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Three more help_haiti fics!
J2 college AU for brate7!
After months of angst and indecision and, as Misha put it, being a pussy, Jensen finally gets up the nerve to ask Jared Padalecki out.
Jared is tall and muscular and comes in to the library pretty much every night to study, and he and Jensen have been talking (flirting) whenever they see each other. Jared stops by the desk and checks in and chats to Jensen, and Jensen goes home and daydreams about him.
So he finally screws up his courage when Jared is on his way out one night and says, "Hey, Jared!"
Jared immediately comes over, all broad grin and easy smile. "Hey! What's up, man?"
"I was gonna go catch a movie tonight. Wondering if you maybe wanted to come?"
A brief look--so tight and pained that it hurts Jensen deep in his chest--passes over Jared's face before he schools it into polite rejection. "Sorry, man, I would, but I'm busy tonight. Wish I could."
He leaves with a sad little wave, and it takes everything in Jensen to keep his expression calm and polite.
So Jared's not gay.
Good he nipped that little crush in the bud now, before it got serious.
*
The next day, Jared is back, with a wide and apparently genuine grin for Jensen.
"Hey, sorry about last night. I really would have loved to go," he says, and Jensen could almost believe him, if not for the face Jared had made last night. "I'm just crazy busy this semester."
"Given how much time you spend in the library, I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
Jared grins, ducks his head and smiles at Jensen. "Anyway, yeah. My friend Alona is playing at The Red Eel tonight. If you're free, you want to check it out?"
Two days ago, Jensen would have been mentally fistpumping at Jared asking him to do something like that, but now he can't help but think that Jared is just trying to make himself feel better.
He knows he should say no. He knows not saying no is stupid. And yet.
"Yeah, sure. That sounds awesome."
*
It really is just Jared's friend Alona and a guitar on the small stage, singing her heart out. She's cute and the music is low-key and pretty, and Jensen finds himself enjoying it a lot more than he planned to. Jared is warm and solid next to him, and Jensen has to remind himself that he's not allowed to be into him.
Jared doesn't drink at all, which surprises Jensen. He might be underage, Jensen isn't sure, but they haven't been checking IDs, and it would be almost pathetically easy to get an illegal drink, Jensen is pretty sure. But Jared doesn't, and doesn't comment on it, which is even weirder. Still, it's a really fun time, and at the end of the night, Jared wraps him up in a tight hug and says, "Dude, thanks for coming tonight. I'd been thinking it'd be awesome to get to know you better. So, yeah. Thanks."
Jensen is so fucking confused.
*
"Here's an idea," says Misha. "Maybe he was actually busy."
"Misha, you didn't see his face," says Jensen. "You can't fake a look like that. And if he liked me, why would he want to?"
Misha shrugs. "Maybe he was gassy. But he seems to like you fine."
Jensen groans. "Why couldn't he just be a straight-up homophobic douchebag? Why's he got to be so confusing about it?"
Misha pets him on the shoulder. "If only more people were irrationally prejudiced based on circumstances outside your control, life would be so much better."
Jensen glares at him. "Shut up."
*
The next week, after Jared seems totally the same, Jensen takes a chance and asks if he wants to grab breakfast. Jared gets the same tight look for a split second before making an excuse about how he has a lot of work. Two days later, Jared is heading home around the same time Jensen gets off work and they end up taking a walk and talking for an hour.
Jensen is starting to wonder if Jared has an evil, homophobic twin, or multiple personalities or something.
It really seems like the most logical explanation.
*
Jensen is opening up at the library on a Tuesday when Jared's life finally starts coming together and making sense.
In that totally crazy way, because Jensen finds Jared sleeping in a study carrel on the third floor.
It's clearly not an accident--Jared's got a shirt under his head and there's even an alarm clock set up. It seems to have stopped, which might explain why Jared is still there.
Jensen pokes him and Jared jerks up. He looks horrified as soon as he sees Jensen.
"Oh shit."
"Hi," says Jensen. "How'd you stay past close?"
Jared rubs his eye and cracks his back. "First floor window doesn't lock," he says. "I broke in."
"Why?"
Jared sighs. "I didn't want to tell you. I mean, no one really wants to--yeah, hobos are not in."
"What?" asks Jensen.
"My scholarship got kind of gutted--it used to give me some expenses so I could cover room and board, but it stopped. It's still covering a little of my tuition, but not a whole lot, and my parents can't afford any more than that, so I kind of just didn't tell them that I didn't have anywhere to live."
"So you're--"
"Broke," says Jared, slight smile and a shrug. "And homeless."
"Are you eating?" asks Jensen, horrified.
"Um, some? If I go over to Chad's I can usually get some leftover pizza, and there's free crackers and stuff at the dorms, so--"
Jensen has his phone out and is calling Misha before Jared's even finished. "Hey, Misha, I need a favor. Come open."
"Jensen, it's ridiculously early."
"You owe me for not turning you in when you pulled that prank with the chickens."
Misha sighs. "Is this really important?"
"This is really important."
"Fine."
Jared blinks. "Uh."
"Misha is going to take my shift, and I'm taking you out to breakfast so you can get some real food." He slants Jared a look. "It's not a date, so you don't have to freak out."
"You don't have to--" Jared starts, and then he seems to realize something. "Why would I freak out about dating you?"
"Because every time I ask you out, you freak out?" Jensen suggests.
"You've been--oh. Oh shit." Jared laughs. "Jensen, you've been asking me to do things that cost money. I've been dying to go out with you, I just can't--"
"Oh," says Jensen. "That's--" he glances at Jared. "So if I buy you breakfast right now, it's a date?"
"Yeah," says Jared. "It can be a date."
*
"Isn't it kind of soon to move in together?" asks Misha, raising his eyebrows. "Honestly, one date."
"Extenuating circumstances," says Jensen, unable to keep a grin off his face.
Misha shakes his head. "Slut."
*****************
Jensen/Danneel college AU for pyroblaze18!
Jensen Ackles is a jerk.
Her first day of biology, he sits next to her, and she asks to borrow a pen. He stares for a minute, says he doesn't have one even though she can see he has like five in his backpack.
The second day, he sits next to her again and when she says, "Hi," he doesn't even respond.
Total, complete jerk.
*
Unfortunately, not only is Jensen Ackles a jerk, he's 1) ridiculously attractive and 2) everywhere Danneel wants to be. She never met him before this year, but suddenly she can't escape him. He eats at her dining hall, he's in her lab section and her philosophy class, he even knows her ex-boyfriend, which makes sense, because maybe all the ridiculously attractive jerks hang out together. Like in a club.
"Jensen Ackles?" asks Katie, when Danneel mentions him. "You know Jensen?"
"Know is kind of a strong word," says Danneel. "He's never talked to me. He's just this ridiculously haughty jerk."
"Really?" asks Katie. "I had Psych with him last year, he always seemed pretty nice. Kind of quiet, but never a jerk."
"Oh good," says Danneel, sighing. "I guess it's personal."
Katie pats her on the shoulder. "It's probably nothing. Honestly, Jensen is nice, but he's kind of weird. He probably thinks you hate him or something."
"All I did was ask him for a pen and try to act friendly! There is no reason for him to not like me."
"So what do you care? You hate all sorts of people for no reason," Katie points out.
"I do not," says Danneel, but she totally does. Like, James Van Der Beek has never done anything to her, but she still can't stand him. It might be his forehead. She sighs. "It just bugs me."
"Oh my god," says Katie. "You like him!"
"I do not."
"You totally do. You think he's cute and want to date him, and you're trying to tell yourself he's a jerk so you won't like him, but you so do. It's like Pride and Prejudice."
"Katie, you're awesome, but I'm going to punch you in the mouth."
"You so totally have a thing for Jensen Ackles," Katie decrees.
Danneel glowers.
*
The thing is, once someone has pointed out that she's crushing, Danneel can't ignore it anymore. And it's possible that she maybe is actually crushing on Jensen. Just a little. It's not her fault--he's just hot. He's exactly her type. And it's hard to be that into him when he's so personality-deficient, but when she runs into him, she keeps seeing glimpses of someone actually kind of awesome. His laugh--which she hears at lunch--is great, his smile is infectious, and sometimes he mutters stuff under his breath in class that is really hilarious and cutting. But he never says a single thing to her, and she doesn't try talking to him. She's already made a few attempts at conversation. It's his turn.
Of course, if he ever actually did talk to her, she'd probably be in real trouble.
*
Three weeks later, trouble comes and finds her. It's getting on toward spring, and the weather is already getting warm, so she's sitting outside doing her philosophy reading when she hears an awkward cough.
She glances up and there's Jensen. He's wearing aviators and a well-worn flannel shirt and looks incredibly douchey. And hot like burning, of course. Naturally.
"Hey," he says.
"Hey," she replies warily.
"I'm," he starts. He looks up, like he's tracking clouds, and tries again. "Is that Kant?"
"Yeah," she says.
"I was gonna read," he says after a long pause. "Mind if I sit with you?"
"I guess not."
He sits down and pulls out Vanity Fair and doesn't say anything else for the rest of the afternoon.
*
Two days later, she's sitting in the same place, not at all hoping he'll show up again, when he does. This time, he just says "Hey," and then plants himself next to her. They sit in companionable silence, no sound but the sound of pages turning, and Danneel wonders what exactly is happening.
Just about when she's getting up her courage to ask him if he maybe wants to get dinner later, a shadow falls over the two of them.
"Dude, are you out in natural sunlight?"
Jensen and Danneel both look up. There's a tall guy with floppy hair and dimples smiling down at them. Danneel's seen him before--Jared, she thinks. Sandy's ex.
"I like sunlight," says Jensen irritably. "What do you want?"
Jared rolls his eyes. "I'm saying hi, dumbass. Is that a crime now?" He turns his 100-watt grin on Danneel. "Hi, I don't think I know you."
"Danneel," she says. "I'm in a couple classes with Jensen."
"Oh, Danneel," says Jared, with a significant look at Jensen, who is looking very determinedly at his book. "I'm Jared. Great to finally meet you."
Without looking up, Jensen kicks Jared in the ankle.
"Finally?" asks Danneel innocently.
Jared beams.
"Dude, I'm gonna kick your ass," says Jensen. Jared looks unconcerned, probably because he's too giant to really be threatened by anything Jensen can do.
"You love me," Jared says. He smiles at Danneel. "I know he acts like an asshole, but he's actually a nice guy deep down inside. You should give him a chance."
Jensen is blushing almost purple. "Jared, leave before I kill you."
Jared leans down, ruffles Jensen's hair, and plucks his aviators off, putting them on himself instead. "Bye, Jensen. Nice to meet you, Danneel."
They both watch him go. Jensen clears his throat and says, "I don't really." He sighs and bangs the back of his head against the tree they're under. "I don't talk about you all the time."
"Did you ever think about talking to me?" she asks. She's feeling kind of smug.
"I'm not great at--" he waves his hand. "Stuff." He pauses. "I mean, I'm great at stuff, don't get me wrong, just not." He laughs self-consciously. "This is why I didn't talk to you."
"Because you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yeah," says Jensen. He laughs again and shakes his head. "I think I can't possibly suck any more than I already have, so--I think you're really cool, and if you wanted to get dinner with me sometime, I'd really like that."
"Like a date?"
"Like a date."
"Would you actually talk to me on our date, or would you lie to me about how you don't have a pen?"
"Oh god, you noticed that? Sorry, I kind of--forgot." He coughs. "That I had any. Because you were--anyway."
She can't help grinning. "Dinner sounds awesome. Are you free tonight?"
"I am totally free," says Jensen with a smile. He has an incredibly nice smile.
Danneel is looking forward to getting used to it.
*******************
J2 AU with bartender Aldis for unreckless!
Aldis feels bad for Jared, he really does.
"I think he's still stuck in the whole," Jared gestures vaguely. "Don't ask, don't tell."
"Haven't you asked and told?"
"Yeah, but he thinks he can't," says Jared sadly. "He's all--confused and divided and in denial."
"Maybe he's straight."
Jared sighs. "Give me another."
"At some point I'm going to start feeling bad for feeding your habit."
"But I pay you."
"You do pay me," Aldis agrees. Jared looks miserable. "But this one's on the house."
Jared smiles, but it doesn't quite make it to his eyes. "Cheers."
*
The deal with Jared is that his best friend was in the army for a while, came home, and now doesn't know what to do with his life. He keeps making noise about moving somewhere, making something of himself, and Jared is miserable thinking Jensen's going to leave, because Jared is totally in love with him.
As far as Aldis is concerned, it's a country song waiting to happen.
*
"Thanks for calling me," says Jensen.
"It's not really humanitarian concern," says Aldis. "I don't want him sleeping on my floor."
"Not sleeping," Jared says, without getting his head off the bar. He sort of flops around until he's resting on his cheek on his table and staring at Jensen and Aldis. "What are you doing here?"
"Taking your drunk ass home. What are you gonna do when I move?" he asks, helping Jared up.
"You're moving?" asks Aldis.
"Someday, anyway," he says. He pulls Jared close. "Once I figure out what I want to do."
"Hope you find it, man," says Aldis. The you fucking moron is unspoken, but Aldis likes to hope it's implied.
*
Jared started drinking because he was afraid Jensen was going to die in the service, and then he just never stopped.
Aldis hopes he'll get to miss him someday.
*
"Just a Coke," says Jared, sliding in across from Aldis.
He wants it to be a good sign, but Jared looks wrecked, gutpunched, split open.
"Sure, man," he says, filling it from the fountain. "What happened?"
Jared smiles unsteadily, his mouth twitching up and down like it's all he can do not to cry. He looks up with a kind of determination that makes Aldis's heart clench. "He's got a place lined up. In LA." He laughs. "One bedroom, not a lot clearer than that."
Aldis is about to say something--not that he's sure what to say--when Jensen comes in and sits down next to Jared.
"I'll have what he's having," says Jensen.
Aldis raises his eyebrows, but gives Jensen a Coke, same as Jared.
Jensen takes a sip and then looks at Jared. "Dude. You come here every night to drink Coke? You know we have Coke at home, right?"
"I don't usually get Coke," Jared says petulantly.
"You kind of stormed out," says Jensen. He looks down at his drink. "I was thinking we'd be drunk for this conversation."
"I was thinking if I was drunk for this conversation, it'd be worse for everyone," says Jared. "Especially Aldis. He puts up with enough of my shit."
"Thanks for your consideration," says Aldis. "Appreciated."
"I don't see why--" Jensen sighs. "I'm not leaving you."
"Yes, you are. That's exactly what you're doing. You're leaving, and I'm here."
Jensen rubs the back of his neck. "Look, I never--" he sighs. "You could come. I never didn't want you to, but you were always so pissed about it."
Jared sighs. "Do we have to talk about this?"
"Yes, we do. Jared, god, I don't know what I want to do with myself--"
"Well, I know exactly what I want to do with you!" says Jared. Aldis winces in sympathy; he can see Jared trying to push the words back into his mouth.
"What?" asks Jensen, blank and confused.
"Nothing," Jared mutters.
"No, seriously. What does that mean?"
"It means I was scared shitless that you were gonna die, and then when you finally came back, I figured, hey, maybe finally! But all you wanted to do was leave, and all I want is--" he sighs. "You. Like that bad Mariah Carey song."
"That's all I want for Christmas," says Jensen. "All I Want Is You is a pretty awesome U2 song."
Jared snorts. "Seriously? That's what you're focusing on?"
"I'm processing. I--Jared, man, why didn't you say anything?"
"What was I supposed to say? Please decide that I'm gonna be what gives your life meaning? Please have pity sex with me? Please--"
Jensen leans over and kisses Jared. Jared squeaks, but gets with the program, for which Aldis is glad. It's a little awkward that he has to watch, but it's a small bar. He hasn't got a lot else to do.
"Please come to LA with me," says Jensen.
"You've only got one bedroom," says Jared blankly.
"I can share," says Jensen. "I did pass first grade."
Jared swallows. "Oh. That sounds good."
Aldis grins into the glass he's cleaning.
*
The next day, they're back.
"Two Guinesses," says Jensen.
"I thought I wasn't gonna see your face around here anymore," Aldis tells Jared.
"We don't leave for another few weeks," says Jared.
"Yeah, but you got no sorrows to drown."
"We're celebrating," says Jared.
"Whatever you say, drunkie," says Aldis. "You'd just miss me."
"Yeah," says Jared. "I'm really gonna."
It's the best goodbye Aldis has ever gotten.
J2 college AU for brate7!
After months of angst and indecision and, as Misha put it, being a pussy, Jensen finally gets up the nerve to ask Jared Padalecki out.
Jared is tall and muscular and comes in to the library pretty much every night to study, and he and Jensen have been talking (flirting) whenever they see each other. Jared stops by the desk and checks in and chats to Jensen, and Jensen goes home and daydreams about him.
So he finally screws up his courage when Jared is on his way out one night and says, "Hey, Jared!"
Jared immediately comes over, all broad grin and easy smile. "Hey! What's up, man?"
"I was gonna go catch a movie tonight. Wondering if you maybe wanted to come?"
A brief look--so tight and pained that it hurts Jensen deep in his chest--passes over Jared's face before he schools it into polite rejection. "Sorry, man, I would, but I'm busy tonight. Wish I could."
He leaves with a sad little wave, and it takes everything in Jensen to keep his expression calm and polite.
So Jared's not gay.
Good he nipped that little crush in the bud now, before it got serious.
*
The next day, Jared is back, with a wide and apparently genuine grin for Jensen.
"Hey, sorry about last night. I really would have loved to go," he says, and Jensen could almost believe him, if not for the face Jared had made last night. "I'm just crazy busy this semester."
"Given how much time you spend in the library, I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
Jared grins, ducks his head and smiles at Jensen. "Anyway, yeah. My friend Alona is playing at The Red Eel tonight. If you're free, you want to check it out?"
Two days ago, Jensen would have been mentally fistpumping at Jared asking him to do something like that, but now he can't help but think that Jared is just trying to make himself feel better.
He knows he should say no. He knows not saying no is stupid. And yet.
"Yeah, sure. That sounds awesome."
*
It really is just Jared's friend Alona and a guitar on the small stage, singing her heart out. She's cute and the music is low-key and pretty, and Jensen finds himself enjoying it a lot more than he planned to. Jared is warm and solid next to him, and Jensen has to remind himself that he's not allowed to be into him.
Jared doesn't drink at all, which surprises Jensen. He might be underage, Jensen isn't sure, but they haven't been checking IDs, and it would be almost pathetically easy to get an illegal drink, Jensen is pretty sure. But Jared doesn't, and doesn't comment on it, which is even weirder. Still, it's a really fun time, and at the end of the night, Jared wraps him up in a tight hug and says, "Dude, thanks for coming tonight. I'd been thinking it'd be awesome to get to know you better. So, yeah. Thanks."
Jensen is so fucking confused.
*
"Here's an idea," says Misha. "Maybe he was actually busy."
"Misha, you didn't see his face," says Jensen. "You can't fake a look like that. And if he liked me, why would he want to?"
Misha shrugs. "Maybe he was gassy. But he seems to like you fine."
Jensen groans. "Why couldn't he just be a straight-up homophobic douchebag? Why's he got to be so confusing about it?"
Misha pets him on the shoulder. "If only more people were irrationally prejudiced based on circumstances outside your control, life would be so much better."
Jensen glares at him. "Shut up."
*
The next week, after Jared seems totally the same, Jensen takes a chance and asks if he wants to grab breakfast. Jared gets the same tight look for a split second before making an excuse about how he has a lot of work. Two days later, Jared is heading home around the same time Jensen gets off work and they end up taking a walk and talking for an hour.
Jensen is starting to wonder if Jared has an evil, homophobic twin, or multiple personalities or something.
It really seems like the most logical explanation.
*
Jensen is opening up at the library on a Tuesday when Jared's life finally starts coming together and making sense.
In that totally crazy way, because Jensen finds Jared sleeping in a study carrel on the third floor.
It's clearly not an accident--Jared's got a shirt under his head and there's even an alarm clock set up. It seems to have stopped, which might explain why Jared is still there.
Jensen pokes him and Jared jerks up. He looks horrified as soon as he sees Jensen.
"Oh shit."
"Hi," says Jensen. "How'd you stay past close?"
Jared rubs his eye and cracks his back. "First floor window doesn't lock," he says. "I broke in."
"Why?"
Jared sighs. "I didn't want to tell you. I mean, no one really wants to--yeah, hobos are not in."
"What?" asks Jensen.
"My scholarship got kind of gutted--it used to give me some expenses so I could cover room and board, but it stopped. It's still covering a little of my tuition, but not a whole lot, and my parents can't afford any more than that, so I kind of just didn't tell them that I didn't have anywhere to live."
"So you're--"
"Broke," says Jared, slight smile and a shrug. "And homeless."
"Are you eating?" asks Jensen, horrified.
"Um, some? If I go over to Chad's I can usually get some leftover pizza, and there's free crackers and stuff at the dorms, so--"
Jensen has his phone out and is calling Misha before Jared's even finished. "Hey, Misha, I need a favor. Come open."
"Jensen, it's ridiculously early."
"You owe me for not turning you in when you pulled that prank with the chickens."
Misha sighs. "Is this really important?"
"This is really important."
"Fine."
Jared blinks. "Uh."
"Misha is going to take my shift, and I'm taking you out to breakfast so you can get some real food." He slants Jared a look. "It's not a date, so you don't have to freak out."
"You don't have to--" Jared starts, and then he seems to realize something. "Why would I freak out about dating you?"
"Because every time I ask you out, you freak out?" Jensen suggests.
"You've been--oh. Oh shit." Jared laughs. "Jensen, you've been asking me to do things that cost money. I've been dying to go out with you, I just can't--"
"Oh," says Jensen. "That's--" he glances at Jared. "So if I buy you breakfast right now, it's a date?"
"Yeah," says Jared. "It can be a date."
*
"Isn't it kind of soon to move in together?" asks Misha, raising his eyebrows. "Honestly, one date."
"Extenuating circumstances," says Jensen, unable to keep a grin off his face.
Misha shakes his head. "Slut."
*****************
Jensen/Danneel college AU for pyroblaze18!
Jensen Ackles is a jerk.
Her first day of biology, he sits next to her, and she asks to borrow a pen. He stares for a minute, says he doesn't have one even though she can see he has like five in his backpack.
The second day, he sits next to her again and when she says, "Hi," he doesn't even respond.
Total, complete jerk.
*
Unfortunately, not only is Jensen Ackles a jerk, he's 1) ridiculously attractive and 2) everywhere Danneel wants to be. She never met him before this year, but suddenly she can't escape him. He eats at her dining hall, he's in her lab section and her philosophy class, he even knows her ex-boyfriend, which makes sense, because maybe all the ridiculously attractive jerks hang out together. Like in a club.
"Jensen Ackles?" asks Katie, when Danneel mentions him. "You know Jensen?"
"Know is kind of a strong word," says Danneel. "He's never talked to me. He's just this ridiculously haughty jerk."
"Really?" asks Katie. "I had Psych with him last year, he always seemed pretty nice. Kind of quiet, but never a jerk."
"Oh good," says Danneel, sighing. "I guess it's personal."
Katie pats her on the shoulder. "It's probably nothing. Honestly, Jensen is nice, but he's kind of weird. He probably thinks you hate him or something."
"All I did was ask him for a pen and try to act friendly! There is no reason for him to not like me."
"So what do you care? You hate all sorts of people for no reason," Katie points out.
"I do not," says Danneel, but she totally does. Like, James Van Der Beek has never done anything to her, but she still can't stand him. It might be his forehead. She sighs. "It just bugs me."
"Oh my god," says Katie. "You like him!"
"I do not."
"You totally do. You think he's cute and want to date him, and you're trying to tell yourself he's a jerk so you won't like him, but you so do. It's like Pride and Prejudice."
"Katie, you're awesome, but I'm going to punch you in the mouth."
"You so totally have a thing for Jensen Ackles," Katie decrees.
Danneel glowers.
*
The thing is, once someone has pointed out that she's crushing, Danneel can't ignore it anymore. And it's possible that she maybe is actually crushing on Jensen. Just a little. It's not her fault--he's just hot. He's exactly her type. And it's hard to be that into him when he's so personality-deficient, but when she runs into him, she keeps seeing glimpses of someone actually kind of awesome. His laugh--which she hears at lunch--is great, his smile is infectious, and sometimes he mutters stuff under his breath in class that is really hilarious and cutting. But he never says a single thing to her, and she doesn't try talking to him. She's already made a few attempts at conversation. It's his turn.
Of course, if he ever actually did talk to her, she'd probably be in real trouble.
*
Three weeks later, trouble comes and finds her. It's getting on toward spring, and the weather is already getting warm, so she's sitting outside doing her philosophy reading when she hears an awkward cough.
She glances up and there's Jensen. He's wearing aviators and a well-worn flannel shirt and looks incredibly douchey. And hot like burning, of course. Naturally.
"Hey," he says.
"Hey," she replies warily.
"I'm," he starts. He looks up, like he's tracking clouds, and tries again. "Is that Kant?"
"Yeah," she says.
"I was gonna read," he says after a long pause. "Mind if I sit with you?"
"I guess not."
He sits down and pulls out Vanity Fair and doesn't say anything else for the rest of the afternoon.
*
Two days later, she's sitting in the same place, not at all hoping he'll show up again, when he does. This time, he just says "Hey," and then plants himself next to her. They sit in companionable silence, no sound but the sound of pages turning, and Danneel wonders what exactly is happening.
Just about when she's getting up her courage to ask him if he maybe wants to get dinner later, a shadow falls over the two of them.
"Dude, are you out in natural sunlight?"
Jensen and Danneel both look up. There's a tall guy with floppy hair and dimples smiling down at them. Danneel's seen him before--Jared, she thinks. Sandy's ex.
"I like sunlight," says Jensen irritably. "What do you want?"
Jared rolls his eyes. "I'm saying hi, dumbass. Is that a crime now?" He turns his 100-watt grin on Danneel. "Hi, I don't think I know you."
"Danneel," she says. "I'm in a couple classes with Jensen."
"Oh, Danneel," says Jared, with a significant look at Jensen, who is looking very determinedly at his book. "I'm Jared. Great to finally meet you."
Without looking up, Jensen kicks Jared in the ankle.
"Finally?" asks Danneel innocently.
Jared beams.
"Dude, I'm gonna kick your ass," says Jensen. Jared looks unconcerned, probably because he's too giant to really be threatened by anything Jensen can do.
"You love me," Jared says. He smiles at Danneel. "I know he acts like an asshole, but he's actually a nice guy deep down inside. You should give him a chance."
Jensen is blushing almost purple. "Jared, leave before I kill you."
Jared leans down, ruffles Jensen's hair, and plucks his aviators off, putting them on himself instead. "Bye, Jensen. Nice to meet you, Danneel."
They both watch him go. Jensen clears his throat and says, "I don't really." He sighs and bangs the back of his head against the tree they're under. "I don't talk about you all the time."
"Did you ever think about talking to me?" she asks. She's feeling kind of smug.
"I'm not great at--" he waves his hand. "Stuff." He pauses. "I mean, I'm great at stuff, don't get me wrong, just not." He laughs self-consciously. "This is why I didn't talk to you."
"Because you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yeah," says Jensen. He laughs again and shakes his head. "I think I can't possibly suck any more than I already have, so--I think you're really cool, and if you wanted to get dinner with me sometime, I'd really like that."
"Like a date?"
"Like a date."
"Would you actually talk to me on our date, or would you lie to me about how you don't have a pen?"
"Oh god, you noticed that? Sorry, I kind of--forgot." He coughs. "That I had any. Because you were--anyway."
She can't help grinning. "Dinner sounds awesome. Are you free tonight?"
"I am totally free," says Jensen with a smile. He has an incredibly nice smile.
Danneel is looking forward to getting used to it.
*******************
J2 AU with bartender Aldis for unreckless!
Aldis feels bad for Jared, he really does.
"I think he's still stuck in the whole," Jared gestures vaguely. "Don't ask, don't tell."
"Haven't you asked and told?"
"Yeah, but he thinks he can't," says Jared sadly. "He's all--confused and divided and in denial."
"Maybe he's straight."
Jared sighs. "Give me another."
"At some point I'm going to start feeling bad for feeding your habit."
"But I pay you."
"You do pay me," Aldis agrees. Jared looks miserable. "But this one's on the house."
Jared smiles, but it doesn't quite make it to his eyes. "Cheers."
*
The deal with Jared is that his best friend was in the army for a while, came home, and now doesn't know what to do with his life. He keeps making noise about moving somewhere, making something of himself, and Jared is miserable thinking Jensen's going to leave, because Jared is totally in love with him.
As far as Aldis is concerned, it's a country song waiting to happen.
*
"Thanks for calling me," says Jensen.
"It's not really humanitarian concern," says Aldis. "I don't want him sleeping on my floor."
"Not sleeping," Jared says, without getting his head off the bar. He sort of flops around until he's resting on his cheek on his table and staring at Jensen and Aldis. "What are you doing here?"
"Taking your drunk ass home. What are you gonna do when I move?" he asks, helping Jared up.
"You're moving?" asks Aldis.
"Someday, anyway," he says. He pulls Jared close. "Once I figure out what I want to do."
"Hope you find it, man," says Aldis. The you fucking moron is unspoken, but Aldis likes to hope it's implied.
*
Jared started drinking because he was afraid Jensen was going to die in the service, and then he just never stopped.
Aldis hopes he'll get to miss him someday.
*
"Just a Coke," says Jared, sliding in across from Aldis.
He wants it to be a good sign, but Jared looks wrecked, gutpunched, split open.
"Sure, man," he says, filling it from the fountain. "What happened?"
Jared smiles unsteadily, his mouth twitching up and down like it's all he can do not to cry. He looks up with a kind of determination that makes Aldis's heart clench. "He's got a place lined up. In LA." He laughs. "One bedroom, not a lot clearer than that."
Aldis is about to say something--not that he's sure what to say--when Jensen comes in and sits down next to Jared.
"I'll have what he's having," says Jensen.
Aldis raises his eyebrows, but gives Jensen a Coke, same as Jared.
Jensen takes a sip and then looks at Jared. "Dude. You come here every night to drink Coke? You know we have Coke at home, right?"
"I don't usually get Coke," Jared says petulantly.
"You kind of stormed out," says Jensen. He looks down at his drink. "I was thinking we'd be drunk for this conversation."
"I was thinking if I was drunk for this conversation, it'd be worse for everyone," says Jared. "Especially Aldis. He puts up with enough of my shit."
"Thanks for your consideration," says Aldis. "Appreciated."
"I don't see why--" Jensen sighs. "I'm not leaving you."
"Yes, you are. That's exactly what you're doing. You're leaving, and I'm here."
Jensen rubs the back of his neck. "Look, I never--" he sighs. "You could come. I never didn't want you to, but you were always so pissed about it."
Jared sighs. "Do we have to talk about this?"
"Yes, we do. Jared, god, I don't know what I want to do with myself--"
"Well, I know exactly what I want to do with you!" says Jared. Aldis winces in sympathy; he can see Jared trying to push the words back into his mouth.
"What?" asks Jensen, blank and confused.
"Nothing," Jared mutters.
"No, seriously. What does that mean?"
"It means I was scared shitless that you were gonna die, and then when you finally came back, I figured, hey, maybe finally! But all you wanted to do was leave, and all I want is--" he sighs. "You. Like that bad Mariah Carey song."
"That's all I want for Christmas," says Jensen. "All I Want Is You is a pretty awesome U2 song."
Jared snorts. "Seriously? That's what you're focusing on?"
"I'm processing. I--Jared, man, why didn't you say anything?"
"What was I supposed to say? Please decide that I'm gonna be what gives your life meaning? Please have pity sex with me? Please--"
Jensen leans over and kisses Jared. Jared squeaks, but gets with the program, for which Aldis is glad. It's a little awkward that he has to watch, but it's a small bar. He hasn't got a lot else to do.
"Please come to LA with me," says Jensen.
"You've only got one bedroom," says Jared blankly.
"I can share," says Jensen. "I did pass first grade."
Jared swallows. "Oh. That sounds good."
Aldis grins into the glass he's cleaning.
*
The next day, they're back.
"Two Guinesses," says Jensen.
"I thought I wasn't gonna see your face around here anymore," Aldis tells Jared.
"We don't leave for another few weeks," says Jared.
"Yeah, but you got no sorrows to drown."
"We're celebrating," says Jared.
"Whatever you say, drunkie," says Aldis. "You'd just miss me."
"Yeah," says Jared. "I'm really gonna."
It's the best goodbye Aldis has ever gotten.