Since I've been Loving You" Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Jared's POV
A few months have passed from Jared and Danny's first date, and Jared was painfully aware of how quickly Christmas was approaching. He dreaded Christmas every year, never really sure what to do over the holiday. He's never welcome back home and as much as Chris's family has been great to him, he can't help but feel awkward.
This year is no exception.
Chris is always super nice about it and seems genuinely confused when Jared feels weird about holidays and whatnot at his house. His mom is the same way, but he worries about being around the rest of the family. He's seriously considering staying at school for the holidays. He has plenty to study for and do.
And that's what he tells Danny when he asks about it two weeks later when they're sitting at a Tex-Mex restaurant on campus.
“What?!” the asks incredulously. “You're staying here for Christmas?”
“Well, yeah,” Jared answers, like it's the most obvious thing on the planet.
“No, you're not,” Jensen tells him matter-of-factually.
“Well, yeah, I kinda am. I can't go home and I really don't want to go Chris's house again... too awkward. I'm staying here.”
“Why can't you go home?” Jensen asks, sounding ever so innocent.
“When I was sixteen, my parents kicked me out,” Jared tells him slowly. “Be-because. Well because I'm you know-”
Jensen, who apparently doesn't know, continues looking at Jared expectantly. “Because you're-” he prompts.
“Gay!” Jared finally exclaimes. “Because I'm gay.”
Jensen looks straight at Jared for a moment. “You're coming home with me,” he informs Jared.
“What? No, Dan, I-” Jared starts objecting.
“Nope. Saying no is not an option. You're coming home with me. End of story. You need some Cauthorn family love.”
“Really, Dan?” Jared says, shocked. “You're sure? You don't have to-”
“Goddammit, Jare! I know I don't have to! If I want to spend a Christmas with my fucking boyfriend I damn well will and no one will tell me otherwise!” Jensen says firmly.
“Yes sir!” Jared says, with a mock salute. “I will spend Christmas with my incredibly good looking boyfriend, sir!”
“Damn straight,” Jensen laughs.
Jensen's POV
Despite all his talk at the restaurant, Jensen actually is quite nervous about calling his mother with the plans.
He considers hanging up the phone multiple times while it rings, waiting for his mother to pick up. It will be much easier to come out to her than his father. Not that his dad is a bad guy or anything, he just wouldn't be quite as understanding.
Just before Jensen can hang up, his mother answers.
“Hello?”
Jensen smiles at her voice.
“Hey mom,” he greets.
“Jensen!” she yells, excitedly. Jensen winces at the use of his name, but knows that he won't be able to talk her out of using it. “You don't call near enough boy! We miss you! When are you coming up for Christmas?”
“Mom,” Jensen says, already exhausted, “one thing at a time! I'll come up as soon as classes are out, I promise. But, uh, that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about. Christmas that is-” Jensen stutters.
“What about it?” she asks sweetly.
“Um, well I kinda met someone and-”
“Oh!” she sceams loudly. “You met someone and you're just now telling me? When are we going to meet! Oh, I'm so excited. Alan!” she calls out for Jensen's father, “Jensen met someone!”
“Mom! MOM!” Jensen yells into the phone.
“Oh, what is it? Are you bringing this person home for Christmas?”
“Well, yeah, Ma, but you should know something-”
“That this person is a boy?” she says.
“What?!” Jensen exclaims into the phone.'
“Oh, Jen, I've always known. A mother always knows. And so does your father. Now, tell me about him. Is he cute?” she says.
“Uh-well, y-yeah, I think so,” Jensen says. Oh, it is so messed up to be talking about my boyfriend's appearance with my mother. “His name is Jared Padalecki, he's from San Antonio and is freaking huge-”
He cuts off when his mother giggles inappropriately from the other line and blushes bright red.
“MOM!” he exclaims. “Not THAT way! Well, maybe- he might be. It's not like I've seen it or anything but if it's proportional to the rest of him... I'm not talking about the possible size of my boyfriend's dick with you mom!”
Misha chooses that moment to walk in. Great.
“Woah,” his roommate says. “I don't know how most families work, but I really hope my girlfriends' mothers don't know anything about my dick, beyond that I have one. That would be awkward...”
“Shut it, Misha,” Jensen says loudly, away from the receiver.
“Oh, is your roommate there, Jensen?” his mother asks.
“Mom!” Jensen admonishes. “I could have been on speaker.” he adjusts his tone until he sounds more whiny than nervous so that Misha just assumes that she brought up something else embarrassing.
“Well, are you?” she asks.
“No,” Jensen admits, “but, who knows, I might have my phone volume way turned up so everyone can hear what your saying... just, be careful with what you say ma'. When Jared comes up, we'll all have to be cautious”
“Yes, Jensen, I understand that. We've been doing okay for five years now, though, and I think we're getting the hang of this,” she says patiently. Jensen's always been more anal about making sure they're careful with their identities than anyone else in the family, but he knows he'd never forgive himself if something happened to them and don't seem to quite understand the gravity of the situation as well.
“Okay mom,” Jensen says. “Love you, but, uh, I have to... study now,” he finishes, trying to think of an excuse quickly and hangs up, knowing that if he doesn't his mom will never stop talking.
“What was that about?” Misha asks from his place, lounging on his bed.
“Oh, you know, moms,” Jensen tries to evade. He's always been bad at evasion.
“Really? That's it? Moms?” Misha mocks.
“And Christmas!” Jensen elaborates.
“Are you taking Jared home for Christmas?” Misha asks. “Isn't it a bit early? You've only been dating for a couple months, and don't your parents live in Virginia or something?”
“Well, he was going to stay here for the break and I invited him to my house. Plus, my mom's been bugging me about bringing home a 'special someone' for awhile now. And so what if they live in Virginia?” Jensen explains.
“It's just kinda... far,” Misha explains. And it is far. Jensen knows that, as does everyone else. He learned just how far when he was forced to move there during his Sophomore year of high school because he couldn't stay in Richardson because the town had been informed he was dead. Legally, Jensen Ackles was dead.
They told all their new neighbors that they'd moved from Dallas (The accent that the family hadn't ever noticed while living in Texas was clear enough up north for everyone to recognize) because of a job. But Texas was Jensen's one true love and he moved back to the lone star state to finish his education.
“That's what planes are for,” Jensen informs his roommate.
***
So that's how Jensen and Jared ended up on a plane squished too close to each other and surrounded by people.
Jensen doesn't think he's ever been happier than when they finally touch down in Virginia.
“LAND! DRY LAND” Jared dramatically proclaims with his arms spread wide and Jensen's just glad he doesn't start kissing the ground.
“Come on you dork,” Jensen says with an eye roll, “let's get our luggage and find my parents so we can get out of here.”
Surprisingly, they're able to grab their suitcases with ease from luggage claim and find Jensen's parents soon after. Alan is a tall man with greying hair and Donna is shorter than her husband with a friendly expression and short grey hair as well.
“Daniel,” Donna greets happily as she goes up to hug Jensen while Alan stays back.
“Um, mom, dad,” Jensen starts awkwardly, “this is my boyfriend, Jared.”
“Hello, Jared,” Donna greets with a smile and a hug which Jared happily returns.
“Hello Mrs. Cauthorn,” Jared responds. A proper southern gentleman all the way through.
“Please, call me Rebecca,” his mother says politely, then turns and glares at Alan, before elbowing him in the side and clearing her throat.
“What? Oh, I'm William,” Alan says, seemingly taking a hint from his wife. “Danny's father.” He doesn't offer a hug.
As the group is walking to the Ackles' car, Donna continues to talk non-stop with Jared about everything.
“One thing you need to know, Jared, is that we hug,” Jensen and Alan snort at the comment, “well, I hug and that's not going to change.”
Jared laughs his big, charming laugh and smiles happily at Jensen's mother. “That's good! I hug too, but Jensen doesn't seem to be quite as... huggy as I am.”
Donna laughs with Jared and immediately gets started on the embarrassing stories about Jensen and Jared seems to be enjoying every second of Jensen's humiliation.
When they got outside they see a nice layer of snow on the ground.
“Woah,” Jared says in amazement. “Look how fluffy it is!” He bends down and picks up a handful of it in his gloved hand. Jensen understands to late.
He jumps at the snow hitting him square on the cheek. Jared laughs at him, but Jensen lived in this snow for a couple years. He is the master snowball fighter. Jared is on.
He bends over and grabs a handful of white snow and tightly compacts it into a ball before throwing it and catching Jared on the chest.
Jared laughs (again) and his eyes are sparkling.
“Time out!” Jared says loudly.
“No time outs in snowball fights!” Jensen protests.
“Usually, no, but we should get back to your parents house,” Jared reminds him. Jensen had acually managed to forget about his parents for a moment and glances over at them to see them staring and him and Jared in amusement.
“Lead the way,” Jared tells Donna with a flourish-y bow thing and offers his arm when he straightens. She laughs sweetly at him and takes the offered arm, leading the small group to their SUV.
Jensen had expected the meeting between his family and Jared to be awkward, but Jared iss just as charming as ever. Donna falls in love with him immediately.
Donna and Jared laugh and tell stories about Jensen the whole way home while Jensen sits in the back next to Jared mortified.
“And so, then Danny,” his mom was saying, “ran outside buck naked yelling 'who ate all the peanut butter!'”
“He didn't!” Jared laughs with his mother.
“I was, like five!” Jensen protests. “How long are you going to hold that against me?”
“Forever, sweetie,” Donna replies overly sweetly while Jared was cracking up too hard to say anything.
“I hate you all,” Jensen mumbles, leaning back into his chair and listened as his mother started up another embarrassing story. It was going to be a long break...
Jared's POV
'Danny's mom is amazing,' Jared decides. Well, it was first decided when she mentioned that she likes hugging, but embarrassing Danny stories and her friendliness was the icing on the cake.
'Mmm... icing. I want some cake,' Jared thought randomly before forcing himself to focus. He was just so damn hungry...
His stomach decides to remind himself of this fact by growling loudly. Jared blushes slightly at the loud sound and Danny's mother just laughs.
“I've got dinner almost ready at home,” she tells him kindly. “Anna's watching it so it doesn't burn.”
“Mom!” Jensen groans suddenly. “You left Anna in charge of our food?!”
“Danny, your sister is perfectly capable of making sure the food doesn't burn,” his mother scolds.
“Whatever you say, mother...” Jensen replies and Jared tries to hide a snicker. That might be considered rude or something.
The house they pull up to is nice. Upper-middle class in a nice suburban neighborhood (though Jared himself can't stand suburbs.) What makes it really nice though, is the layer of snow coating everything. Living in Southern Texas, the closest thing to snow Jared had ever seen not on a TV screen was this slushy stuff that mixed with dirt to become a brownish color and was mostly melted by the time it hit the ground. This was real snow. White and fluffy and deep and fucking cold.
Jared and Danny retrieve their bags and take their luggage inside. Danny leads Jared to a guest room to drop his stuff and, much to Jared's surprise, puts his stuff in the room, too.
“Are you staying in here, also?” Jared asks his boyfriend in confusion.
“Well, yeah,” Jensen responds, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
“And your parents-” Jared starts.
“What about them?”
“Well, they don't think we'll- you know, get up to stuff or whatever,” Jared explains.
Jensen laughs at him. “Probably.”
“And they just, what, don't care?” Jared asks again, confused.
“Hell, they probably hope we will, or my mom at least if I know her,” Jensen says with an indulgent smile at his parents. “They've been waiting for me to be serious with someone for forever now. I honestly think they just want us to get married or bonded or whatever ASAP, then have as many children as possible. Well, adopt as many kids as possible, but you know what I mean. They want grandkids to spoil.”
“They can spoil me!” Jared happily informs his boyfriend.
“Oh, trust me, you'll be tired of this by the end of the weekend,” Jensen laughs gently.
“Well,” Jared starts with the intention of changing the subject, “while we're here, why don't we go ahead and start on your parents wishes.” He grabs Jensen and pulls him in for a rough, intimate kiss. Of course, being that he is Jared Padalecki and Murphy's Law always applies to him at the worst of times, his stomach chooses then to growl loudly.
Jensen pulls out of the kiss with a laugh, (and damn, Jared thinks, if his boyfriend doesn't have the hottest lips, especially freshly kissed) and says, “we should feed the beast,” and skips out of the room, far too happy.
Jared pouts and glares at his stomach. “Seriously? You're putting food before sex? Traitor,” he tells it, before following Danny to the kitchen.
Downstairs, he finds Jensen's mother and father both in the kitchen along with a teenaged girl whom he presumed must be Anna, his little sister, sitting at a wooden table. Jared smiles as his boyfriend jumps on the table in front of Anna and ruffles her hair obnoxiously.
“Danny!” she yells in annoyance. “Don't do that!”
“Love ya', too, sis,” Jensen responds, then looks over to Jared with a smile. “Ann, this is my boyfriend, Jared.”
“Oh,” she starts, turning uninterestedly towards Jared. Then becomes very interested. “Oh,” she repeats, then gives Jensen a pouty glare. “No fair!”
“What's not fair?” Jensen asks sounding confused.
“You're not supposed to have a hotter boyfriend than me!” she whines, half joking.
“You have a boyfriend?” Jensen asks, ignoring the rest of the sentence. “Who's ass do I need to kick and thoroughly threaten?”
“Well, no, I don't have a boyfriend, but still! He's hot!” she explains.
“I know,” Jared jokes, walking fully into the kitchen. “It's my curse, my burden to bear if you will, but someone must,” he says, his tone very weary.
“Oh, you poor thing,” Mackenzie replies sympathetically, placing her hands firmly over her heart.
Jared and Mackenzie laugh together and Jensen's mother comes from the kitchen holding a dish that looks like it's holding chicken fried steaks and Jared starts salivating at the mere thought of a good home cooked meal.
“Here, let me help you,” Jared volunteers after staring at the food for a few seconds and takes the tray from Jensen's mother like a polite southern gentleman.
The steaks are followed by gravy, green-beans, and holy shit, fried potatoes. Real fried potatoes.
Everyone quickly fills their plate and begins eating. At the first bite, Jared moans in ecstasy. He mentally apologizes to his stomach for getting mad at it for choosing this over sex and says, “That's it,” to Jensen's mother, “I'm keeping you.”
She laughs happily and thanks him for the compliment and dinner is finished with some light conversation and afterwards, everyone sits around for a few more hours just talking. (Well, except for Mackenzie who got bored after awhile and walked off with a wink at Jared.)
***
Jensen and Jared go up to their room after the meal with the excuse that the long flight exhausted them ('which isn't entirely untrue' Jared assures himself) although Jared's hoping that little sleep will be gotten. Maybe not outright sex anything, not in Jensen's parents house with his little sister there, but he's hoping something happens.
Jared immediately jumps his boyfriend and starts kissing him the second their bedroom door closes.
They passionately make out for awhile, but the second Jared lets his hand start creeping up Jensen's shirt, he's stopped. Jensen grabs his wrist with cat-like reflexes and strength that Jared hadn't expected of the smaller man.
“Don't,” Jensen says quietly, yet firmly, and backs away from his boyfriend. “Just... let's not,” he continues less firmly.
“Hey,” Jared says, giving Jensen a calming smile despite his confusion at the sudden change in his boyfriend's mood, “it's okay. We don't have to go any further than you're comfortable with. I won't make you do anything you don't want to.”
“Alright,” Jensen says, looking a little more comfortable. “Uh, I'm tired. Gonna go to bed.”
“Okay,” Jared says in response and begins to strip down to his boxers to sleep. He watches as Danny reaches into his bag and pulls out some clothes before heading out the door.
“Hey,” Jared calls in confusion before Jensen has completely left. “I thought you were staying in here tonight?”
“I am,” Jensen replies. “Just gonna go change.”
“You can change here,” Jared says kindly. “I won't mind,” he finishes with a wink.
Jensen blushes and makes some excuse before ducking out anyways. Jared frowns, not for the first time wondering about his boyfriends modesty or secrecy or whatever the fuck it is that keeps him from showing any skin.
Up to this point, Jared's always looked at it as a quirk of Jensen's that he would find out about when and if Jensen wanted to tell him, but now...
Well, Jared just guessed that being invited home and being a serious boyfriend meant that Jensen would be ready to share more with him. They're sleeping the same bed for God's sake!
Somewhere in the middle of that mental rant, Jared hears the bedroom door open and looks up to see Jensen come in in long pajama pants, socks, and a long shirt.
'Seriously?' he thinks, 'what is it that you have to hide, even in sleep?'
Jared doesn't say anything. Just smiles up at his beautiful boyfriend and pats the place on the full-sized bed next to him. Jensen gives him one of his rare smiles in return and flips off the light.
They both manage to arrange themselves under the covers with the lights off.
“Good night J-Danny,” Jared says, rolling over onto his side to spoon up against Danny.
“Oh, god,” Jensen whines, “I should have guessed. You're a cuddler.”
“Shut up. You love it,” Jared growls.
Jensen sighs then admits, “Yeah, I kinda do. Good night, Jared,” and with that they both fall asleep and Jared figures that is the end of that.
He was wrong, as usual.
Somewhere in the middle of the night, he fells Jensen tossing in his arms. Jared wakes up and sees his boyfriend twitching and rolling back and forth on the bed with a troubled expression on his face, obviously in the throes of a nightmare.
“No,” he murmurs quietly, then again more loudly. Jared decides to wake him up.
“Dan,” he says. He grabs his shoulders and shakes when Danny shows no signs of waking up. “Danny!”
“No!” Jensen yells. “No! Don't touch me!”
Jared has Jensen's shoulders pinned to the bed in an attempt to keep him from flailing his arms and hurting Jared or himself.
“Dan, wake up!”
Jensen wakes up screaming.
“Hey, Danny, Danny,” Jared says quickly, trying not to panic, “it's okay, it's me, Jared.” Jensen looks up into Jared's eyes, confused. He has Jared's arms in a death grip, and even though he seems calmer, he still has this distant confused look in his eyes.
Jared jumped when the bedroom door opened and saw Danny's mother standing there.
“He had a nightmare,” Jared began to explain, “I-I didn't know- I mean, I wasn't sure what do and he just started screaming and-”
“Jared,” Jensen's mother soothes “Son, it's okay. It happens. Just, go back to sleep. It'll be better in the morning.”
The door closes softly and Jared realizes that this must be a regular thing. She didn't appear at all confused or surprised at the nightmare, and only one person came rushing in. Jared knows that at his house, if anyone screamed, everyone rushed straight to where the screaming is. There would be no thought to it.
Jensen has calmed considerably and is asleep by the time Jared pulls himself out of his thoughts.
“What happened to you?” he murmurs, leaning down to gently kiss his boyfriend's cheek.
Chapter 5: http://nympha-fluminis.livejournal.com/5651.html
Jared's POV
A few months have passed from Jared and Danny's first date, and Jared was painfully aware of how quickly Christmas was approaching. He dreaded Christmas every year, never really sure what to do over the holiday. He's never welcome back home and as much as Chris's family has been great to him, he can't help but feel awkward.
This year is no exception.
Chris is always super nice about it and seems genuinely confused when Jared feels weird about holidays and whatnot at his house. His mom is the same way, but he worries about being around the rest of the family. He's seriously considering staying at school for the holidays. He has plenty to study for and do.
And that's what he tells Danny when he asks about it two weeks later when they're sitting at a Tex-Mex restaurant on campus.
“What?!” the asks incredulously. “You're staying here for Christmas?”
“Well, yeah,” Jared answers, like it's the most obvious thing on the planet.
“No, you're not,” Jensen tells him matter-of-factually.
“Well, yeah, I kinda am. I can't go home and I really don't want to go Chris's house again... too awkward. I'm staying here.”
“Why can't you go home?” Jensen asks, sounding ever so innocent.
“When I was sixteen, my parents kicked me out,” Jared tells him slowly. “Be-because. Well because I'm you know-”
Jensen, who apparently doesn't know, continues looking at Jared expectantly. “Because you're-” he prompts.
“Gay!” Jared finally exclaimes. “Because I'm gay.”
Jensen looks straight at Jared for a moment. “You're coming home with me,” he informs Jared.
“What? No, Dan, I-” Jared starts objecting.
“Nope. Saying no is not an option. You're coming home with me. End of story. You need some Cauthorn family love.”
“Really, Dan?” Jared says, shocked. “You're sure? You don't have to-”
“Goddammit, Jare! I know I don't have to! If I want to spend a Christmas with my fucking boyfriend I damn well will and no one will tell me otherwise!” Jensen says firmly.
“Yes sir!” Jared says, with a mock salute. “I will spend Christmas with my incredibly good looking boyfriend, sir!”
“Damn straight,” Jensen laughs.
Jensen's POV
Despite all his talk at the restaurant, Jensen actually is quite nervous about calling his mother with the plans.
He considers hanging up the phone multiple times while it rings, waiting for his mother to pick up. It will be much easier to come out to her than his father. Not that his dad is a bad guy or anything, he just wouldn't be quite as understanding.
Just before Jensen can hang up, his mother answers.
“Hello?”
Jensen smiles at her voice.
“Hey mom,” he greets.
“Jensen!” she yells, excitedly. Jensen winces at the use of his name, but knows that he won't be able to talk her out of using it. “You don't call near enough boy! We miss you! When are you coming up for Christmas?”
“Mom,” Jensen says, already exhausted, “one thing at a time! I'll come up as soon as classes are out, I promise. But, uh, that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about. Christmas that is-” Jensen stutters.
“What about it?” she asks sweetly.
“Um, well I kinda met someone and-”
“Oh!” she sceams loudly. “You met someone and you're just now telling me? When are we going to meet! Oh, I'm so excited. Alan!” she calls out for Jensen's father, “Jensen met someone!”
“Mom! MOM!” Jensen yells into the phone.
“Oh, what is it? Are you bringing this person home for Christmas?”
“Well, yeah, Ma, but you should know something-”
“That this person is a boy?” she says.
“What?!” Jensen exclaims into the phone.'
“Oh, Jen, I've always known. A mother always knows. And so does your father. Now, tell me about him. Is he cute?” she says.
“Uh-well, y-yeah, I think so,” Jensen says. Oh, it is so messed up to be talking about my boyfriend's appearance with my mother. “His name is Jared Padalecki, he's from San Antonio and is freaking huge-”
He cuts off when his mother giggles inappropriately from the other line and blushes bright red.
“MOM!” he exclaims. “Not THAT way! Well, maybe- he might be. It's not like I've seen it or anything but if it's proportional to the rest of him... I'm not talking about the possible size of my boyfriend's dick with you mom!”
Misha chooses that moment to walk in. Great.
“Woah,” his roommate says. “I don't know how most families work, but I really hope my girlfriends' mothers don't know anything about my dick, beyond that I have one. That would be awkward...”
“Shut it, Misha,” Jensen says loudly, away from the receiver.
“Oh, is your roommate there, Jensen?” his mother asks.
“Mom!” Jensen admonishes. “I could have been on speaker.” he adjusts his tone until he sounds more whiny than nervous so that Misha just assumes that she brought up something else embarrassing.
“Well, are you?” she asks.
“No,” Jensen admits, “but, who knows, I might have my phone volume way turned up so everyone can hear what your saying... just, be careful with what you say ma'. When Jared comes up, we'll all have to be cautious”
“Yes, Jensen, I understand that. We've been doing okay for five years now, though, and I think we're getting the hang of this,” she says patiently. Jensen's always been more anal about making sure they're careful with their identities than anyone else in the family, but he knows he'd never forgive himself if something happened to them and don't seem to quite understand the gravity of the situation as well.
“Okay mom,” Jensen says. “Love you, but, uh, I have to... study now,” he finishes, trying to think of an excuse quickly and hangs up, knowing that if he doesn't his mom will never stop talking.
“What was that about?” Misha asks from his place, lounging on his bed.
“Oh, you know, moms,” Jensen tries to evade. He's always been bad at evasion.
“Really? That's it? Moms?” Misha mocks.
“And Christmas!” Jensen elaborates.
“Are you taking Jared home for Christmas?” Misha asks. “Isn't it a bit early? You've only been dating for a couple months, and don't your parents live in Virginia or something?”
“Well, he was going to stay here for the break and I invited him to my house. Plus, my mom's been bugging me about bringing home a 'special someone' for awhile now. And so what if they live in Virginia?” Jensen explains.
“It's just kinda... far,” Misha explains. And it is far. Jensen knows that, as does everyone else. He learned just how far when he was forced to move there during his Sophomore year of high school because he couldn't stay in Richardson because the town had been informed he was dead. Legally, Jensen Ackles was dead.
They told all their new neighbors that they'd moved from Dallas (The accent that the family hadn't ever noticed while living in Texas was clear enough up north for everyone to recognize) because of a job. But Texas was Jensen's one true love and he moved back to the lone star state to finish his education.
“That's what planes are for,” Jensen informs his roommate.
***
So that's how Jensen and Jared ended up on a plane squished too close to each other and surrounded by people.
Jensen doesn't think he's ever been happier than when they finally touch down in Virginia.
“LAND! DRY LAND” Jared dramatically proclaims with his arms spread wide and Jensen's just glad he doesn't start kissing the ground.
“Come on you dork,” Jensen says with an eye roll, “let's get our luggage and find my parents so we can get out of here.”
Surprisingly, they're able to grab their suitcases with ease from luggage claim and find Jensen's parents soon after. Alan is a tall man with greying hair and Donna is shorter than her husband with a friendly expression and short grey hair as well.
“Daniel,” Donna greets happily as she goes up to hug Jensen while Alan stays back.
“Um, mom, dad,” Jensen starts awkwardly, “this is my boyfriend, Jared.”
“Hello, Jared,” Donna greets with a smile and a hug which Jared happily returns.
“Hello Mrs. Cauthorn,” Jared responds. A proper southern gentleman all the way through.
“Please, call me Rebecca,” his mother says politely, then turns and glares at Alan, before elbowing him in the side and clearing her throat.
“What? Oh, I'm William,” Alan says, seemingly taking a hint from his wife. “Danny's father.” He doesn't offer a hug.
As the group is walking to the Ackles' car, Donna continues to talk non-stop with Jared about everything.
“One thing you need to know, Jared, is that we hug,” Jensen and Alan snort at the comment, “well, I hug and that's not going to change.”
Jared laughs his big, charming laugh and smiles happily at Jensen's mother. “That's good! I hug too, but Jensen doesn't seem to be quite as... huggy as I am.”
Donna laughs with Jared and immediately gets started on the embarrassing stories about Jensen and Jared seems to be enjoying every second of Jensen's humiliation.
When they got outside they see a nice layer of snow on the ground.
“Woah,” Jared says in amazement. “Look how fluffy it is!” He bends down and picks up a handful of it in his gloved hand. Jensen understands to late.
He jumps at the snow hitting him square on the cheek. Jared laughs at him, but Jensen lived in this snow for a couple years. He is the master snowball fighter. Jared is on.
He bends over and grabs a handful of white snow and tightly compacts it into a ball before throwing it and catching Jared on the chest.
Jared laughs (again) and his eyes are sparkling.
“Time out!” Jared says loudly.
“No time outs in snowball fights!” Jensen protests.
“Usually, no, but we should get back to your parents house,” Jared reminds him. Jensen had acually managed to forget about his parents for a moment and glances over at them to see them staring and him and Jared in amusement.
“Lead the way,” Jared tells Donna with a flourish-y bow thing and offers his arm when he straightens. She laughs sweetly at him and takes the offered arm, leading the small group to their SUV.
Jensen had expected the meeting between his family and Jared to be awkward, but Jared iss just as charming as ever. Donna falls in love with him immediately.
Donna and Jared laugh and tell stories about Jensen the whole way home while Jensen sits in the back next to Jared mortified.
“And so, then Danny,” his mom was saying, “ran outside buck naked yelling 'who ate all the peanut butter!'”
“He didn't!” Jared laughs with his mother.
“I was, like five!” Jensen protests. “How long are you going to hold that against me?”
“Forever, sweetie,” Donna replies overly sweetly while Jared was cracking up too hard to say anything.
“I hate you all,” Jensen mumbles, leaning back into his chair and listened as his mother started up another embarrassing story. It was going to be a long break...
Jared's POV
'Danny's mom is amazing,' Jared decides. Well, it was first decided when she mentioned that she likes hugging, but embarrassing Danny stories and her friendliness was the icing on the cake.
'Mmm... icing. I want some cake,' Jared thought randomly before forcing himself to focus. He was just so damn hungry...
His stomach decides to remind himself of this fact by growling loudly. Jared blushes slightly at the loud sound and Danny's mother just laughs.
“I've got dinner almost ready at home,” she tells him kindly. “Anna's watching it so it doesn't burn.”
“Mom!” Jensen groans suddenly. “You left Anna in charge of our food?!”
“Danny, your sister is perfectly capable of making sure the food doesn't burn,” his mother scolds.
“Whatever you say, mother...” Jensen replies and Jared tries to hide a snicker. That might be considered rude or something.
The house they pull up to is nice. Upper-middle class in a nice suburban neighborhood (though Jared himself can't stand suburbs.) What makes it really nice though, is the layer of snow coating everything. Living in Southern Texas, the closest thing to snow Jared had ever seen not on a TV screen was this slushy stuff that mixed with dirt to become a brownish color and was mostly melted by the time it hit the ground. This was real snow. White and fluffy and deep and fucking cold.
Jared and Danny retrieve their bags and take their luggage inside. Danny leads Jared to a guest room to drop his stuff and, much to Jared's surprise, puts his stuff in the room, too.
“Are you staying in here, also?” Jared asks his boyfriend in confusion.
“Well, yeah,” Jensen responds, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
“And your parents-” Jared starts.
“What about them?”
“Well, they don't think we'll- you know, get up to stuff or whatever,” Jared explains.
Jensen laughs at him. “Probably.”
“And they just, what, don't care?” Jared asks again, confused.
“Hell, they probably hope we will, or my mom at least if I know her,” Jensen says with an indulgent smile at his parents. “They've been waiting for me to be serious with someone for forever now. I honestly think they just want us to get married or bonded or whatever ASAP, then have as many children as possible. Well, adopt as many kids as possible, but you know what I mean. They want grandkids to spoil.”
“They can spoil me!” Jared happily informs his boyfriend.
“Oh, trust me, you'll be tired of this by the end of the weekend,” Jensen laughs gently.
“Well,” Jared starts with the intention of changing the subject, “while we're here, why don't we go ahead and start on your parents wishes.” He grabs Jensen and pulls him in for a rough, intimate kiss. Of course, being that he is Jared Padalecki and Murphy's Law always applies to him at the worst of times, his stomach chooses then to growl loudly.
Jensen pulls out of the kiss with a laugh, (and damn, Jared thinks, if his boyfriend doesn't have the hottest lips, especially freshly kissed) and says, “we should feed the beast,” and skips out of the room, far too happy.
Jared pouts and glares at his stomach. “Seriously? You're putting food before sex? Traitor,” he tells it, before following Danny to the kitchen.
Downstairs, he finds Jensen's mother and father both in the kitchen along with a teenaged girl whom he presumed must be Anna, his little sister, sitting at a wooden table. Jared smiles as his boyfriend jumps on the table in front of Anna and ruffles her hair obnoxiously.
“Danny!” she yells in annoyance. “Don't do that!”
“Love ya', too, sis,” Jensen responds, then looks over to Jared with a smile. “Ann, this is my boyfriend, Jared.”
“Oh,” she starts, turning uninterestedly towards Jared. Then becomes very interested. “Oh,” she repeats, then gives Jensen a pouty glare. “No fair!”
“What's not fair?” Jensen asks sounding confused.
“You're not supposed to have a hotter boyfriend than me!” she whines, half joking.
“You have a boyfriend?” Jensen asks, ignoring the rest of the sentence. “Who's ass do I need to kick and thoroughly threaten?”
“Well, no, I don't have a boyfriend, but still! He's hot!” she explains.
“I know,” Jared jokes, walking fully into the kitchen. “It's my curse, my burden to bear if you will, but someone must,” he says, his tone very weary.
“Oh, you poor thing,” Mackenzie replies sympathetically, placing her hands firmly over her heart.
Jared and Mackenzie laugh together and Jensen's mother comes from the kitchen holding a dish that looks like it's holding chicken fried steaks and Jared starts salivating at the mere thought of a good home cooked meal.
“Here, let me help you,” Jared volunteers after staring at the food for a few seconds and takes the tray from Jensen's mother like a polite southern gentleman.
The steaks are followed by gravy, green-beans, and holy shit, fried potatoes. Real fried potatoes.
Everyone quickly fills their plate and begins eating. At the first bite, Jared moans in ecstasy. He mentally apologizes to his stomach for getting mad at it for choosing this over sex and says, “That's it,” to Jensen's mother, “I'm keeping you.”
She laughs happily and thanks him for the compliment and dinner is finished with some light conversation and afterwards, everyone sits around for a few more hours just talking. (Well, except for Mackenzie who got bored after awhile and walked off with a wink at Jared.)
***
Jensen and Jared go up to their room after the meal with the excuse that the long flight exhausted them ('which isn't entirely untrue' Jared assures himself) although Jared's hoping that little sleep will be gotten. Maybe not outright sex anything, not in Jensen's parents house with his little sister there, but he's hoping something happens.
Jared immediately jumps his boyfriend and starts kissing him the second their bedroom door closes.
They passionately make out for awhile, but the second Jared lets his hand start creeping up Jensen's shirt, he's stopped. Jensen grabs his wrist with cat-like reflexes and strength that Jared hadn't expected of the smaller man.
“Don't,” Jensen says quietly, yet firmly, and backs away from his boyfriend. “Just... let's not,” he continues less firmly.
“Hey,” Jared says, giving Jensen a calming smile despite his confusion at the sudden change in his boyfriend's mood, “it's okay. We don't have to go any further than you're comfortable with. I won't make you do anything you don't want to.”
“Alright,” Jensen says, looking a little more comfortable. “Uh, I'm tired. Gonna go to bed.”
“Okay,” Jared says in response and begins to strip down to his boxers to sleep. He watches as Danny reaches into his bag and pulls out some clothes before heading out the door.
“Hey,” Jared calls in confusion before Jensen has completely left. “I thought you were staying in here tonight?”
“I am,” Jensen replies. “Just gonna go change.”
“You can change here,” Jared says kindly. “I won't mind,” he finishes with a wink.
Jensen blushes and makes some excuse before ducking out anyways. Jared frowns, not for the first time wondering about his boyfriends modesty or secrecy or whatever the fuck it is that keeps him from showing any skin.
Up to this point, Jared's always looked at it as a quirk of Jensen's that he would find out about when and if Jensen wanted to tell him, but now...
Well, Jared just guessed that being invited home and being a serious boyfriend meant that Jensen would be ready to share more with him. They're sleeping the same bed for God's sake!
Somewhere in the middle of that mental rant, Jared hears the bedroom door open and looks up to see Jensen come in in long pajama pants, socks, and a long shirt.
'Seriously?' he thinks, 'what is it that you have to hide, even in sleep?'
Jared doesn't say anything. Just smiles up at his beautiful boyfriend and pats the place on the full-sized bed next to him. Jensen gives him one of his rare smiles in return and flips off the light.
They both manage to arrange themselves under the covers with the lights off.
“Good night J-Danny,” Jared says, rolling over onto his side to spoon up against Danny.
“Oh, god,” Jensen whines, “I should have guessed. You're a cuddler.”
“Shut up. You love it,” Jared growls.
Jensen sighs then admits, “Yeah, I kinda do. Good night, Jared,” and with that they both fall asleep and Jared figures that is the end of that.
He was wrong, as usual.
Somewhere in the middle of the night, he fells Jensen tossing in his arms. Jared wakes up and sees his boyfriend twitching and rolling back and forth on the bed with a troubled expression on his face, obviously in the throes of a nightmare.
“No,” he murmurs quietly, then again more loudly. Jared decides to wake him up.
“Dan,” he says. He grabs his shoulders and shakes when Danny shows no signs of waking up. “Danny!”
“No!” Jensen yells. “No! Don't touch me!”
Jared has Jensen's shoulders pinned to the bed in an attempt to keep him from flailing his arms and hurting Jared or himself.
“Dan, wake up!”
Jensen wakes up screaming.
“Hey, Danny, Danny,” Jared says quickly, trying not to panic, “it's okay, it's me, Jared.” Jensen looks up into Jared's eyes, confused. He has Jared's arms in a death grip, and even though he seems calmer, he still has this distant confused look in his eyes.
Jared jumped when the bedroom door opened and saw Danny's mother standing there.
“He had a nightmare,” Jared began to explain, “I-I didn't know- I mean, I wasn't sure what do and he just started screaming and-”
“Jared,” Jensen's mother soothes “Son, it's okay. It happens. Just, go back to sleep. It'll be better in the morning.”
The door closes softly and Jared realizes that this must be a regular thing. She didn't appear at all confused or surprised at the nightmare, and only one person came rushing in. Jared knows that at his house, if anyone screamed, everyone rushed straight to where the screaming is. There would be no thought to it.
Jensen has calmed considerably and is asleep by the time Jared pulls himself out of his thoughts.
“What happened to you?” he murmurs, leaning down to gently kiss his boyfriend's cheek.
Chapter 5: http://nympha-fluminis.livejournal.com/5651.html