute!” Jared orders. “We’re not done here!”
“What now?”
“This needs to happen quickly. I’ll make some calls, and we’ll do it this weekend.”
“What? No. No, I can’t.”
“Jensen.”
There’s a steely thread of warning in his voice that Jensen ignores.
“No. I leave for Texas tomorrow evening. You promised me the week off for my parents’ wedding anniversary. I don’t care if you’re about to be deported. This week is not negotiable.”
Jared grinds his teeth, a muscle in his jaw twitching. Finally, he nods. “If I let you have this, you’ll marry me as soon as we get back from Texas?”
“Fine. I don’t-” Jensen stops, Jared’s words suddenly sinking in. “Wait. What do you mean by we?”
Jared smiles, but there’s nothing pleasant about it. “That must look good to immigration, right? Me going home with you to meet your family and telling them about the engagement together?”
Jensen really wants to wipe that smug look off Jared’s face, preferably with his fist, but instead he sighs, shoulders slumping. Bastard has him backed into a corner with no good way out.
“Fine. Meet me at JFK tomorrow at 6. I’m not waiting if you miss the flight,” Jensen snaps, then walks away, leaving Jared standing alone in the middle of the sidewalk.
Jensen always gets to the airport ridiculously early, no matter what. It’s a thing with him that his friends often make fun of him for. It’s been awhile since he traveled, though. Working for Jared eats up so much of his time, he barely has the chance to sleep, let alone go back to Texas to see his family. That’s why he begged Jared to get this week off and why he wouldn’t give up on it, despite the…new direction of their relationship.
Jensen snorts to himself, drawing a strange look from the older couple in front of him in the security line. New direction. Such a simple way to describe this fucked up mess he now finds himself in. Jared Padalecki has always complicated his life but never like this. Shit. How did this happen to him?
Once through security, Jensen settles in a seat by his gate, facing out so he can see Jared when he shows up. If he shows. It’d be easier if he didn’t, but Jensen knows he’d never be that lucky. There’s still over an hour before Jared’s supposed to meet him and until then, Jensen has a phone call to make, one he’s not looking forward to.
His mama is understandably confused and he’s sure she’ll have lots of questions for him when he gets to Texas, but the call actually goes better than he hoped.
“Mama, I should go. Jared should be here soon.”
“Of course, baby. I’m looking forward to finally meeting this young man,” Donna replies, though she sounds skeptical. It’s not surprising, considering the way he’s talked about Jared in the past.
Wincing, Jensen props his elbows on his knees and hunches over, dropping his head between his shoulders. How the hell is he going to explain this so his family believes him and won’t kick Jared out on principle alone?
“He’s-” Jensen stops because he doesn’t know what to say about Jared. He can’t lie to his mama. Jensen sighs quietly. “Well, you’ll see when we get there.”
“Call me when you land and have a safe flight, Jensen.”
Flipping his phone shut, Jensen slumps back in his chair. Their flight should start boarding in the next half hour or so. He and Jared hadn’t talked much at all today, except for Jared to inform him he not only got on the same flight but somehow convinced the airline employee to bump the passenger that was suppose to sit next to Jensen to another seat so Jared could have that one instead.
This is gonna be the worst flight of his life.
Ten minutes later, Jensen’s in the middle of checking his watch when Jared strolls up to him. He’s wearing worn-soft jeans and a blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looks good but strung tight, shoulders tense and a frown creasing his forehead.
“Hey,” Jensen says as Jared gets closer. He can’t help feeling a little disappointed that Jared actually showed up.
Jared acknowledges him with a curt nod before slipping into the seat next to him and dropping his carry-on to the floor by his feet.
“So,” Jensen starts, attempting to strike up a conversation. If he’s going to be stuck with Jared for however long, he may as well try to make nice with him. “When was the last time you went home to Texas?”
The silence afterward stretches on so long that Jensen stops expecting an answer.
“Six years,” Jared finally says bluntly, then immediately stands up, fidgeting with the hem of his untucked shirt. “I need coffee. I’ll be right back.” He glances back at Jensen and rolls his shoulders. “You want anything?” he asks, but it doesn’t sound entirely genuine.
He hurries away when Jensen’s still shaking his head no. Tilting his head, Jensen watches him go, wondering what the hell that was about.
Jared spends the next 20 minutes on his iPhone, furiously sending texts and emails and muttering under his breath about how much work he’ll miss because of this trip. It takes all Jensen’s will power not to snap at Jared and tell him to just stay the hell home then. Jensen grinds his teeth. He’s not looking forward to this, to introducing Jared to his family, and that’s so damn unfair. He fought hard to get this week off to finally spend time with his parents and siblings and little nephews. And now Jared will ruin what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation.
Sighing loudly, Jensen shifts to hook his right ankle over his left knee, ignoring the irritated glance Jared sends him. Jensen rolls his eyes. If anyone has a right to feel irritated, it’s Jensen. Not Jared. But whatever. He can get through this. It’ll be long and painful and annoying, and he and Jared may end up killing each other before the end, but he can do this.
He glances at Jared out of the corner of his eye. Even his profile is good looking. Jensen would be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to Jared. He’s gorgeous- tall and built and amazing, ever-changing eyes. But there’s always been three things keeping Jensen from wanting more from Jared- he’s an asshole, he’s Jensen’s boss, and he’s straight. Two of those are still true, but the last one turned out to be a misconception on Jensen’s part. It shouldn’t make a difference, but somehow it does. And Jensen hates that it does.
*****
Jensen can’t sleep on the plane, too keyed up from everything and having Jared freaking Padalecki sitting beside him to relax enough. Jared has no such issues apparently, since he’s out as soon as they take off. Jensen tries reading the novel he brought with him, but his mind won’t settle. He has no idea how any of this happened. How did he go from Mr. Padalecki’s harried and run-ragged assistant to Jared’s fiancé, all in the course of a day? It’s a mistake, and Jensen knows it, but he feels caught in the situation and not only by Jared’s threats. At the heart of it is someone that needs Jensen’s help, and he’s always been a sucker for a pretty face asking him for help. Though it was more like demanding in Jared’s case.
Sighing, Jensen rubs his temples with his thumbs. He’s stuck, so he might as well make the most of it. He glances to his left at Jared. He’s definitely asleep, breathing deep and even, head lolling to the side and almost on Jensen’s shoulder. He looks much younger this way. Jensen sometimes forgets that Jared’s barely in his 30’s, but he can see it now. The hard lines around Jared’s mouth and jaw have smoothed out, his hair falling in his face in a boyish way that makes Jensen itch to brush it away for him. Jensen’s never seen Jared so relaxed. It messes with the image of Jared he has in his head.
Luckily, Jared wakes up a couple hours later grumpy, pissed, and demanding more of those damn airplane pretzels, and Jensen’s mental picture of Jared rights itself.
Jensen munches on his own pretzels and stares out the plane window for awhile, Jared a restless presence at his side. Jensen might go crazy if he doesn’t quit jiggling his knee soon.
After listening to the endless drone of the airplane engine and giving up on watching the in-flight movie, Jensen angles toward Jared as much as he can in the confines of the seat.
“Do you think we should plan what we say about our relationship? Come up with a back story or something?” Jensen asks, watching Jared stretch out his absurdly long legs into the aisle. He almost feels sorry for Jared having to fold his tall frame into a coach seat. Almost.
Jared shrugs indifferently, but his expression is cloudy. It helps a little to know Jared is just as unhappy about this situation as Jensen is.
“I suppose. But make it simple. We don’t want to get caught in elaborate lies. Write up a plan, and I’ll approve it.”
“Wait. You expect me to do all the work?” Jensen can’t control the anger in his voice, and it only gets worse when Jared gestures dismissively. Dammit, he has to stay calm. He can’t let Jared keep getting to him like this, or no one will ever believe they’re in love. He’s not so sure people will believe it anyway. “Listen, you stopped being my boss the second you decided to blackmail me into marrying you. You have to meet me halfway if this is gonna work at all. No more orders. No more expecting me to jump every time you lift a hand.”
“I can still fire you,” Jared states. It’s even more chilling because of the calmness of his tone, and Jensen suppresses a shiver.
“And you can still be deported,” he reminds Jared with more confidence than he feels.
Jared stares at him for a long moment, eyes narrowed, before nodding, an infinitesimally small movement that Jensen would’ve missed if he weren’t looking directly at Jared.
There’s a charged silence for several more minutes, then Jared says, “All right. What do you suggest for a back story? I still think simple is the way to go.” The politeness seems to pain him, if his grimace is anything to go by, but at least he’s trying.
“Simple is good,” Jensen agrees. “I don’t want to memorize anything complicated. It’ll only trip us up later.”
“Exactly.”
“So how long have we been dating? How did we get together? Why not tell anyone?”
Jared drums his fingers on his knee. “Well, not long, I’m thinking. Six months or so.”
“That’s awfully quick to get engaged.”
“My parents were married after five months, and they’re still happily wed now,” Jared argues, shrugging offhandedly.
“I’m happy for your parents and all, but that’s kinda unusual.”
“Fine,” Jared grits out. “What do you suggest?”
They argue details for the rest of the flight, intensely discussing the finer points of their relationship and whether or not they should call each other pet names. They exchange some heated words and compromise on very little. By the time they land in Dallas and exit the plane, they’re both pretty grumpy and pissy.
It’s a great start to the week.
*****
Jensen, embarrassingly, gets tears in his eyes when he sees his mama standing by baggage claim. He talks to her when he can and they email all the time, but he doesn’t get to spend time with her in person as much as he’d like. He has never denied being a mama’s boy.
Donna’s face lights up when she spots him, and Jensen drops everything and immediately scoops her up into a tight hug. Her delighted laugh goes a long way toward easing the tension he’s been carrying around the past couple days. Jensen lets her go and steps back, noticing tears in her eyes as well. He grins.
“You look amazing, Mama,” he tells her, kissing her cheek.
She blushes in embarrassment and needlessly smoothes back her hair. “Oh, hush.” Smiling, she swats at his arm, then cups his cheek. “It’s so good to see you, baby.”
“You too, Mama.”
Someone clears his throat behind them and with a start, Jensen remembers Jared. He checks over his shoulder and finds Jared uncomfortably close to him.
Here we go, he thinks, then turns back to Donna.
“Mama, this is my- this is Jared,” he corrects, not quite ready to name Jared his boyfriend or whatever yet. “Jared, this is my mama.”
Donna assesses Jared quietly for a moment- she hadn’t exactly been happy when Jensen called to tell her about Jared, knowing what he’d put up with at work- but Jared immediately holds out his hand to her.
“It’s really good to finally meet you, Mrs. Ackles.” Jensen’s impressed; Jared actually sounds sincere.
“Oh, none of that. It’s Donna.”
“Donna then, though my own mama would probably lecture me about manners and respecting my elders.”
Jensen thinks he might be imagining things. Jared doesn’t even treat their clients this well.
Donna smiles, the soft, warm smile that always soothes Jensen, and the tightness in his shoulders and neck dissipates even more. He wasn’t sure how this would go, any of it, but he can handle Jared if he has his family around, even if they’ll never know the truth.
“All right. We should grab your bags and get back to the house. You boys must be tired.”
“Yeah. Not all of us slept on the plane,” Jensen mentions with a teasing look to Jared, who cocks his head good-naturedly. Jensen half expected a cutting remark back, but Jared seems to’ve left his pissy attitude on the plane. He knows it’s an act, so people will believe they’re a real couple, but he’ll take it.
The walk to the car and ride to his parents’ house is mostly silent. Donna asks about their flight and isn’t subtle at all about fishing for details about their relationship, but she falls quiet after a few minutes to better navigate traffic. Jensen only told her he was bringing Jared with him and that they’re dating. He figured he’d leave the engagement bombshell for face-to-face and when the whole family is there.
The streets start looking more familiar, and Jensen grins. His parents live in the same house they moved into when Josh was a baby. The simple white split level with the perfectly manicured yard will always be home to Jensen, no matter where else he goes or how long it’s been since he actually lived here.
Jensen’s the first one out of the car, Donna and Jared following at a more normal pace. Josh’s SUV and Mac’s new sports car are also in the driveway. Jensen bounces a little, excited. It’s been way too long since he saw his family.
They grab their bags and walk up the driveway, Donna ahead of them. When Donna opens the front door, a brown furry blur streaks outside and bolts straight for Jared.
“And who is this little guy?” Jared asks as the puppy dances around his feet.
“Oh, that’s Spike,” Donna tells them, shaking her head. “He knows better than to run out the door like that.”
Spike completely ignores her admonishment, too intent on jumping up on Jared’s legs. He’s cute, splotchy brown with floppy ears and a big bushy tail. His paws are huge, indicating he’ll be big once fully grown. His deep brown eyes stare at Jared like he’s just found his new best friend. All typical puppy. What gets Jensen is Jared’s reaction to the dog. Instead of shooing the dog away, he bends down and scratches at Spike’s ears.
“What breed is he?”
“Mutt. German Sheppard and lab for sure. We don’t know what else.”
“Mama, you didn’t tell me you were getting a dog,” Jensen says, patting the puppy back by his tail. Spike’s more interested in Jared anyway.
“We just got him a few days ago. It’s an early anniversary present from your dad.”
“He’s adorable.”
“And he knows it,” she laughs. “Come on in when you’re ready, boys.”
Nodding, Jensen watches Jared with Spike. He’s rubbing the puppy’s belly now and possibly cooing at him in baby talk. Jensen decides to leave them to it and heads for the porch. As he passes them, Spike rears up, licking at Jared’s face, and Jared smiles. It’s so different from the predatory, shark-like smile he wears at work that Jensen stumbles going up the porch steps, shocked into immobility. Jared has dimples. Three years of working with him, sometimes 60-70 hours per week, and Jensen never knew that. Dimples. Jared’s smile transforms his whole face. No longer stern and strained, it’s almost boyish, making him go from merely gorgeous to scorching.
And once again, Jensen’s mental picture of Jared tilts sideways.
Jensen forces his eyes away from the strangeness of Jared’s smile and continues up the steps. He barely makes it in the door before he’s assaulted by two little boys, one hugging him around the waist and the smaller one around his legs.
“Uncle Jensen!” they shout in unison.
“Hey, guys!” Dropping his bags, Jensen squeezes them tight. “Geeze, did you two get taller? What did I tell you about feeding them, Zoe?” Jensen yells the last part, knowing his sister-in-law will hear him in the living room.
“Only on Tuesdays and every other Saturday!” Ryan answers for her, giggling.
“Well, she’s obviously been breaking the rules, because you’re getting huge.”
“How dare I feed my children!” Zoe mocks dryly, coming around the corner to kiss him on the cheek. “Welcome home, Jensen,” she adds warmly.
Jensen lets go of the boys to greet Zoe with a big hug. Once upon a time, people used to think they’d end up together someday, back before Jensen figured out he’d rather date her hot cousin Matt, and it’s endlessly bizarre for Jensen that she married Josh.
The rest of the family soon piles into the entryway with them. Jensen shares hugs and kisses and chats with everyone but when the door abruptly slams shut, the whole room goes quiet, everybody staring suspiciously at Jared. He ducks his head and sets his bags down, then squares his shoulders.
“Um, everybody, this is Jared. My, uh, boyfriend,” Jensen stammers, tongue tripping over the word boyfriend. He’s gonna have to get used to that eventually. “Jared, this is my family. This is my dad, Alan. These two here are my nephews, Logan and Ryan.” Jensen ruffles their hair, earning him twin disgruntled looks, then points across the hall. “That’s their long-suffering parents, Josh and Zoe. And the one hiding in the back is my sister, Mackenzie, but never call her that if you want your head to stay attached to your neck. It’s Mac, unless you want to meet her famous right hook.”
Mac grins at him, her eyes dancing. Many people have made the mistake of thinking she’s tiny and delicate, only to be proven very, very wrong.
“Hi,” Jared says confidently. “It’s really great to meet you guys, though Jensen talks about you so much it’s like I already know you.”
Jensen mentally rolls his eyes. He’d be surprised if Jared knew his siblings’ names five minutes ago, let alone anything else about them. But he is an expert bullshitter. Jensen witnesses it every day when Jared interacts with some of their authors and coworkers. He’s sure Jared can fake it well enough.
“Uncle Jensen?”
Ryan’s excited voice distracts Jensen’s attention from Jared. “Yeah, kiddo?”
“Mommy and Daddy got me and Logan a new racecar game. You wanna play?”
“Oh, you know what, Ryan, I’m really tired after working today and flying here, but we’ll definitely play tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
“Tell me about it, though. Is it for your Wii?”
“Uh-huh!”
Ryan nods eagerly, then launches into a long, rambly explanation on how to play the game and how he plans to play every day until he can beat Logan, which will be quite a feat since Logan is six years older than Ryan. Jensen listens with half an ear so he can keep an eye on Jared, who’s currently talking to Alan and Josh. Despite being nervous about the situation and still angry at Jared for forcing him into this, Jensen can’t help smiling. There’s something about being home again and surrounded by his family that just sets Jensen at ease. At least until he catches the tail end of Jared’s conversation and wants to kill him.
“-I are engaged,” Jared throws out nonchalantly, and it’s all Jensen can do not to lurch across the hall and strangle the asshole.
He wanted to tell everyone, in a much nicer, gentler way, and holy shit. Now the real lying begins.
“You’re what?” Donna yelps, both hands pressed to her chest in a gesture Jensen recognizes. It’s the same thing she did when he told her he was going to NYU for grad school. She’d been happy for him then but not happy about his choice to go so far from home.
“Engaged,” Jared confirms, walking over to stand by Jensen.
“Uh, yeah. Surprise?” Jensen says lamely.
“Surprise? Hell, son, we just found out you were dating this afternoon!” Alan states. There’s no heat to his words, merely disbelief, but Jensen still winces.
“Sorry. It’s been a crazy few months, kind of a whirlwind romance.”
“And secret,” Donna adds. She does sound slightly hurt. Jensen usually doesn’t keep things from her.
“We had to, because of work.”
“I see.” She smiles then, taking the sting out of her words, and claps her hands. “Well, where are our manners, making everyone stand around in the entryway like this. Let’s go sit.” And she shoos all of them into the living room.
Jensen sits next to Zoe and Ryan on the couch while Jared leans against the opposite wall, arms crossed over his chest. Jensen gets into the traditional tickle fight with Ryan for a few minutes, determined to enjoy his family before any more shit hits the fan.
“So, how did you do it?” Zoe asks.
“Hmm?” Jensen must’ve lost the thread of the conversation while he was busy tickling Ryan, because he has no idea what Zoe means.
“How did you propose?” she clarifies, giving him a look that clearly means moron.
“I didn’t.” Ryan settles on his lap, head on Jensen’s chest and thumb in his mouth. Smiling, Jensen ruffles his hair. When he glances up, Jared’s watching him from across the room, an unreadable expression in his hazel eyes. He turns back to Zoe and clears his throat awkwardly. “Jared was the one who proposed. I’m sure he’d love to tell the story.” It’s close to the truth anyway, and Jensen wants the attention off him for awhile, to see how Jared does when he’s the one lying.
“Oh. Well, it’s not that interesting really,” Jared hedges nervously.
“Don’t be so modest, Jared. It was really sweet.”
Jared’s eyes narrow for a fraction of a second, then the hard, determined look Jensen knows too well comes over his face. Jensen may have thrown down the challenge, but Jared will gladly pick it up.
“Well, Jensen, he loves Wagner. Ride of the Valkyries. We went to an outdoor concert for the New York Symphony. Sat on the lawn and took a picnic.”
Jensen picks up the story as Jared pauses, though his brain is stuttering in disbelief. How the hell did Jared know about Wagner? It’s not like they ever sat around talking about their lives. He hadn’t even known Jared’s gay for Christ’s sakes.
“It was a real picnic, too. Good food and champagne and everything,” Jensen continues. “He went all out.”
“Exactly. It was perfect. He should’ve known something was up just from that.”
“Yeah, he’s not usually so romantic.”
“Anyway,” Jared says with a small scowl. “When he wasn’t looking, I slipped the ring into his glass, hoping he wouldn’t choke on it. But he noticed it right away. I had this elaborate speech prepared that I stumbled my way through, then he said yes.”
There’s a chorus of awws after that, mockingly from Josh but whatever. Jensen squirms a little at the happy look on his mama’s face, feeling guilty for lying to her and everyone else.
“That is so sweet,” Zoe gushes. She picks up Jensen’s hand, then frowns. “But where’s your ring?”
“Uh, at the jeweler’s getting resized,” Jensen stammers. Christ, he never thought about rings. They’d have to buy some cheap ones before they get married. Or expensive ones. Jared can certainly afford it and since it’s his Canadian ass on the line, he can foot the bill on this kind of thing. “It’s nothing fancy- neither of us likes anything ostentatious- so it’s just plain platinum with the inscription ‘you’re the light of my life’ on the inside.”
Zoe awws again, and Jensen looks at Jared, who lifts an eyebrow in a clear sign of I have no idea how we got out of that, but nice BS, man.
*****
Opening the door to what used to be his childhood bedroom, Jensen lets out a tired sigh. He’s exhausted and frustrated but still happy to be home. These conflicting emotions are draining him. The room has changed since he left for college all those years ago. It’s mostly a guestroom and Christmas decoration storage now. Donna’s deft touch is evident in the simple blue curtains and comforter and the sunny yellow walls.
Jared comes in after him, then pauses by the bed, hands on his hips. “I’m not sleeping on the floor,” he announces.
“Fine. You take the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor,” Jensen tells him shortly.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Jared says apologetically and for once, Jensen believes him.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind the floor and I know you have a bad back.” It’s one of the things Jensen does know about Jared’s past. He hurt it getting sacked too many times while playing college football. Jensen had to track down a specific ergonomic desk chair because of it. It was one time Jensen didn’t mind Jared’s ridiculous demands, since he’d been tired of listening to Jared bitch about his back.
“Jensen-” he starts, but Jensen cuts him off with a wave of his hand.
“Seriously, it’s all right. I crash on the floor with Logan and Ryan all the time when they stay over. I’m used to it.”
“Okay.” He bends down to haul his suitcase onto the bed, then turns back to Jensen. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“I’m gonna change and brush my teeth,” he announces and heads across the hall to the bathroom.
Jensen slowly lets out a breath and sits on the end of the bed. He appreciates the brief moment of solitude. He’s used to spending long periods of time with Jared, but it’s never like this. It’s never this unrelenting number of hours together. Truthfully, Jensen’s needed a break for awhile- from Jared, from lying to his family.
It’s short-lived, of course. Jared comes back a few minutes later, wearing a t-shirt and thin, cotton sleep pants. Jared always looks criminally sexy in his perfectly tailored Armani suits, but he’s somehow even sexier like this. Maybe it’s the casualness of it. Jensen only ever sees him dressed to the nines, and Jared like this is…approachable. It’s yet another thing messing with his mental Jared picture.
Sighing, Jensen grabs his own stuff and goes across the hall.
Later, as Jared’s crawling into the bed and Jensen’s arranging a stack of blankets on the floor, Jensen pauses with a pillow in his hand.
“Hey, Jared? How’d you know about Wagner?” he asks.
Jared shrugs and flops onto the mattress. “You listen to it every time you’re upset or mad about something.” He stops and smiles slightly. “You play it at work a lot.”
“Oh.”
Flushing, Jensen lies down. It’s easier somehow now that he can’t see Jared. He can pretend it’s just anybody up in the bed and maybe forget this whole mess for a few hours. He’s so exhausted from everything that he falls asleep within minutes.
Part 2