Caries - Dentist!Verse - R, Jared/Jensen
Title: Caries
Series: Dentist!AU
Author: thelonejuliet
Characters: Jared, Jensen, Chad, etc., etc.
Pairing: Jared/Jensen, mention of Jensen/Justin and Jared/Chad
Word Count: 3,369
Rating: R, to be safe
Warnings: Angst, boy kissing, some Justin and Chad bashing
Disclaimer: These people belong only to themselves and their mommas.
Beta: My dear candygramme. But I fiddled with it afterwards, so all mistakes and grammatical errors belong to me.
Author's Note(s): I'm not sure how I really feel about this part. But I hope you like it! :)
Oh, and? I'm starting to suck at finding dentist-related titles. *sigh*
Previous Parts of the Dentist!AU found here.
All fics found here!
Verse Summary - Jensen Ackles, a new dentist in town with a troubled love life, takes on a new patient in the form of barowner Jared Padalecki. Sparks fly and attraction deepens but can the secrets that both men harbor destroy everything before it's too late?
Chapter/Part Summary: Chris and Steve get to hang around for a while; Jared talks to Chad; and Jensen finally gets to speak his mind to Justin.
Banner made by my girl, mss_celestal!
Caries: The correct technical term for decay which is the progressive breaking down or dissolving of tooth structure, caused by the acid produced when bacteria digest sugars.
Caries
“Yo! Jay-red! You here?”
Jared heard Chad stomping through the front door long before Chad started yelling at the top of his lungs. He could hear the heavy footsteps even over the shower he was currently standing under. He smiled, shaking his head at his overbearing roommate.
There was no point in responding though because, although he was loud, Chad was rather deaf.
Things seemed to be getting better between Chad and Jared, who was thrilled with the change. Sure he’d had Jensen to occupy his time and take over the role of best friend, but he’d missed Chad. Jensen was great, everything about the man was great, but sometimes you just needed a good jackass around to put some things in perspective.
He was a little confused as to why Chad was suddenly being nice again, though. It wasn’t a secret that he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of Jared and Jensen, and nothing had really changed on that front. So, why the sudden change? Had Chad found someone to help him get over his ridiculous crush on Jared?
Chad banged on the door just as Jared was toweling himself off, yelling about something, but Jared was too wrapped up in his thoughts to really be paying attention. Once he was dressed, he opened the door, and the smell of takeout immediately wafted into the bathroom.
“What’d you get, man?” Jared called, making his way toward the kitchen as he finished pulling his T-shirt over his head.
Chad was laying out Chinese boxes as Jared rounded the corner. “This okay?”
Jared nodded, settling himself on one of the barstools, and grabbing a container and some chopsticks. “Mmm, sesame chicken,” he mumbled, moaning at the first bite.
Chad snorted. “Those the noises that keep Pretty Boy coming back?”
Jared just glared and flung some rice at him out of another box.
The two ate, bickering and trading jokes, just like they used to. It was fun, but Jared just couldn’t stop his mind from working overtime. As they were cleaning up, he decided to broach the subject that had been bothering him for weeks.
Clearing his throat, Jared ventured, “So, Chad. I got a question for ya. And, please don’t get pissed at me for this.” He waited for Chad to nod his assent before he continued, “I, uh. Why the sudden change in demeanor? You hate Jensen…yet, I’m sure I saw you joking around with him at the poker game the other night. What gives?”
Chad sighed, tossing the last container in the garbage and turning to lean against the sink. He shrugged. “I don’t know, man, I guess I just got tired of the distance between us, ya know?”
Jared nodded. That seemed like a good, solid answer. He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something just wasn’t right. Chad’s behavior had taken such a dramatic turn in such a short amount of time. It didn’t make sense. Chad was his oldest friend, the only one left from his days of playing it straight; Jared didn’t want to be suspicious of him. Sure, Chad was a reasonably rational guy, but he wasn’t the type to just get over his hang-ups.
Jared cleared his throat again. “So, are we actually cool now? Or is this, like… the calm before the storm?”
Chad laughed. It sounded fake to Jared’s ears. “Yeah, we’re cool, dude. Okay, so maybe I was a little jealous of Jensen. But, I dunno. I guess a part of me figured that I was here first.”
Jared just gaped at him for a moment. “Dude, do you have any idea what it would be like for us to date? Or have sex? You’re like my brother. I don’t know about your family, but that just doesn’t fly in my upbringing.”
Chad let out another fake-sounding laugh. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Ah well, all in the past now, yeah?” He held out his hand.
Jared shook it, albeit warily, trying to get a read on the weird look in Chad’s eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, all in the past. Just…no hating on the boyfriend, okay?”
Chad nodded. “Fair enough.” He paused for a moment, awkward silence falling over them. “So, uh…want me to kick your ass in Guitar Hero?”
Jared grinned, glad for the distraction from his thoughts for the moment. “You’re on.”
* * *
Jensen accepted the beer Chris handed him gratefully, shaking his head in amusement.
“So, you guys really got yourselves picked up by a major label, huh? That’s great,” he said, knocking the top of his bottle against Steve’s in a toast.
Steve grinned, matching the one Chris was wearing. “Yup,” he confirmed. “And, we’ll be here in town with you indefinitely.”
Jensen laughed. “Oh, and you think you’re staying with me all this time, do you? I hope you know -”
Chris cut him off, “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Jenny. We know you’ve got a mile of boyfriend to be screwin’. Wouldn’t wanna get in the way of that. Don’t even wanna see that.”
Jensen choked on his beer, spluttering while Steve patted him on the back. “That’s not… I wasn’t…” he stammered out between coughs. “You’re an…asshole.”
Chris just laughed. “If you say so. Anyway, record company’s putting us up in a hotel while we’re recording.” He paused for a minute, looking at Jensen with a weird look on his face, like he didn’t know how to say what he wanted to. This, for Chris, was like a sign of the apocalypse. “And, we’ll, uh. We’ll be here. In case. You know…Justin decides to show his face again.”
Jensen took a deep breath, letting a small, tired smile cross his face. He appreciated the sentiment, but he was getting tired of everyone treating him like he was so damn fragile. Only Jared was willing to believe he could take care of himself, but even he was all…mother-hen-like. Unfortunately though, he found that he couldn’t really stay mad at any of them. They were just concerned about him.
Every time he thought about the situation, all he could see was Jared’s face the night Justin had shown up at Wax. He was scared, terrified even. And Jensen knew it wasn’t just concern for his well-being. It was so much more than that. He knew that Jared believed that he might actually go back to Justin, that he was scared of losing him - whether it was to Justin or to the despair that he’d only hinted at from the last time Justin had gotten his claws in.
Shaking his head, Jensen brought himself back into the conversation, noting Chris and Steve’s looks slowly turning to ones of concern. “Thanks, guys,” he said softly.
Steve and Chris nodded solemnly. “You know it’s no problem, man,” Steve said. “We just don’t want to see him get in again…”
Jensen held up his hand, cutting Steve off. “I know,” he replied. “But you guys need to believe me when I say that I can handle this. I’m…stronger. Now. I think. I’m not going back to him, in any case, if that’s what you mean.”
Chris shook his head, blue eyes wide. “No, that’s not what we meant at all, Jen.”
Jensen nodded. “Okay, can we not talk about this anymore? I feel like I’ve been talking about Justin for two years straight.”
Chris opened his mouth to reply, but they were interrupted by the back door opening and 9 feet of Padalecki walking in. Whatever he was going to say quickly turned into a groan. “Can’t we ever get a moment of peace with Jensen?”
Jared laughed, grabbing the seat next to Jensen at the kitchen table and snagging his beer. “Nope,” he responded, shaking his head. “You’re stuck with me.”
Jensen smiled and leaned over to pull Jared’s face to his for a short kiss. “I love you, you know,” he whispered against Jared’s lips, just soft enough for only him to hear.
Jared chuckled as he pulled back, blushing. “Yeah, I know,” he muttered, before turning his attention back to Chris and Steve, who both had fond looks on their face. Jared rolled his eyes. “So, I hear you guys went and got yourselves a record deal? Congrats, guys! I think we need to celebrate.”
He looked at Jensen, shit-eating grin on his face. Jensen shook his head, amused. How could he every deny Jared anything? “You heard the man. Looks like we’re going out! Call Tommy and Mike!” He paused for a minute, narrowing his eyes at Jared. “But, if I’ve gotta go to work hungover tomorrow, you’re doing all the work for me. That includes the root canals.”
Jared just laughed, leaning in for another kiss.
He wasn’t quite able to hide his grimace at the mention of root canals, though.
* * *
Jensen was just sitting down with their second round of drinks when he heard Jared say, “Oh, God, not again.”
He looked at his boyfriend, confused at the expression Jared was wearing. He didn’t get a chance to even open his mouth before he heard what the problem was.
“Jensen, can I talk to you for a minute? Please?”
Jensen closed his eyes for a moment, trying to compose himself for the sight he was about to see. When he turned around, it was to find Justin Hartley standing there with a sheepish look on his face, hands stuffed deep into his jeans pockets. He couldn’t help the thrill that passed through him when he noticed that Justin’s nose was still bruised, even three weeks later.
Jared stood up next to him and leaned over to whisper in his ear, “You don’t owe him anything, Jen. You don’t have to talk to him.”
Jensen nodded. “Yeah, I know,” he replied. “But, I think I need to hear what he has to say.”
Without letting Jared speak again, he threw his boyfriend a half-hearted grin over his shoulder and led Justin over toward the bathroom, leaning against the wall where he could still see Jared and the others. Jared was trying to keep an eye on him, inconspicuously, while keeping up a conversation with Chad at the same time. Jensen appreciated the effort.
“So,” he said as Justin came to stand next to him, still wearing that lost-little-boy expression, “what do you want? Why are you even here, in Austin?”
Justin avoided Jensen’s eyes, staring down at his shoes like they were the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. Jensen knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for the guy. In all the time they’d known each other, he’d never seen Justin anything less than confident. It was a little unnerving.
“I, uh,” Justin started, then stopped. He scratched the back of his neck as he huffed out a laugh. “I’m here on Dad’s business…Wow, this is scary.”
Jensen didn’t say anything, just continued to stare as Justin worked himself through whatever he needed to say. He snuck a glance over at Jared every once in a while, just to make sure that he wasn’t alone if he needed backup. Almost every time, he caught Jared’s eye and was reassured by the blinding, albeit forced, smile he immediately got.
Justin cleared his throat, snapping Jensen’s attention back to him. “I really am sorry, Jensen. I know that probably doesn’t mean anything to you, but it’s true. I never wanted to hurt you. But, my mom…man, you should have seen her. She was scary. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d beaten me to within an inch of my life.
“I had to go along with her. I was afraid of what she’d do if I didn’t, and my dad was a whole other story. He kept looking at me with complete disgust, and I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t want them to have to deal with having a gay son, so I recanted. Tried to hide. Then, when they caught me with Kerr, I…”
Justin trailed off, sniffling. Jensen looked down at his shoes, not really sure what he should say, where he should even start. He understood where his ex-boyfriend was coming from, he really did. But that didn’t erase anything, and there was no way to fix it. He’d loved Justin fiercely, but that part of his life was over as far as he was concerned. He’d finally moved on, and he was getting better at dealing with things. Then Justin showed up, asking for…what? Forgiveness? Absolution? Jensen wasn’t sure if he could give him either.
“You’re wrong,” Jensen mumbled softly.
Justin’s head snapped up. “What?”
Jensen turned to look at Justin directly, a little shocked to find tears filling up the soft blue eyes. He jutted his chin out, trying to convey confidence that he didn’t really feel. “I said, you’re wrong,” he repeated. “Your apology does mean something to me. But you have to understand that I don’t know if I can ever forgive you, Justin. You didn’t just destroy your relationship with me. You destroyed my entire life. And I’m just supposed to accept your apology, tell you everything’s okay and buy you a drink? That’s not how life works. I worked hard to get what I had, and you made sure that it was all ripped away from me.”
He took a deep breath, the emotion of the past year and a half welling up and threatening to take over. “I loved you, Justin, and I can’t just get over how my feelings were something trivial to you, something that could be lost in the shuffle. I moved here to get my life back, to start over. And I have. I’ve got my own practice, great friends. And I have a wonderful boyfriend who treats me better than you could even begin to fathom.
“I don’t need you in my life, not anymore. You were everything to me, once upon a time. But that fairy tale is over. The giant came down the beanstalk and smashed it all to pieces. I’ve got a new life, and I don’t want you ruining this one, too. If you meant it when you said that you still love me, then you need to go away. Let me be. Maybe, in time, you’ll get the forgiveness you want, but it’s not today. And it won’t be tomorrow. It might not ever come. I need you to understand that.”
Justin nodded, looking away from Jensen toward the table filled with his friends. His brow was wrinkled as he watched them. Jensen found himself unable to look away from the heartbreak written across Justin’s face, like a cockroach that had just been stepped on.
Just when Jensen was going to walk away, Justin spoke again, turning back to look in Jensen’s eyes. “Are you sure about Jared?” he asked, quietly.
Jensen took a small step back, shocked that Justin was questioning Jared’s character. “Am I sure about him? What do you mean?”
Justin took a step in, close enough that Jensen could almost feel his breath. “That he’s good to you. Are you sure? ‘Cause I’ve seen him with that blonde guy. What’s his name? Chad?”
Jensen gulped. He knew Chad had a crush on Jared, but after a few questions to Jared, he was sure that nothing could ever happen between them. Chad was just a friend; he’d never be anything more. Chad was his closest friend, sure, but Jensen was the one who had his heart.
He shook his head, finally responding to Justin’s words. “No,” he hissed, voice wavering as old doubts began to resurface. He shook his head again. “No,” he repeated, stronger this time. “There’s nothing going on between Jared and Chad…they’re just friends, close as brothers. I know you’re just trying to rile me up. I know Jared. He loves me.”
Jensen paused for a minute, his mind nearly going into panic mode. “Only me,” he whispered, trying to reassure himself as well as Justin.
Justin smiled, looking at Jensen with something akin to pity. “You’re completely certain about that?” Jensen nodded. Justin motioned him to look back to the table. “Do you see what I see?”
Maybe it was just the power of suggestion. Maybe he was just letting Justin get to him. Or maybe he was just seeing the situation clearly for the first time. But, what he saw had his heart nearly stopping.
Jared and Chad were leaning into each other, both grinning like fools, deep in conversation. Chad was looking at Jared with so much…love. Jensen couldn’t see Jared’s face clearly from his position, but he would have bet anything that Jared didn’t look much different.
He gasped and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. He was breathing heavily, and he knew that he was mere seconds away from a complete panic attack if he didn’t calm down. He couldn’t believe that Jared had something going on with Chad, that Jared would leave him for Chad. He trusted Jared, with all his heart. Jared wouldn’t do that to him…
Would he?
Jensen could feel Justin next to him, his hand coming to rest on Jensen’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Jen,” Justin whispered, breath ghosting across Jensen’s cheek, and he truly did sound sincere. “I could be wrong, and maybe Jared’s just an affectionate drunk with his friends. Just watch yourself, okay?”
Jensen nodded, but he knew that Justin didn’t see it. As soon as the last word was out of Justin’s mouth, he was gone. Jensen couldn’t sense anyone near him. He still didn’t dare open his eyes though. He was afraid that if he did, he would see Jared and Chad moving progressively closer, touching, kissing.
He didn’t want to believe Justin; he knew that Justin just wanted to mess with him. He knew it. But, he also knew that there was no way he could remove the doubt now. It was like molasses, slowing seeping into every pore until he would suffocate with the notion. It would be impossible to resist taking everything Jared said about Chad out of context.
“Jen, are you okay?”
Jared’s voice, right next to his ear, startled him. He opened his eyes to see Jared looking at him with concern. His hazel eyes looked strained, worried. But, there was also a deep love there, and it went a long way toward calming Jensen’s fears. Not entirely, but it was enough for the moment.
Jensen nodded, wrapping his arms around Jared’s waist and pulling him in against him. He could feel Jared’s heartbeat, strong and steady. He could feel the tension melting out of them both. Justin could go to hell with his theories. Jared was right there, arms tight around Jensen’s shoulders, and he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Are you okay?” Jared asked again, murmuring the words into Jensen’s hair.
Jensen nodded, pulling back enough to kiss Jared. It was slow, passionate. He wound his tongue around Jared’s and sucked it into his mouth, not caring that they were in the middle of a crowded bar in the middle of Texas. Jared’s answering whimper was enough to drive any other thoughts from his mind as Jared held them together.
Jensen laughed when he ended the kiss, muffling the sound in Jared’s neck. He could feel Jared’s chest heaving against his own, smiling wider with the knowledge that he was the reason.
“You ready to get out of here?” he whispered in Jared’s ear, deliberately making his voice as husky and sex-rough as possible.
He could swear that Jared actually whined as he nodded.
Jensen laughed, pushing off the wall and pulling Jared along behind him. He stopped at the table to grab their jackets and say goodbye to everyone before Jared practically pushed him out the door.
He wasn’t paying too much attention to anything other than the 6-foot-5-inches of overheated male at his back, but he did notice one thing right before he slipped out the door, and he smiled so wide he thought his face would split in two: Chad was glaring daggers at him, no doubt for the suckling kisses Jared was lavishing on his neck.
****************************
So...*scuffs toe* What do you think?
_
Series: Dentist!AU
Author: thelonejuliet
Characters: Jared, Jensen, Chad, etc., etc.
Pairing: Jared/Jensen, mention of Jensen/Justin and Jared/Chad
Word Count: 3,369
Rating: R, to be safe
Warnings: Angst, boy kissing, some Justin and Chad bashing
Disclaimer: These people belong only to themselves and their mommas.
Beta: My dear candygramme. But I fiddled with it afterwards, so all mistakes and grammatical errors belong to me.
Author's Note(s): I'm not sure how I really feel about this part. But I hope you like it! :)
Oh, and? I'm starting to suck at finding dentist-related titles. *sigh*
Previous Parts of the Dentist!AU found here.
All fics found here!
Verse Summary - Jensen Ackles, a new dentist in town with a troubled love life, takes on a new patient in the form of barowner Jared Padalecki. Sparks fly and attraction deepens but can the secrets that both men harbor destroy everything before it's too late?
Chapter/Part Summary: Chris and Steve get to hang around for a while; Jared talks to Chad; and Jensen finally gets to speak his mind to Justin.
Banner made by my girl, mss_celestal!
Caries: The correct technical term for decay which is the progressive breaking down or dissolving of tooth structure, caused by the acid produced when bacteria digest sugars.
Caries
“Yo! Jay-red! You here?”
Jared heard Chad stomping through the front door long before Chad started yelling at the top of his lungs. He could hear the heavy footsteps even over the shower he was currently standing under. He smiled, shaking his head at his overbearing roommate.
There was no point in responding though because, although he was loud, Chad was rather deaf.
Things seemed to be getting better between Chad and Jared, who was thrilled with the change. Sure he’d had Jensen to occupy his time and take over the role of best friend, but he’d missed Chad. Jensen was great, everything about the man was great, but sometimes you just needed a good jackass around to put some things in perspective.
He was a little confused as to why Chad was suddenly being nice again, though. It wasn’t a secret that he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of Jared and Jensen, and nothing had really changed on that front. So, why the sudden change? Had Chad found someone to help him get over his ridiculous crush on Jared?
Chad banged on the door just as Jared was toweling himself off, yelling about something, but Jared was too wrapped up in his thoughts to really be paying attention. Once he was dressed, he opened the door, and the smell of takeout immediately wafted into the bathroom.
“What’d you get, man?” Jared called, making his way toward the kitchen as he finished pulling his T-shirt over his head.
Chad was laying out Chinese boxes as Jared rounded the corner. “This okay?”
Jared nodded, settling himself on one of the barstools, and grabbing a container and some chopsticks. “Mmm, sesame chicken,” he mumbled, moaning at the first bite.
Chad snorted. “Those the noises that keep Pretty Boy coming back?”
Jared just glared and flung some rice at him out of another box.
The two ate, bickering and trading jokes, just like they used to. It was fun, but Jared just couldn’t stop his mind from working overtime. As they were cleaning up, he decided to broach the subject that had been bothering him for weeks.
Clearing his throat, Jared ventured, “So, Chad. I got a question for ya. And, please don’t get pissed at me for this.” He waited for Chad to nod his assent before he continued, “I, uh. Why the sudden change in demeanor? You hate Jensen…yet, I’m sure I saw you joking around with him at the poker game the other night. What gives?”
Chad sighed, tossing the last container in the garbage and turning to lean against the sink. He shrugged. “I don’t know, man, I guess I just got tired of the distance between us, ya know?”
Jared nodded. That seemed like a good, solid answer. He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something just wasn’t right. Chad’s behavior had taken such a dramatic turn in such a short amount of time. It didn’t make sense. Chad was his oldest friend, the only one left from his days of playing it straight; Jared didn’t want to be suspicious of him. Sure, Chad was a reasonably rational guy, but he wasn’t the type to just get over his hang-ups.
Jared cleared his throat again. “So, are we actually cool now? Or is this, like… the calm before the storm?”
Chad laughed. It sounded fake to Jared’s ears. “Yeah, we’re cool, dude. Okay, so maybe I was a little jealous of Jensen. But, I dunno. I guess a part of me figured that I was here first.”
Jared just gaped at him for a moment. “Dude, do you have any idea what it would be like for us to date? Or have sex? You’re like my brother. I don’t know about your family, but that just doesn’t fly in my upbringing.”
Chad let out another fake-sounding laugh. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Ah well, all in the past now, yeah?” He held out his hand.
Jared shook it, albeit warily, trying to get a read on the weird look in Chad’s eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, all in the past. Just…no hating on the boyfriend, okay?”
Chad nodded. “Fair enough.” He paused for a moment, awkward silence falling over them. “So, uh…want me to kick your ass in Guitar Hero?”
Jared grinned, glad for the distraction from his thoughts for the moment. “You’re on.”
* * *
Jensen accepted the beer Chris handed him gratefully, shaking his head in amusement.
“So, you guys really got yourselves picked up by a major label, huh? That’s great,” he said, knocking the top of his bottle against Steve’s in a toast.
Steve grinned, matching the one Chris was wearing. “Yup,” he confirmed. “And, we’ll be here in town with you indefinitely.”
Jensen laughed. “Oh, and you think you’re staying with me all this time, do you? I hope you know -”
Chris cut him off, “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Jenny. We know you’ve got a mile of boyfriend to be screwin’. Wouldn’t wanna get in the way of that. Don’t even wanna see that.”
Jensen choked on his beer, spluttering while Steve patted him on the back. “That’s not… I wasn’t…” he stammered out between coughs. “You’re an…asshole.”
Chris just laughed. “If you say so. Anyway, record company’s putting us up in a hotel while we’re recording.” He paused for a minute, looking at Jensen with a weird look on his face, like he didn’t know how to say what he wanted to. This, for Chris, was like a sign of the apocalypse. “And, we’ll, uh. We’ll be here. In case. You know…Justin decides to show his face again.”
Jensen took a deep breath, letting a small, tired smile cross his face. He appreciated the sentiment, but he was getting tired of everyone treating him like he was so damn fragile. Only Jared was willing to believe he could take care of himself, but even he was all…mother-hen-like. Unfortunately though, he found that he couldn’t really stay mad at any of them. They were just concerned about him.
Every time he thought about the situation, all he could see was Jared’s face the night Justin had shown up at Wax. He was scared, terrified even. And Jensen knew it wasn’t just concern for his well-being. It was so much more than that. He knew that Jared believed that he might actually go back to Justin, that he was scared of losing him - whether it was to Justin or to the despair that he’d only hinted at from the last time Justin had gotten his claws in.
Shaking his head, Jensen brought himself back into the conversation, noting Chris and Steve’s looks slowly turning to ones of concern. “Thanks, guys,” he said softly.
Steve and Chris nodded solemnly. “You know it’s no problem, man,” Steve said. “We just don’t want to see him get in again…”
Jensen held up his hand, cutting Steve off. “I know,” he replied. “But you guys need to believe me when I say that I can handle this. I’m…stronger. Now. I think. I’m not going back to him, in any case, if that’s what you mean.”
Chris shook his head, blue eyes wide. “No, that’s not what we meant at all, Jen.”
Jensen nodded. “Okay, can we not talk about this anymore? I feel like I’ve been talking about Justin for two years straight.”
Chris opened his mouth to reply, but they were interrupted by the back door opening and 9 feet of Padalecki walking in. Whatever he was going to say quickly turned into a groan. “Can’t we ever get a moment of peace with Jensen?”
Jared laughed, grabbing the seat next to Jensen at the kitchen table and snagging his beer. “Nope,” he responded, shaking his head. “You’re stuck with me.”
Jensen smiled and leaned over to pull Jared’s face to his for a short kiss. “I love you, you know,” he whispered against Jared’s lips, just soft enough for only him to hear.
Jared chuckled as he pulled back, blushing. “Yeah, I know,” he muttered, before turning his attention back to Chris and Steve, who both had fond looks on their face. Jared rolled his eyes. “So, I hear you guys went and got yourselves a record deal? Congrats, guys! I think we need to celebrate.”
He looked at Jensen, shit-eating grin on his face. Jensen shook his head, amused. How could he every deny Jared anything? “You heard the man. Looks like we’re going out! Call Tommy and Mike!” He paused for a minute, narrowing his eyes at Jared. “But, if I’ve gotta go to work hungover tomorrow, you’re doing all the work for me. That includes the root canals.”
Jared just laughed, leaning in for another kiss.
He wasn’t quite able to hide his grimace at the mention of root canals, though.
* * *
Jensen was just sitting down with their second round of drinks when he heard Jared say, “Oh, God, not again.”
He looked at his boyfriend, confused at the expression Jared was wearing. He didn’t get a chance to even open his mouth before he heard what the problem was.
“Jensen, can I talk to you for a minute? Please?”
Jensen closed his eyes for a moment, trying to compose himself for the sight he was about to see. When he turned around, it was to find Justin Hartley standing there with a sheepish look on his face, hands stuffed deep into his jeans pockets. He couldn’t help the thrill that passed through him when he noticed that Justin’s nose was still bruised, even three weeks later.
Jared stood up next to him and leaned over to whisper in his ear, “You don’t owe him anything, Jen. You don’t have to talk to him.”
Jensen nodded. “Yeah, I know,” he replied. “But, I think I need to hear what he has to say.”
Without letting Jared speak again, he threw his boyfriend a half-hearted grin over his shoulder and led Justin over toward the bathroom, leaning against the wall where he could still see Jared and the others. Jared was trying to keep an eye on him, inconspicuously, while keeping up a conversation with Chad at the same time. Jensen appreciated the effort.
“So,” he said as Justin came to stand next to him, still wearing that lost-little-boy expression, “what do you want? Why are you even here, in Austin?”
Justin avoided Jensen’s eyes, staring down at his shoes like they were the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. Jensen knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for the guy. In all the time they’d known each other, he’d never seen Justin anything less than confident. It was a little unnerving.
“I, uh,” Justin started, then stopped. He scratched the back of his neck as he huffed out a laugh. “I’m here on Dad’s business…Wow, this is scary.”
Jensen didn’t say anything, just continued to stare as Justin worked himself through whatever he needed to say. He snuck a glance over at Jared every once in a while, just to make sure that he wasn’t alone if he needed backup. Almost every time, he caught Jared’s eye and was reassured by the blinding, albeit forced, smile he immediately got.
Justin cleared his throat, snapping Jensen’s attention back to him. “I really am sorry, Jensen. I know that probably doesn’t mean anything to you, but it’s true. I never wanted to hurt you. But, my mom…man, you should have seen her. She was scary. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d beaten me to within an inch of my life.
“I had to go along with her. I was afraid of what she’d do if I didn’t, and my dad was a whole other story. He kept looking at me with complete disgust, and I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t want them to have to deal with having a gay son, so I recanted. Tried to hide. Then, when they caught me with Kerr, I…”
Justin trailed off, sniffling. Jensen looked down at his shoes, not really sure what he should say, where he should even start. He understood where his ex-boyfriend was coming from, he really did. But that didn’t erase anything, and there was no way to fix it. He’d loved Justin fiercely, but that part of his life was over as far as he was concerned. He’d finally moved on, and he was getting better at dealing with things. Then Justin showed up, asking for…what? Forgiveness? Absolution? Jensen wasn’t sure if he could give him either.
“You’re wrong,” Jensen mumbled softly.
Justin’s head snapped up. “What?”
Jensen turned to look at Justin directly, a little shocked to find tears filling up the soft blue eyes. He jutted his chin out, trying to convey confidence that he didn’t really feel. “I said, you’re wrong,” he repeated. “Your apology does mean something to me. But you have to understand that I don’t know if I can ever forgive you, Justin. You didn’t just destroy your relationship with me. You destroyed my entire life. And I’m just supposed to accept your apology, tell you everything’s okay and buy you a drink? That’s not how life works. I worked hard to get what I had, and you made sure that it was all ripped away from me.”
He took a deep breath, the emotion of the past year and a half welling up and threatening to take over. “I loved you, Justin, and I can’t just get over how my feelings were something trivial to you, something that could be lost in the shuffle. I moved here to get my life back, to start over. And I have. I’ve got my own practice, great friends. And I have a wonderful boyfriend who treats me better than you could even begin to fathom.
“I don’t need you in my life, not anymore. You were everything to me, once upon a time. But that fairy tale is over. The giant came down the beanstalk and smashed it all to pieces. I’ve got a new life, and I don’t want you ruining this one, too. If you meant it when you said that you still love me, then you need to go away. Let me be. Maybe, in time, you’ll get the forgiveness you want, but it’s not today. And it won’t be tomorrow. It might not ever come. I need you to understand that.”
Justin nodded, looking away from Jensen toward the table filled with his friends. His brow was wrinkled as he watched them. Jensen found himself unable to look away from the heartbreak written across Justin’s face, like a cockroach that had just been stepped on.
Just when Jensen was going to walk away, Justin spoke again, turning back to look in Jensen’s eyes. “Are you sure about Jared?” he asked, quietly.
Jensen took a small step back, shocked that Justin was questioning Jared’s character. “Am I sure about him? What do you mean?”
Justin took a step in, close enough that Jensen could almost feel his breath. “That he’s good to you. Are you sure? ‘Cause I’ve seen him with that blonde guy. What’s his name? Chad?”
Jensen gulped. He knew Chad had a crush on Jared, but after a few questions to Jared, he was sure that nothing could ever happen between them. Chad was just a friend; he’d never be anything more. Chad was his closest friend, sure, but Jensen was the one who had his heart.
He shook his head, finally responding to Justin’s words. “No,” he hissed, voice wavering as old doubts began to resurface. He shook his head again. “No,” he repeated, stronger this time. “There’s nothing going on between Jared and Chad…they’re just friends, close as brothers. I know you’re just trying to rile me up. I know Jared. He loves me.”
Jensen paused for a minute, his mind nearly going into panic mode. “Only me,” he whispered, trying to reassure himself as well as Justin.
Justin smiled, looking at Jensen with something akin to pity. “You’re completely certain about that?” Jensen nodded. Justin motioned him to look back to the table. “Do you see what I see?”
Maybe it was just the power of suggestion. Maybe he was just letting Justin get to him. Or maybe he was just seeing the situation clearly for the first time. But, what he saw had his heart nearly stopping.
Jared and Chad were leaning into each other, both grinning like fools, deep in conversation. Chad was looking at Jared with so much…love. Jensen couldn’t see Jared’s face clearly from his position, but he would have bet anything that Jared didn’t look much different.
He gasped and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. He was breathing heavily, and he knew that he was mere seconds away from a complete panic attack if he didn’t calm down. He couldn’t believe that Jared had something going on with Chad, that Jared would leave him for Chad. He trusted Jared, with all his heart. Jared wouldn’t do that to him…
Would he?
Jensen could feel Justin next to him, his hand coming to rest on Jensen’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Jen,” Justin whispered, breath ghosting across Jensen’s cheek, and he truly did sound sincere. “I could be wrong, and maybe Jared’s just an affectionate drunk with his friends. Just watch yourself, okay?”
Jensen nodded, but he knew that Justin didn’t see it. As soon as the last word was out of Justin’s mouth, he was gone. Jensen couldn’t sense anyone near him. He still didn’t dare open his eyes though. He was afraid that if he did, he would see Jared and Chad moving progressively closer, touching, kissing.
He didn’t want to believe Justin; he knew that Justin just wanted to mess with him. He knew it. But, he also knew that there was no way he could remove the doubt now. It was like molasses, slowing seeping into every pore until he would suffocate with the notion. It would be impossible to resist taking everything Jared said about Chad out of context.
“Jen, are you okay?”
Jared’s voice, right next to his ear, startled him. He opened his eyes to see Jared looking at him with concern. His hazel eyes looked strained, worried. But, there was also a deep love there, and it went a long way toward calming Jensen’s fears. Not entirely, but it was enough for the moment.
Jensen nodded, wrapping his arms around Jared’s waist and pulling him in against him. He could feel Jared’s heartbeat, strong and steady. He could feel the tension melting out of them both. Justin could go to hell with his theories. Jared was right there, arms tight around Jensen’s shoulders, and he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Are you okay?” Jared asked again, murmuring the words into Jensen’s hair.
Jensen nodded, pulling back enough to kiss Jared. It was slow, passionate. He wound his tongue around Jared’s and sucked it into his mouth, not caring that they were in the middle of a crowded bar in the middle of Texas. Jared’s answering whimper was enough to drive any other thoughts from his mind as Jared held them together.
Jensen laughed when he ended the kiss, muffling the sound in Jared’s neck. He could feel Jared’s chest heaving against his own, smiling wider with the knowledge that he was the reason.
“You ready to get out of here?” he whispered in Jared’s ear, deliberately making his voice as husky and sex-rough as possible.
He could swear that Jared actually whined as he nodded.
Jensen laughed, pushing off the wall and pulling Jared along behind him. He stopped at the table to grab their jackets and say goodbye to everyone before Jared practically pushed him out the door.
He wasn’t paying too much attention to anything other than the 6-foot-5-inches of overheated male at his back, but he did notice one thing right before he slipped out the door, and he smiled so wide he thought his face would split in two: Chad was glaring daggers at him, no doubt for the suckling kisses Jared was lavishing on his neck.
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So...*scuffs toe* What do you think?
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