Nano Shots 2011 "And if life is your stage I'll be watching" Part 5
Part 5: You and Me
Rainbow socks. Jared grins when he hangs them up on the mantle. Jensen will kill him but he doesn’t care. He just had to get them when he saw them in the mall yesterday. He even got some for the dogs. So there are five socks in flashy rainbow colors now.
He sits back on the sofa and watches the flames crackle. He always wanted a fire place, even if they are living in Texas. With the climate change it’s getting cold here, too and sometimes it’s just really nice to light a fire.
Jensen should be home soon and then they can finally start their Christmas holidays. Two weeks of off time, just the two of them and their dogs. Okay, so there will be Christmas dinner at the Ackles’ and the New Year’s party at the Padalecki’s but every other day will be just for them.
Jared has been looking forward to it. He loves his job, loves that Jensen loves his as well. But sometimes their schedules are horrible. But they’ve always managed to find time for each other in the last few years and this year they even got Christmas and New Year’s off together. It’s worth having to deal with both their families twice. Jared loves them all but sometimes it’s a little too much when they all are together.
Jared reaches out and almost yelps when Oscar jumps at the exact same moment. Jared barely manages to keep his cup of cocoa on the couch table and Oscar from trampling all over him. He laughs when the dog snuggles up to his side once he’s all the way on the couch and then immediately starts to snort. That dog is so cuddle addicted that it even puts Jared to shame.
He waits for the other two to join them but when he twists and looks behind the couch at the dog beds Icarus and Sadie are curled up together deeply asleep. Sometimes he can’t believe that Sadie’s still there.
How they ended up with the other two just shows how chaotic their life together has been so far. Icarus was supposed to be a gift because Jensen wanted a dog as well, just not a big one. Okay, so Icky is a little on the small side but he looked to forlorn and lost in the shelter that Jared couldn’t resists. He was Jensen’s birthday present. Only, Jensen apparently had been talking so much about getting a dog that one of his colleagues pointed him into Oscar’s direction, a sick dog who needed a new family.
Fate had it that both, Jared and Jensen, came home with dogs on Jensen’s birthday. After a minute of just staring at each other they both burst into laughter. Took them almost an hour to calm down again. It’s been their family ever since.
“Hey. Where are you just now?”
Jared smiles, leans back against the hands on his shoulders and relaxes even more.
“Thinking about how we ended up with three dogs.
“Heh, yeah… guess we’ll never forget the day we got them. Also, don’t think I didn’t see the rainbow socks. I’m just too tired to argue about them or even smack you for getting them.” Jensen struggles out of his jacket and just drops it where he stands. It’s a sign of how exhausted he is, usually, Jensen is a neat freak.
He climbs over the back of the couch and presses himself close to Jared’s side, sliding his arm around Jared so that he can scratch Oscar and lean into a kiss with Jared. Jared snakes his unoccupied arm around him and that’s how they sit for a while. There are not words needed. Not anymore. It’s okay for them to just be sometimes.
Jensen leans into another kiss and hears both their mommas ‘awww’. He chuckles against Jared’s lips and reluctantly pulls back.
“Okay, you can stop cooing now. We’re done.” Jensen grins when Jared pouts but still drags him away from under the mistletoe.
When they had arrived at Jensen’s parent’s house there had only been on mistletoe hanging over the entrance. During the day more twigs miraculously appeared over every door or entry, basically telling Jensen that their sisters where helping their mom’s out.
“Man, I had a pink sock this year, just because mine got lost during the move,” Josh complains when Jensen settles back down into the love seat he and Jared had claimed upon arrival. It’s just big enough to hold them both, squished together of course.
“Be happy it’s not rainbow colored,” Jensen says and knows he’s sounding grumpy. He softens it with a smile and a kiss. Jared grins against his lips and pulls him closer so that Jensen’s more sitting on Jared’s lap then just next to Jared.
“Seriously? Jared went there?”
“Yep. One rainbow sock for everyone at our house, with names stitched on them and all. I’s actually kinda cute, I just wished I could look at them for more than a minute before my eyes start to bleed.” Jensen giggles when Jared tickles his sides and then sacks against Jared when he’s pulled closer.
“You love them.”
“I kinda do.” They are grinning at each other, sappily probably, but Jensen doesn’t care. He loves that he can have that now. He loves that their families are together during the holidays again. They just fit. All of them.
Conversations around the room start to drift towards other topics and they stay like that for a while. It’s only Christmas Eve so things are still pretty relaxed around the Ackles’ house. Jensen knows it will look totally different come morning with the grandkids and child-like adults greedy for presents.
Jensen will hand one present out to Jared now though.
He doesn’t get up, just slips his hand into his pocket and then into Jared’s hand that’s resting against his stomach. Then he watches Jared’s face. It takes a while, some stunned minute after the realization hits and Jensen can see Jared’s eyes getting wider by the second and his mouth dropping open.
Jensen moves in for the kill. Mouth against Jared’s cheek he whispers the words he has been practicing for weeks now.
“Marry me, Jay. I love you and I’m never letting you go again.”
It’s like the rest of the room, the rest of the world doesn’t exists anymore. It’s only them now and the smile spreading over Jared’s face. This is the moment he wanted, has been looking forward to for a while now, ever since he knew he wanted to ask.
Jared leans forward and kisses him, deeply and way more passionate then their silly pecks under the mistletoe. They kiss for a long time, used to being ignored by their families when they are like this. Not even their moms coo anymore and their dads have long ago stopped coughing when things got too hot for them.
When Jared draws back Jensen pulls his hand against his chest and slips the ring on. It looks great on Jared, simple and telling, just how it’s supposed to be.
“Yes,” Jared says and Jensen feels his eyes fill a little. He knew Jared wouldn’t say no but hearing it just does him in a little.
“Jared, darling? What did you just say?” Sherri inquires, sounding strangely watery and Jensen suddenly doesn’t dare to look around and see what kind of scene they just created.
Jared, though, keeps on looking into Jensen’s eyes and holds his hand out for everyone to see. It’s silent for a tad too long and Jensen as well as Jared look up and into the room. Wide eyes - in some cases tearful - open mouths and happy smiles meet them. Then Donna is the first one to suppress a squeal which sets Donna off and then Megan and Mackenzie. The men just grin and congratulate them.
The get hugged and squished and pounded on the shoulders but they never leave the love seat or each other’s embrace.
“I love you, too, Jen.” Jared’s says into the kiss he finally gets to give him at the end of the day, when they are in bed in Jensen’s old room and pressed together under the covers.
“Best Christmas ever?” Jensen grins, feels the answering one against his neck.
“Best Christmas ever.”
+
The fireworks are going off in the distance and on TV, it’s a minute past midnight and Jared’s in the arm of the man he loves, feeling safe and protected. A new year has just started, with laughter and happiness already present.
But just knowing he’ll be marrying this year, will make the final step he’s thought so long about, makes him want to burst with happiness. Jensen grins, shakes his head very time Jared giggles. Sure, it’s the bubbly wine and the alcohol he’s had during dinner, but he feels so incredibly happy that he doesn’t even care how ridiculous he sounds.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For coming back to me. For making me feel safe and happy and loved. Thank you.”
Jensen’s green eyes are bright, brighter than ever and at Jared’s words they turn incredibly green as well. It’s a nice sight and Jared loves how many emotions he can see in them. Jensen’s not holding back anymore, not like he used to back when they were younger. It took Jared a long time to realize that and now that he can see how expressive Jensen’s eyes, Jensen’s face really is, he never wants to see it hidden again.
“No, Jay. Thank you, for taking me back, giving me a second chance. Thank you for seeing things in me I didn’t know where there, for letting me discover them with you. You make me feel safe as well and I don’t care how sappy it sounds.” Jensen grins at someone right next to them and Jared laughs at Chris’ and Chad’s crunched up faces.
“God , two are so sweet it sickens me. My teeth hurt now. I need more alcohol to survive this,” Chad says and drags a laughing Chris off as well.
“They’ll mock us tomorrow, huh?”
“Oh, bet on it. But I’ve got video proof how sweet Chad can be when Sophia is around. So there’s that.”
Jared throws his head back and laughs. Jensen just hangs on and watches him. It’s good to have their friends around and their families as well.
Jared feels settled, suddenly and unexpectedly. Like he just realized how much this life means to him and how coming home was the best decision he’s ever made. This is his life now and he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
+
Chris watches them sway, tipsy and a little unsteady but okay. It’s been a sight he never thought he’d see again some years go. Those were rough times. Seeing both of them gliding through life without a real direction, just functioning but not living.
They are alive again. Both of them and he thinks that there’s nothing in the world now that can get them apart again. Nothing. It kind of gives him hope for humankind, that this still exists.
“They are it, aren’t they? Those two are forever,” Chad says, leaning against the wall besides him and sipping at a green cocktail. Chris doesn’t even want to comment on it. It’s Chad that’s explanation enough.
“Yeah. They are.”
“You know, I thought that the first time they couldn’t stop staring at each other. Almost lost my faith in love when it didn’t work out. This there though, this feels right,” Chad says so seriously that Chris is amazed there for a second. It rarely happens that Chad lets got off his douche self and acts like a decent human being.
“You and me both, man. Those two are epic .”
“Cheers to that, dude!”
They clink glasses and Chris grins when Chad just frowns at the glass in his hand as if he doesn’t know where it came from only to shrug and sip at it anyway.
With a glance at Jared and Jensen dancing slowly out in the backyard under the stars, their rings glinting from time to time in the light from the party, Chris salutes them.
“To love.”
Rainbow socks. Jared grins when he hangs them up on the mantle. Jensen will kill him but he doesn’t care. He just had to get them when he saw them in the mall yesterday. He even got some for the dogs. So there are five socks in flashy rainbow colors now.
He sits back on the sofa and watches the flames crackle. He always wanted a fire place, even if they are living in Texas. With the climate change it’s getting cold here, too and sometimes it’s just really nice to light a fire.
Jensen should be home soon and then they can finally start their Christmas holidays. Two weeks of off time, just the two of them and their dogs. Okay, so there will be Christmas dinner at the Ackles’ and the New Year’s party at the Padalecki’s but every other day will be just for them.
Jared has been looking forward to it. He loves his job, loves that Jensen loves his as well. But sometimes their schedules are horrible. But they’ve always managed to find time for each other in the last few years and this year they even got Christmas and New Year’s off together. It’s worth having to deal with both their families twice. Jared loves them all but sometimes it’s a little too much when they all are together.
Jared reaches out and almost yelps when Oscar jumps at the exact same moment. Jared barely manages to keep his cup of cocoa on the couch table and Oscar from trampling all over him. He laughs when the dog snuggles up to his side once he’s all the way on the couch and then immediately starts to snort. That dog is so cuddle addicted that it even puts Jared to shame.
He waits for the other two to join them but when he twists and looks behind the couch at the dog beds Icarus and Sadie are curled up together deeply asleep. Sometimes he can’t believe that Sadie’s still there.
How they ended up with the other two just shows how chaotic their life together has been so far. Icarus was supposed to be a gift because Jensen wanted a dog as well, just not a big one. Okay, so Icky is a little on the small side but he looked to forlorn and lost in the shelter that Jared couldn’t resists. He was Jensen’s birthday present. Only, Jensen apparently had been talking so much about getting a dog that one of his colleagues pointed him into Oscar’s direction, a sick dog who needed a new family.
Fate had it that both, Jared and Jensen, came home with dogs on Jensen’s birthday. After a minute of just staring at each other they both burst into laughter. Took them almost an hour to calm down again. It’s been their family ever since.
“Hey. Where are you just now?”
Jared smiles, leans back against the hands on his shoulders and relaxes even more.
“Thinking about how we ended up with three dogs.
“Heh, yeah… guess we’ll never forget the day we got them. Also, don’t think I didn’t see the rainbow socks. I’m just too tired to argue about them or even smack you for getting them.” Jensen struggles out of his jacket and just drops it where he stands. It’s a sign of how exhausted he is, usually, Jensen is a neat freak.
He climbs over the back of the couch and presses himself close to Jared’s side, sliding his arm around Jared so that he can scratch Oscar and lean into a kiss with Jared. Jared snakes his unoccupied arm around him and that’s how they sit for a while. There are not words needed. Not anymore. It’s okay for them to just be sometimes.
Jensen leans into another kiss and hears both their mommas ‘awww’. He chuckles against Jared’s lips and reluctantly pulls back.
“Okay, you can stop cooing now. We’re done.” Jensen grins when Jared pouts but still drags him away from under the mistletoe.
When they had arrived at Jensen’s parent’s house there had only been on mistletoe hanging over the entrance. During the day more twigs miraculously appeared over every door or entry, basically telling Jensen that their sisters where helping their mom’s out.
“Man, I had a pink sock this year, just because mine got lost during the move,” Josh complains when Jensen settles back down into the love seat he and Jared had claimed upon arrival. It’s just big enough to hold them both, squished together of course.
“Be happy it’s not rainbow colored,” Jensen says and knows he’s sounding grumpy. He softens it with a smile and a kiss. Jared grins against his lips and pulls him closer so that Jensen’s more sitting on Jared’s lap then just next to Jared.
“Seriously? Jared went there?”
“Yep. One rainbow sock for everyone at our house, with names stitched on them and all. I’s actually kinda cute, I just wished I could look at them for more than a minute before my eyes start to bleed.” Jensen giggles when Jared tickles his sides and then sacks against Jared when he’s pulled closer.
“You love them.”
“I kinda do.” They are grinning at each other, sappily probably, but Jensen doesn’t care. He loves that he can have that now. He loves that their families are together during the holidays again. They just fit. All of them.
Conversations around the room start to drift towards other topics and they stay like that for a while. It’s only Christmas Eve so things are still pretty relaxed around the Ackles’ house. Jensen knows it will look totally different come morning with the grandkids and child-like adults greedy for presents.
Jensen will hand one present out to Jared now though.
He doesn’t get up, just slips his hand into his pocket and then into Jared’s hand that’s resting against his stomach. Then he watches Jared’s face. It takes a while, some stunned minute after the realization hits and Jensen can see Jared’s eyes getting wider by the second and his mouth dropping open.
Jensen moves in for the kill. Mouth against Jared’s cheek he whispers the words he has been practicing for weeks now.
“Marry me, Jay. I love you and I’m never letting you go again.”
It’s like the rest of the room, the rest of the world doesn’t exists anymore. It’s only them now and the smile spreading over Jared’s face. This is the moment he wanted, has been looking forward to for a while now, ever since he knew he wanted to ask.
Jared leans forward and kisses him, deeply and way more passionate then their silly pecks under the mistletoe. They kiss for a long time, used to being ignored by their families when they are like this. Not even their moms coo anymore and their dads have long ago stopped coughing when things got too hot for them.
When Jared draws back Jensen pulls his hand against his chest and slips the ring on. It looks great on Jared, simple and telling, just how it’s supposed to be.
“Yes,” Jared says and Jensen feels his eyes fill a little. He knew Jared wouldn’t say no but hearing it just does him in a little.
“Jared, darling? What did you just say?” Sherri inquires, sounding strangely watery and Jensen suddenly doesn’t dare to look around and see what kind of scene they just created.
Jared, though, keeps on looking into Jensen’s eyes and holds his hand out for everyone to see. It’s silent for a tad too long and Jensen as well as Jared look up and into the room. Wide eyes - in some cases tearful - open mouths and happy smiles meet them. Then Donna is the first one to suppress a squeal which sets Donna off and then Megan and Mackenzie. The men just grin and congratulate them.
The get hugged and squished and pounded on the shoulders but they never leave the love seat or each other’s embrace.
“I love you, too, Jen.” Jared’s says into the kiss he finally gets to give him at the end of the day, when they are in bed in Jensen’s old room and pressed together under the covers.
“Best Christmas ever?” Jensen grins, feels the answering one against his neck.
“Best Christmas ever.”
+
The fireworks are going off in the distance and on TV, it’s a minute past midnight and Jared’s in the arm of the man he loves, feeling safe and protected. A new year has just started, with laughter and happiness already present.
But just knowing he’ll be marrying this year, will make the final step he’s thought so long about, makes him want to burst with happiness. Jensen grins, shakes his head very time Jared giggles. Sure, it’s the bubbly wine and the alcohol he’s had during dinner, but he feels so incredibly happy that he doesn’t even care how ridiculous he sounds.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For coming back to me. For making me feel safe and happy and loved. Thank you.”
Jensen’s green eyes are bright, brighter than ever and at Jared’s words they turn incredibly green as well. It’s a nice sight and Jared loves how many emotions he can see in them. Jensen’s not holding back anymore, not like he used to back when they were younger. It took Jared a long time to realize that and now that he can see how expressive Jensen’s eyes, Jensen’s face really is, he never wants to see it hidden again.
“No, Jay. Thank you, for taking me back, giving me a second chance. Thank you for seeing things in me I didn’t know where there, for letting me discover them with you. You make me feel safe as well and I don’t care how sappy it sounds.” Jensen grins at someone right next to them and Jared laughs at Chris’ and Chad’s crunched up faces.
“God , two are so sweet it sickens me. My teeth hurt now. I need more alcohol to survive this,” Chad says and drags a laughing Chris off as well.
“They’ll mock us tomorrow, huh?”
“Oh, bet on it. But I’ve got video proof how sweet Chad can be when Sophia is around. So there’s that.”
Jared throws his head back and laughs. Jensen just hangs on and watches him. It’s good to have their friends around and their families as well.
Jared feels settled, suddenly and unexpectedly. Like he just realized how much this life means to him and how coming home was the best decision he’s ever made. This is his life now and he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
+
Chris watches them sway, tipsy and a little unsteady but okay. It’s been a sight he never thought he’d see again some years go. Those were rough times. Seeing both of them gliding through life without a real direction, just functioning but not living.
They are alive again. Both of them and he thinks that there’s nothing in the world now that can get them apart again. Nothing. It kind of gives him hope for humankind, that this still exists.
“They are it, aren’t they? Those two are forever,” Chad says, leaning against the wall besides him and sipping at a green cocktail. Chris doesn’t even want to comment on it. It’s Chad that’s explanation enough.
“Yeah. They are.”
“You know, I thought that the first time they couldn’t stop staring at each other. Almost lost my faith in love when it didn’t work out. This there though, this feels right,” Chad says so seriously that Chris is amazed there for a second. It rarely happens that Chad lets got off his douche self and acts like a decent human being.
“You and me both, man. Those two are epic .”
“Cheers to that, dude!”
They clink glasses and Chris grins when Chad just frowns at the glass in his hand as if he doesn’t know where it came from only to shrug and sip at it anyway.
With a glance at Jared and Jensen dancing slowly out in the backyard under the stars, their rings glinting from time to time in the light from the party, Chris salutes them.
“To love.”