FIC | RPS < J2 < Dark Light < 01/??
Title: Dark Light [01/??]
Fandom: RPS - Actors
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki
Rating: NC17 (overall)
Summary: Ever since he can remember, Jared's had strange dreams, most of them involving a man he's never even met before. But then one day, he finds himself being followed, stalked by the very same mysterious stranger. Much to his disbelief, however, this isn't the worst of his problems -- it's probably the best thing to happen to him ever. Until the trouble starts.
Note: I really hadn't expected such a good response on the prologue, and I am so beyond overwhelmed at all your kind words, you guys. This first chapter is mostly an introduction to Jared's life, and I hope none of you are disappointed.
Warnings: AU, language, slash, sexual content, bottom!Jared, violence, character death, cracktastica. (overall)
Disclaimer: No harm, no foul.
Words: This Part: 3,907 ; Full Story: 6,249 (so far)
PREVIOUS CHAPTERS
00
DARK LIGHT
o n e
"Will you wake up already?"
Between his sister's voice and the bright sunlight pouring in through his window, Jared didn't have much choice in the matter. Throwing an arm over his eyes and sighing heavily, Jared used his other hand to swat at the air where he'd heard Megan's voice.
"I'm up," he mumbled.
"Yeah, sure," the grin was clear in her voice. "For how long?"
"Tell mom I'll be down in a minute," he ignored her smart-assed question.
Though he couldn't see her, he knew Megan was shrugging her shoulders. "Whatever," she said, before her soft footsteps told him she was leaving.
After a few moments, Jared sat up slowly, rubbing at his eyes with both hands. He side-glanced the clock on his bedside table, and fighting the urge to lay back down, he climbed to his feet. It was the middle of summer, and he really shouldn't have had to wake up at seven in the morning -- but he had developed a nasty habit during his senior year, the habit of skipping classes. And now he had to rely on summer school to get his diploma.
As he was washing his hands in the bathroom, staring groggily at his reflection in the mirror above the sink -- he looked like he hadn't slept a wink, and his hair looked like it was going to give him trouble -- he tried to remember the dream he'd been having. Though it'd been similar to most of the dreams he'd had his whole life, this one had felt so different.
He'd been in it, of course, the dark stranger. Jared had only ever caught glimpses of the man, and from what he saw, he didn't recognize anything -- he couldn't remember ever seeing him before. But there was something strangely familiar about him, something Jared was never able to place. Usually he just saw the man in his dreams, never too close.
But in last night's dream, the man'd been talking to him. Only Jared couldn't remember what the heck he'd been saying. It was silly of him, he knew, to obsess over something like that, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it'd been really important. Shaking his head to himself, he reached to turn off the water, and he made a mental vow not to repeat that to anyone. He already had a shrink he went to twice a week.
He almost groaned as he straightened, remembering that it was Tuesday -- Tuesdays and Thursdays were those two times a week. Maybe because it was his birthday, everyone would give him a break and not make him go. Oh, how he hoped.
As he entered the kitchen of his parents' large house, the smells of breakfast hit his nose, making his stomach growl almost instantly. Despite the fact that he was still trying to remember what his dream man had been telling him, Jared turned all his attention to the task at hand -- breaking his fast. He went to the fridge for a glass of orange juice, making a face at Megan as she was already seated at the table.
"Good morning, Jared!" his mother, who stood at the stove, all but cheered at him. "And Happy Birthday."
He grinned, unable to help himself. "Thanks mom," he said, before taking his cup o' juice to the table.
Sharon and Gerry Padalecki weren't his real parents, nor were Megan and his older brother Jeff his real siblings -- ever since he could remember, they'd been upfront and honest to him about how they'd taken him in, adopted him, and he was glad they hadn't kept it from him. As much as he thought about his real parents, and what they might've been like, he'd come to know Sharon and Gerry as Mom and Dad; it was just the easiest thing to do.
"Made your favorite," Sharon said to him, still beaming. "Homemade banana pancakes."
Flushing just slightly, he took a sip of his juice as he sat across from Megan. "How can I say no to that?" he asked.
"Feel any different?" Megan asked him as Sharon started to dole out plates.
"Oh yeah," he answered playfully, "Being eighteen makes me feel all warm and tingly inside. So much different than seventeen."
She laughed at him, not offended by his sarcasm at all, but looked up as Gerry appeared in the kitchen, all nice and dressed for work. The man smiled at his daughter, then at Jared. As he passed Jared to go to the coffee pot, he clapped a hand lightly on Jared's shoulder.
"All the best wishes, Jared," he said brightly, "Finally eighteen."
Smirking, Jared pulled a piece of his pancake off, popping it into his mouth. "Yep," he said, "I'm officially a man."
Once Gerry seated himself, breakfast started, since Jeff had already moved out. As they ate, Gerry talked to Sharon about what he hoped to accomplish at work today, and Megan occasionally threw in her two cents. It's how it usually went, Jared wasn't very talkative when he didn't need to be -- sometimes he thought being quiet was just best.
And it gave him time to think about his dreams.
The man he was seeing had green eyes, he knew for a fact. Eyes full of wisdom that looked too old for him, that looked as if they'd seen more than any one man could imagine. He couldn't explain why, but they made Jared feel weird, as if the man could see right into his mind.
"Jared? Honey?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Jared turned to Sharon, who had her eyebrows raised at him.
"Huh?"
"Do you want some more?" she asked, starting to smile.
He looked down at his plate, realizing he'd done everything but lick it clean. Smirking sheepishly, he shook his head. "Oh, no thanks," he said.
"What're you thinking about there, boy?" Gerry asked jokingly. "Seemed to be quite intent on it."
"That girl in his math class, probably," Megan said, sticking her tongue out.
She'd never know how wrong she was, what with him not liking girls and all. He just thought Sandy always had nice outfits. Before he could respond however, Sharon spoke.
"Let's hope he was thinking more about the classwork, and less about the eye candy," she said. "You want a ride today, Jared?"
Jared had his license, but currently didn't have his own car. Not that you needed one in such a small town -- everything in town was within walking distance. He shook his head, pausing thoughtfully.
"No thanks," he said. "But I was thinking, Mom. It's my birthday and all, and since I've been doing really good lately, can I just...skip out on going to class today?"
"Jared Tristan, you'll do no such thing," Sharon scolded lightly. "Old habits die hard, and I don't want to see you falling back into your other routine."
"Yes ma'am," Jared said -- couldn't blame him for trying.
As she went back to talking to Gerry, Jared wondered vaguely if Tristan was his real middle name. He couldn't remember much about his childhood, almost as if a part of his life had simply been erased. He wished he'd have some breakthrough, maybe wished his dreams would eventually tell him something about his past. It always felt like they were making him remember something, something that was too far away to grab, and too slippery to hold onto.
When he was leaving for summer school, throwing his backpack over one of his shoulders, Sharon came to the door.
"Don't forget you have your appointment with Dr. Morgan today," she told him -- she told him every Tuesday and Thursday, his appointments were always at one in the afternoon, so he would usually go straight there from school.
"I know, I know," he said.
"And don't forget that he calls me when you don't show up," she said.
"Okay," he replied.
She gave him a quick peck on his cheek, one which he pretended to be disgusted about, and as she laughed, smacking his arm lightly, he turned and started down the drive. He'd been seeing Dr. Morgan for about three years now, and even though he sometimes liked to accidentally forget to go, he actually quite liked the guy. He was pretty alright for a head doctor.
The main reason his parents had sent him there had been to bring him out of his shell a little. Back then, he'd been a lot quieter, and it worried them. They kept him going there just because it'd seemed to be working so well.
About halfway to school, Jared got that feeling.
The hair on the back of his neck was standing, and an alarm was going off in his head. Chewing on his bottom lip, he glanced over his shoulder, then all around him. Like any good neighborhood, everything seemed perfect. Sunlight bathed the perfect little houses in soft yellows, and birds were singing odes to a bright blue sky.
But something felt wrong.
Sighing slightly, Jared continued on his way, shaking his head. Sometimes he just felt so damn paranoid. Attempting to shake the feeling, he looked ahead of him, and it took everything in him not to stop again.
There was someone watching him.
Standing by a yard across the street and a way's ahead of him, Jared could barely make him out. Pretending not to notice him, Jared kept walking, all the while studying the stranger out of the corner of his eye. Tall and dressed in black, the man had his hands in the pockets of a jacket he was wearing -- a jacket? In the middle of summer?
Deciding he'd take the long way to school, Jared turned at the next street, and sped up a little. After a minute or so, he glanced over his shoulder, and he could still see the man, standing in the same exact spot like some kind of freaky statue.
"What the hell?" Jared said to himself in an undertone, mostly just mouthing the words.
Fortunately, the man didn't follow him, and he made it to school without seeing him again. Just on time too.
As he was sitting in his Algebra class later on, taking notes on the new lesson the teacher was sharing with the small class, Jared let his mind wander. The more he thought about it, the more the strange stalker seemed like the man from his dreams -- but that was crazy, right? Stuff like that didn't happen in real life.
He tried to tell himself that the stalker had probably been a murdering psychopath, perhaps even a rapist, scoping out new victims. That made him shudder, and he turned to throw a glance out the window he was seated beside.
And his eyes promptly widened.
It was him again, the stalker! Standing outside and across the school courtyard, beneath a light pole, with his arms crossed this time. He was too far away to make out his face, but he seemed to be staring right back at Jared, even with Jared being on the second floor.
"Mr. Padalecki?"
Jared snapped to attention, looking to his teacher. "Uh, what?" he asked.
"I asked if you knew the answer to this," she said patiently.
Jared studied the problem for just a brief moment, before blurting out a random answer. It was incorrect of course, but Jared didn't really care. As the teacher started to write the correct answer, Jared looked back out the window -- the man was gone.
"Dude, what's wrong?"
One of Jared's only friends, the boy who sat across the isle from him, was currently leaning closer to him. Chad's brow was furrowed, his pencil held lightly in his hand, and Jared glanced at him.
"Huh?" Jared asked.
"You're totally out of it today," Chad whispered.
Jared shrugged his shoulders, then pointed to the window, looking out of it again. "Did you...see that man out there?" he asked.
Chad arched an eyebrow, cocking his head. "Man?" he asked. "It's no wonder you're getting questions wrong, J. It was probably just the janitor or something."
"Mr. Murray?"
"Sorry."
Jared sighed, slinking down in his seat some, and he went back to trying to take notes. It was a waste of time however, as he only spent the rest of the period thinking about the strange man.
When eleven rolled around, and class ended, Jared stood up, stuffing his few things into his backpack. Because he only had a few credits to make up, he didn't have to take too many classes -- he took Algebra on Tuesday mornings, and History on Wednesday afternoons -- and that was it. It usually meant that on Tuesdays, he'd have a lot of free time before his appointment with Dr. Morgan, but he'd normally go into town and have lunch or something.
"Gotta see your doctor today?" Chad asked as they were leaving the building.
"You ask me every Tuesday," Jared answered distantly.
"Well shoot," Chad shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe one day you'll tell me your parents told you could stop seeing him, I don't know."
"I kinda like seeing him," Jared said shortly.
They split to go their separate ways, and Jared walked into town, taking his time. He watched his surroundings like a hawk, but saw no sign of his stalker. Maybe he'd snapped or something, maybe it was all a part of his imagination. First the dreams, now the hallucinations. It could happen.
He dawdled in town, grabbing a quick lunch at his favorite sandwich shop, then mostly just walking around and passing the time. He found himself stopping outside of a small store he'd never been in before, one of those Wiccan places -- he only knew because of Megan's extensive and slightly creepy knowledge on the stuff. Supposedly it held books, jewelry, incense, and a whole load of that kind of stuff.
And for some reason, he always came to it, like a moth to a flame.
After a long moment of peering in through the window, Jared turned and started towards the bus stop -- sometimes he just didn't feel like walking all the way to his doctor's. Just as he was thinking he'd see no more of his stalker, the man appeared, as if out of nowhere.
He was across the street again, and this time, was walking in the opposite direction. He gave Jared a lasting glance, giving Jared just enough time to make out his face, his familiar appearance.
Trying to blink away his surprise, Jared lost sight of the man in a group of teenagers window-shopping.
Jared reached the bus stop, grabbing onto the light pole to steady himself, and he tried to clear his mind. He knew for sure now, the stalker was the man from his dreams -- he'd never confuse those damn eyes.
"Jared?"
He looked away from the window, glancing to Dr. Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He hadn't even noticed that he'd been so quiet, but at Dr. Morgan's concerned look, he almost cursed himself. He didn't want it to get back to his parents that he'd been acting weird today.
"What?" Jared asked.
Dr. Morgan studied him for a second or two, then with a sigh, he glanced down at the notepad in his lap. "You've been here almost forty minutes," the older man said, "And so far all I've gotten out of you are a grand total of eleven words. And the occasional shrug."
Flushing slightly, Jared lowered his gaze. The only thing on his mind was his dream man, and he really didn't want to talk about that. He shrugged his shoulders without realizing it, and scratched at the back of his head. "I'm sorry," he said.
"You've been staring out the window like you can't wait to get out of here," Dr. Morgan said. "Am I really that bad to be around?"
Jared couldn't help but smile, and he shook his head. "No," he answered. "I'm just...I don't know. Thinking."
Dr. Morgan's office was on the second floor of an old building at the end of town, it was a small room with a leather couch -- where Dr. Morgan currently sat -- and a winged chair that Jared occupied. There was a coffee table in front of the psychiatrist, and in the corner of the room was a small Fisher-Price table, where children's books and a box of crayons were neatly stacked. Directly beside Jared was a large window that let in brilliant lighting, and across from him against the wall was a bookshelf that held mostly board games. Originally, he hadn't wanted to come to a doctor that specialized in children and families, but now he couldn't deny that Dr. Morgan was good.
"Well that's why I'm here," Dr. Morgan said. "Want to share what you're thinking about?"
"Just some dreams I've been having," Jared said. "For a long time."
"What kind of dreams?" Dr. Morgan asked, starting to write. "Nightmares?"
"Not really," Jared answered. "Just...weird dreams. Really confusing. I can never remember what goes on in them."
"Nothing ever grabs your attention in them?" Dr. Morgan asked curiously.
Jared supposed it couldn't hurt. "Well, there's this guy," he said slowly.
Dr. Morgan glanced up from his notes, raising his eyebrows. Jared immediately flushed, looking out the window again -- Dr. Morgan was probably the only person on the face of the planet who knew about his preferences. Telling him had just been inevitable -- and to Jared's surprise, it had made him feel more comfortable around the man.
"I can see why you'd think these dreams were weird, Jared," Dr. Morgan said slowly, as if choosing his words carefully, "But they're perfectly normal, especially for boys your age --"
"Oh," Jared felt like his face was on fire, and he quickly shook his head. "No, no...not those kind of dreams."
Dr. Morgan looked a little relieved. "My apologies," he said, smirking. "Is this somebody you know?" he asked next, "This man in your dreams."
Jared paused, then shook his head. He wasn't going to mention the fact that he'd seen his dream man all day long; then Dr. Morgan would be sending him away faster than the speed of light. No way.
"Jared," Dr. Morgan was using his fatherly tone, the one that made Jared feel about ten years younger, "If there's something you're not telling me, you should know by now that you can trust me. I would hope that if ever you needed to talk about something, you'd come to me. Or your mom at least."
"No," Jared said, shaking his head again. "I just...thought I was seeing him today, the man. I..." he shook his head, "I was seeing things."
"It's not completely impossible," Dr. Morgan said.
A short silence fell over them, and Jared gnawed on his bottom lip. With a little sigh, he shrugged only one shoulder this time. "Felt like I was being followed today," he said. "And I kinda...made myself think it was the man from my dreams, I guess."
"Someone was following you?" Dr. Morgan asked, looking immediately like a worried parent.
Able to see Dr. Morgan over-reacting and calling the police or something, Jared quickly shook his head. "No, no," he said. "I just felt like someone was following me -- I think my dreams are making me paranoid."
"Jared --"
"Has it been an hour yet?" Jared asked, looking for a clock -- Dr. Morgan didn't have one, some stupid psychiatrist trick probably. "Can I go home?"
Dr. Morgan studied him for a second, brow furrowed, before glancing at his watch. As he was looking back up, Jared bent forward and grabbed his backpack.
"Just about an hour," the older man said. "Jared, did I say something wrong?"
"No," Jared answered, standing up. "I did -- I don't want you to think I'm crazy."
"I wouldn't use that term."
It took Jared a moment to realize that Dr. Morgan was joking, and before he could stop himself, he laughed. Smirking, Dr. Morgan climbed to his feet as well, though he still looked concerned.
"I'm going on my lunch break," he said. "Would you like me to give you a ride home?"
"No thanks," Jared said. "I think I need some air. The walk'll do me good."
Dr. Morgan reached forward and pulled open the door of his office. After grabbing the 'Do Not Disturb' hanger on the doorknob, he straightened and turned back to Jared, extending a hand.
"Thursday, then," he said, shaking Jared's hand like he normally did. "If you get here early and don't want to sit outside, you can come up here to wait."
As Jared stepped outside, he noticed that the sky had darkened considerably, gray clouds blocking out the sun and hinting at a storm. The little building Dr. Morgan's office was located in was a pretty well-secluded spot, surrounded by trees. There was a curved road leading into the small and half-empty parking lot, a road which would take you back into the heart of the town. The bus stop was at the end of that road, so Jared had to walk a little bit.
He kept his pace quick, not wanting to get caught in the rain, and he was nearing the bus stop, he replayed his and Dr. Morgan's conversation over in his mind. He was so stupid for bringing up the man in his dreams -- he should've just kept quiet throughout the whole session, not like Dr. Morgan should've minded, since that was how their first meetings had been.
Jared froze mid-step as the bus stop came into view, and he contemplated turning around and going back to Dr. Morgan for that ride home.
The stranger was standing alone at the bus stop, sticking out like a sore thumb with his jacket and dark persona. Jared couldn't believe he was the only one feeling wary of this man -- lots of people just walked right by him without a second glance.
As if on cue, the stranger turned and his gaze fell on Jared. The intensity of his eyes hit Jared like a punch to the face, and Jared was pretty sure his heart stopped beating -- it was the man from his dreams, there was no denying that. The stranger's expression changed from one of blankness, to an unreadable one, almost as if he were surprised.
And Jared found he couldn't move.
One of the man's arms raised slightly, and he snapped his fingers inaudibly. Jared didn't catch that anything had changed at first, but all of a sudden he noticed that everyone around them had stopped moving, frozen in time like someone had pushed a giant pause button. Cars were even stopped mid-drive, a kid on a skateboard hovering in the air. Jared himself could still move, and as the man lowered his arm it was obvious that he could too -- Jared felt like was dreaming, felt like he should've been terrified.
But even as the man started walking towards him, Jared discovered that he wasn't even afraid. He was nervous, sure, his palms sweaty, and his heart beating in his ears so loudly he was sure he'd be deafened. But he wasn't scared anymore -- there was something about this man...
Jared suddenly remembered what the man'd been saying in his dream.
"Told you I'd find you."
NEXT.
[x] *still nervous* I can't be too sure of when I'll be able to update again, but I promise not to make you guys wait too long.
Fandom: RPS - Actors
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki
Rating: NC17 (overall)
Summary: Ever since he can remember, Jared's had strange dreams, most of them involving a man he's never even met before. But then one day, he finds himself being followed, stalked by the very same mysterious stranger. Much to his disbelief, however, this isn't the worst of his problems -- it's probably the best thing to happen to him ever. Until the trouble starts.
Note: I really hadn't expected such a good response on the prologue, and I am so beyond overwhelmed at all your kind words, you guys. This first chapter is mostly an introduction to Jared's life, and I hope none of you are disappointed.
Warnings: AU, language, slash, sexual content, bottom!Jared, violence, character death, cracktastica. (overall)
Disclaimer: No harm, no foul.
Words: This Part: 3,907 ; Full Story: 6,249 (so far)
PREVIOUS CHAPTERS
00
DARK LIGHT
o n e
"Will you wake up already?"
Between his sister's voice and the bright sunlight pouring in through his window, Jared didn't have much choice in the matter. Throwing an arm over his eyes and sighing heavily, Jared used his other hand to swat at the air where he'd heard Megan's voice.
"I'm up," he mumbled.
"Yeah, sure," the grin was clear in her voice. "For how long?"
"Tell mom I'll be down in a minute," he ignored her smart-assed question.
Though he couldn't see her, he knew Megan was shrugging her shoulders. "Whatever," she said, before her soft footsteps told him she was leaving.
After a few moments, Jared sat up slowly, rubbing at his eyes with both hands. He side-glanced the clock on his bedside table, and fighting the urge to lay back down, he climbed to his feet. It was the middle of summer, and he really shouldn't have had to wake up at seven in the morning -- but he had developed a nasty habit during his senior year, the habit of skipping classes. And now he had to rely on summer school to get his diploma.
As he was washing his hands in the bathroom, staring groggily at his reflection in the mirror above the sink -- he looked like he hadn't slept a wink, and his hair looked like it was going to give him trouble -- he tried to remember the dream he'd been having. Though it'd been similar to most of the dreams he'd had his whole life, this one had felt so different.
He'd been in it, of course, the dark stranger. Jared had only ever caught glimpses of the man, and from what he saw, he didn't recognize anything -- he couldn't remember ever seeing him before. But there was something strangely familiar about him, something Jared was never able to place. Usually he just saw the man in his dreams, never too close.
But in last night's dream, the man'd been talking to him. Only Jared couldn't remember what the heck he'd been saying. It was silly of him, he knew, to obsess over something like that, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it'd been really important. Shaking his head to himself, he reached to turn off the water, and he made a mental vow not to repeat that to anyone. He already had a shrink he went to twice a week.
He almost groaned as he straightened, remembering that it was Tuesday -- Tuesdays and Thursdays were those two times a week. Maybe because it was his birthday, everyone would give him a break and not make him go. Oh, how he hoped.
As he entered the kitchen of his parents' large house, the smells of breakfast hit his nose, making his stomach growl almost instantly. Despite the fact that he was still trying to remember what his dream man had been telling him, Jared turned all his attention to the task at hand -- breaking his fast. He went to the fridge for a glass of orange juice, making a face at Megan as she was already seated at the table.
"Good morning, Jared!" his mother, who stood at the stove, all but cheered at him. "And Happy Birthday."
He grinned, unable to help himself. "Thanks mom," he said, before taking his cup o' juice to the table.
Sharon and Gerry Padalecki weren't his real parents, nor were Megan and his older brother Jeff his real siblings -- ever since he could remember, they'd been upfront and honest to him about how they'd taken him in, adopted him, and he was glad they hadn't kept it from him. As much as he thought about his real parents, and what they might've been like, he'd come to know Sharon and Gerry as Mom and Dad; it was just the easiest thing to do.
"Made your favorite," Sharon said to him, still beaming. "Homemade banana pancakes."
Flushing just slightly, he took a sip of his juice as he sat across from Megan. "How can I say no to that?" he asked.
"Feel any different?" Megan asked him as Sharon started to dole out plates.
"Oh yeah," he answered playfully, "Being eighteen makes me feel all warm and tingly inside. So much different than seventeen."
She laughed at him, not offended by his sarcasm at all, but looked up as Gerry appeared in the kitchen, all nice and dressed for work. The man smiled at his daughter, then at Jared. As he passed Jared to go to the coffee pot, he clapped a hand lightly on Jared's shoulder.
"All the best wishes, Jared," he said brightly, "Finally eighteen."
Smirking, Jared pulled a piece of his pancake off, popping it into his mouth. "Yep," he said, "I'm officially a man."
Once Gerry seated himself, breakfast started, since Jeff had already moved out. As they ate, Gerry talked to Sharon about what he hoped to accomplish at work today, and Megan occasionally threw in her two cents. It's how it usually went, Jared wasn't very talkative when he didn't need to be -- sometimes he thought being quiet was just best.
And it gave him time to think about his dreams.
The man he was seeing had green eyes, he knew for a fact. Eyes full of wisdom that looked too old for him, that looked as if they'd seen more than any one man could imagine. He couldn't explain why, but they made Jared feel weird, as if the man could see right into his mind.
"Jared? Honey?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Jared turned to Sharon, who had her eyebrows raised at him.
"Huh?"
"Do you want some more?" she asked, starting to smile.
He looked down at his plate, realizing he'd done everything but lick it clean. Smirking sheepishly, he shook his head. "Oh, no thanks," he said.
"What're you thinking about there, boy?" Gerry asked jokingly. "Seemed to be quite intent on it."
"That girl in his math class, probably," Megan said, sticking her tongue out.
She'd never know how wrong she was, what with him not liking girls and all. He just thought Sandy always had nice outfits. Before he could respond however, Sharon spoke.
"Let's hope he was thinking more about the classwork, and less about the eye candy," she said. "You want a ride today, Jared?"
Jared had his license, but currently didn't have his own car. Not that you needed one in such a small town -- everything in town was within walking distance. He shook his head, pausing thoughtfully.
"No thanks," he said. "But I was thinking, Mom. It's my birthday and all, and since I've been doing really good lately, can I just...skip out on going to class today?"
"Jared Tristan, you'll do no such thing," Sharon scolded lightly. "Old habits die hard, and I don't want to see you falling back into your other routine."
"Yes ma'am," Jared said -- couldn't blame him for trying.
As she went back to talking to Gerry, Jared wondered vaguely if Tristan was his real middle name. He couldn't remember much about his childhood, almost as if a part of his life had simply been erased. He wished he'd have some breakthrough, maybe wished his dreams would eventually tell him something about his past. It always felt like they were making him remember something, something that was too far away to grab, and too slippery to hold onto.
When he was leaving for summer school, throwing his backpack over one of his shoulders, Sharon came to the door.
"Don't forget you have your appointment with Dr. Morgan today," she told him -- she told him every Tuesday and Thursday, his appointments were always at one in the afternoon, so he would usually go straight there from school.
"I know, I know," he said.
"And don't forget that he calls me when you don't show up," she said.
"Okay," he replied.
She gave him a quick peck on his cheek, one which he pretended to be disgusted about, and as she laughed, smacking his arm lightly, he turned and started down the drive. He'd been seeing Dr. Morgan for about three years now, and even though he sometimes liked to accidentally forget to go, he actually quite liked the guy. He was pretty alright for a head doctor.
The main reason his parents had sent him there had been to bring him out of his shell a little. Back then, he'd been a lot quieter, and it worried them. They kept him going there just because it'd seemed to be working so well.
About halfway to school, Jared got that feeling.
The hair on the back of his neck was standing, and an alarm was going off in his head. Chewing on his bottom lip, he glanced over his shoulder, then all around him. Like any good neighborhood, everything seemed perfect. Sunlight bathed the perfect little houses in soft yellows, and birds were singing odes to a bright blue sky.
But something felt wrong.
Sighing slightly, Jared continued on his way, shaking his head. Sometimes he just felt so damn paranoid. Attempting to shake the feeling, he looked ahead of him, and it took everything in him not to stop again.
There was someone watching him.
Standing by a yard across the street and a way's ahead of him, Jared could barely make him out. Pretending not to notice him, Jared kept walking, all the while studying the stranger out of the corner of his eye. Tall and dressed in black, the man had his hands in the pockets of a jacket he was wearing -- a jacket? In the middle of summer?
Deciding he'd take the long way to school, Jared turned at the next street, and sped up a little. After a minute or so, he glanced over his shoulder, and he could still see the man, standing in the same exact spot like some kind of freaky statue.
"What the hell?" Jared said to himself in an undertone, mostly just mouthing the words.
Fortunately, the man didn't follow him, and he made it to school without seeing him again. Just on time too.
As he was sitting in his Algebra class later on, taking notes on the new lesson the teacher was sharing with the small class, Jared let his mind wander. The more he thought about it, the more the strange stalker seemed like the man from his dreams -- but that was crazy, right? Stuff like that didn't happen in real life.
He tried to tell himself that the stalker had probably been a murdering psychopath, perhaps even a rapist, scoping out new victims. That made him shudder, and he turned to throw a glance out the window he was seated beside.
And his eyes promptly widened.
It was him again, the stalker! Standing outside and across the school courtyard, beneath a light pole, with his arms crossed this time. He was too far away to make out his face, but he seemed to be staring right back at Jared, even with Jared being on the second floor.
"Mr. Padalecki?"
Jared snapped to attention, looking to his teacher. "Uh, what?" he asked.
"I asked if you knew the answer to this," she said patiently.
Jared studied the problem for just a brief moment, before blurting out a random answer. It was incorrect of course, but Jared didn't really care. As the teacher started to write the correct answer, Jared looked back out the window -- the man was gone.
"Dude, what's wrong?"
One of Jared's only friends, the boy who sat across the isle from him, was currently leaning closer to him. Chad's brow was furrowed, his pencil held lightly in his hand, and Jared glanced at him.
"Huh?" Jared asked.
"You're totally out of it today," Chad whispered.
Jared shrugged his shoulders, then pointed to the window, looking out of it again. "Did you...see that man out there?" he asked.
Chad arched an eyebrow, cocking his head. "Man?" he asked. "It's no wonder you're getting questions wrong, J. It was probably just the janitor or something."
"Mr. Murray?"
"Sorry."
Jared sighed, slinking down in his seat some, and he went back to trying to take notes. It was a waste of time however, as he only spent the rest of the period thinking about the strange man.
When eleven rolled around, and class ended, Jared stood up, stuffing his few things into his backpack. Because he only had a few credits to make up, he didn't have to take too many classes -- he took Algebra on Tuesday mornings, and History on Wednesday afternoons -- and that was it. It usually meant that on Tuesdays, he'd have a lot of free time before his appointment with Dr. Morgan, but he'd normally go into town and have lunch or something.
"Gotta see your doctor today?" Chad asked as they were leaving the building.
"You ask me every Tuesday," Jared answered distantly.
"Well shoot," Chad shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe one day you'll tell me your parents told you could stop seeing him, I don't know."
"I kinda like seeing him," Jared said shortly.
They split to go their separate ways, and Jared walked into town, taking his time. He watched his surroundings like a hawk, but saw no sign of his stalker. Maybe he'd snapped or something, maybe it was all a part of his imagination. First the dreams, now the hallucinations. It could happen.
He dawdled in town, grabbing a quick lunch at his favorite sandwich shop, then mostly just walking around and passing the time. He found himself stopping outside of a small store he'd never been in before, one of those Wiccan places -- he only knew because of Megan's extensive and slightly creepy knowledge on the stuff. Supposedly it held books, jewelry, incense, and a whole load of that kind of stuff.
And for some reason, he always came to it, like a moth to a flame.
After a long moment of peering in through the window, Jared turned and started towards the bus stop -- sometimes he just didn't feel like walking all the way to his doctor's. Just as he was thinking he'd see no more of his stalker, the man appeared, as if out of nowhere.
He was across the street again, and this time, was walking in the opposite direction. He gave Jared a lasting glance, giving Jared just enough time to make out his face, his familiar appearance.
Trying to blink away his surprise, Jared lost sight of the man in a group of teenagers window-shopping.
Jared reached the bus stop, grabbing onto the light pole to steady himself, and he tried to clear his mind. He knew for sure now, the stalker was the man from his dreams -- he'd never confuse those damn eyes.
"Jared?"
He looked away from the window, glancing to Dr. Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He hadn't even noticed that he'd been so quiet, but at Dr. Morgan's concerned look, he almost cursed himself. He didn't want it to get back to his parents that he'd been acting weird today.
"What?" Jared asked.
Dr. Morgan studied him for a second or two, then with a sigh, he glanced down at the notepad in his lap. "You've been here almost forty minutes," the older man said, "And so far all I've gotten out of you are a grand total of eleven words. And the occasional shrug."
Flushing slightly, Jared lowered his gaze. The only thing on his mind was his dream man, and he really didn't want to talk about that. He shrugged his shoulders without realizing it, and scratched at the back of his head. "I'm sorry," he said.
"You've been staring out the window like you can't wait to get out of here," Dr. Morgan said. "Am I really that bad to be around?"
Jared couldn't help but smile, and he shook his head. "No," he answered. "I'm just...I don't know. Thinking."
Dr. Morgan's office was on the second floor of an old building at the end of town, it was a small room with a leather couch -- where Dr. Morgan currently sat -- and a winged chair that Jared occupied. There was a coffee table in front of the psychiatrist, and in the corner of the room was a small Fisher-Price table, where children's books and a box of crayons were neatly stacked. Directly beside Jared was a large window that let in brilliant lighting, and across from him against the wall was a bookshelf that held mostly board games. Originally, he hadn't wanted to come to a doctor that specialized in children and families, but now he couldn't deny that Dr. Morgan was good.
"Well that's why I'm here," Dr. Morgan said. "Want to share what you're thinking about?"
"Just some dreams I've been having," Jared said. "For a long time."
"What kind of dreams?" Dr. Morgan asked, starting to write. "Nightmares?"
"Not really," Jared answered. "Just...weird dreams. Really confusing. I can never remember what goes on in them."
"Nothing ever grabs your attention in them?" Dr. Morgan asked curiously.
Jared supposed it couldn't hurt. "Well, there's this guy," he said slowly.
Dr. Morgan glanced up from his notes, raising his eyebrows. Jared immediately flushed, looking out the window again -- Dr. Morgan was probably the only person on the face of the planet who knew about his preferences. Telling him had just been inevitable -- and to Jared's surprise, it had made him feel more comfortable around the man.
"I can see why you'd think these dreams were weird, Jared," Dr. Morgan said slowly, as if choosing his words carefully, "But they're perfectly normal, especially for boys your age --"
"Oh," Jared felt like his face was on fire, and he quickly shook his head. "No, no...not those kind of dreams."
Dr. Morgan looked a little relieved. "My apologies," he said, smirking. "Is this somebody you know?" he asked next, "This man in your dreams."
Jared paused, then shook his head. He wasn't going to mention the fact that he'd seen his dream man all day long; then Dr. Morgan would be sending him away faster than the speed of light. No way.
"Jared," Dr. Morgan was using his fatherly tone, the one that made Jared feel about ten years younger, "If there's something you're not telling me, you should know by now that you can trust me. I would hope that if ever you needed to talk about something, you'd come to me. Or your mom at least."
"No," Jared said, shaking his head again. "I just...thought I was seeing him today, the man. I..." he shook his head, "I was seeing things."
"It's not completely impossible," Dr. Morgan said.
A short silence fell over them, and Jared gnawed on his bottom lip. With a little sigh, he shrugged only one shoulder this time. "Felt like I was being followed today," he said. "And I kinda...made myself think it was the man from my dreams, I guess."
"Someone was following you?" Dr. Morgan asked, looking immediately like a worried parent.
Able to see Dr. Morgan over-reacting and calling the police or something, Jared quickly shook his head. "No, no," he said. "I just felt like someone was following me -- I think my dreams are making me paranoid."
"Jared --"
"Has it been an hour yet?" Jared asked, looking for a clock -- Dr. Morgan didn't have one, some stupid psychiatrist trick probably. "Can I go home?"
Dr. Morgan studied him for a second, brow furrowed, before glancing at his watch. As he was looking back up, Jared bent forward and grabbed his backpack.
"Just about an hour," the older man said. "Jared, did I say something wrong?"
"No," Jared answered, standing up. "I did -- I don't want you to think I'm crazy."
"I wouldn't use that term."
It took Jared a moment to realize that Dr. Morgan was joking, and before he could stop himself, he laughed. Smirking, Dr. Morgan climbed to his feet as well, though he still looked concerned.
"I'm going on my lunch break," he said. "Would you like me to give you a ride home?"
"No thanks," Jared said. "I think I need some air. The walk'll do me good."
Dr. Morgan reached forward and pulled open the door of his office. After grabbing the 'Do Not Disturb' hanger on the doorknob, he straightened and turned back to Jared, extending a hand.
"Thursday, then," he said, shaking Jared's hand like he normally did. "If you get here early and don't want to sit outside, you can come up here to wait."
As Jared stepped outside, he noticed that the sky had darkened considerably, gray clouds blocking out the sun and hinting at a storm. The little building Dr. Morgan's office was located in was a pretty well-secluded spot, surrounded by trees. There was a curved road leading into the small and half-empty parking lot, a road which would take you back into the heart of the town. The bus stop was at the end of that road, so Jared had to walk a little bit.
He kept his pace quick, not wanting to get caught in the rain, and he was nearing the bus stop, he replayed his and Dr. Morgan's conversation over in his mind. He was so stupid for bringing up the man in his dreams -- he should've just kept quiet throughout the whole session, not like Dr. Morgan should've minded, since that was how their first meetings had been.
Jared froze mid-step as the bus stop came into view, and he contemplated turning around and going back to Dr. Morgan for that ride home.
The stranger was standing alone at the bus stop, sticking out like a sore thumb with his jacket and dark persona. Jared couldn't believe he was the only one feeling wary of this man -- lots of people just walked right by him without a second glance.
As if on cue, the stranger turned and his gaze fell on Jared. The intensity of his eyes hit Jared like a punch to the face, and Jared was pretty sure his heart stopped beating -- it was the man from his dreams, there was no denying that. The stranger's expression changed from one of blankness, to an unreadable one, almost as if he were surprised.
And Jared found he couldn't move.
One of the man's arms raised slightly, and he snapped his fingers inaudibly. Jared didn't catch that anything had changed at first, but all of a sudden he noticed that everyone around them had stopped moving, frozen in time like someone had pushed a giant pause button. Cars were even stopped mid-drive, a kid on a skateboard hovering in the air. Jared himself could still move, and as the man lowered his arm it was obvious that he could too -- Jared felt like was dreaming, felt like he should've been terrified.
But even as the man started walking towards him, Jared discovered that he wasn't even afraid. He was nervous, sure, his palms sweaty, and his heart beating in his ears so loudly he was sure he'd be deafened. But he wasn't scared anymore -- there was something about this man...
Jared suddenly remembered what the man'd been saying in his dream.
"Told you I'd find you."
NEXT.
[x] *still nervous* I can't be too sure of when I'll be able to update again, but I promise not to make you guys wait too long.