I Dream of Jensen (Part Ten, second half)
Title: I Dream of Jensen
Author: queeberquabbler
Fic Prompt: Disney's Aladdin
Pairing: J2
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 for swearing. No warnings otherwise--it's your standard J2 :)
Disclaimer: See Master Post.
Back to the first half of Part Ten
Jensen gives Jared a frank look. “Remember yesterday, when I was telling you about how I became a genie? How I’d been shopping for a gift?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“That day I went to the oddities shop, I wasn’t looking for just ANY gift. I was looking for a wedding ring. For James.” Jensen gives Jared a brief, sad smile, and his gaze drops to his feet. “Couldn’t get him a real one, of course-I wasn’t exactly wealthy, and hey, if anyone found out the two of us were lovers, we both would’ve been burned at the stake, or worse. But I still wanted to make the gesture. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, even if it meant moving out to the middle of nowhere and living in complete seclusion. At least we’d be together. That was more than enough for me.”
Jensen turns to one of the trailer’s windows as he thinks back. “No one in my family knew about us. Same with his. A few, very close friends knew, though, and every one of them came to me in turn, warning me that James was not a good man, and that he only cared about himself. But I ignored them-they didn’t KNOW him. They didn’t see how sweet he could be…how romantic.” A little smile creeps out at that. “After a while I told them to back off and leave me alone. And they did. They backed way, WAY off, in fact. But I didn’t care.” He looks at Jared. “I had James. I gave him the ring, and our future seemed to be set.”
Jared smiles, but Jensen turns back to the window. “The sad truth is that things change, especially when they’re going well. Just a week after I gave James the ring, he became deathly ill. If I hadn’t wished for the genie to save his life, he would’ve died, I’m sure of it. And not long after that, my home in the city burned down-and he was trapped inside. Nearly lost him again.”
“But you used another wish?” Jared asks, and Jensen nods.
“I had to, but I didn’t mind. James was all I wanted, so I used my wishes on the man I loved. But then I only had one wish left, and things got really bad. James was accused of stealing from a wealthy lord. No one would believe his innocence except me, but most of our money had been lost in the fire. He was imprisoned and sentenced to death by hanging. I wanted to use my last wish to help him, but I didn’t know what to wish for. If I wished him free, he might still die! But if I wished to save his life, he could still go back to jail! So I asked the genie for his help: What should I wish for to make sure that James would be taken care of the rest of his days? The genie told me to wish for an infinite amount of wishes-that way I’d never run out, and I could take care of James forever. And I thought that was a great idea, so that’s what I did.”
“And that’s how you became a genie.”
Jensen sighs. “Yeah. The genie didn’t bother telling me that the only way anyone can get an infinite amount of wishes is to BECOME the genie-take his place. Then every wish in the world is at your reach. Of course, you only get to grant them for everyone else. But what could I do? I was stuck in the lamp, and the genie was human and free to do whatever he wanted. He was the master now. And his very first wish was to become a very wealthy landowner. Then he used his new riches to free his lover.”
“Wait…the genie had a lover? Who was it?” Jared notes the tear trailing down Jensen’s cheek, and his heart breaks. “No…”
“James. Yes. They told me they met when I wished for the genie to save James when he was sick. Love at first sight, James said. ‘Isn’t he the most beautiful creature you’ve ever seen, Jack?’” Jensen is stricken by the memory and how much it still hurts after all these years, but he forces himself to go on, for Jared’s sake. “They were all too happy to let me in on their little scheme. After they met and…fell in love…” Jensen squeezes his eyelids tight for a moment to trap the welling tears before he continues, “James started making wishes of his own behind my back.”
“But I thought a genie could only have one master a time?”
“Technically, yeah. But it’s the lamp that binds me to the master, so if someone else steals the lamp, that person becomes my new master. That’s why I’m always telling you to take the lamp with you.”
Jared nods, understanding. “So all James had to do was take the lamp and make his wishes when you weren’t around, and you’d never know.”
“Exactly. I had no idea any of this was going on until they told me. And when I found out everything my friends had been warning me about James was true…” Jensen looks to the side and clenches his jaw. “Turns out James’ favorite pastime was stealing from people and stashing everything in my home. Apparently someone found him out, because his first wish was for the genie to burn all the evidence against him. And that’s what started the house fire.”
“So the fire that nearly killed him-that was all because of his wish?!” Jared asks in disbelief. “Why didn’t he get out of the house before he made his wish?”
Jensen scratches behind his neck, allowing a small smile to appear as he replies, “James wasn’t the best at thinking ahead, especially when he was upset. I’m guessing he was freaking out about being caught, so he just made the wish on the spot. And have you ever seen a Tudor home? All cross timbers and thatched roofs. Combine that with the fact that we were living above a clerk who specialized in manuscripts, so add paper to the scene, and you’ve got an inferno the moment James wished for fire.”
“So why didn’t the genie rescue James?”
“He didn’t give out the freebies like I do, and James didn’t want to waste another wish. So the genie came to me: he told me there was a fire and that James was in danger. I immediately wished for James to be saved, and by the time I got home, the fire was out, and James was still alive.” Jensen looks right at Jared, again with that hint of a smile. “You’d think he’d learn from the first disaster, but no. His second wish was just as bad. He wished to be the greatest thief in all of England-and for a time, he was. But then he got caught.”
“Let me guess: he really did steal from that wealthy lord you mentioned before.” Jared shakes his head and chuckles. “So much for being the greatest thief…”
“The thing about wishing is that it’s all in the phrasing,” Jensen points out. “He didn’t wish to be the most successful thief of all time, which would mean he’d never get caught. He just wished to be a great thief.” The genie holds his hands up in a ‘whaddya gonna do?’ gesture. “So he went to jail. He was going to use his last wish to save himself, but the genie had a plan and told him to wish for an immense buried treasure underneath a certain place in the Lake Country. James did just that, and the genie promised he’d be free very soon. All he had to do was get me out of the picture.” Jensen hangs his head. “And you know how that turned out.”
“Selfish assholes,” Jared hisses. “Especially James. You gave up all your wishes for him, and he kicked you to the curb!”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“I’m so sorry, Jen.” Jared looks at his friend with deep sympathy, and Jensen nods his thanks. “Please tell me they didn’t have a happy ending…”
“Wish I could,” Jensen admits. “But the genie knew exactly how to phrase his wishes; he’d been granting ‘em all his life, so he knew all about the fine print. So when he wished to become a landowner, the land he wanted was a specific area in the Lake Country-right above the expanse of James’ buried treasure. Then he wished for a huge mansion on their new land, one of stone and brick so it wouldn’t burn down. And now that his future was set, the genie used his final wish to place a curse on the lamp, so that the infinite wish trick could never be played again. I would be stuck as a genie until my master wished me free.”
Jensen takes in a deep breath, but it comes back out in painful hitches; he hugs his arms over his torso before he speaks again. “They were so…proud of themselves,” he mutters. “Richard-that’s the name the genie took-thanked me for all of my help, and James laughed and thanked me for being so stupid. They laughed and laughed…” Jensen turns and gives Jared a very bitter and hurtful smile. “And then they threw me away! Just…dumped the lamp out the window with the rest of the waste, like I was nothing but garbage.” Jensen’s chin digs into his neck as he bows his head. “I never saw either of them again.”
Tears roll down Jensen’s face, and Jared feels his own brimming in his eyes. “To this day,” Jensen sniffles, “all I want to know is WHY. Why did James just dump me for Richard? Did I do something wrong? Did James ever really love me? Or was I the whole problem? Something about me that’s just…WRONG somehow. Maybe all of me!” His greener-than-green eyes search Jared’s face, looking so very lost, and Jared sheds some tears just at the pitiful sight. “Maybe I really am garbage,” Jensen decides, “Stupid and ugly and worthless and-”
Jensen doesn’t get to throw anymore hurtful words at his psyche, because his face gets mashed into Jared’s shoulder as he hugs him tight. Jensen soaks in the taller man’s warmth-it’s been centuries since he’s been held by a pair of strong arms. It makes him cry harder, it feels so good. Jared responds by rubbing Jensen’s back as he gently rocks them back and forth.
“Shhhh,” he soothes the genie. “It’s all right. YOU’RE all right. In fact, you’re better than all right!” Jensen shakes his head against Jared’s shoulder, and Jared gently pushes him away. Jensen is the definition of defeated. His green eyes have lost their spark. His nose is red and snuffly. Even his freckles seem to be hiding, like they’re afraid to show off their cuteness when their bearer is feeling so low. Jensen bites down on his lower lip, and it takes everything in Jared not to kiss those sweet pillows. Instead he holds Jensen by his shoulders and peers right into his face.
“Look at me.” He waits until Jensen does before he gives him his kindest smile. “You are NOT garbage,” Jared insists. “You are sweet and smart and funny and wonderful and really, REALLY hot.” Jensen sputters out a scoff, though he smiles a tiny bit. Jared pulls him back into his arms at once, and this time Jensen hugs back. “And for the record,” Jared says, “James was an IDIOT for not realizing how great you are.”
That pretty much switches Jensen’s mode from Heavy Crush to Marry Me. He pulls away and regards Jared with awe. “Thanks, Dimples,” he whispers. Dimples smiles back and mouths, “You’re welcome”-or perhaps he really does say it, but Jensen doesn’t hear him. His ears are filled with the swoons of violin bows sweeping over his heart’s strings. If ever there was a moment, it’s right now, and Jensen isn’t about to waste it. He leans forward-
Brrrrrring!
And misses Jared by a mile: the taller man had turned and leaned over to fetch his ringing cell phone from his pocket, leaving Jensen’s puckered lips hanging. The genie tucks them away before Jared notices and calls him a goldfish. The phone Brrrrrring!s again as Jared realizes it’s not in his pocket, but still in his satchel. “Coming!” he yells needlessly. Jensen busies himself with cleaning his face with a few hundred tissues as he pretends to not listen in to Jared’s conversation.
“Hey!” Jared answers with a smile. Two seconds later he checks his watch. “No, I didn’t forget, of course not! I just…” Jared looks back at Jensen, who smiles and shrugs like it doesn’t matter. The genie turns away before his emotions reveal the truth to Jared, and Jared likewise turns away, feeling guilty for what he’s about to do.
“Yeah, I can be there in…shit, my shirt…NO, no, it’s nothing. Just let me change. I’ll be right there. Yep. Bye!” Jared pockets his phone, and as he turns around, Jensen hands him a new pair of black pants and a fresh, button-down shirt: vertical stripes of green and midnight blue.
“This isn’t a freebie,” Jensen says right away. “I just grabbed you a change of clothes before we left this morning, just in case.”
Jared looks down at the clothes and offers a smile. “Thanks.”
Jensen nods and walks to the other side of the trailer as Jared changes. “He’s been waiting for me out in the parking lot,” Jared informs Jensen, who says nothing in reply. Jared pauses after he slips into his new pants and looks at his genie’s broad back. “It isn’t a date anymore,” he insists. “It’s an interrogation. Well…that’s too strong. More like a chat. No, that isn’t it either…” He waves the messy sentence out of the air. “I just want to ask him about the weird shit in his trailer, okay?”
Jensen glances at him. “It’s fine, Jared. You don’t have to justify it.” He fronts a smile. “You’re the master, remember? You can do whatever you want.”
“I know, but…” Jared wants to say something else, but he can’t find the right words. Jensen looks over, waiting for him to speak, but Jared ultimately shakes his head. “Nothing. Forget it.” He goes back to getting ready. A quick spray to each pit, followed by slipping into the new shirt and a spritz of cologne, and Jared’s pretty much good to go-but doesn’t. Instead, he moves over to Jensen, who is standing near the door with Jared’s satchel in hand. He hands it to Jared with a curt nod.
“Lamp’s inside. You know the rule.”
Jared throws the strap over his head and slides the satchel to his right hip. “Just promise me you won’t poison his food until I get a chance to hear him out,” he quips, not expecting a laugh-nor getting one.
“Oh I’m not coming,” Jensen says. “The lamp has to go with you everywhere, but I don’t. Just give it a rub if you need anything.”
The genie turns and walks back to the sofa. “Jen…” Jared calls from the door, and Jensen looks back at him just as he’s about to sit down. “Are you all right?”
“Getting there,” Jensen lies, knowing that Jared won’t buy it if he says he’s fine. “You just worry about yourself. I want you back in one piece, okay?”
“Okay,” Jared agrees. “I guess I’ll, uh…”
“Yeah.” Jensen waves him on. “Have fun, and good luck.”
Jared hovers a moment longer before finally shutting the door and walking down the trailer’s steps. He looks back at the window, expecting Jensen to be there, but the lights are already turned off. Jared sighs as he lingers, wondering if he shouldn’t just reschedule his date so he can stay with Jensen and make sure he’s all right. But then he hears a honk from the parking lot and knows that it’s David. Jared feels his phone vibrate with an incoming text, and he’s already running before he reads the ‘What’s taking you so long?’ message.
Back in the dark of the trailer, Jensen slumps down on the sofa, thinking about Could Have Beens and lousy timing. He pushes the thoughts aside. They’re quickly replaced by memories of Richard and James making out right in front of him, as the new genie was drawn back into the lamp, powerless to do anything. Then his mind drifts to David’s blood magic, and they combine with worry over Jared, but that just brings him back to the Could Have Beens and lousy timing. His emotions pile into the ring and start wrestling with each other, and Jensen doesn’t even try to crawl out from under them: He’s far too upset to fight with himself anymore tonight.
Jensen shuts his eyes and lets the Hurt consume him.
On to Part Eleven
Master Post
Author: queeberquabbler
Fic Prompt: Disney's Aladdin
Pairing: J2
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 for swearing. No warnings otherwise--it's your standard J2 :)
Disclaimer: See Master Post.
Back to the first half of Part Ten
Jensen gives Jared a frank look. “Remember yesterday, when I was telling you about how I became a genie? How I’d been shopping for a gift?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“That day I went to the oddities shop, I wasn’t looking for just ANY gift. I was looking for a wedding ring. For James.” Jensen gives Jared a brief, sad smile, and his gaze drops to his feet. “Couldn’t get him a real one, of course-I wasn’t exactly wealthy, and hey, if anyone found out the two of us were lovers, we both would’ve been burned at the stake, or worse. But I still wanted to make the gesture. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, even if it meant moving out to the middle of nowhere and living in complete seclusion. At least we’d be together. That was more than enough for me.”
Jensen turns to one of the trailer’s windows as he thinks back. “No one in my family knew about us. Same with his. A few, very close friends knew, though, and every one of them came to me in turn, warning me that James was not a good man, and that he only cared about himself. But I ignored them-they didn’t KNOW him. They didn’t see how sweet he could be…how romantic.” A little smile creeps out at that. “After a while I told them to back off and leave me alone. And they did. They backed way, WAY off, in fact. But I didn’t care.” He looks at Jared. “I had James. I gave him the ring, and our future seemed to be set.”
Jared smiles, but Jensen turns back to the window. “The sad truth is that things change, especially when they’re going well. Just a week after I gave James the ring, he became deathly ill. If I hadn’t wished for the genie to save his life, he would’ve died, I’m sure of it. And not long after that, my home in the city burned down-and he was trapped inside. Nearly lost him again.”
“But you used another wish?” Jared asks, and Jensen nods.
“I had to, but I didn’t mind. James was all I wanted, so I used my wishes on the man I loved. But then I only had one wish left, and things got really bad. James was accused of stealing from a wealthy lord. No one would believe his innocence except me, but most of our money had been lost in the fire. He was imprisoned and sentenced to death by hanging. I wanted to use my last wish to help him, but I didn’t know what to wish for. If I wished him free, he might still die! But if I wished to save his life, he could still go back to jail! So I asked the genie for his help: What should I wish for to make sure that James would be taken care of the rest of his days? The genie told me to wish for an infinite amount of wishes-that way I’d never run out, and I could take care of James forever. And I thought that was a great idea, so that’s what I did.”
“And that’s how you became a genie.”
Jensen sighs. “Yeah. The genie didn’t bother telling me that the only way anyone can get an infinite amount of wishes is to BECOME the genie-take his place. Then every wish in the world is at your reach. Of course, you only get to grant them for everyone else. But what could I do? I was stuck in the lamp, and the genie was human and free to do whatever he wanted. He was the master now. And his very first wish was to become a very wealthy landowner. Then he used his new riches to free his lover.”
“Wait…the genie had a lover? Who was it?” Jared notes the tear trailing down Jensen’s cheek, and his heart breaks. “No…”
“James. Yes. They told me they met when I wished for the genie to save James when he was sick. Love at first sight, James said. ‘Isn’t he the most beautiful creature you’ve ever seen, Jack?’” Jensen is stricken by the memory and how much it still hurts after all these years, but he forces himself to go on, for Jared’s sake. “They were all too happy to let me in on their little scheme. After they met and…fell in love…” Jensen squeezes his eyelids tight for a moment to trap the welling tears before he continues, “James started making wishes of his own behind my back.”
“But I thought a genie could only have one master a time?”
“Technically, yeah. But it’s the lamp that binds me to the master, so if someone else steals the lamp, that person becomes my new master. That’s why I’m always telling you to take the lamp with you.”
Jared nods, understanding. “So all James had to do was take the lamp and make his wishes when you weren’t around, and you’d never know.”
“Exactly. I had no idea any of this was going on until they told me. And when I found out everything my friends had been warning me about James was true…” Jensen looks to the side and clenches his jaw. “Turns out James’ favorite pastime was stealing from people and stashing everything in my home. Apparently someone found him out, because his first wish was for the genie to burn all the evidence against him. And that’s what started the house fire.”
“So the fire that nearly killed him-that was all because of his wish?!” Jared asks in disbelief. “Why didn’t he get out of the house before he made his wish?”
Jensen scratches behind his neck, allowing a small smile to appear as he replies, “James wasn’t the best at thinking ahead, especially when he was upset. I’m guessing he was freaking out about being caught, so he just made the wish on the spot. And have you ever seen a Tudor home? All cross timbers and thatched roofs. Combine that with the fact that we were living above a clerk who specialized in manuscripts, so add paper to the scene, and you’ve got an inferno the moment James wished for fire.”
“So why didn’t the genie rescue James?”
“He didn’t give out the freebies like I do, and James didn’t want to waste another wish. So the genie came to me: he told me there was a fire and that James was in danger. I immediately wished for James to be saved, and by the time I got home, the fire was out, and James was still alive.” Jensen looks right at Jared, again with that hint of a smile. “You’d think he’d learn from the first disaster, but no. His second wish was just as bad. He wished to be the greatest thief in all of England-and for a time, he was. But then he got caught.”
“Let me guess: he really did steal from that wealthy lord you mentioned before.” Jared shakes his head and chuckles. “So much for being the greatest thief…”
“The thing about wishing is that it’s all in the phrasing,” Jensen points out. “He didn’t wish to be the most successful thief of all time, which would mean he’d never get caught. He just wished to be a great thief.” The genie holds his hands up in a ‘whaddya gonna do?’ gesture. “So he went to jail. He was going to use his last wish to save himself, but the genie had a plan and told him to wish for an immense buried treasure underneath a certain place in the Lake Country. James did just that, and the genie promised he’d be free very soon. All he had to do was get me out of the picture.” Jensen hangs his head. “And you know how that turned out.”
“Selfish assholes,” Jared hisses. “Especially James. You gave up all your wishes for him, and he kicked you to the curb!”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“I’m so sorry, Jen.” Jared looks at his friend with deep sympathy, and Jensen nods his thanks. “Please tell me they didn’t have a happy ending…”
“Wish I could,” Jensen admits. “But the genie knew exactly how to phrase his wishes; he’d been granting ‘em all his life, so he knew all about the fine print. So when he wished to become a landowner, the land he wanted was a specific area in the Lake Country-right above the expanse of James’ buried treasure. Then he wished for a huge mansion on their new land, one of stone and brick so it wouldn’t burn down. And now that his future was set, the genie used his final wish to place a curse on the lamp, so that the infinite wish trick could never be played again. I would be stuck as a genie until my master wished me free.”
Jensen takes in a deep breath, but it comes back out in painful hitches; he hugs his arms over his torso before he speaks again. “They were so…proud of themselves,” he mutters. “Richard-that’s the name the genie took-thanked me for all of my help, and James laughed and thanked me for being so stupid. They laughed and laughed…” Jensen turns and gives Jared a very bitter and hurtful smile. “And then they threw me away! Just…dumped the lamp out the window with the rest of the waste, like I was nothing but garbage.” Jensen’s chin digs into his neck as he bows his head. “I never saw either of them again.”
Tears roll down Jensen’s face, and Jared feels his own brimming in his eyes. “To this day,” Jensen sniffles, “all I want to know is WHY. Why did James just dump me for Richard? Did I do something wrong? Did James ever really love me? Or was I the whole problem? Something about me that’s just…WRONG somehow. Maybe all of me!” His greener-than-green eyes search Jared’s face, looking so very lost, and Jared sheds some tears just at the pitiful sight. “Maybe I really am garbage,” Jensen decides, “Stupid and ugly and worthless and-”
Jensen doesn’t get to throw anymore hurtful words at his psyche, because his face gets mashed into Jared’s shoulder as he hugs him tight. Jensen soaks in the taller man’s warmth-it’s been centuries since he’s been held by a pair of strong arms. It makes him cry harder, it feels so good. Jared responds by rubbing Jensen’s back as he gently rocks them back and forth.
“Shhhh,” he soothes the genie. “It’s all right. YOU’RE all right. In fact, you’re better than all right!” Jensen shakes his head against Jared’s shoulder, and Jared gently pushes him away. Jensen is the definition of defeated. His green eyes have lost their spark. His nose is red and snuffly. Even his freckles seem to be hiding, like they’re afraid to show off their cuteness when their bearer is feeling so low. Jensen bites down on his lower lip, and it takes everything in Jared not to kiss those sweet pillows. Instead he holds Jensen by his shoulders and peers right into his face.
“Look at me.” He waits until Jensen does before he gives him his kindest smile. “You are NOT garbage,” Jared insists. “You are sweet and smart and funny and wonderful and really, REALLY hot.” Jensen sputters out a scoff, though he smiles a tiny bit. Jared pulls him back into his arms at once, and this time Jensen hugs back. “And for the record,” Jared says, “James was an IDIOT for not realizing how great you are.”
That pretty much switches Jensen’s mode from Heavy Crush to Marry Me. He pulls away and regards Jared with awe. “Thanks, Dimples,” he whispers. Dimples smiles back and mouths, “You’re welcome”-or perhaps he really does say it, but Jensen doesn’t hear him. His ears are filled with the swoons of violin bows sweeping over his heart’s strings. If ever there was a moment, it’s right now, and Jensen isn’t about to waste it. He leans forward-
Brrrrrring!
And misses Jared by a mile: the taller man had turned and leaned over to fetch his ringing cell phone from his pocket, leaving Jensen’s puckered lips hanging. The genie tucks them away before Jared notices and calls him a goldfish. The phone Brrrrrring!s again as Jared realizes it’s not in his pocket, but still in his satchel. “Coming!” he yells needlessly. Jensen busies himself with cleaning his face with a few hundred tissues as he pretends to not listen in to Jared’s conversation.
“Hey!” Jared answers with a smile. Two seconds later he checks his watch. “No, I didn’t forget, of course not! I just…” Jared looks back at Jensen, who smiles and shrugs like it doesn’t matter. The genie turns away before his emotions reveal the truth to Jared, and Jared likewise turns away, feeling guilty for what he’s about to do.
“Yeah, I can be there in…shit, my shirt…NO, no, it’s nothing. Just let me change. I’ll be right there. Yep. Bye!” Jared pockets his phone, and as he turns around, Jensen hands him a new pair of black pants and a fresh, button-down shirt: vertical stripes of green and midnight blue.
“This isn’t a freebie,” Jensen says right away. “I just grabbed you a change of clothes before we left this morning, just in case.”
Jared looks down at the clothes and offers a smile. “Thanks.”
Jensen nods and walks to the other side of the trailer as Jared changes. “He’s been waiting for me out in the parking lot,” Jared informs Jensen, who says nothing in reply. Jared pauses after he slips into his new pants and looks at his genie’s broad back. “It isn’t a date anymore,” he insists. “It’s an interrogation. Well…that’s too strong. More like a chat. No, that isn’t it either…” He waves the messy sentence out of the air. “I just want to ask him about the weird shit in his trailer, okay?”
Jensen glances at him. “It’s fine, Jared. You don’t have to justify it.” He fronts a smile. “You’re the master, remember? You can do whatever you want.”
“I know, but…” Jared wants to say something else, but he can’t find the right words. Jensen looks over, waiting for him to speak, but Jared ultimately shakes his head. “Nothing. Forget it.” He goes back to getting ready. A quick spray to each pit, followed by slipping into the new shirt and a spritz of cologne, and Jared’s pretty much good to go-but doesn’t. Instead, he moves over to Jensen, who is standing near the door with Jared’s satchel in hand. He hands it to Jared with a curt nod.
“Lamp’s inside. You know the rule.”
Jared throws the strap over his head and slides the satchel to his right hip. “Just promise me you won’t poison his food until I get a chance to hear him out,” he quips, not expecting a laugh-nor getting one.
“Oh I’m not coming,” Jensen says. “The lamp has to go with you everywhere, but I don’t. Just give it a rub if you need anything.”
The genie turns and walks back to the sofa. “Jen…” Jared calls from the door, and Jensen looks back at him just as he’s about to sit down. “Are you all right?”
“Getting there,” Jensen lies, knowing that Jared won’t buy it if he says he’s fine. “You just worry about yourself. I want you back in one piece, okay?”
“Okay,” Jared agrees. “I guess I’ll, uh…”
“Yeah.” Jensen waves him on. “Have fun, and good luck.”
Jared hovers a moment longer before finally shutting the door and walking down the trailer’s steps. He looks back at the window, expecting Jensen to be there, but the lights are already turned off. Jared sighs as he lingers, wondering if he shouldn’t just reschedule his date so he can stay with Jensen and make sure he’s all right. But then he hears a honk from the parking lot and knows that it’s David. Jared feels his phone vibrate with an incoming text, and he’s already running before he reads the ‘What’s taking you so long?’ message.
Back in the dark of the trailer, Jensen slumps down on the sofa, thinking about Could Have Beens and lousy timing. He pushes the thoughts aside. They’re quickly replaced by memories of Richard and James making out right in front of him, as the new genie was drawn back into the lamp, powerless to do anything. Then his mind drifts to David’s blood magic, and they combine with worry over Jared, but that just brings him back to the Could Have Beens and lousy timing. His emotions pile into the ring and start wrestling with each other, and Jensen doesn’t even try to crawl out from under them: He’s far too upset to fight with himself anymore tonight.
Jensen shuts his eyes and lets the Hurt consume him.
On to Part Eleven
Master Post