[ FIC ] Essence of Us (J2, NC-17)
Title: Essence of Us (AO3)
Pairing: J2
Rating: NC-17
Words: 2500+
Notes: Written for salt_burn_porn and cherie_morte's prompt cure for all ails. Thanks to saltandburnboys for the awesome beta (aka saving this fic) <3
Warnings: ABO, comeplay, knotting
Three rabbits, ten fish, and one deer. Jared adjusts the weights of his catches on his back, heavy deer carcass slung over his shoulders while the full fishing net and small traps hang around his neck. His muscles ache, alpha strength working overtime. The going is slow, but he’s a little happier with each step closer to home. The sun is already sinking low, barely visible through the trees.
It’s quiet in the darkening forest, so the others must have made it back by now. They’d run past him earlier, single traps in hand, the occasional doe - more than enough to feed their families. In retrospect, Jared may have gone a bit overboard during this last hunt.
Not that anyone can blame him. He’s newly mated to the prettiest omega in the pack, he’s allowed to preen and strut and show off for his mate, even if they’re technically past the wooing stage. He hasn’t forgotten the dismissive stares of Jensen’s other suitors: the much older, more experienced alphas with their fancy, verdant hilltop dens.
The nagging need to prove himself to them, and to Jensen hasn’t quite faded.
Jared is taller than most, despite his mere twenty summers, and he’d really started to bulk up around the time Jensen started mate seeking. But he had been Jensen’s youngest suitor, far from the best hunter, and his beloved den had been situated at the foot of the bleak, shadowy, rock-faced mountain. How could he possibly compete?
Nobody had been more surprised than Jared to find Jensen curled up one day in his mountain den’s bedding, sweet omega scent filling up the room, lingering on all of Jared’s belongings like Jensen had purposefully rubbed up against them.
He had chosen Jared.
The memory still makes Jared’s stomach flip, a familiar, giddy thrill that Jared’s felt around Jensen since they’d played around as pups. It’d often been the two of them, Jensen ignoring the weres his age, choosing instead to roll through the glades with the runt of the pack. Jared had been overexcited, curious and more than a little annoying, something Jensen never failed to point out.
At first, Jared had thought that Jensen had felt obligated to watch over him, since he was older. And Jensen had defended Jared more times than he can count, easily flouncing the fledgling alphas that would jeer and push Jared around. But still, Jensen had never pushed him away like the other children had, and he’d always saved a smile for Jared when it was just the two of them.
They were inseparable, and Jared never stopped following him around, had never outgrown his puppy love.
When they had finally presented as alpha and omega, Jared had always hoped they would become mates one day. The claiming mark on his neck, waking up in the rising sunlight pressed up against soft skin that smells of love and home and Jensen - this past month has been an absolute dream.
He reaches the base of the mountain quickly, each weighted step lightened by the thought of surprising his mate. An odd scent floats out to greet him and he frowns. The air reeks of honeyed lust and the heavy sweetness of overripe fruit - undeniably Jensen, but the scent is too strong, too heady. It wraps around his head, stirring arousal low in his belly.
He pushes through the carefully constructed entrance of his den, and immediately, he hears Jensen’s low keening from their bedded corner. He forgets about his catch, and the traps fall to the ground with a heavy thud, as he rushes over to the bed.
“Jensen! Jensen, what’s wrong?”
“Jared… hurts.”
The fire’s out, leaving the den dark and cold. The last of the setting sun shines through the portal above them. Jensen’s naked, his skin shining with sweat, limbs moving restlessly in his half-conscious state, lush mouth open and panting as tempting pheromones and heat drift off him in waves. Jared can feel himself hardening, and he grits his teeth as he resists the urge to spread those pretty legs, and bury himself deep. Instead he gathers Jensen into his arms. Jensen’s face burrowing into the crook of Jared’s neck, and he seems to relax, just a little, with the close contact. Jared tugs Jensen into his lap, rubbing his back soothingly, and running his nose along the heated skin, trying to scent the source of the pain.
He can’t sense anything beneath the cloying scent of Jensen’s arousal, and fear sinks into Jared’s gut when Jensen folds in on himself, sinking heavily into Jared’s hold. Jensen is bigger than the other omegas, well-muscled and only a few inches shorter than Jared. He’s heard other alphas comment on it as if it made Jensen less-attractive, but Jared doesn’t mind at all, loves how Jensen fits in his arms, solid and perfect. Besides, Jared’s more than strong enough to keep up with Jensen, and he’s proud that such a strong creature agreed to be his mate.
Apart from incoherent mumbling, Jensen doesn’t answer when Jared repeats his question. His movements are mindless and needy, like Jensen gets when Jared has him on his back, but there’s an undercurrent of hurt in the aborted twitch of his limbs. Frantically, Jared runs his hands over Jensen’s body, looking for injuries, but all he gets is Jensen shifting and grinding against him in return.
Jared’s unbearably hard already, just wants to push Jensen down and take him up on the offers his omega is unconsciously making. Jensen’s wet down to his thighs, omega slick soaking into the front of Jared’s pants. For a moment he’s all alpha, arms tight around Jensen as he licks stripes of sweat off his mate’s skin, nipping and biting as he goes, hips moving insistently against Jensen’s ass. It takes him a second to realize his other, less base instincts are also pinging, and he realizes how weakly Jensen is clinging to him. Jared has yet to experience Jensen in heat, but this - something is wrong.
He needs to find the healer, immediately. It takes almost everything in him to let go of Jensen while one part of him demands he take his mate, and the other cries out in sympathy with all the hurt, needy sounds Jensen’s making.
“I’ll be back okay? I’ll be right back,” Jared says, wetting a washcloth, and dabbing at Jensen’s sweaty forehead and torso, easing him down onto the bedding. He presses a gentle kiss against Jensen’s lips, nuzzling Jensen’s nose with his own before forcing himself to walk out the door.
0-0-0
Lunar heat, the healer is saying. Jared sits numbly through the explanation, cold dread running through him. The healer rambles on about were-biology, cycles and viral triggers but all Jared understands is that Jensen is sick and suffering, and he needs to be mated through it - repeatedly, lest the uncontrollable heat causes permanent damage to Jensen’s body.
At first, Jared had turned bright red at the instruction, embarrassed to discuss his mateship with an outsider, then quickly paled when he’d realized that the healer had been offering to set up a mating stand in the middle of town for his omega. For other alphas.
“It’s a regrettable circumstance for a mated omega to be sure, but were-come is the key. And even with its healing properties, he’ll still need a lot of it,” the man’s saying, glancing carefully at Jared to gauge his reaction. “Much more than a normal were would be able to provide in such a short timeframe. Ideally, a True Mate would suffice -“ the man frowns as he looks at Jensen, then returns his judging stare to Jared once more “- but you know how unlikely -“
A growl escapes Jared’s throat at the thought of anyone else touching Jensen, much less fucking him. The gall of the man to stand there and not only question his mating, but at the same time suggest Jared just hand his omega over to the alphas of the town.
Jared stands to his full height, straightening his shoulders and moving between the other man and where Jensen is whimpering feverishly on the bed. It’s not much longer before the healer is making a hasty exit, door shutting in his face as he tries to remind Jared that his mate is suffering, and needs to be treated right away.
Jensen looks worse now, paler than ever. There’s a twisting ache in his chest, doubt growing in the back of his mind. He’s being selfish, he knows that. But he can’t give Jensen up… he just can’t.
Taking Jensen’s hand in his, Jared runs a hand across Jensen’s sweat-damp forehead, whispering low and soothing, “It’ll be alright, Jen. I’m here.”
He’s going to fix this.
0-0-0
“Please, please…”
Jared’s hair is soaked with sweat, he can feel it cooling on his neck and back, can feel the slick between their torsos as he thrusts in and in and in. Jensen just tilts his hips forward, legs wrapped weakly around Jared, letting him slide deeper, beloved green eyes fever-bright as he’s opened up for his fourth knotting.
His long lashes flutter softly closed as Jared pushes in, stretching him wide as omega slick and come seep out around his knot. The tight, clenching pressure around him is bliss, and Jared moans loudly into Jensen’s shoulder, coming in long spurts into his omega.
Now tied, he pulls back to watch as pleasure clouds Jensen’s beautiful face, a short reprieve from the heat eating him up from the inside. At lease he knows this is working, even if just a little. Jared presses kisses to his jaw, catching Jensen’s lips as they fall open when Jared swivels his hips, his large knot tugging at Jensen’s hole.
“Oh - oh Jared,” Jensen sighs. The fever still hasn’t broken, but Jared’s managed to get a few more words out of him.
“Does it still hurt? It’s getting better, right Jen?”
Jared holds Jensen close, trying not to make his heavy breathing obvious, nor the exhaustion in his limbs. He and Jensen are no strangers to long bouts of mating, especially after that first week together, but they’d at least gotten proper rest in-between. If he can’t do this, then…
No.
He tenses, his grip tightening around Jensen’s waist. He’s Jensen’s alpha, he’d fought hard to be recognized as Jensen’s mate. There’s no way he’s going to let anyone else so much as touch him.
Reaching between them, he runs his fingers through the copious slick leaking from where he and Jensen are tied.
“Hey, Jen, open up for me okay?” He traces three wet fingers along Jensen’s mouth, leaving white trails across soft, pink lips before slipping them between, and letting the come catch on Jensen’s tongue. He repeats the motion, Jensen’s tongue chasing his fingers this time, sucking them off as soon as they slip past his lips.
His knot’s gone down enough now for Jared to ease out of Jensen’s hole, making it easier for him to gather more of their mixed come as it trickles out. God, but this is his favourite part, marking Jensen inside and out with the proof of their mating. He slides his come-soaked hands across Jensen’s soft belly, fingers rubbing into the freckles and the streaks of Jensen’s release before gathering more and smearing come on Jensen’s hardened nipples. Jensen twitches and moans when the tip of Jared’s nail scrapes against the sensitive flesh.
He takes Jensen’s spent cock in hand, and Jensen bucks up into his grip, arching back helplessly. Jared takes his time, lining their dicks up and tightening his grip as he strokes them both to hardness. After so many rounds, it’s almost painful, the pleasure overtaking him too soon, and he’s close. Jared gently reclines Jensen onto the bed, before straddling his chest and guiding the head of his drooling cock into Jensen’s panting mouth.
Jensen suckles at the tip, tongue lapping at the rigid flesh and Jared can’t help but push in further until he feels the muscles of Jensen’s throat constrict around him.
“Fuck, Jensen…” Jared moans, eyes shutting in pleasure, before coming down Jensen’s throat, loving the way Jensen dutifully drinks him down. He pulls out of Jensen’s mouth so that the last spurts of his orgasm fall onto freckled cheeks, fluttering eyelashes and begging lips.
He drags wet hands into the short strands of dark blond hair, then down, massaging the remaining come into Jensen’s neck. Soon, Jensen is covered, glistening with the essence of them, and Jared could swear the fever is receding, except for how Jensen is still out of it, groaning and mumbling incoherently.
Dizzy with exhaustion, Jared continues, rubbing the scent of them into Jensen’s skin, losing himself in their bond until miraculously, his dick starts to harden again. He’s never been more thankful for his stubborn youth, or his insatiable sex drive when it comes to his mate.
Hands on the backs of Jensen’s thighs, he spreads Jensen’s legs apart and pushes his cock into Jensen’s abused entrance, loving the cling of the puffy rim along his dick. It opens easy and sweet for him, Jensen begging the whole time, and Jared sinks smoothly into the wet heat. No other alpha will have this - no one will see Jensen this way. No one else. His thrusts are rough, heartbroken and desperate. Please be alright.
He’s shoving into Jensen now, trying to get in as deep as possible, trying to carve himself a space inside Jensen’s body. His muscles ache, everything is sore, but he centers himself in the pleasure and thrusts harder, angling his hips until Jensen’s moaning brokenly. His knot grows slowly, tugging at Jensen’s entrance as Jensen kicks out with each pull and push at his hole. Finally, Jared ties them, Jensen crying out as the knot stretches him open one more time, as his body is filled with more come.
“Jared.”
Jared is lost in the abating physical pleasure, his mind going numb and losing hope. He lets his weight sink into Jensen as he sobs into the soft bedding next to Jensen’s head.
“Jared.” This time there are hands cupping his face, weak but insistent, forcing Jared to lift his head. “Are you okay?”
Jensen’s face is pale beneath the layers of sweat and come, but he’s smiling faintly, eyebrow raised in concern despite the fatigue in his eyes. It’s that small, private smile that he’s saved for Jared since they had been young pups tackling each other through the grass. He brings a hand to Jensen’s cheek, laughing a little when Jensen blinks, and he realizes his palm is still wet with his come. Rubbing his thumb into the plush dip of Jensen’s bottom lip, he vaguely recalls the healer’s words.
Unlikely, he’d called them.
Suddenly, Jared couldn't care less about his aching body. He outright grins, and Jensen smiles wider in response. Even shrouded in exhaustion and fading illness, it’s still Jared’s favourite smile. It’s his sun, and his clarity.
His cure for all ails.
Pairing: J2
Rating: NC-17
Words: 2500+
Notes: Written for salt_burn_porn and cherie_morte's prompt cure for all ails. Thanks to saltandburnboys for the awesome beta (aka saving this fic) <3
Warnings: ABO, comeplay, knotting
Three rabbits, ten fish, and one deer. Jared adjusts the weights of his catches on his back, heavy deer carcass slung over his shoulders while the full fishing net and small traps hang around his neck. His muscles ache, alpha strength working overtime. The going is slow, but he’s a little happier with each step closer to home. The sun is already sinking low, barely visible through the trees.
It’s quiet in the darkening forest, so the others must have made it back by now. They’d run past him earlier, single traps in hand, the occasional doe - more than enough to feed their families. In retrospect, Jared may have gone a bit overboard during this last hunt.
Not that anyone can blame him. He’s newly mated to the prettiest omega in the pack, he’s allowed to preen and strut and show off for his mate, even if they’re technically past the wooing stage. He hasn’t forgotten the dismissive stares of Jensen’s other suitors: the much older, more experienced alphas with their fancy, verdant hilltop dens.
The nagging need to prove himself to them, and to Jensen hasn’t quite faded.
Jared is taller than most, despite his mere twenty summers, and he’d really started to bulk up around the time Jensen started mate seeking. But he had been Jensen’s youngest suitor, far from the best hunter, and his beloved den had been situated at the foot of the bleak, shadowy, rock-faced mountain. How could he possibly compete?
Nobody had been more surprised than Jared to find Jensen curled up one day in his mountain den’s bedding, sweet omega scent filling up the room, lingering on all of Jared’s belongings like Jensen had purposefully rubbed up against them.
He had chosen Jared.
The memory still makes Jared’s stomach flip, a familiar, giddy thrill that Jared’s felt around Jensen since they’d played around as pups. It’d often been the two of them, Jensen ignoring the weres his age, choosing instead to roll through the glades with the runt of the pack. Jared had been overexcited, curious and more than a little annoying, something Jensen never failed to point out.
At first, Jared had thought that Jensen had felt obligated to watch over him, since he was older. And Jensen had defended Jared more times than he can count, easily flouncing the fledgling alphas that would jeer and push Jared around. But still, Jensen had never pushed him away like the other children had, and he’d always saved a smile for Jared when it was just the two of them.
They were inseparable, and Jared never stopped following him around, had never outgrown his puppy love.
When they had finally presented as alpha and omega, Jared had always hoped they would become mates one day. The claiming mark on his neck, waking up in the rising sunlight pressed up against soft skin that smells of love and home and Jensen - this past month has been an absolute dream.
He reaches the base of the mountain quickly, each weighted step lightened by the thought of surprising his mate. An odd scent floats out to greet him and he frowns. The air reeks of honeyed lust and the heavy sweetness of overripe fruit - undeniably Jensen, but the scent is too strong, too heady. It wraps around his head, stirring arousal low in his belly.
He pushes through the carefully constructed entrance of his den, and immediately, he hears Jensen’s low keening from their bedded corner. He forgets about his catch, and the traps fall to the ground with a heavy thud, as he rushes over to the bed.
“Jensen! Jensen, what’s wrong?”
“Jared… hurts.”
The fire’s out, leaving the den dark and cold. The last of the setting sun shines through the portal above them. Jensen’s naked, his skin shining with sweat, limbs moving restlessly in his half-conscious state, lush mouth open and panting as tempting pheromones and heat drift off him in waves. Jared can feel himself hardening, and he grits his teeth as he resists the urge to spread those pretty legs, and bury himself deep. Instead he gathers Jensen into his arms. Jensen’s face burrowing into the crook of Jared’s neck, and he seems to relax, just a little, with the close contact. Jared tugs Jensen into his lap, rubbing his back soothingly, and running his nose along the heated skin, trying to scent the source of the pain.
He can’t sense anything beneath the cloying scent of Jensen’s arousal, and fear sinks into Jared’s gut when Jensen folds in on himself, sinking heavily into Jared’s hold. Jensen is bigger than the other omegas, well-muscled and only a few inches shorter than Jared. He’s heard other alphas comment on it as if it made Jensen less-attractive, but Jared doesn’t mind at all, loves how Jensen fits in his arms, solid and perfect. Besides, Jared’s more than strong enough to keep up with Jensen, and he’s proud that such a strong creature agreed to be his mate.
Apart from incoherent mumbling, Jensen doesn’t answer when Jared repeats his question. His movements are mindless and needy, like Jensen gets when Jared has him on his back, but there’s an undercurrent of hurt in the aborted twitch of his limbs. Frantically, Jared runs his hands over Jensen’s body, looking for injuries, but all he gets is Jensen shifting and grinding against him in return.
Jared’s unbearably hard already, just wants to push Jensen down and take him up on the offers his omega is unconsciously making. Jensen’s wet down to his thighs, omega slick soaking into the front of Jared’s pants. For a moment he’s all alpha, arms tight around Jensen as he licks stripes of sweat off his mate’s skin, nipping and biting as he goes, hips moving insistently against Jensen’s ass. It takes him a second to realize his other, less base instincts are also pinging, and he realizes how weakly Jensen is clinging to him. Jared has yet to experience Jensen in heat, but this - something is wrong.
He needs to find the healer, immediately. It takes almost everything in him to let go of Jensen while one part of him demands he take his mate, and the other cries out in sympathy with all the hurt, needy sounds Jensen’s making.
“I’ll be back okay? I’ll be right back,” Jared says, wetting a washcloth, and dabbing at Jensen’s sweaty forehead and torso, easing him down onto the bedding. He presses a gentle kiss against Jensen’s lips, nuzzling Jensen’s nose with his own before forcing himself to walk out the door.
0-0-0
Lunar heat, the healer is saying. Jared sits numbly through the explanation, cold dread running through him. The healer rambles on about were-biology, cycles and viral triggers but all Jared understands is that Jensen is sick and suffering, and he needs to be mated through it - repeatedly, lest the uncontrollable heat causes permanent damage to Jensen’s body.
At first, Jared had turned bright red at the instruction, embarrassed to discuss his mateship with an outsider, then quickly paled when he’d realized that the healer had been offering to set up a mating stand in the middle of town for his omega. For other alphas.
“It’s a regrettable circumstance for a mated omega to be sure, but were-come is the key. And even with its healing properties, he’ll still need a lot of it,” the man’s saying, glancing carefully at Jared to gauge his reaction. “Much more than a normal were would be able to provide in such a short timeframe. Ideally, a True Mate would suffice -“ the man frowns as he looks at Jensen, then returns his judging stare to Jared once more “- but you know how unlikely -“
A growl escapes Jared’s throat at the thought of anyone else touching Jensen, much less fucking him. The gall of the man to stand there and not only question his mating, but at the same time suggest Jared just hand his omega over to the alphas of the town.
Jared stands to his full height, straightening his shoulders and moving between the other man and where Jensen is whimpering feverishly on the bed. It’s not much longer before the healer is making a hasty exit, door shutting in his face as he tries to remind Jared that his mate is suffering, and needs to be treated right away.
Jensen looks worse now, paler than ever. There’s a twisting ache in his chest, doubt growing in the back of his mind. He’s being selfish, he knows that. But he can’t give Jensen up… he just can’t.
Taking Jensen’s hand in his, Jared runs a hand across Jensen’s sweat-damp forehead, whispering low and soothing, “It’ll be alright, Jen. I’m here.”
He’s going to fix this.
0-0-0
“Please, please…”
Jared’s hair is soaked with sweat, he can feel it cooling on his neck and back, can feel the slick between their torsos as he thrusts in and in and in. Jensen just tilts his hips forward, legs wrapped weakly around Jared, letting him slide deeper, beloved green eyes fever-bright as he’s opened up for his fourth knotting.
His long lashes flutter softly closed as Jared pushes in, stretching him wide as omega slick and come seep out around his knot. The tight, clenching pressure around him is bliss, and Jared moans loudly into Jensen’s shoulder, coming in long spurts into his omega.
Now tied, he pulls back to watch as pleasure clouds Jensen’s beautiful face, a short reprieve from the heat eating him up from the inside. At lease he knows this is working, even if just a little. Jared presses kisses to his jaw, catching Jensen’s lips as they fall open when Jared swivels his hips, his large knot tugging at Jensen’s hole.
“Oh - oh Jared,” Jensen sighs. The fever still hasn’t broken, but Jared’s managed to get a few more words out of him.
“Does it still hurt? It’s getting better, right Jen?”
Jared holds Jensen close, trying not to make his heavy breathing obvious, nor the exhaustion in his limbs. He and Jensen are no strangers to long bouts of mating, especially after that first week together, but they’d at least gotten proper rest in-between. If he can’t do this, then…
No.
He tenses, his grip tightening around Jensen’s waist. He’s Jensen’s alpha, he’d fought hard to be recognized as Jensen’s mate. There’s no way he’s going to let anyone else so much as touch him.
Reaching between them, he runs his fingers through the copious slick leaking from where he and Jensen are tied.
“Hey, Jen, open up for me okay?” He traces three wet fingers along Jensen’s mouth, leaving white trails across soft, pink lips before slipping them between, and letting the come catch on Jensen’s tongue. He repeats the motion, Jensen’s tongue chasing his fingers this time, sucking them off as soon as they slip past his lips.
His knot’s gone down enough now for Jared to ease out of Jensen’s hole, making it easier for him to gather more of their mixed come as it trickles out. God, but this is his favourite part, marking Jensen inside and out with the proof of their mating. He slides his come-soaked hands across Jensen’s soft belly, fingers rubbing into the freckles and the streaks of Jensen’s release before gathering more and smearing come on Jensen’s hardened nipples. Jensen twitches and moans when the tip of Jared’s nail scrapes against the sensitive flesh.
He takes Jensen’s spent cock in hand, and Jensen bucks up into his grip, arching back helplessly. Jared takes his time, lining their dicks up and tightening his grip as he strokes them both to hardness. After so many rounds, it’s almost painful, the pleasure overtaking him too soon, and he’s close. Jared gently reclines Jensen onto the bed, before straddling his chest and guiding the head of his drooling cock into Jensen’s panting mouth.
Jensen suckles at the tip, tongue lapping at the rigid flesh and Jared can’t help but push in further until he feels the muscles of Jensen’s throat constrict around him.
“Fuck, Jensen…” Jared moans, eyes shutting in pleasure, before coming down Jensen’s throat, loving the way Jensen dutifully drinks him down. He pulls out of Jensen’s mouth so that the last spurts of his orgasm fall onto freckled cheeks, fluttering eyelashes and begging lips.
He drags wet hands into the short strands of dark blond hair, then down, massaging the remaining come into Jensen’s neck. Soon, Jensen is covered, glistening with the essence of them, and Jared could swear the fever is receding, except for how Jensen is still out of it, groaning and mumbling incoherently.
Dizzy with exhaustion, Jared continues, rubbing the scent of them into Jensen’s skin, losing himself in their bond until miraculously, his dick starts to harden again. He’s never been more thankful for his stubborn youth, or his insatiable sex drive when it comes to his mate.
Hands on the backs of Jensen’s thighs, he spreads Jensen’s legs apart and pushes his cock into Jensen’s abused entrance, loving the cling of the puffy rim along his dick. It opens easy and sweet for him, Jensen begging the whole time, and Jared sinks smoothly into the wet heat. No other alpha will have this - no one will see Jensen this way. No one else. His thrusts are rough, heartbroken and desperate. Please be alright.
He’s shoving into Jensen now, trying to get in as deep as possible, trying to carve himself a space inside Jensen’s body. His muscles ache, everything is sore, but he centers himself in the pleasure and thrusts harder, angling his hips until Jensen’s moaning brokenly. His knot grows slowly, tugging at Jensen’s entrance as Jensen kicks out with each pull and push at his hole. Finally, Jared ties them, Jensen crying out as the knot stretches him open one more time, as his body is filled with more come.
“Jared.”
Jared is lost in the abating physical pleasure, his mind going numb and losing hope. He lets his weight sink into Jensen as he sobs into the soft bedding next to Jensen’s head.
“Jared.” This time there are hands cupping his face, weak but insistent, forcing Jared to lift his head. “Are you okay?”
Jensen’s face is pale beneath the layers of sweat and come, but he’s smiling faintly, eyebrow raised in concern despite the fatigue in his eyes. It’s that small, private smile that he’s saved for Jared since they had been young pups tackling each other through the grass. He brings a hand to Jensen’s cheek, laughing a little when Jensen blinks, and he realizes his palm is still wet with his come. Rubbing his thumb into the plush dip of Jensen’s bottom lip, he vaguely recalls the healer’s words.
Unlikely, he’d called them.
Suddenly, Jared couldn't care less about his aching body. He outright grins, and Jensen smiles wider in response. Even shrouded in exhaustion and fading illness, it’s still Jared’s favourite smile. It’s his sun, and his clarity.
His cure for all ails.