The Third Third 11A/11+
Title: The Third Third 11A / 11+
Pairing: J2
Rating: NC17
Words: ~7.700 (in two parts due to length)
Warnings: Violence (Hello, it’s Ice Hockey!), Language, NC17 later-on (that means sex, people!)
Disclaimer: Slavery is bad... It’s a lie, all of it.
Summary: Being a Texas boy Jared Padalecki couldn’t care less about ice hockey. So Jared is slightly lost, when his new roommate Chad is the biggest fan on campus. But when he gets to tutor the most infamous player of the college team, things start to get downright scary. Jensen Ackles has a reputation for aggression control problems and Jared has no idea how to get through the semester without either falling for the handsome man or ending up in a fistfight he’d be sure to lose.
Master Post
This is the last big (yeah HUGE) chapter or this fic (a short epilogue will be up in a day or two). I nearly cried when it was all written and I sent the mail to my beta. I’m so sad this fic is nearly over *sniffs*. So watch out for my future stuff, alright guys?
Thanks to mangacat201 who lived through my ranting and the smut-mantra - yes, I wave a smut-mantra *faints*. All love to candygramme who was a lightning speed beta with this chapter and always kept prodding me for more. HUGE hugs to magikalrhiannon for making the last hockey game readable at all and giving me all the info on hockey rules and all that. You guys are the best.
And Ema, baby, I love you so much, but whenever I enter your name to the thank you list my cut breaks off behind you... so feel loved anyway!
previous part
Part Eleven
Part A
Jared pitied the people standing on the bleachers behind him. He was tall, no news there, but he was also a very energetic person, especially where Jensen was involved. Standing behind a ginormous bouncing ball of energy must be very unnerving, but honestly, Jared couldn’t and wouldn’t stand still until this game was over.
He wasn’t sure if he had ever screamed as loud as he had when Jensen entered the ice, pronouncing his last name along with the masses. Maybe it was just that Jared was becoming slowly but steadily more paranoid, but he could swear that the boos from the other side of the stadium - where the fan base of the guest team was located - were more pronounced than for the other players.
If that were the case, Jensen took it in stride - maybe standing just a little taller even. In comparison to most of the other games Jared had seen so far, Jensen did not look grimly concentrated, his gaze fixed to the ice. Instead his boyfriend held his chin high, a small grin on his face, and Jared hoped that this change was due to him - to them. He watched transfixed as Jensen slithered across the ice, his hockey stick held low in front of him, waiting for the opportunity to snatch the puck from beneath his opponents’ noses.
The game was fast and heated. Both teams scored in the first ten minutes, setting the pace for the rest of the period. Faster and more agile than the opposition, Jensen managed to push his way between two defensemen, coming up fast and low from behind to intercept the puck as it was passed to one of them, leaving ice spraying in his wake as he sped down the rest of the pitch towards the offensive zone. Jared jumped like a mad yo-yo, yelling on the top of his lungs for his man.
Though Jensen was now on a breakaway, the defenseman he’d stolen the puck from was quickly on his tail, and stretching to poke check at the puck on Jensen’s stick. To deflect the attempt, Jensen changed direction quickly, spraying ice as his blades caught on it. Circling on a dime, instead of taking a shot at goal, he chose to wait for his teammates to join him in the offensive zone and skated the puck around the net. The goalie slid from one side of the net to the other, preparing for a shot that never eventuated as his teammate moved to trap Jensen against the boards and battle him for the puck.
Jensen won, and by the time he got the puck free he was able to shoot a pass to Welling, who was now at point, before being rocked into the boards by a hard check. Jared roared with the crowd in sympathy and watched as Jensen stayed on his feet and quickly moved into position.
Welling, instead of accepting the pass, reared his stick back and snapped it forward in a slapshot, the crack of the stick hitting the volcanised rubber resonating around the arena as the puck flew towards the goal. There was no time for the defense to block the shot, and the goalie dropped into the splits to make a glove save - a position that made Jared’s eyes water, because that stretch must have hurt. But it wasn’t fast enough. The puck sailed into the net.
Welling skated towards Jensen, who had untangled himself from the other player, getting a high five from his teammate for the assist.
Jared whistled - something he usually only did when his dogs had run off somewhere once more - and whooped in joy as Chad slapped him on the back while making one impressed comment or another about Jared’s boy.
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
When the second period started, Jared was fairly sure that he would not be able to sleep one second that night, that’s how hyper he was. Jensen played great - as did the rest of the team, and their opponents weren’t far behind either, but Jared didn’t really care about anyone else on the ice but Jensen, his Jensen.
The players were focused, their defense even tighter than the first period as they blocked shots and intercepted passes. It was end to end hockey, each team continually battling the other for possession and tearing off towards their offensive zone before losing the puck and having to give chase once more.
Jared flinched and yelled and swore every time someone stole the puck from Jensen, usually accompanied by shoving him into the boards with a hard shoulder or hip check. Jensen sometimes struggled to keep his footing, but he always resumed play instantly. Maybe it was cheesy of him to think so, but Jared found Jensen’s unyielding optimism to continue in the face of every shove and push amazing.
Once Jared found himself standing on his seat - which he hadn’t sat in since the beginning of the match - shouting unfriendly names at a player who had hooked Jensen’s skate with his stick because he had no chance of legally stopping Jensen with the puck. Jensen had fallen face down and slid a few feet. The opposing player was given a two minute penalty for tripping, while Jensen was already back on his feet glaring at the other player as he went to the penalty box accompanied by one of the linesmen.
Several times Jared found himself grinning widely when the players changed lines, and he saw Jensen’s eyes skim the bleachers as he sat down on the bench with his teammates. He swore he saw Jensen grin back once or twice, because Jared was hard to miss being freakishly tall and standing right next to the crazy cheering captain with the huge ass drum.
With a lucky shot - well in Jared’s eyes it had been one - the guest team managed to score the only point of the period in the last thirty seconds. That evened the score for the second intermission at 2:2.
When the wait of the second break, which seemed unbearably long if you asked Jared, came to an end Jared saw a broad grin playing over Chad’s face.
“Why are you grinning like a lunatic?”
Chad gave him an enigmatic look and, dude, who’d thought Chad Michael Murray could do enigmatic? “You know what’s coming now, right Jay?”
Jared frowned at his friend.
“It’s the last period… the third third. That’s what it all comes down to. Now they’re gonna rock.” Chad’s grin was still on hundred thousand watt mode and Jared couldn’t help but join him. Somehow he’d really started to enjoy this game.
That’s when the whistle sounded, and the last twenty minutes of the game started with the drop of the puck. Jared bounced on the stands like a miniature earthquake… well, maybe not that miniature. Jensen was checked a few times and Jared found himself ranting some seriously not PG rated curses. Once, a guy - of course it had to be a bear of a man, as always. Seriously, what was up with those people? - seemed rather keen on picking a fight. Jared saw him grabbing Jensen, not backing off afterwards like they usually did when the play was done, but keeping too close for anyone’s comfort. He seemed to say something and Jared felt his heart drop. But to his utter surprise, Jensen just pushed the guy off himself and mouthed something looking suspiciously like ‘Fuck off’ before moving out of the other man’s reach, skating backwards for a few yards. Jared knew why Jensen hadn’t turned his back to the man. He’d learned his lesson the hard way.
The other player seemed baffled by the fact that Jensen hadn’t caught onto what had sure as hell been one homophobic insult or another. Jared was proud of Jensen. That moment he noticed Jensen’s eyes fixed on him. The referee had stopped the clock once again for some reason or another. Jensen’s jaw was set, and Jared knew that he was only barely holding back. They locked gazes and Jared tried to send him his most encouraging smile, all his pride at the way Jensen had acted, flowing into that one gesture. When Jensen’s face relaxed a little, and he nodded back, a small smile breaking through, Jared was sure they understood each other.
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
Thankfully the rest of the game finished without any further incidents of that nature, although after a shot on goal by Carlson, the other team manned up and managed to apply a constant pressure that ended in two more goals and set the finishing score at 3:4. They lost, but as pissed off as Jared was about that fact, what irked him most was the disappointed look on his boyfriend’s face as the last whistle sounded.
At the same time, Jared felt like even though the battle might have been lost when it came to the game and its rules, the war was won. Jared felt satisfaction and peace trickling through his mind at the thought of Jensen not jumping at the guy. They had done this. They hadn’t been together very long, but they had managed to overthrow something as big as Jensen’s aggressions and insecurities. It made his belief in this relationship grow. They were strong.
After the spectators had left the bleachers, most of them grumpy at the lost game but most still proclaiming that their team had played better in the overall view of the match, Jared followed the crowd as they filed out of the stadium. He clapped Chad on the shoulder as they had left the building, telling him to enjoy the rest of the evening with his girlfriend and not wait up for him before making a turn that led away from the main crowd. He waited outside the back exit that led to the area of the changing rooms and waited for Jensen. Jared planned to make his boyfriend forget about the lost match and show him just how proud he was of Jensen’s actions.
Jared watched the players leave. The first to come out were mostly from the visiting team. Jared guessed that they probably had a team bus to catch. They were cheering and happy, and Jared nodded at one player or another, when they acknowledged his presence. Only three players of their home team came out of the building after a while, looking a little disgruntled - well, Jared had feared worse - but they greeted Jared upon seeing him. Jensen and he hadn’t kept their relationship a secret and although snogging in the hallways was not on their daily schedule, they tried to share lunch and other free time. Since everyone knew about Jensen’s sexual orientation (and Jared’s wasn’t unknown either), they had soon been made out by everyone who cared to look, and even a few others. This resulted in the members of the team greeting Jared whenever they crossed paths. It was weird, but so far Jared had only felt positive recognition, and he was glad about that. He thought that it had to be part of Coach Morgan’s rules for the team: ‘Be nice to your teammates and their girlfriends, or boyfriends in Jensen’s case.’ Jared really needed to meet that guy and pay him some respect for the things he’d done for Jensen.
“Jay?”
Jared’s head snapped up from where he had been examining the ground. Jensen stood in the open door, a slight frown on his face. “Where were you just now?” He stepped out and let the door fall closed again behind him.
Jared grinned and stepped closer. “I was just thinking that I really would like to meet your coach.”
Jensen laughed, his voice having a husky sound to it. “Not tonight you don’t. We lost, his mood is about as warm as the surface of Pluto.”
“I meant in general.” He draped one hand behind Jensen’s neck and gave him a short peck on the lips. “I’m sorry about the game… You deserved to win. I think you were awesome.”
Jensen’s eyes softened at Jared’s caress and he leaned in a little more. “We weren’t that awesome if they got the better of us.”
Jared shrugged. “It was two really good teams. One of you had to pull the shorter straw. But I didn’t just mean the team… I meant you, Jensen. You did great. Not just playing hockey - which was absolutely hot by the way - but with that one guy in the last period.”
Jensen lowered his gaze and huffed out a blow of warm air against Jared’s shirt. “Wanna talk about what he said?”
Jensen shrugged and visibly shook himself out of the memory. “Not really. He was talking shit. Nothing I haven’t heard by stupid SOBs like him before. I don’t really care to repeat it.”
Jared nodded, biting his lower lip. “All right. Does the team have anything planned tonight or can I take advantage of the rest of your day?”
Jensen grinned and stepped away, grabbing Jared’s hand as the taller man tried to reach for the bag with the hockey gear. “Keep your hands where they belong, Sasquatch, I’m no damsel who needs you to carry her shopping.”
Jared watched that glint in Jensen’s eyes and nodded slowly. Jensen didn’t let go of his hand but rather entwined their fingers. “Aren’t we bossy today?”
“Looked like you needed a reminder, Padalecki.”
They shared a grin and started off down the road towards the university’s main complex. They’d only gone a few yards before Jensen was thrown forwards. He would have landed face down on the concrete if Jared hadn’t caught him with their locked hands. The sports bag holding Jensen’s gear hit the floor with a loud thud. “What the…?”
When he saw the wild look in Jensen’s eyes, directed somewhere behind his right shoulder, he whipped around to stand next to his wide-eyed boyfriend. They were faced by a tall, red haired man standing only a few feet back, where Jensen had just been. He had a smug look on his face, probably feeling all big and strong because of the two men who stood a little back, flanking him.
“What the fuck was that about?” Jensen’s eyes were seething but Jared could also see a familiar dread mixing into the anger.
“Just getting in the mood.” The guy was grinning widely. He was broad shouldered and standing somewhere between Jensen’s and Jared’s height. His companions were about the same size, sporting red-blond hair. They looked like they belonged to one family clan. Jared wondered if they belonged to the other team but he thought their bus had already left by now.
“In the mood for what?” Jensen didn’t give, and Jared stood at his side, hoping to evade a fight. But the other guys seemed to have already made up their mind.
“For giving you what you deserve, Ackles.”
Jared looked at Jensen who seemed to be just as irritated. Obviously Jensen didn’t know what the man was talking about either. But this was obviously not random. They knew Jensen’s name.
“Who are you? I don’t even know you!”
“You’ve destroyed my brother’s life, fag. Even if they let him bail out, he can never go back to college or play hockey.”
Jared saw understanding dawn in Jensen’s eyes at the same moment that he finally caught the implications of those words. “Wilson.” Jensen’s jaw was set tight, and Jared edged a little closer to his boyfriend. Obviously Wilson and his family were made from one kind of wood. “What happened to him is not my fault. He started it. He snapped. The judge decided what to do with him.”
Obviously that was the wrong answer as Wilson’s brother jumped forwards, grabbing for Jensen’s arm and yanking on it hard, bringing them face to face. “Shut up, fag.”
Jensen kicked the man in the shin with a vengeance and pulled away quickly. When the attacker shrieked in pain but then tried to go after him, Jared jumped forwards and pushed him back, blocking his way to Jensen effectively with his large body. The man took a swing at him and jabbed Jared across the jaw. It hurt but Jared pushed the man backwards by the shoulders, making him struggle to keep his footing, not moving from his shielding position. He heard Jensen’s breath quicken and saw his boyfriend close in at his shoulder.
“Don’t you dare touch him! What the fuck is wrong with you people?” He saw the newest Wilson wave his companions to step up, and as they closed in Jared saw the close resemblance between the men even more. “Lemme guess, they are your cousins and your uncles, both at the same time.”
He saw the rage flicker across the men’s faces and knew that he should have taken his own advice and kept his trap shut for once. Jensen pushed by Jared and stood at his side, fists curled tightly. “You don’t have to do this, Jared.”
“No. I have to… and I want to.” He swallowed thickly, trying to ignore the wide eyed look Jensen threw him. They were screwed. Jared did not underestimate his opponents, they were all three of them tall and angry and seemed to have the bully mentality that honed their fighting skills by beating up smaller kids. He and Jensen still had a chance to beat them. Jared was big and Jensen was vicious when he was in a fistfight, but it would hurt, and Jared really didn’t care about that. Especially when they wanted to seriously hurt his boyfriend.
With his brain riding on pure adrenaline, eyes fixed on the men who were closing in on them fast now, Jared hardly heard the shout from behind them.
“Hey! What the hell is going on here?”
Bewildered Jared turned around and saw Coach Morgan and an assembly of at least a third of their team jogging the last few steps towards them. Jensen hadn’t averted his eyes from the threatened attack, but he spoke up, obviously recognizing his coach’s voice.
“That’s Wilson’s brother. He says he wants me to pay for ruining his brother’s life.”
Jared heard swearing behind his back and felt some of the tension flow off his shoulders when Tom Welling and Steve Carlson stepped up, closing ranks next to him. He glanced to his side and saw Chris do the same next to Jensen. The other guys from the team huddled around them, Jeff striding forth. He wasn’t an old man, but the few lines his face sported made him look as weather worn and hard as an old wolf as his eyes showed unhidden anger and disgust.
“You gentlemen better tuck your tails between your legs and run like hell, or me and my boys will make sure to put the fear of god into you. Do you understand? And if you ever think about pulling such a stunt again, you’d better think twice whether you REALLY want a whole fucking hockey team on your poor little asses. Because that’s what would happen.” He stared them down for a second or two, and Jared watched the color drain from their faces. Then they turned around and disappeared as fast as humanly possible.
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Jensen felt his heart still sprinting along as he watched the men take off in a run.
“You okay?” It was Chris, standing next to him. Jensen nodded, only then noticing Jared’s arm that still lay across his chest protectively. He looked up at his boyfriend, quickly tracing his fingers over the reddened side of Jared’s jaw, where a bruise was forming. Jared flinched a little at the contact.
He hardly noticed the coach thanking his players before he sent them on their way. “You gonna be alright, kiddo? They won’t bother you again.”
“Yeah, thanks Jeff. You guys were awesome.” He didn’t look away from Jared, who only gave him a slight frown.
“What’s wrong, Jen?”
Jensen didn’t know how to explain it, but thankfully he didn’t have to right then. Chris pulled at his arm insistently, and he finally broke his gaze away from Jared. “Jensen, will you really be fine?”
Jensen rolled his eyes. “Yes, for the third time, it’s all right. I will bring Jared home, and then I’ll be back by midnight, okay?”
“Nah…” Chris grinned at them with a wicked twinkle in his eyes. “Steve is having a party at his place, and he said I could stay the night, so you two just do whatever you feel like.”
With that Chris gathered the remaining players - mainly Jensen’s friends who didn’t want to leave them that easily - and they started down the street.
“Thanks guys, you were great!” Jensen watched for a moment as they left. Jeffrey had already gone, knowing they’d need some room to breathe.
“You’re friends have awesome timing… that could have turned really ugly pretty fast.” Jared had stepped up behind Jensen, circling his arms around Jensen’s slender waist and settling his chin on the smaller man’s shoulder. Jared held on tight, eyes closed as Jensen turned to look at his boyfriends face, so close to his own.
“Why’d you do that?” Jensen’s hand came up to carefully skim its fingers over Jared’s jaw that quickly changed from an angry red to a greenish purple.
“Do what?” Jared’s eyes opened slowly, locking with Jensen’s.
“Step in… Stand in front of me. Why would you do that?”
Jared pulled away a little, a frown set between his brows. “Because he was trying to hurt you.”
“And instead he should hurt you?” Jensen pulled out of Jared’s hold completely and took a step away. He wasn’t sure why he was so angry, but his gut twisted at the thought of the past few minutes. “Fuck, Jared, I’m not a damsel in distress. I don’t need you to save me. I can very well take care of myself.” He slung his arms around his stomach, hugging himself tightly.
Jared gaped at him shaking his head with wide eyes. “I know you can, Jensen. You always have. I’ve seen it.”
“Exactly. You didn’t have to do that.” Jensen’s jaw twitched as the muscles tightened.
“Yes, I did. You’re my boyfriend, Jensen. I couldn’t just stand by and watch! I wanted to help you. I never thought you needed saving… but they were after you not me. They wanted to seriously hurt you. I couldn’t stand that.”
“I’ve been hurt before, Jared.” Jensen lowered his gaze, examining the pebbles on the path.
“Yes, and you shouldn’t have been. Maybe it’s part of the game, but that doesn’t mean that anyone should just threaten you like that! It’s wrong. And… and-“ Jared broke off, swallowing hard, arms crossed over his chest.
“And what?” Jensen gnawed his lower lip, taking in Jared’s defensive stance making the tall man look so much smaller.
“And I couldn’t just stand by and watch, because I care about you. I’m not sure I could stand it if they had hurt you because… I love you, Jensen.” Jared’s blush could be seen clearly despite the dim light on the night-dark street as the words left his lips just above a whisper. He shuffled his feet on the ground nervously, not daring to look at Jensen.
Jensen felt the floor drop out beneath him. The anger that had coiled in his stomach changed into something less seething but just as hot. He felt his head spin as his world tilted on its axis. Had Jared really just said that?
“You do?” Jensen’s voice was hoarse and he could feel his eyes sting. It was hard to keep the tears from falling.
As Jared nodded, eyes still shyly averted. Jensen pounced at him, kissing away the insecurity on Jared’s face, holding the tall man close with one hand on the unbruised cheek, the other sneaking around his neck. Jared was tense at first, not participating, but not shoving Jensen away either. After a long second, during which Jensen was close to admitting defeat and turning tail to run and hide somewhere far away - Jared melted into the kiss.
Big hands pulled Jensen closer, arms tight around the smaller man’s back. Jared held on for dear life while Jensen felt stray tears escape beneath his lashes and run down his face.
Part B
comments are disabled, leave your feedback at the REAL end of the chapter ;)
Pairing: J2
Rating: NC17
Words: ~7.700 (in two parts due to length)
Warnings: Violence (Hello, it’s Ice Hockey!), Language, NC17 later-on (that means sex, people!)
Disclaimer: Slavery is bad... It’s a lie, all of it.
Summary: Being a Texas boy Jared Padalecki couldn’t care less about ice hockey. So Jared is slightly lost, when his new roommate Chad is the biggest fan on campus. But when he gets to tutor the most infamous player of the college team, things start to get downright scary. Jensen Ackles has a reputation for aggression control problems and Jared has no idea how to get through the semester without either falling for the handsome man or ending up in a fistfight he’d be sure to lose.
Master Post
This is the last big (yeah HUGE) chapter or this fic (a short epilogue will be up in a day or two). I nearly cried when it was all written and I sent the mail to my beta. I’m so sad this fic is nearly over *sniffs*. So watch out for my future stuff, alright guys?
Thanks to mangacat201 who lived through my ranting and the smut-mantra - yes, I wave a smut-mantra *faints*. All love to candygramme who was a lightning speed beta with this chapter and always kept prodding me for more. HUGE hugs to magikalrhiannon for making the last hockey game readable at all and giving me all the info on hockey rules and all that. You guys are the best.
And Ema, baby, I love you so much, but whenever I enter your name to the thank you list my cut breaks off behind you... so feel loved anyway!
previous part
Part Eleven
Part A
Jared pitied the people standing on the bleachers behind him. He was tall, no news there, but he was also a very energetic person, especially where Jensen was involved. Standing behind a ginormous bouncing ball of energy must be very unnerving, but honestly, Jared couldn’t and wouldn’t stand still until this game was over.
He wasn’t sure if he had ever screamed as loud as he had when Jensen entered the ice, pronouncing his last name along with the masses. Maybe it was just that Jared was becoming slowly but steadily more paranoid, but he could swear that the boos from the other side of the stadium - where the fan base of the guest team was located - were more pronounced than for the other players.
If that were the case, Jensen took it in stride - maybe standing just a little taller even. In comparison to most of the other games Jared had seen so far, Jensen did not look grimly concentrated, his gaze fixed to the ice. Instead his boyfriend held his chin high, a small grin on his face, and Jared hoped that this change was due to him - to them. He watched transfixed as Jensen slithered across the ice, his hockey stick held low in front of him, waiting for the opportunity to snatch the puck from beneath his opponents’ noses.
The game was fast and heated. Both teams scored in the first ten minutes, setting the pace for the rest of the period. Faster and more agile than the opposition, Jensen managed to push his way between two defensemen, coming up fast and low from behind to intercept the puck as it was passed to one of them, leaving ice spraying in his wake as he sped down the rest of the pitch towards the offensive zone. Jared jumped like a mad yo-yo, yelling on the top of his lungs for his man.
Though Jensen was now on a breakaway, the defenseman he’d stolen the puck from was quickly on his tail, and stretching to poke check at the puck on Jensen’s stick. To deflect the attempt, Jensen changed direction quickly, spraying ice as his blades caught on it. Circling on a dime, instead of taking a shot at goal, he chose to wait for his teammates to join him in the offensive zone and skated the puck around the net. The goalie slid from one side of the net to the other, preparing for a shot that never eventuated as his teammate moved to trap Jensen against the boards and battle him for the puck.
Jensen won, and by the time he got the puck free he was able to shoot a pass to Welling, who was now at point, before being rocked into the boards by a hard check. Jared roared with the crowd in sympathy and watched as Jensen stayed on his feet and quickly moved into position.
Welling, instead of accepting the pass, reared his stick back and snapped it forward in a slapshot, the crack of the stick hitting the volcanised rubber resonating around the arena as the puck flew towards the goal. There was no time for the defense to block the shot, and the goalie dropped into the splits to make a glove save - a position that made Jared’s eyes water, because that stretch must have hurt. But it wasn’t fast enough. The puck sailed into the net.
Welling skated towards Jensen, who had untangled himself from the other player, getting a high five from his teammate for the assist.
Jared whistled - something he usually only did when his dogs had run off somewhere once more - and whooped in joy as Chad slapped him on the back while making one impressed comment or another about Jared’s boy.
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
When the second period started, Jared was fairly sure that he would not be able to sleep one second that night, that’s how hyper he was. Jensen played great - as did the rest of the team, and their opponents weren’t far behind either, but Jared didn’t really care about anyone else on the ice but Jensen, his Jensen.
The players were focused, their defense even tighter than the first period as they blocked shots and intercepted passes. It was end to end hockey, each team continually battling the other for possession and tearing off towards their offensive zone before losing the puck and having to give chase once more.
Jared flinched and yelled and swore every time someone stole the puck from Jensen, usually accompanied by shoving him into the boards with a hard shoulder or hip check. Jensen sometimes struggled to keep his footing, but he always resumed play instantly. Maybe it was cheesy of him to think so, but Jared found Jensen’s unyielding optimism to continue in the face of every shove and push amazing.
Once Jared found himself standing on his seat - which he hadn’t sat in since the beginning of the match - shouting unfriendly names at a player who had hooked Jensen’s skate with his stick because he had no chance of legally stopping Jensen with the puck. Jensen had fallen face down and slid a few feet. The opposing player was given a two minute penalty for tripping, while Jensen was already back on his feet glaring at the other player as he went to the penalty box accompanied by one of the linesmen.
Several times Jared found himself grinning widely when the players changed lines, and he saw Jensen’s eyes skim the bleachers as he sat down on the bench with his teammates. He swore he saw Jensen grin back once or twice, because Jared was hard to miss being freakishly tall and standing right next to the crazy cheering captain with the huge ass drum.
With a lucky shot - well in Jared’s eyes it had been one - the guest team managed to score the only point of the period in the last thirty seconds. That evened the score for the second intermission at 2:2.
When the wait of the second break, which seemed unbearably long if you asked Jared, came to an end Jared saw a broad grin playing over Chad’s face.
“Why are you grinning like a lunatic?”
Chad gave him an enigmatic look and, dude, who’d thought Chad Michael Murray could do enigmatic? “You know what’s coming now, right Jay?”
Jared frowned at his friend.
“It’s the last period… the third third. That’s what it all comes down to. Now they’re gonna rock.” Chad’s grin was still on hundred thousand watt mode and Jared couldn’t help but join him. Somehow he’d really started to enjoy this game.
That’s when the whistle sounded, and the last twenty minutes of the game started with the drop of the puck. Jared bounced on the stands like a miniature earthquake… well, maybe not that miniature. Jensen was checked a few times and Jared found himself ranting some seriously not PG rated curses. Once, a guy - of course it had to be a bear of a man, as always. Seriously, what was up with those people? - seemed rather keen on picking a fight. Jared saw him grabbing Jensen, not backing off afterwards like they usually did when the play was done, but keeping too close for anyone’s comfort. He seemed to say something and Jared felt his heart drop. But to his utter surprise, Jensen just pushed the guy off himself and mouthed something looking suspiciously like ‘Fuck off’ before moving out of the other man’s reach, skating backwards for a few yards. Jared knew why Jensen hadn’t turned his back to the man. He’d learned his lesson the hard way.
The other player seemed baffled by the fact that Jensen hadn’t caught onto what had sure as hell been one homophobic insult or another. Jared was proud of Jensen. That moment he noticed Jensen’s eyes fixed on him. The referee had stopped the clock once again for some reason or another. Jensen’s jaw was set, and Jared knew that he was only barely holding back. They locked gazes and Jared tried to send him his most encouraging smile, all his pride at the way Jensen had acted, flowing into that one gesture. When Jensen’s face relaxed a little, and he nodded back, a small smile breaking through, Jared was sure they understood each other.
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Thankfully the rest of the game finished without any further incidents of that nature, although after a shot on goal by Carlson, the other team manned up and managed to apply a constant pressure that ended in two more goals and set the finishing score at 3:4. They lost, but as pissed off as Jared was about that fact, what irked him most was the disappointed look on his boyfriend’s face as the last whistle sounded.
At the same time, Jared felt like even though the battle might have been lost when it came to the game and its rules, the war was won. Jared felt satisfaction and peace trickling through his mind at the thought of Jensen not jumping at the guy. They had done this. They hadn’t been together very long, but they had managed to overthrow something as big as Jensen’s aggressions and insecurities. It made his belief in this relationship grow. They were strong.
After the spectators had left the bleachers, most of them grumpy at the lost game but most still proclaiming that their team had played better in the overall view of the match, Jared followed the crowd as they filed out of the stadium. He clapped Chad on the shoulder as they had left the building, telling him to enjoy the rest of the evening with his girlfriend and not wait up for him before making a turn that led away from the main crowd. He waited outside the back exit that led to the area of the changing rooms and waited for Jensen. Jared planned to make his boyfriend forget about the lost match and show him just how proud he was of Jensen’s actions.
Jared watched the players leave. The first to come out were mostly from the visiting team. Jared guessed that they probably had a team bus to catch. They were cheering and happy, and Jared nodded at one player or another, when they acknowledged his presence. Only three players of their home team came out of the building after a while, looking a little disgruntled - well, Jared had feared worse - but they greeted Jared upon seeing him. Jensen and he hadn’t kept their relationship a secret and although snogging in the hallways was not on their daily schedule, they tried to share lunch and other free time. Since everyone knew about Jensen’s sexual orientation (and Jared’s wasn’t unknown either), they had soon been made out by everyone who cared to look, and even a few others. This resulted in the members of the team greeting Jared whenever they crossed paths. It was weird, but so far Jared had only felt positive recognition, and he was glad about that. He thought that it had to be part of Coach Morgan’s rules for the team: ‘Be nice to your teammates and their girlfriends, or boyfriends in Jensen’s case.’ Jared really needed to meet that guy and pay him some respect for the things he’d done for Jensen.
“Jay?”
Jared’s head snapped up from where he had been examining the ground. Jensen stood in the open door, a slight frown on his face. “Where were you just now?” He stepped out and let the door fall closed again behind him.
Jared grinned and stepped closer. “I was just thinking that I really would like to meet your coach.”
Jensen laughed, his voice having a husky sound to it. “Not tonight you don’t. We lost, his mood is about as warm as the surface of Pluto.”
“I meant in general.” He draped one hand behind Jensen’s neck and gave him a short peck on the lips. “I’m sorry about the game… You deserved to win. I think you were awesome.”
Jensen’s eyes softened at Jared’s caress and he leaned in a little more. “We weren’t that awesome if they got the better of us.”
Jared shrugged. “It was two really good teams. One of you had to pull the shorter straw. But I didn’t just mean the team… I meant you, Jensen. You did great. Not just playing hockey - which was absolutely hot by the way - but with that one guy in the last period.”
Jensen lowered his gaze and huffed out a blow of warm air against Jared’s shirt. “Wanna talk about what he said?”
Jensen shrugged and visibly shook himself out of the memory. “Not really. He was talking shit. Nothing I haven’t heard by stupid SOBs like him before. I don’t really care to repeat it.”
Jared nodded, biting his lower lip. “All right. Does the team have anything planned tonight or can I take advantage of the rest of your day?”
Jensen grinned and stepped away, grabbing Jared’s hand as the taller man tried to reach for the bag with the hockey gear. “Keep your hands where they belong, Sasquatch, I’m no damsel who needs you to carry her shopping.”
Jared watched that glint in Jensen’s eyes and nodded slowly. Jensen didn’t let go of his hand but rather entwined their fingers. “Aren’t we bossy today?”
“Looked like you needed a reminder, Padalecki.”
They shared a grin and started off down the road towards the university’s main complex. They’d only gone a few yards before Jensen was thrown forwards. He would have landed face down on the concrete if Jared hadn’t caught him with their locked hands. The sports bag holding Jensen’s gear hit the floor with a loud thud. “What the…?”
When he saw the wild look in Jensen’s eyes, directed somewhere behind his right shoulder, he whipped around to stand next to his wide-eyed boyfriend. They were faced by a tall, red haired man standing only a few feet back, where Jensen had just been. He had a smug look on his face, probably feeling all big and strong because of the two men who stood a little back, flanking him.
“What the fuck was that about?” Jensen’s eyes were seething but Jared could also see a familiar dread mixing into the anger.
“Just getting in the mood.” The guy was grinning widely. He was broad shouldered and standing somewhere between Jensen’s and Jared’s height. His companions were about the same size, sporting red-blond hair. They looked like they belonged to one family clan. Jared wondered if they belonged to the other team but he thought their bus had already left by now.
“In the mood for what?” Jensen didn’t give, and Jared stood at his side, hoping to evade a fight. But the other guys seemed to have already made up their mind.
“For giving you what you deserve, Ackles.”
Jared looked at Jensen who seemed to be just as irritated. Obviously Jensen didn’t know what the man was talking about either. But this was obviously not random. They knew Jensen’s name.
“Who are you? I don’t even know you!”
“You’ve destroyed my brother’s life, fag. Even if they let him bail out, he can never go back to college or play hockey.”
Jared saw understanding dawn in Jensen’s eyes at the same moment that he finally caught the implications of those words. “Wilson.” Jensen’s jaw was set tight, and Jared edged a little closer to his boyfriend. Obviously Wilson and his family were made from one kind of wood. “What happened to him is not my fault. He started it. He snapped. The judge decided what to do with him.”
Obviously that was the wrong answer as Wilson’s brother jumped forwards, grabbing for Jensen’s arm and yanking on it hard, bringing them face to face. “Shut up, fag.”
Jensen kicked the man in the shin with a vengeance and pulled away quickly. When the attacker shrieked in pain but then tried to go after him, Jared jumped forwards and pushed him back, blocking his way to Jensen effectively with his large body. The man took a swing at him and jabbed Jared across the jaw. It hurt but Jared pushed the man backwards by the shoulders, making him struggle to keep his footing, not moving from his shielding position. He heard Jensen’s breath quicken and saw his boyfriend close in at his shoulder.
“Don’t you dare touch him! What the fuck is wrong with you people?” He saw the newest Wilson wave his companions to step up, and as they closed in Jared saw the close resemblance between the men even more. “Lemme guess, they are your cousins and your uncles, both at the same time.”
He saw the rage flicker across the men’s faces and knew that he should have taken his own advice and kept his trap shut for once. Jensen pushed by Jared and stood at his side, fists curled tightly. “You don’t have to do this, Jared.”
“No. I have to… and I want to.” He swallowed thickly, trying to ignore the wide eyed look Jensen threw him. They were screwed. Jared did not underestimate his opponents, they were all three of them tall and angry and seemed to have the bully mentality that honed their fighting skills by beating up smaller kids. He and Jensen still had a chance to beat them. Jared was big and Jensen was vicious when he was in a fistfight, but it would hurt, and Jared really didn’t care about that. Especially when they wanted to seriously hurt his boyfriend.
With his brain riding on pure adrenaline, eyes fixed on the men who were closing in on them fast now, Jared hardly heard the shout from behind them.
“Hey! What the hell is going on here?”
Bewildered Jared turned around and saw Coach Morgan and an assembly of at least a third of their team jogging the last few steps towards them. Jensen hadn’t averted his eyes from the threatened attack, but he spoke up, obviously recognizing his coach’s voice.
“That’s Wilson’s brother. He says he wants me to pay for ruining his brother’s life.”
Jared heard swearing behind his back and felt some of the tension flow off his shoulders when Tom Welling and Steve Carlson stepped up, closing ranks next to him. He glanced to his side and saw Chris do the same next to Jensen. The other guys from the team huddled around them, Jeff striding forth. He wasn’t an old man, but the few lines his face sported made him look as weather worn and hard as an old wolf as his eyes showed unhidden anger and disgust.
“You gentlemen better tuck your tails between your legs and run like hell, or me and my boys will make sure to put the fear of god into you. Do you understand? And if you ever think about pulling such a stunt again, you’d better think twice whether you REALLY want a whole fucking hockey team on your poor little asses. Because that’s what would happen.” He stared them down for a second or two, and Jared watched the color drain from their faces. Then they turned around and disappeared as fast as humanly possible.
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Jensen felt his heart still sprinting along as he watched the men take off in a run.
“You okay?” It was Chris, standing next to him. Jensen nodded, only then noticing Jared’s arm that still lay across his chest protectively. He looked up at his boyfriend, quickly tracing his fingers over the reddened side of Jared’s jaw, where a bruise was forming. Jared flinched a little at the contact.
He hardly noticed the coach thanking his players before he sent them on their way. “You gonna be alright, kiddo? They won’t bother you again.”
“Yeah, thanks Jeff. You guys were awesome.” He didn’t look away from Jared, who only gave him a slight frown.
“What’s wrong, Jen?”
Jensen didn’t know how to explain it, but thankfully he didn’t have to right then. Chris pulled at his arm insistently, and he finally broke his gaze away from Jared. “Jensen, will you really be fine?”
Jensen rolled his eyes. “Yes, for the third time, it’s all right. I will bring Jared home, and then I’ll be back by midnight, okay?”
“Nah…” Chris grinned at them with a wicked twinkle in his eyes. “Steve is having a party at his place, and he said I could stay the night, so you two just do whatever you feel like.”
With that Chris gathered the remaining players - mainly Jensen’s friends who didn’t want to leave them that easily - and they started down the street.
“Thanks guys, you were great!” Jensen watched for a moment as they left. Jeffrey had already gone, knowing they’d need some room to breathe.
“You’re friends have awesome timing… that could have turned really ugly pretty fast.” Jared had stepped up behind Jensen, circling his arms around Jensen’s slender waist and settling his chin on the smaller man’s shoulder. Jared held on tight, eyes closed as Jensen turned to look at his boyfriends face, so close to his own.
“Why’d you do that?” Jensen’s hand came up to carefully skim its fingers over Jared’s jaw that quickly changed from an angry red to a greenish purple.
“Do what?” Jared’s eyes opened slowly, locking with Jensen’s.
“Step in… Stand in front of me. Why would you do that?”
Jared pulled away a little, a frown set between his brows. “Because he was trying to hurt you.”
“And instead he should hurt you?” Jensen pulled out of Jared’s hold completely and took a step away. He wasn’t sure why he was so angry, but his gut twisted at the thought of the past few minutes. “Fuck, Jared, I’m not a damsel in distress. I don’t need you to save me. I can very well take care of myself.” He slung his arms around his stomach, hugging himself tightly.
Jared gaped at him shaking his head with wide eyes. “I know you can, Jensen. You always have. I’ve seen it.”
“Exactly. You didn’t have to do that.” Jensen’s jaw twitched as the muscles tightened.
“Yes, I did. You’re my boyfriend, Jensen. I couldn’t just stand by and watch! I wanted to help you. I never thought you needed saving… but they were after you not me. They wanted to seriously hurt you. I couldn’t stand that.”
“I’ve been hurt before, Jared.” Jensen lowered his gaze, examining the pebbles on the path.
“Yes, and you shouldn’t have been. Maybe it’s part of the game, but that doesn’t mean that anyone should just threaten you like that! It’s wrong. And… and-“ Jared broke off, swallowing hard, arms crossed over his chest.
“And what?” Jensen gnawed his lower lip, taking in Jared’s defensive stance making the tall man look so much smaller.
“And I couldn’t just stand by and watch, because I care about you. I’m not sure I could stand it if they had hurt you because… I love you, Jensen.” Jared’s blush could be seen clearly despite the dim light on the night-dark street as the words left his lips just above a whisper. He shuffled his feet on the ground nervously, not daring to look at Jensen.
Jensen felt the floor drop out beneath him. The anger that had coiled in his stomach changed into something less seething but just as hot. He felt his head spin as his world tilted on its axis. Had Jared really just said that?
“You do?” Jensen’s voice was hoarse and he could feel his eyes sting. It was hard to keep the tears from falling.
As Jared nodded, eyes still shyly averted. Jensen pounced at him, kissing away the insecurity on Jared’s face, holding the tall man close with one hand on the unbruised cheek, the other sneaking around his neck. Jared was tense at first, not participating, but not shoving Jensen away either. After a long second, during which Jensen was close to admitting defeat and turning tail to run and hide somewhere far away - Jared melted into the kiss.
Big hands pulled Jensen closer, arms tight around the smaller man’s back. Jared held on for dear life while Jensen felt stray tears escape beneath his lashes and run down his face.
Part B
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