Jays2 (16/?)
Title: Jays2 (16/?)
Genre: J2 RPS, AU
Pairing: Jensen/Jared although - Heh! You know major league teams have 25-man rosters, right?
Rating: Adult
Warnings (overall): Language, Baseball, Schmoop, Angst, Boy-Sexin’ (wait, what kind of warning is that?)
Word Count: ~ 4,000
Disclaimer: Fiction not fact. All these beautiful guys belong to themselves. Jensen and Jared belong to each other, we all know that :D Only the words are mine. No copyright infringement intended for the use of the MLB teams/players/logos, the Toronto Star, or Rogers Sportsnet. This is for fun, not profit.
A/N: Sorry this has take a while! I’ve been sick and in bed and I’ve missed, like, a week of work, and I’m probably gonna get fired, but hey... look on the bright side, right? Let’s just say that I’ve been attacked by plot bunnies, left, right and centre, so look out for new fics as soon as this one is done. Also, a little over 3 weeks to go before my BB comes out and I’m so nervous. So I’m busy going OCD all over it. Argh. I don’t even know why I’m so nervous about posting it, I just am. Maybe it’s because I love it so much, and I’m afraid no one else will. Arghhh!!! On that note - maybe I should get a test-reader or two. Any volunteers?
Enjoy! Comments = Love!
Summary: Jensen and Jared come to an understanding as the Jays put their rally caps on.
( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ), ( 4 ), ( 5 ), ( 6 ), ( 7 ), ( 8 ), ( 9 ), ( 10 ), ( 11 ), ( 12 ), ( 13 ), ( 14 ), ( 15 )
SIXTEEN: TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT
Rogers Sportsnet Post-Game Broadcast:
Blue Jays Central with Matt Campbell and Caroline Millar
Good afternoon and welcome to our final regular season post game wrap-up here at Jays Central on Rogers Sportsnet; I’m Matt Campbell.
And I’m Caroline Millar, and what a game - heck, what a series - we had to cap off this amazing season for the Toronto Blue Jays, ladies and gentlemen: the Jays end 2012 with a sweep of the Boston Red Sox, and considering it’s Fan Appreciation Day here at the Rogers Centre... well, the fans certainly appreciated that!
So did we! It was a fantastic game, pitcher-perfect Mark Salling taking the win this afternoon in the first perfect game of his career: scoreless, hitless, a complete game victory in nine innings, and he is our Player of the Game.
And doesn’t that accurately sum up this season for the Jays? So many games this season, it seemed we had a new hero at the plate or in the field or on the mound. I mean, you can go through the entire starting line-up and you won’t come away disappointed. Aldis Hodge leads the team in steals; Benjamin Bratt is well in the running for another Gold Glove in right field; Pej Vahdat has had a career-high number of runs-batted-in, and leads the team in home runs; Adam Beach is just as stellar behind the plate as he is at the plate; Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki - because you can’t talk about one without the other - still lead the league in double plays turned, and the word around the MLB is that these two will walk away with the Gold Gloves for shortstop and second base this year; and since the All-Star break Kane, Collins and Murray have become the most productive bottom of the order batters in the division. And guess what, Jays fans? While Mayhem does lead the team in errors, he no longer leads the league in errors!
Don’t forget the bullpen, Caroline. Toronto’s number one ace, Michael Rosenbaum, is again in the running for the Cy Young award, almost neck-and-neck with Mark Pellegrino from the Yankees and fellow teammate, Tom Welling - last year’s winner - remains very much a contender along with ex-Toronto and current Phillies ace, Roy Halliday. We’ve had rookie starter Cory Montieth show us his star potential from day one and you can bet the Jays will hang on to his strong arm. Although, we did lose starter Lou Diamond Phillips due to rotator-cuff surgery mid-season, his replacement Chris Pine, a call-up from the Jays Triple A farm team, has been excellent on the mound, as long as he’s got Zach Quinto catching and together, these two players are so in sync, it’s hard to beat them. Mark Salling, who had a rocky start to his rookie season, settled down sometime after the All-Star break and finally seems to have found his groove, and we got proof of that today. And while the bullpen in middle relief has been a little shaky this year, we could always count on the one-two KO of rookie set-up man, John Daley, and veteren closer, David Boreanaz. If Jays GM JD Morgan keeps this team together, we’ve got a lot to look forward to next season!
Absolutely, Matt, and while it was heartbreaking to watch Chicago walk away with the wild card spot while the Yankees clinched the division title, you really can’t come away from this season feeling anything but happy. And in true Jays style: they began the season with a prank and they end the season with a prank, where the Jays raffled off a car to one lucky fan. The prank, masterminded by Ackles and Padalecki, had the team and the fortunate fan watch as the car - a shiny, white 2012 Mazda Miata convertible with red leather seats - was driven onto the field, the entire 40,000 strong crowd here at the Rogers Centre oohing and aahing.
That is of course until Toronto third baseman Chad Michael Murray got a good look at the license plate on the familiar-looking Miata and realized it was his!
And after everyone had a good laugh while Mayhem freaked out, it was revealed that the lucky fan was really an off-duty ball boy who was in on the joke! Ah, good times!
Good times, indeed, Caroline. Here’s hoping for better luck next season. So, for the final time this season: for Caroline Millar and everybody here at Blue Jays Central on Rogers Sportsnet, I’m Matt Campbell saying so long folks, we’ll see you in Dunedin for Spring Training 2013!
|*|*|*|
The Chicago White Sox won and took the AL wild card spot, and just like that, three games later, three days later, early in September, the Toronto Blue Jays were done for the 2012 season.
Jared had no idea how profound the sense of loss would be; it really, really sucked ass. More so, because it was Jensen’s first and final season with the Jays. And that... well, Jared couldn’t even think about it without his chest constricting painfully and his eyes prickling with unshed tears.
And really, he was surprisingly fine with being gay - well, being gay for Jensen, ‘cause he really couldn’t think of being gay for anyone else - but did he now also have to be a big girly girl who cries? Jesus.
And Jensen. God, Jensen. Who knew? Who would have guessed? Certainly not Jared. If someone had told him that he would meet the love of his life in the infield, he would have laughed in their face. And yet... he had Jensen. Well, he didn’t have Jensen. Yet. He would though. Somehow, one way or another, he would. Sure they had only known each other for six months (six months, really? That realization always amazed him!), but he felt like he had known Jensen for a lifetime. And now... he wanted to keep him for a lifetime.
Jared was completely blown away by the sheer depth of what he felt for the other man. He had had serious girlfriends in the past, first Sandy and then Genevieve, and he was a good boyfriend - hell, he was a great boyfriend. He was that guy who was romantic and sweet and funny and took care of his girl and they had never complained... well, they had complained when he broke up with them but they had both come around eventually and they had stayed friends with him. He tried to compare what he felt for Jensen with what he had felt for them and found that there was no comparison, no precedence for the way he felt now.
He watched as Jensen packed up his life in Toronto into two suitcases, just quiet reflection as Jared stood in the doorway and tracked his every movement. If they hadn’t made their little pact, if Jared didn’t have a suitcase of his own standing by the front door of their apartment right now, he wondered how he would feel. Devastated, most likely. Yeah, that was a good word. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt right now, even though he was happy that Jen was letting him tag along as he moved back to Dallas. He had no idea what Jensen’s plans were but he knew him well enough to know that he was trying to fight his father. And he was fine with letting Jared fight for him. And really? That was all Jared wanted to do.
He watched as Jensen said his last goodbyes to the guys, and he had tried not to cry again, keenly examining the nuances of Jensen’s face, noting how he had to work to keep his emotions in check. It was hard to think of next season; it was downright painful, so Jared swallowed past the lump in his throat and said his own goodbyes, and told himself again that it didn’t matter if Jensen didn’t rejoin the Jays, all that mattered was that he didn’t marry the wrong person. That would be unacceptable. That would break Jared and it would break Jensen and there was nothing Jared wouldn’t do to stop that from happening.
He watched as Jensen dozed quietly beside him, his head resting against the seat-back as they made their descent into Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. He studied the gentle flutter of eyelashes against Jensen’s cheeks, the splash of freckles on his face, darkened now after a summer spent playing ball in the sun, having the time of their lives. Jensen looked strained now, stressed - and they hadn’t even touched down in Dallas yet. Jared started as Jensen sighed, his tongue darting out to lick across his bottom lip. The oddly sensual action sent a spark of desire shooting through him, and he caught his breath.
He watched. Yeah. He could easily spend an entire lifetime just watching Jensen. Needing Jensen. Wanting Jensen.
And that was a new, rather delicious aspect to their... friendship? Relationship? Epic love story? All of the above.
“Dude, you’re being creepy again.”
“I want to make out with you.”
“What?” Jensen squawked in surprise. “Now? Here?”
“No, when we get to your place. Find a horizontal surface and make-out.” Jensen sputtered incoherently, trying to speak and failing spectacularly. Jared leaned in so that his lips ghosted over the shell of Jensen’s ear and whispered, “then I want to get you naked, spread you out on your bed, and kiss every single, beautiful inch of your body and when I’m done, I want you to do it all right back to me.”
“Guh.”
Jensen gulped and pressed his face into Jared’s, their cheeks brushing as Jared gave into temptation and carefully tugged his plump earlobe into his mouth, sucking softly, his tongue laving the silky smooth skin, feeling every shiver that sang through Jensen’s body as though it was his own. It certainly could have been, because suddenly they were as close as their seatbelts would allow, Jensen’s hand fisted in his shirt as he pressed moist, open-mouthed kisses along Jared’s jaw.
A sudden bout of turbulence caused them to spring apart slightly, and they were reminded of where they were. Jensen’s skin was a little flushed but Jared was surprised to see the tortured look in his eyes.
“What?”
Jensen closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “Jared, I... You know I want this just as much as you do. I want you just as... I want you. I do...”
Uh oh, Jared thought. “But?”
“Can we just not... right now? Can we not take this any further than we already have?” Jensen looked torn, and maybe Jared looked exactly the same way, since heck, that was how he felt, because Jensen cupped his face between his palms and leaned in close. “I want you, Jared,” he stated firmly, “don’t you doubt that for one second. But when we do this... when we take that next step - I want to be free. I need to be free,” he looked at him pleadingly. “Please say you understand.”
“You mean, you feel like you’re cheating on Danneel?” Jared asked, completely baffled.
“No,” Jensen assured him, “that’s not what I meant. It’s just that... God, you can’t even imagine the shit that is my life in Dallas, Jared, and I just want to be free of it all... before we make this official, you know? Before this becomes... real.”
Jared’s head snapped back as far as Jensen’s hold on him would allow - which wasn’t far at all. “This isn’t real to you?” Jared asked, quite unable to keep the hurt from his voice.
“Jared, for all intents and purposes, my father still owns me,” Jensen told him, his gaze shattered. “When we do this... when we come together, I want to be able to give you all of me. That’s what I meant. This means so much to me. You mean so much to me. I’ve never felt this way about another person before; I’ve never let myself feel this way before, Jared. So yeah, this is real to me...,” Jensen almost choked on the words, “this is beautiful and perfect and I don’t want to taint it with my past.”
Jared melted. Then he crashed his mouth into Jensen’s in a searing kiss. “God, you’re so stupid, Jen,” Jared murmured against his mouth, “but yeah, yeah - I get where you’re coming from and if that’s the way you feel, I can wait. I mean, it’s gonna be hard...” Jared pulled back a little, his eyes gleaming mischievously, “no really, it’s gonna be hard...,” he chuckled as Jensen snorted, “but I can wait. I’ll wait as long as it takes.” He cupped Jensen’s face and drew up the corners of his mouth with his thumbs. “Smile, Jen. We’re good.”
Jensen smiled, although his eyes still looked a little sad. “Thank you.”
“It’s crappy though.”
“It really is.”
“I mean, with my slugging average, you’d think I would’ve rounded the bases by now.” Jensen’s smile widened but it wasn’t good enough for Jared, so he leaned forward until their foreheads touched, sighing at the beauty of the man beside him and kissed his nose, wanting nothing more than to chase the shadows from his eyes. “Did it hurt, angel?”
“Did what hurt?”
“When you fell from Heaven?”
There were about five seconds of utter silence before Jensen threw his head back and laughed and laughed until tears welled in the crinkly corners of his eyes. Jared wanted to puff out his chest and point out to their cabin-mates and the flight crew: Hey, lookit. I did that!
“You giant cornball,” Jensen blurted out, leaning in to place a sloppy, soft kiss on Jared’s lips, “I love you.”
Words said, Jensen froze.
Jared blinked. He said it. He finally said it. Sure Jared had said it first, and then he had said it a few dozen more times since then, and a million more times in his mind but Jensen had never once said it before this. And now, Jared had a clue as to why he had been holding back, the idiot, but Jensen was trying to speak, so Jared smothered Jensen’s mouth in a kiss, holding his face between his hands, pulling back only to surge forward again when Jensen started to say something.
“No,” Jared said in between breathless kisses, “no take-backs.” Kiss. “You said it.” Kiss. “It’s out there.” Kiss. “Don’t panic.” Kiss. “Just leave it out there.” Kiss. “No take-backs.”
He only let go when the pilot announced that they were coming in to land, and even then he kept two fingers pressed against Jensen’s lips.
Jensen just smiled fondly at him, kissed his fingers and rested his head against Jared’s shoulder, lifting his hand, pressing kisses to his thumb, his palm, and the pulse at his wrist before looking up at Jared, grinning, joyous. Gorgeous.
“No take-backs, I promise.”
|*|*|*|
“Hey, Idaho!”
Cory snapped around in shock. “Mark?”
“S’up, farmboy.”
Cory blinked and shook his head, not sure if he was witnessing a mirage or not. Did they even do mirages in Idaho? Sure, he had thought about Mark a little - okay, a lot - since they had all left Toronto three weeks ago, but what the fuck was he doing here? In Cory’s hometown of Eden, Idaho, outside his house? How the hell had he even known where to find him? Why the hell would he have even wanted to find him?
Good questions all, a snide little voice inside his head snarked, maybe you should ask him, genius.
Right. Yeah. Of course. Unless he was a mirage.
Cory looked at his older brother, Daniel, and leaned in close. “You see Mark Salling standing there, right?”
“Er... yeah.” Daniel looked at him like he was insane. “Do they put crazy in the water up there in Canada?”
“Shut up,” he muttered, trying not to bristle as his teammate smirked at him. “What are you doing here?”
“Need to talk to you.”
“How’d you find me?” Cory demanded, none too politely. Daniel smacked him upside the head.
“I think Mom taught you better than that, baby bro,” he snapped, reaching his hand out to Mark. “I’m Daniel, this little shit’s older brother.”
Mark grinned. “Mark. Good to meet you. Mind if I borrow the dipshit for a bit?”
“I’m right here, fucker,” Cory ground out, ignoring Daniel’s shocked expression. Yeah, Mark Salling brought out his potty mouth. Surprise, surprise. “Tell Mom I’ll be back later,” he called over his shoulder as he grabbed Mark by the bicep and herded him back to his candy-apple red Corvette. When they were out of his brother’s hearing, he manhandled Mark into facing him. “The fuck are you doing here?”
Mark smirked at him, dark eyes smoldering. “What do you think?”
Yeah, okay. There was no mistaking the intent in his suggestive gaze and goddamn it, Cory was half hard in his jeans before the words had even left the other man’s mouth. “Get in the fucking car and drive, asshole. Don’t stop until I tell you to.”
They drove for about an hour, stopping at a motel on the outskirts of the town. Cory was out of the car and in the reception like a shot, his blood going from a slow simmer to a full-on boil when he heard Mark’s knowing laughter behind him. He ignored it in favour of getting a room as fast as humanly possible and then stalking inside, leaving the door wide open. Mark was seconds behind him, and a few seconds after the door had slammed shut, he tackled him onto the bed and kissed him until they were both gasping for air.
“I don’t have anything, shit!” Cory grunted, painfully hard now, his fists almost ripping the sheets where they gripped them. Mark smirked cockily and pulled put a tube of lube from his pocket, waggling it in front of his face. “Freakin’ boy scout,” he muttered, as they scrambled to get naked. “This why you drove all the way across the country? No games to pitch, Jersey. You come all this way just to fuck me?”
“If that isn’t incentive, I don’t know what is.” Mark breathed, shuddering as his bare chest rubbed against Cory’s, his nipple ring dragging across Cory’s skin and driving him wild... and wait. What? Cory drew in an erratic breath as he fingered the small silver hoop.
“This is new,” he said, pinching Mark’s nipple, tugging on the ring until the other man hissed.
“Like it?”
“Fuck, yeah,” Cory gasped, drawing up so that his tongue could lick and lave the pebbling flesh as it flicked over the cold metal. Christ. His body felt like it was on fire.
“There’s another reason,” Mark managed to say, and really? He should not still be able to form coherent sentences, so Cory redoubled his efforts, his hands moving down to squeeze Marks’ ass and push their cocks closer together. Mark moaned, deep and long, and goddamn, Cory loved that sound. “Plan... we have a plan...”
“What plan?”
“Mike... Dallas,” Mark panted, “Jensen and Jared.”
Cory pulled back in surprise. “You’re in on that plan?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Seems a little out of character for you.”
Mark looked annoyed. “What? You think I don’t believe in them? It’s Jensen and Jared!”
“Oh. Okay, okay,” Cory pacified him when he tried to roll off, instead rolling with him until he had him pinned to the bed. “I was gonna meet John in LA and we were gonna drive to Dallas together.”
Mark frowned. “Tell Francis to find his own way there.”
Cory raised an eyebrow at that. “Jealous?” Mark remained tight-lipped, and Cory couldn’t help the small smirk that resulted in. “Is David coming?”
“He knows about the plan, but I don’t know if he can leave Maine right now.”
“What’s in Maine?”
“He owns a B & B there, and he runs it in the off-season.”
“Huh.”
“Why are we still talking when we can be fucking?”
Cory grinned down at Mark, his finger tugging on the nipple ring again. “Good point.”
|*|*|*|
Chris smiled when the sunlight shone in his face; sleeping by the window was better than an alarm clock in his opinion. He stretched as much as he could without jostling Zach, but even the slight movement woke the other man. Chris smirked down at him as he blearily awakened.
“Coffee?” Chris kissed him, whispering his question against Zach’s mouth. “Tea?” Zach grinned into the kiss. “Me?”
“You. Definitely you,” he declared, and then ruined the effect by yawning and stretching languidly.
“Good to know,” Chris smiled, nipping his shoulder before soothing the bite with a kiss when Zach pouted. “Today’s the day. Dallas.”
“Mmm... what time are we leaving again?”
“Couple of hours.”
“So there’s time for both sex and sustenance?” Zach’s hooded gaze, alight with desire as he gazed up at Chris, went straight to his cock.
“I say we just focus on the sex,” Chris muttered as he smothered his boyfriend with his body, Zach’s arms winding around him, keeping him in place as if there was any possibility of him moving any time soon, “we can get sustenance on the road.”
“Who’s to say we can’t get sex on the road?”
“You always have the best damn ideas ever.”
“I’m diabolical like that.”
|*|*|*|
Misha cracked his back as he looked out across the marina, and quietly sipping his coffee. The call of gulls in the air, the smell of the ocean, the gentle rocking of his yacht... this is what he lived for in the off-season: his boat and Miami Beach. He sighed and checked his watch. Time to make a move.
He slipped down into the cabin and approached the twin bunks, shaking his head at the snoring, drooling forms occupying them.
“Up and at ‘em, boys!” He yelled, none too concerned about the effect of noise on hangovers.
“Jesus, Collins!” Aldis muttered, starting awake and almost banging his head onto the bunk above him.
“There’s just enough time to shower before we head out,” Misha told him, and Aldis reluctantly rolled off the bunk. Misha sighed again, steeling himself. Now all he had to do was spend the next hour trying to wake his idiot roommate.
God. He deserved a fucking medal for putting up with Chad’s sorry ass. But hey, at least he could have a little fun along the way, right?
He detoured to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of iced water. “Wake up, Chad,” he called, getting just a grunt in response. “I’m gonna count to three and if you’re not up by then, I’m going to have to resort to desperate measures.” One bony arm shoved out from under the covers and flipped him off. Misha shrugged, mercilessly yanking the covers off.
Chad’s girly shriek, as an entire bottle of ice water was poured all over him, frightened the gulls outside.
Misha smirked. "Three."
|*|*|*|
“Are you sure you programmed this right?” Tom asked, his gaze darting from the GPS to the signs on the interstate as they zipped along just over the speed limit.
Mike huffed. “Tommy, I know how to work a fucking GPS!”
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch! I’m just saying - it seems like we’re taking the scenic route, is all,” Tom coaxed, patting Mike’s knee. Mike smirked, irritation gone, just like that.
“That’s because I fucking know how to work a GPS.”
Tom stared at him. “You son of a bitch.”
Mike grinned, unrepentant. “You saying you’re not having fun?”
“I am having fun,” Tom leaned over and affectionately smooched his cheek. “I just thought we had a schedule to stick to.”
“Nah, it’s all good. Jared had to go to San Antonio for his cousin’s wedding - apparently he’s been gone for a couple of weeks and from the sound of it, it’s taking a toll on Jensen. He wanted us to time our arrival with his.”
Tom smiled knowingly. “Give Jensen a little boost with our particular brand of team spirit, huh?”
“See? This is why I keep you around,” Mike teased. “You’re smart, Welling. I like that. It’s hot.”
Tom tempered his words with another kiss and gestured towards the next exit. “Well, one of us has to be the brains of this operation.”
“That hurt,” Mike playfully pouted, “I’m hurt now.”
“Buy me a burger and I’ll give you a blow job to make up for it.”
Mike hit his blinker with verve, his foot pushing down a little further on the gas as he switched lanes towards the exit. “God, I love the way you think.”
|*|*|*|
Genre: J2 RPS, AU
Pairing: Jensen/Jared although - Heh! You know major league teams have 25-man rosters, right?
Rating: Adult
Warnings (overall): Language, Baseball, Schmoop, Angst, Boy-Sexin’ (wait, what kind of warning is that?)
Word Count: ~ 4,000
Disclaimer: Fiction not fact. All these beautiful guys belong to themselves. Jensen and Jared belong to each other, we all know that :D Only the words are mine. No copyright infringement intended for the use of the MLB teams/players/logos, the Toronto Star, or Rogers Sportsnet. This is for fun, not profit.
A/N: Sorry this has take a while! I’ve been sick and in bed and I’ve missed, like, a week of work, and I’m probably gonna get fired, but hey... look on the bright side, right? Let’s just say that I’ve been attacked by plot bunnies, left, right and centre, so look out for new fics as soon as this one is done. Also, a little over 3 weeks to go before my BB comes out and I’m so nervous. So I’m busy going OCD all over it. Argh. I don’t even know why I’m so nervous about posting it, I just am. Maybe it’s because I love it so much, and I’m afraid no one else will. Arghhh!!! On that note - maybe I should get a test-reader or two. Any volunteers?
Enjoy! Comments = Love!
Summary: Jensen and Jared come to an understanding as the Jays put their rally caps on.
( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ), ( 4 ), ( 5 ), ( 6 ), ( 7 ), ( 8 ), ( 9 ), ( 10 ), ( 11 ), ( 12 ), ( 13 ), ( 14 ), ( 15 )
SIXTEEN: TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT
Rogers Sportsnet Post-Game Broadcast:
Blue Jays Central with Matt Campbell and Caroline Millar
Good afternoon and welcome to our final regular season post game wrap-up here at Jays Central on Rogers Sportsnet; I’m Matt Campbell.
And I’m Caroline Millar, and what a game - heck, what a series - we had to cap off this amazing season for the Toronto Blue Jays, ladies and gentlemen: the Jays end 2012 with a sweep of the Boston Red Sox, and considering it’s Fan Appreciation Day here at the Rogers Centre... well, the fans certainly appreciated that!
So did we! It was a fantastic game, pitcher-perfect Mark Salling taking the win this afternoon in the first perfect game of his career: scoreless, hitless, a complete game victory in nine innings, and he is our Player of the Game.
And doesn’t that accurately sum up this season for the Jays? So many games this season, it seemed we had a new hero at the plate or in the field or on the mound. I mean, you can go through the entire starting line-up and you won’t come away disappointed. Aldis Hodge leads the team in steals; Benjamin Bratt is well in the running for another Gold Glove in right field; Pej Vahdat has had a career-high number of runs-batted-in, and leads the team in home runs; Adam Beach is just as stellar behind the plate as he is at the plate; Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki - because you can’t talk about one without the other - still lead the league in double plays turned, and the word around the MLB is that these two will walk away with the Gold Gloves for shortstop and second base this year; and since the All-Star break Kane, Collins and Murray have become the most productive bottom of the order batters in the division. And guess what, Jays fans? While Mayhem does lead the team in errors, he no longer leads the league in errors!
Don’t forget the bullpen, Caroline. Toronto’s number one ace, Michael Rosenbaum, is again in the running for the Cy Young award, almost neck-and-neck with Mark Pellegrino from the Yankees and fellow teammate, Tom Welling - last year’s winner - remains very much a contender along with ex-Toronto and current Phillies ace, Roy Halliday. We’ve had rookie starter Cory Montieth show us his star potential from day one and you can bet the Jays will hang on to his strong arm. Although, we did lose starter Lou Diamond Phillips due to rotator-cuff surgery mid-season, his replacement Chris Pine, a call-up from the Jays Triple A farm team, has been excellent on the mound, as long as he’s got Zach Quinto catching and together, these two players are so in sync, it’s hard to beat them. Mark Salling, who had a rocky start to his rookie season, settled down sometime after the All-Star break and finally seems to have found his groove, and we got proof of that today. And while the bullpen in middle relief has been a little shaky this year, we could always count on the one-two KO of rookie set-up man, John Daley, and veteren closer, David Boreanaz. If Jays GM JD Morgan keeps this team together, we’ve got a lot to look forward to next season!
Absolutely, Matt, and while it was heartbreaking to watch Chicago walk away with the wild card spot while the Yankees clinched the division title, you really can’t come away from this season feeling anything but happy. And in true Jays style: they began the season with a prank and they end the season with a prank, where the Jays raffled off a car to one lucky fan. The prank, masterminded by Ackles and Padalecki, had the team and the fortunate fan watch as the car - a shiny, white 2012 Mazda Miata convertible with red leather seats - was driven onto the field, the entire 40,000 strong crowd here at the Rogers Centre oohing and aahing.
That is of course until Toronto third baseman Chad Michael Murray got a good look at the license plate on the familiar-looking Miata and realized it was his!
And after everyone had a good laugh while Mayhem freaked out, it was revealed that the lucky fan was really an off-duty ball boy who was in on the joke! Ah, good times!
Good times, indeed, Caroline. Here’s hoping for better luck next season. So, for the final time this season: for Caroline Millar and everybody here at Blue Jays Central on Rogers Sportsnet, I’m Matt Campbell saying so long folks, we’ll see you in Dunedin for Spring Training 2013!
|*|*|*|
The Chicago White Sox won and took the AL wild card spot, and just like that, three games later, three days later, early in September, the Toronto Blue Jays were done for the 2012 season.
Jared had no idea how profound the sense of loss would be; it really, really sucked ass. More so, because it was Jensen’s first and final season with the Jays. And that... well, Jared couldn’t even think about it without his chest constricting painfully and his eyes prickling with unshed tears.
And really, he was surprisingly fine with being gay - well, being gay for Jensen, ‘cause he really couldn’t think of being gay for anyone else - but did he now also have to be a big girly girl who cries? Jesus.
And Jensen. God, Jensen. Who knew? Who would have guessed? Certainly not Jared. If someone had told him that he would meet the love of his life in the infield, he would have laughed in their face. And yet... he had Jensen. Well, he didn’t have Jensen. Yet. He would though. Somehow, one way or another, he would. Sure they had only known each other for six months (six months, really? That realization always amazed him!), but he felt like he had known Jensen for a lifetime. And now... he wanted to keep him for a lifetime.
Jared was completely blown away by the sheer depth of what he felt for the other man. He had had serious girlfriends in the past, first Sandy and then Genevieve, and he was a good boyfriend - hell, he was a great boyfriend. He was that guy who was romantic and sweet and funny and took care of his girl and they had never complained... well, they had complained when he broke up with them but they had both come around eventually and they had stayed friends with him. He tried to compare what he felt for Jensen with what he had felt for them and found that there was no comparison, no precedence for the way he felt now.
He watched as Jensen packed up his life in Toronto into two suitcases, just quiet reflection as Jared stood in the doorway and tracked his every movement. If they hadn’t made their little pact, if Jared didn’t have a suitcase of his own standing by the front door of their apartment right now, he wondered how he would feel. Devastated, most likely. Yeah, that was a good word. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt right now, even though he was happy that Jen was letting him tag along as he moved back to Dallas. He had no idea what Jensen’s plans were but he knew him well enough to know that he was trying to fight his father. And he was fine with letting Jared fight for him. And really? That was all Jared wanted to do.
He watched as Jensen said his last goodbyes to the guys, and he had tried not to cry again, keenly examining the nuances of Jensen’s face, noting how he had to work to keep his emotions in check. It was hard to think of next season; it was downright painful, so Jared swallowed past the lump in his throat and said his own goodbyes, and told himself again that it didn’t matter if Jensen didn’t rejoin the Jays, all that mattered was that he didn’t marry the wrong person. That would be unacceptable. That would break Jared and it would break Jensen and there was nothing Jared wouldn’t do to stop that from happening.
He watched as Jensen dozed quietly beside him, his head resting against the seat-back as they made their descent into Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. He studied the gentle flutter of eyelashes against Jensen’s cheeks, the splash of freckles on his face, darkened now after a summer spent playing ball in the sun, having the time of their lives. Jensen looked strained now, stressed - and they hadn’t even touched down in Dallas yet. Jared started as Jensen sighed, his tongue darting out to lick across his bottom lip. The oddly sensual action sent a spark of desire shooting through him, and he caught his breath.
He watched. Yeah. He could easily spend an entire lifetime just watching Jensen. Needing Jensen. Wanting Jensen.
And that was a new, rather delicious aspect to their... friendship? Relationship? Epic love story? All of the above.
“Dude, you’re being creepy again.”
“I want to make out with you.”
“What?” Jensen squawked in surprise. “Now? Here?”
“No, when we get to your place. Find a horizontal surface and make-out.” Jensen sputtered incoherently, trying to speak and failing spectacularly. Jared leaned in so that his lips ghosted over the shell of Jensen’s ear and whispered, “then I want to get you naked, spread you out on your bed, and kiss every single, beautiful inch of your body and when I’m done, I want you to do it all right back to me.”
“Guh.”
Jensen gulped and pressed his face into Jared’s, their cheeks brushing as Jared gave into temptation and carefully tugged his plump earlobe into his mouth, sucking softly, his tongue laving the silky smooth skin, feeling every shiver that sang through Jensen’s body as though it was his own. It certainly could have been, because suddenly they were as close as their seatbelts would allow, Jensen’s hand fisted in his shirt as he pressed moist, open-mouthed kisses along Jared’s jaw.
A sudden bout of turbulence caused them to spring apart slightly, and they were reminded of where they were. Jensen’s skin was a little flushed but Jared was surprised to see the tortured look in his eyes.
“What?”
Jensen closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “Jared, I... You know I want this just as much as you do. I want you just as... I want you. I do...”
Uh oh, Jared thought. “But?”
“Can we just not... right now? Can we not take this any further than we already have?” Jensen looked torn, and maybe Jared looked exactly the same way, since heck, that was how he felt, because Jensen cupped his face between his palms and leaned in close. “I want you, Jared,” he stated firmly, “don’t you doubt that for one second. But when we do this... when we take that next step - I want to be free. I need to be free,” he looked at him pleadingly. “Please say you understand.”
“You mean, you feel like you’re cheating on Danneel?” Jared asked, completely baffled.
“No,” Jensen assured him, “that’s not what I meant. It’s just that... God, you can’t even imagine the shit that is my life in Dallas, Jared, and I just want to be free of it all... before we make this official, you know? Before this becomes... real.”
Jared’s head snapped back as far as Jensen’s hold on him would allow - which wasn’t far at all. “This isn’t real to you?” Jared asked, quite unable to keep the hurt from his voice.
“Jared, for all intents and purposes, my father still owns me,” Jensen told him, his gaze shattered. “When we do this... when we come together, I want to be able to give you all of me. That’s what I meant. This means so much to me. You mean so much to me. I’ve never felt this way about another person before; I’ve never let myself feel this way before, Jared. So yeah, this is real to me...,” Jensen almost choked on the words, “this is beautiful and perfect and I don’t want to taint it with my past.”
Jared melted. Then he crashed his mouth into Jensen’s in a searing kiss. “God, you’re so stupid, Jen,” Jared murmured against his mouth, “but yeah, yeah - I get where you’re coming from and if that’s the way you feel, I can wait. I mean, it’s gonna be hard...” Jared pulled back a little, his eyes gleaming mischievously, “no really, it’s gonna be hard...,” he chuckled as Jensen snorted, “but I can wait. I’ll wait as long as it takes.” He cupped Jensen’s face and drew up the corners of his mouth with his thumbs. “Smile, Jen. We’re good.”
Jensen smiled, although his eyes still looked a little sad. “Thank you.”
“It’s crappy though.”
“It really is.”
“I mean, with my slugging average, you’d think I would’ve rounded the bases by now.” Jensen’s smile widened but it wasn’t good enough for Jared, so he leaned forward until their foreheads touched, sighing at the beauty of the man beside him and kissed his nose, wanting nothing more than to chase the shadows from his eyes. “Did it hurt, angel?”
“Did what hurt?”
“When you fell from Heaven?”
There were about five seconds of utter silence before Jensen threw his head back and laughed and laughed until tears welled in the crinkly corners of his eyes. Jared wanted to puff out his chest and point out to their cabin-mates and the flight crew: Hey, lookit. I did that!
“You giant cornball,” Jensen blurted out, leaning in to place a sloppy, soft kiss on Jared’s lips, “I love you.”
Words said, Jensen froze.
Jared blinked. He said it. He finally said it. Sure Jared had said it first, and then he had said it a few dozen more times since then, and a million more times in his mind but Jensen had never once said it before this. And now, Jared had a clue as to why he had been holding back, the idiot, but Jensen was trying to speak, so Jared smothered Jensen’s mouth in a kiss, holding his face between his hands, pulling back only to surge forward again when Jensen started to say something.
“No,” Jared said in between breathless kisses, “no take-backs.” Kiss. “You said it.” Kiss. “It’s out there.” Kiss. “Don’t panic.” Kiss. “Just leave it out there.” Kiss. “No take-backs.”
He only let go when the pilot announced that they were coming in to land, and even then he kept two fingers pressed against Jensen’s lips.
Jensen just smiled fondly at him, kissed his fingers and rested his head against Jared’s shoulder, lifting his hand, pressing kisses to his thumb, his palm, and the pulse at his wrist before looking up at Jared, grinning, joyous. Gorgeous.
“No take-backs, I promise.”
|*|*|*|
“Hey, Idaho!”
Cory snapped around in shock. “Mark?”
“S’up, farmboy.”
Cory blinked and shook his head, not sure if he was witnessing a mirage or not. Did they even do mirages in Idaho? Sure, he had thought about Mark a little - okay, a lot - since they had all left Toronto three weeks ago, but what the fuck was he doing here? In Cory’s hometown of Eden, Idaho, outside his house? How the hell had he even known where to find him? Why the hell would he have even wanted to find him?
Good questions all, a snide little voice inside his head snarked, maybe you should ask him, genius.
Right. Yeah. Of course. Unless he was a mirage.
Cory looked at his older brother, Daniel, and leaned in close. “You see Mark Salling standing there, right?”
“Er... yeah.” Daniel looked at him like he was insane. “Do they put crazy in the water up there in Canada?”
“Shut up,” he muttered, trying not to bristle as his teammate smirked at him. “What are you doing here?”
“Need to talk to you.”
“How’d you find me?” Cory demanded, none too politely. Daniel smacked him upside the head.
“I think Mom taught you better than that, baby bro,” he snapped, reaching his hand out to Mark. “I’m Daniel, this little shit’s older brother.”
Mark grinned. “Mark. Good to meet you. Mind if I borrow the dipshit for a bit?”
“I’m right here, fucker,” Cory ground out, ignoring Daniel’s shocked expression. Yeah, Mark Salling brought out his potty mouth. Surprise, surprise. “Tell Mom I’ll be back later,” he called over his shoulder as he grabbed Mark by the bicep and herded him back to his candy-apple red Corvette. When they were out of his brother’s hearing, he manhandled Mark into facing him. “The fuck are you doing here?”
Mark smirked at him, dark eyes smoldering. “What do you think?”
Yeah, okay. There was no mistaking the intent in his suggestive gaze and goddamn it, Cory was half hard in his jeans before the words had even left the other man’s mouth. “Get in the fucking car and drive, asshole. Don’t stop until I tell you to.”
They drove for about an hour, stopping at a motel on the outskirts of the town. Cory was out of the car and in the reception like a shot, his blood going from a slow simmer to a full-on boil when he heard Mark’s knowing laughter behind him. He ignored it in favour of getting a room as fast as humanly possible and then stalking inside, leaving the door wide open. Mark was seconds behind him, and a few seconds after the door had slammed shut, he tackled him onto the bed and kissed him until they were both gasping for air.
“I don’t have anything, shit!” Cory grunted, painfully hard now, his fists almost ripping the sheets where they gripped them. Mark smirked cockily and pulled put a tube of lube from his pocket, waggling it in front of his face. “Freakin’ boy scout,” he muttered, as they scrambled to get naked. “This why you drove all the way across the country? No games to pitch, Jersey. You come all this way just to fuck me?”
“If that isn’t incentive, I don’t know what is.” Mark breathed, shuddering as his bare chest rubbed against Cory’s, his nipple ring dragging across Cory’s skin and driving him wild... and wait. What? Cory drew in an erratic breath as he fingered the small silver hoop.
“This is new,” he said, pinching Mark’s nipple, tugging on the ring until the other man hissed.
“Like it?”
“Fuck, yeah,” Cory gasped, drawing up so that his tongue could lick and lave the pebbling flesh as it flicked over the cold metal. Christ. His body felt like it was on fire.
“There’s another reason,” Mark managed to say, and really? He should not still be able to form coherent sentences, so Cory redoubled his efforts, his hands moving down to squeeze Marks’ ass and push their cocks closer together. Mark moaned, deep and long, and goddamn, Cory loved that sound. “Plan... we have a plan...”
“What plan?”
“Mike... Dallas,” Mark panted, “Jensen and Jared.”
Cory pulled back in surprise. “You’re in on that plan?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Seems a little out of character for you.”
Mark looked annoyed. “What? You think I don’t believe in them? It’s Jensen and Jared!”
“Oh. Okay, okay,” Cory pacified him when he tried to roll off, instead rolling with him until he had him pinned to the bed. “I was gonna meet John in LA and we were gonna drive to Dallas together.”
Mark frowned. “Tell Francis to find his own way there.”
Cory raised an eyebrow at that. “Jealous?” Mark remained tight-lipped, and Cory couldn’t help the small smirk that resulted in. “Is David coming?”
“He knows about the plan, but I don’t know if he can leave Maine right now.”
“What’s in Maine?”
“He owns a B & B there, and he runs it in the off-season.”
“Huh.”
“Why are we still talking when we can be fucking?”
Cory grinned down at Mark, his finger tugging on the nipple ring again. “Good point.”
|*|*|*|
Chris smiled when the sunlight shone in his face; sleeping by the window was better than an alarm clock in his opinion. He stretched as much as he could without jostling Zach, but even the slight movement woke the other man. Chris smirked down at him as he blearily awakened.
“Coffee?” Chris kissed him, whispering his question against Zach’s mouth. “Tea?” Zach grinned into the kiss. “Me?”
“You. Definitely you,” he declared, and then ruined the effect by yawning and stretching languidly.
“Good to know,” Chris smiled, nipping his shoulder before soothing the bite with a kiss when Zach pouted. “Today’s the day. Dallas.”
“Mmm... what time are we leaving again?”
“Couple of hours.”
“So there’s time for both sex and sustenance?” Zach’s hooded gaze, alight with desire as he gazed up at Chris, went straight to his cock.
“I say we just focus on the sex,” Chris muttered as he smothered his boyfriend with his body, Zach’s arms winding around him, keeping him in place as if there was any possibility of him moving any time soon, “we can get sustenance on the road.”
“Who’s to say we can’t get sex on the road?”
“You always have the best damn ideas ever.”
“I’m diabolical like that.”
|*|*|*|
Misha cracked his back as he looked out across the marina, and quietly sipping his coffee. The call of gulls in the air, the smell of the ocean, the gentle rocking of his yacht... this is what he lived for in the off-season: his boat and Miami Beach. He sighed and checked his watch. Time to make a move.
He slipped down into the cabin and approached the twin bunks, shaking his head at the snoring, drooling forms occupying them.
“Up and at ‘em, boys!” He yelled, none too concerned about the effect of noise on hangovers.
“Jesus, Collins!” Aldis muttered, starting awake and almost banging his head onto the bunk above him.
“There’s just enough time to shower before we head out,” Misha told him, and Aldis reluctantly rolled off the bunk. Misha sighed again, steeling himself. Now all he had to do was spend the next hour trying to wake his idiot roommate.
God. He deserved a fucking medal for putting up with Chad’s sorry ass. But hey, at least he could have a little fun along the way, right?
He detoured to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of iced water. “Wake up, Chad,” he called, getting just a grunt in response. “I’m gonna count to three and if you’re not up by then, I’m going to have to resort to desperate measures.” One bony arm shoved out from under the covers and flipped him off. Misha shrugged, mercilessly yanking the covers off.
Chad’s girly shriek, as an entire bottle of ice water was poured all over him, frightened the gulls outside.
Misha smirked. "Three."
|*|*|*|
“Are you sure you programmed this right?” Tom asked, his gaze darting from the GPS to the signs on the interstate as they zipped along just over the speed limit.
Mike huffed. “Tommy, I know how to work a fucking GPS!”
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch! I’m just saying - it seems like we’re taking the scenic route, is all,” Tom coaxed, patting Mike’s knee. Mike smirked, irritation gone, just like that.
“That’s because I fucking know how to work a GPS.”
Tom stared at him. “You son of a bitch.”
Mike grinned, unrepentant. “You saying you’re not having fun?”
“I am having fun,” Tom leaned over and affectionately smooched his cheek. “I just thought we had a schedule to stick to.”
“Nah, it’s all good. Jared had to go to San Antonio for his cousin’s wedding - apparently he’s been gone for a couple of weeks and from the sound of it, it’s taking a toll on Jensen. He wanted us to time our arrival with his.”
Tom smiled knowingly. “Give Jensen a little boost with our particular brand of team spirit, huh?”
“See? This is why I keep you around,” Mike teased. “You’re smart, Welling. I like that. It’s hot.”
Tom tempered his words with another kiss and gestured towards the next exit. “Well, one of us has to be the brains of this operation.”
“That hurt,” Mike playfully pouted, “I’m hurt now.”
“Buy me a burger and I’ll give you a blow job to make up for it.”
Mike hit his blinker with verve, his foot pushing down a little further on the gas as he switched lanes towards the exit. “God, I love the way you think.”
|*|*|*|