FIC | RPS < J2 < Dark Light < 04/??
Title: Dark Light [04/??]
Fandom: RPS - Actors
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki
Rating: NC17 (overall)
Warnings: AU, language, slash, sexual content, bottom!Jared, violence, character death, crack.
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.
Disclaimer: No harm, no foul.
Words: This Part: 5,979 ; Full Story: 20,889 (so far)
Note: This chapter took me forever to finish -- I'd have liked to post it a lot sooner. I've been rereading it and rereading it, but as much as I don't like it, I can't find anything to change; it's all stuff that needed to be said. So, while I may not be too happy with this update, I certainly hope you guys enjoy it. :]
Previous Chapters:
{ MASTERPOST}
DARK LIGHT
f o u r
"You seem different today."
Jared glanced away from the window, taking his eyes off of the raindrops that splattered against the glass. Dr. Morgan was in his usual seat, watching Jared with a smirk playing at his lips.
"I do?" Jared asked.
"Well, you're still kind of quiet," Dr. Morgan said, "But it's different today. You look happy. How're you sleeping lately?"
Jared gave a little nod. "Good," he answered. "My dreams have stopped -- been feeling a lot better about that." It was partly true -- he was just leaving out the part about Jensen being the man from his dreams/stalker/guardian. He hadn't been having his dreams since he'd met Jensen, and he figured it was probably because his whole life, Jensen had been causing the dreams in his attempt to find him.
"That's great," Dr. Morgan said, writing something down. "How was class yesterday?"
Lowering his gaze, Jared bit his bottom lip sheepishly. There was no sense in lying to Dr. Morgan about some things -- the man was just so good at reading him sometimes.
"Uh oh," Dr. Morgan said, half-scolding and half-playful. "Jared?"
"I know, I know," Jared said with a little sigh. He ran his fingers through his hair, shrugging one of his shoulders. "I shouldn't have."
"Why did you?" Dr. Morgan asked curiously.
"Chad wanted to go get something to eat," Jared answered. "And I didn't feel like wasting my day in that boring class." He gave his doctor a little smile. "You gonna tell my parents?"
Dr. Morgan studied him for a small moment, then returned the smile. "Guess I can keep this one secret," he said.
Now grinning, Jared looked back towards the window, up at the dark gray sky. He was kind of wishing today would go by a little faster -- he wanted to see Jensen again, more than he should've. He knew he had a crush on him, and he knew it was dumb of him, but he just couldn't help it.
"Sleep can't be making you this happy," Dr. Morgan said, "Please, feed my curiosity and tell me what's going on with you. I'm actually kind of jealous at how happy you've grown over the course of a day."
Jared smiled, and after a short look back at the older man, he supposed he could say a little bit. "Well," he started, "I kind of...met this guy."
Dr. Morgan's smile was a fatherly one that made Jared think of Gerry for some reason. He cocked his head slightly, and Jared felt his face flush. "That's certainly something to be happy about then," he said. "What's he like?"
"Mysterious," Jared answered, suddenly excited to be talking about Jensen. "Kind of vague a lot of the time, but he's charming. He has this air about him, this...caring and --" Jared couldn't think of a better word, "-- protective air."
"How'd you meet him?" Dr. Morgan asked.
Jared tried to think quickly, looking towards the window again so Dr. Morgan wouldn't be able to tell that the gears in his brain were shifting. "The bus stop," he finally said, and he was surprised at how true the answer actually was. "When I left on Tuesday, I met him at the bus stop. We just kind of connected."
"Have your parents met him?"
Pausing slightly, Jared shook his head. "I don't really...think they'd like him too much."
"Why not?"
"He's older," Jared said -- among other things.
"How much older?" Dr. Morgan's brow rose.
Only a hundred plus years or so. "He's in his late twenties." Jared was mostly guessing -- Jensen could pass for twenty-eight, he thought. He grinned at the way Dr. Morgan seemed to be trying to keep his face composed. "I know it sounds bad."
"Not real bad," Dr. Morgan said, "But I do think it's something you'll want to bring up with them soon."
"Yeah," Jared answered slowly, nodding. "But I should...focus first on telling them that I'm gay."
"Ahh," Dr. Morgan said knowingly, "And here I thought you'd already told them." He quirked a brow just slightly. "Are you afraid of their reactions?"
"I don't know," Jared admitted. "They're real cool and accepting, but I just...I don't want it to scare them or anything. It's...weird."
"It's natural," Dr. Morgan said, "For you to be nervous about it. Telling them will probably be one of the biggest events in your life, it's going to scare you a little at first."
Jared nodded his head, trying to imagine how he'd let it slip that he liked boys instead of girls. Maybe tell Sharon first, have her tell Gerry? Dr. Morgan was silent for a moment, and he seemed to read Jared's expression.
"You could always write them a letter," he suggested. "Might make things easier for you."
Jared thought about it, then nodded once more. It could work, he supposed. It would definitely be a lot easier than trying to find the right words -- he was never good at stuff like that. Suddenly, Dr. Morgan shifted in his seat, setting his legal pad on the couch beside him. Jared looked for a clock, just like he always did, before he remembered there wasn't one in the room.
"Time already?" he asked.
Dr. Morgan smiled. "A little over, actually," he answered. He gave a wink. "I won't charge for the extra ten minutes."
Laughing, Jared climbed to his feet. As Dr. Morgan led him out of the small room, Jared was surprised to see Sharon in the waiting room, flipping through a magazine -- it hadn't been raining when he'd left the house, so he'd just taken the bus. The fact that Sharon had come for him because it'd started drizzling -- when he hadn't even asked -- was heartwarming, to say the least.
It was one of the many times when Jared forgot that she wasn't his real mom; she sure enough acted like it, and that was all that mattered.
* * *
"I don't know, I can't explain it."
Jared stopped outside the kitchen doorway, his ears practically perking up. Sharon's voice was low as she spoke to Gerry; it was her gossiping tone. Jared could tell she was talking about him -- it was just a sixth sense that most teenagers had. He turned his head slightly to listen.
"He just seemed so different today, more cheerful -- chipper," she was saying. "Earlier, while we were coming home from Dr. Morgan's, he was ten kinds of talkative."
"Jared talkative?" Gerry was mildly surprised, it sounded.
Crossing his arms, Jared pondered whether or not he should've felt offended at their incredulous tones. He didn't think he'd been acting all that different, but all the adults he knew seemed to think differently.
"Do you think it has anything to do with his doctor?" Gerry asked. "Bringing him out of his shell more and more?"
"I don't know," Sharon said, "But whatever it is, I'm so glad. He's such a great kid, he deserves to be happy."
Even with the warmth of gratitude he felt, Jared had to wonder if Sharon would still think the same if she knew it was a strange man with magical powers that was making him happy. If he told her that, he'd be thrown in a padded cell before he'd even known what hit him.
He waited for a short while, until his parents had changed topics, and then he casually turned to enter the room. It was obvious by their expressions that they didn't think he'd heard anything, and he quickly said his goodnights, brushing it off when Sharon told him how early it still was.
In his dark room, he was free to do nothing but think about Jensen. Wearing just a pair of drawstring pajama pants, Jared was lying flat on his back, gazing up at the shadowed ceiling with his hands folded beneath his head. His real mother's ring was warm against his throat where it'd slid when he'd laid down, but it was a feeling he'd grown quite used to, the heat it seemed to radiate.
Any normal person may have still been freaked out over all that had happened in just a few days, but Jared couldn't have felt any better. He'd felt like he was different his whole life, not in the arrogant way that reeked of superiority, just unusual compared to the people around him. And Jensen's stories told him that he was right, he was different. Jensen was a tie to Jared's past life, his real family, and there was so much comfort in that that he couldn't find it in him to be doubtful and confused.
Going back to the older man, Jared couldn't stop his mind from wandering.
The first thing he thought of, like always, were Jensen's eyes -- he couldn't get over how hypnotizing they were. Then the rest of Jensen's face came into focus. Particularly the crinkles at his eyes when he smiled, the full lips that would pucker just slightly as he thought of what he was going to say.
Starting to think about the rest of Jensen -- the broad shoulders, the strong arms, the thick waist -- Jared could feel heat begin to flow through his body. Jensen was one of those people who you could just tell had a great body, and this wasn't the first time Jared had tried to imagine what his guardian looked like without a shirt. He suddenly wondered if Jensen had freckles on his chest, maybe his shoulders, to match those on his cheeks.
What about his legs? Freckles on his thighs?
Opening his eyes quickly, Jared could feel his face burning, his throat dry. Just the thought of Jensen was making his cock start to harden in his loose-fitting pants.
Usually when he wanted to touch himself, Jared would think about his gym teacher -- big, beefy, movie-star material -- or even Dr. Morgan, who's gravelly voice always made Jared feel like his heart had skipped a beat. But Jensen wasn't like them, not at all. To Jared, Jensen was a work of art, something too good to be true.
And he'd just met the guy. Who knew how he'd feel after he got to know him? If he got to know him.
Tongue coming out to brush over his lips, Jared shifted in bed, reaching a hand down to his erection. He cupped it through the thin material of his pants, and he started to press in against it, kneading his fingers and squeezing it.
But then a thought occurred to him, well, multiple thoughts, and all equally terrifying. Would Jensen know what was going on? Would he be able to feel what Jared was doing? Would he know that Jared was thinking about him at the time?
As these questions crossed his mind, Jared's hand promptly snapped back to where it'd been beneath his head. His dick started to throb now, but he fought to ignore it.
Sometimes, Jared really hated the way his mind worked.
For some completely strange and unsettling reason, the next thing his mind jumped to was the idea of Jensen getting himself off. He didn't know why, but it entered his mind like a plague and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push the mental images away.
Giving a groan of irritation, Jared rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face into his pillow. Why did he have to be gay? If he wasn't, he would have been able to think of Jensen without wanting to see him naked.
Closing his eyes again, Jared breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of his own shampoo that lingered on his pillow. Without meaning to, he tried to imagine what Jensen smelled like. He looked like he would smell strong and musky, yet comfortable and homey. He'd have to remember to try and secretly get a whiff of the older man the next time he saw him, be real inconspicuous about it.
His cock throbbed again, grabbing his attention once more, and Jared bit the inside of his cheek. After another moment, he all but threw himself out of bed. After a cold shower, he was going to use all of his strength to keep Jensen from his mind. At least for tonight.
* * *
Jared woke late the next morning, unable to place the sense of urgency that was overwhelming him. As he lay in bed, blinking away grog and rubbing at his face, he realized what it was. Jensen was waiting for him, wondering where he was. Jared side-glanced his alarm clock, it was a little past eleven.
"Now?" he asked his empty room. "He wants to meet up now?"
He lay there for a few more moments, before sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of his bed. Jensen was waiting at the half-built house on Greeley Way -- he could feel it. With a little sigh, Jared moved quickly, going to his dresser and pulling on a plain white tee, loose fitting and worn. Then he slipped his shoes on, not bothering to change out of his pajama pants, and left his bedroom.
He did the normal morning routine -- bathroom, brush his teeth, make sure his hair was presentable -- and he made his way downstairs. Gerry was already at work, and Sharon had left a note about how she'd gone to a friend's place. Megan was on the computer in the living room, the sound of the keyboard seeming strangely loud in the quiet house.
Sharon had left Jared a plate of breakfast in the microwave, but he only bothered to take a few bites, before washing it down with orange juice. He went to the living room, stopping in the doorway.
"I'm going out," he said.
She gave him only a slightly quizzical look. "You just woke up," she said.
"I know," he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm late -- I told Chad I'd meet up with him. We're going into town."
"To do what?" she asked.
"Pick up chicks," Jared answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. "Do I pry into your life when you go to hang out with your friends?"
"Only because you've never thought to," she said, shrugging.
"I'm going out," Jared repeated. "You can take care of yourself, right?"
"I'm not a baby, Jared," she said. "Besides, mom'll be home soon."
"Tell her I won't stay out too long," Jared said, though he was really unsure. If Jensen wanted to spend all day with him, there was now way he was going to cut that short. "You know how she likes to worry."
Megan turned back to the computer, mumbling something. Something stirred in Jared, but he tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, pretend she'd said something else.
"What?" he asked.
Megan paused, then started typing again. She answered softly as she worked on whatever it was she was doing. "She likes to worry about you. Sometimes she could care less what I'm doing."
Giving a little sigh, Jared raked his fingers through his hair. "Megan, that's not true," he said shortly. Not only did he not have time for this, Megan was being dumb. "She worries about you just as much as me."
She said nothing for what felt like hours, then she turned to him and nodded, though he could tell it was forced. "I know," she said, tone unconvincing. "Go meet up with Chad, you know how he likes to overreact."
Normally Jared might've smiled at this, but instead, he stared hard at Megan for a good minute or so, expression never changing. She turned away from him casually, going back to whatever she was doing. Licking his lips, Jared turned and went to the front door.
The sky was a pasty shade of gray, threatening showers like the day before. Hoping it wouldn't rain on him, Jared started walking briskly; he felt like he'd already made Jensen wait too long. As he reached Greeley Way, the feeling of compulsion seemed to fade. When he made it to the same plot he'd met with Jensen before, the feeling was completely gone. He almost thought he'd dreamed it up.
"Sorry if I woke you."
Startled, Jared spun to see Jensen -- long sleeves, damnit -- standing a few feet away from him. Realizing he was slightly stiff from the momentary scare, he told himself to relax.
"Can you give me some warning next time you do that?" he demanded.
"Do what?"
"Just...pop up," Jared said. "Magically disappearing and reappearing might be old news to you buddy, but I've only got one heart, and you might give it an attack."
Jensen smiled, the humor reaching his eyes, and he nodded mock solemnly. "You're right," he said, "I'm terribly sorry."
Jared crossed his arms, nodding his head. "Good," he said. "Thank you. Now what do you mean, sorry if you woke me?"
"I thought you were going to sleep all day," Jensen admitted. "I didn't know how it would work if I attempted to push myself on you -- but I must've done something right; here you are."
It was a little weird to imagine Jensen trying to wake him up with their bond, but after the other things Jensen had done in front of him, Jared was over it quickly. He nodded again.
"It's okay," he said. "I should've been awake earlier. I was just..." He trailed off and shook his head, "Nevermind." He'd been about to tell Jensen that he'd been having some good dreams, but that would involve telling Jensen what made them so good.
As Jensen rounded him to go towards the cut-out doorway, Jared threw a glance up at the sky, turning to follow.
"Is it going to rain today?" he asked.
"I don't know," Jensen answered, and there was a smile in his tone, "I'm a Warlock, not a meteorologist."
Jared flushed as the two of them reached the same spot as two nights ago, but he decided against saying anything, for fear of embarrassing himself further. The plot looked a lot less dangerous during the day, the roof looked a lot more sturdy in the light. That was a small comfort.
Jensen turned to him, and Jared looked at him for just a second or two before lowering his gaze -- he felt like if he stared at Jensen for too long, his secret wouldn't be quite so secret anymore. Playing it cool, he lowered himself onto the concrete, getting comfortable with his legs curled Indian-style. Immediately, his hands went to his shoes, and he started to pick at them, chewing on his bottom lip.
"What's wrong?" Jensen asked, staring down at him.
With a little smirk, Jared raised his eyebrows. "You ask me that a lot," he said.
"If you would tell me the first time," Jensen said, "I wouldn't have to."
"Nothing's wrong, I promise," Jared replied. "So what are you we doing today?"
There was a long pause, and Jensen's expression was unreadable, his lips doing that purse thing. Then he arched one of his eyebrows in a perfect way. "The ring?" he asked.
Looking down, Jared pulled the necklace out from under his shirt again, letting the ring drop against his chest. Jensen glanced at it briefly, then his gaze met Jared's, and it was hard for Jared to look away this time. Jensen's eyes were dark, but thoughtful, and he held Jared's stare with his own for what felt like ages.
When he looked away, he made a face almost like he was fighting with himself.
"Now it's my turn to ask what's wrong," Jared said, feeling like a dork -- normally he didn't mind silences, but with Jensen it was awkward.
The older man paused, then looked back at Jared. Instead of answering Jared's question, he said, "Think it's about time we tried. The Power, I mean."
Excitement ran through Jared, and he grinned before he could help himself. "We're gonna wake it up?" he asked.
"Try to," Jensen answered, though that didn't dampen Jared's spirits any. "I know it's in there, trying to get out -- I know you can feel it. But it's been so many years, I don't know how it's going to work."
"I trust you," Jared said quickly, and it was completely honest.
Another unreadable look came to Jensen's face, his lips flickering up into a smile. He looked away this time, glancing to the floor as his brow furrowed in thought.
"Can you promise me something, Jared?" he asked.
"Sure," Jared said, then paused. "Well...it depends..."
Jensen's mouth turned up again, but his tone was serious when he spoke again. "After today, you're going to be strong, your powers are going to be strong. I'll be teaching you all that I can, watching out for you as best as I can, but it has to work both ways. I need you to promise me that you won't be reckless. Swear to me that you won't abuse it."
When he looked back at Jared, his eyes were fiery and intense -- it made Jared pause as he swallowed against his suddenly dry throat. He nodded slowly.
"I promise, Jensen," he said. "I swear I'll go easy with it."
Jensen reached up to rub at his jaw, and Jared raised his eyebrows at him.
"Don't you trust me?" he asked somewhat playfully.
"More than you know," Jensen answered quietly, apparently not noticing that it was mostly a joke. "I'm just trying to do this right, I have to be sure..." He trailed off.
Jared looked down, wishing he could know what Jensen was thinking. He said he trusted Jared, but he still seemed hesitant and wary. Was it his fault, Jared had to wonder.
"What kind of things will I be able to do?" he asked curiously, once more not liking the silence. "Freeze time? That disappearing thing you do? Will I be able to like...move things with my mind?"
With a smile, even though his gaze was still averted, Jensen shook his head slightly. "Not right away," he answered. "If you try you'll only end up hurting yourself. It takes time."
"So what --?"
"You'll see." Jensen held a hand up, stopping the question before Jared could get it out. "Lay down."
"What?" Jared asked, puzzled.
Jensen gave a playful grin, though it barely reached his troubled eyes. "I thought you said you trusted me," he said.
Unable to keep a smile from his own face, Jared glanced behind him -- the ground was clear. He looked back at Jensen who nodded, and he started to lie back. Heart hammering in his chest, Jared took a few slow breaths through his nose. His excitement was joined with trepidation, and while he was anxious, a part of him was also in disbelief. The idea that he had some sort of power in him was a little silly, but he was beyond willing to try.
Nearing him, Jensen ended up on his knees beside Jared, which made Jared's heart speed just a little bit, being so close to Jensen.
"This is weird," Jared said.
"Relax," Jensen said absently, reaching forward to grab Jared's ring. "For this to work, you're going to have to be completely composed."
"I'm composed," Jared lied. Relax with Jensen practically lying over him like this? No way.
Jensen placed the ring against the middle of Jared's chest, then grabbed Jared's right wrist, putting his hand over it and cupping it against his body. Then Jensen's right hand settled on to Jared's, and that was all she wrote -- heat was moving through Jared's body slowly, his pulse pounding heavy in his ears. Jensen's hand was warm and welcome, and it made Jared feel a little tingly.
Sitting back on his haunches, but keeping his hand on top of Jared's, Jensen paused thoughtfully. Jared thought this was even more silly than the idea of him being magical or whatever, and he could only imagine what an outsider would think if they stumbled across the scene to see two men holding a necklace against one's chest like this.
"You're not even close to being relaxed, are you?" Jensen asked.
"I'm working up to it," Jared answered, his voice betraying him and cracking slightly.
With a little sigh, Jensen said, "Close your eyes, Jared."
He obliged, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath at the same time. It didn't help that the first thing Jared saw in his mind when his eyes were closed was Jensen -- he felt so dumb. There was a long pause, and then Jensen sighed slightly.
"What on earth are you thinking about?" he asked. "This is supposed to be helping."
"Sorry," Jared said sheepishly.
"Clear your mind. If you want this to work..."
Giving his own sigh, Jared shoved his guardian from his mind and thought about nothing. He imagined blank white space, he pushed away the sounds of the neighborhood, ignored the smell of rain-threatened air, and he tried to empty out his head.
"Are you ready?" Jensen asked, tone surprisingly soft.
"I think so."
Another pause, and Jensen started to speak in some language Jared didn't know -- definitely not something they offered at his school. His voice was quiet, almost a whisper, and Jared's brow furrowed as he attempted to make out at least one of the words. He couldn't.
Suddenly, the ring started to get hotter against Jared's chest, and his whole arm seemed to start tingling. Jensen kept speaking, seeming to be repeating a chant, and Jared almost opened his eyes out of curiosity. It was the fear of messing this all up that kept them closed.
He was sure his heart couldn't beat any faster than it already was, and his whole body felt like it was being lit on fire. It was like a switch had been flipped, turning on a light inside of Jared, and spreading energy -- white hot -- all throughout him.
He didn't even notice when he gave a gave a sharp gasp.
Something in his veins, maybe even his blood itself, was calling out to him. Power thrummed inside of him, igniting a certain sense of ecstasy within. It wasn't a sexual kind of pleasure, more of a high he'd assume you got when you did drugs. And it intensified with each passing moment.
Mindlessly, Jared's left hand snapped up, his fingers wrapping around Jensen's wrist and holding it tightly, almost as if he were afraid Jensen would let go. A noise that could only be described as a groan welled in Jared's throat, and his back arched slightly against the concrete.
He'd never felt anything like it, and the way it pumped adrenaline through him was unbelievable.
Jensen's other hand was suddenly on Jared's forehead, and color bloomed on the backs of Jared's eyelids, a thrill shooting straight down his spine. Another noise left him, and his body convulsed again.
At some point, Jensen had stopped talking, but it'd been hard to tell when, as Jared's ears had started ringing. For just a moment, Jared felt like his heart had stopped beating completely, and then it was over as quickly as it'd begun.
Just like that.
Jared collapsed, his chest heaving as he panted heavily. His arms fell limp, and he tried to open his eyes. His vision was slightly blurred though, and he closed them again, attempting to ignore the dying buzz in his ears.
Jensen's hands were abruptly on Jared's face, and the older man was leaning over him, his breath warm on Jared's face. "Jared?" his voice sounded weird in Jared's droning ears. "Jared?"
Opening his eyes again, and trying to blink away the fuzzy edges, Jared focused as hard as he could on Jensen's face. The green eyes were worried, full of concern, and while Jared knew the other man's face was merely inches away from his own, he couldn't let himself be too excited about it -- he was just too drained.
Jared tried to speak, but only closed his mouth after a second or two, not knowing what to say. He swallowed against his cotton-mouth.
"How do you feel?" Jensen asked. "Are you okay?"
Jared nodded slowly, reaching up to grab Jensen's wrists. As much as he liked having Jensen's hands on him, it was only making him feel crowded at the moment -- it didn't help that he felt hot and sweaty. Jensen didn't seem to notice Jared's hands.
Opening his mouth again, Jared was fully intent on telling Jensen to back up just a bit, but the only thing he could get out was, "Sandalwood."
"What?" Jensen asked, and Jared's vision had cleared enough so that he could see the furrow of his brows.
Feeling suddenly very sheepish and awkward, Jared shook his head. He hadn't realized what he was saying, but as he took in a deep breath, he realized that Jensen smelled like sandalwood -- thicker than that, more woodsy. It was a nice smell, nicer than he'd originally imagined.
"Does that mean you're okay?" Jensen asked, a hesitant smirk coming to his face.
Jared pulled himself out of Jensen's grasp, rolling away from him and reaching up to cover his face with both hands. Jensen leaned back to give him room, and Jared stayed on his side for a long moment, trying to collect himself. He was also trying to clear his mind, he wanted to make sure he wasn't going to slip up again and say something else that would only embarrass him.
"How do you feel?" Jensen asked him again.
"I don't know," Jared answered truthfully, "Like I was just electrocuted or something?"
He was getting a weird feeling in his bones, a purr-like sensation, like something inside of him was singing to him. His heart had slowed, but now his head was throbbing slightly, feeling swelled and overfilled. He massaged his temples lightly, listening to Jensen's easy breathing beside him.
"That was..." he paused thoughtfully, "While slightly scary, amazing."
"It was the Power," Jensen said.
Jared rolled onto his back again, peering up at his guardian from underneath his sweat-dampened bangs. Jensen seemed a little more relaxed than he'd been a few minutes before, his eyes less troubled, but only slightly.
"Did it work?" Jared asked.
"I don't know," Jensen answered. "I've never done it before. I've just been practicing all these years by myself."
Slowly, Jared pulled himself up into a sitting position. After a second, he realized how close this had brought him to Jensen, and the embarrassment he'd been waiting for since his sandalwood comment came to him, making his face heat up slowly. Jensen didn't seem to notice, probably thinking the blush was an aftereffect.
"How do we...know?" Jared asked.
Jensen shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "Tell me what I'm thinking."
"What?"
A smirk. "Try and read my mind, Jared," he said. "Concentrate."
Jared didn't like being this close to Jensen, close enough to count the freckles that dusted the bridge of Jensen's nose. He stared at Jensen's hairline, unable to look into his eyes for too long a time, and he tried to focus. He'd never used any kind of powers before, so he didn't exactly know what to do.
"The Power you feel," Jensen said softly, coaching him, "Reach for it. Communicate with it, and tell it what you want it to do. Concentrate on me."
Biting the inside of his cheek, Jared attempted to follow the simple-sounding instructions. His mind went blank, and he felt something, a spark of something. But it was gone before he could grasp it. Jensen read the irritation on his face, and he grabbed Jared's right hand again. This time, he placed it on his head, putting Jared's palm right against his forehead.
"Now try it," he said.
Breath hitching silently from actually touching Jensen, Jared fought not to let this distract him. He closed his eyes and thought harder. Tried to find that spark again. Something came, an image of sorts. It was foggy and distorted, and Jared's brow furrowed as he tried to bring it into focus.
"Is that...?" he paused, his head cocking. The image flickered, then brightened for about two seconds before going back to being cloudy. "My house?"
"Had to be something simple, didn't it?" Jensen asked, voice full of a mix of things -- pride and relief being the main ingredients.
Jared opened his eyes again, removing his hand and grinning widely at Jensen. "You were really thinking that?" he asked excitedly. "My house?"
"Which car was in the driveway?" Jensen asked, smirking.
"Gerry's," Jared answered, and at Jensen's nod, Jared let out a bark of laughter. "Wow. I just...read your mind."
"Well," Jensen said, "You picked up a thought that I was trying to send your way -- I had to do a little work too, you know?"
Still smiling, Jared pulled back from Jensen, sitting down on the ground again. He suddenly felt so exhausted that he just wanted to lay down again, and he noticed that Jensen was looking a little paler than he had earlier that morning. He had no doubt that waking up the powers in Jared had taken its toll on the both of them.
"What else can you teach me?" Jared asked.
"One thing at a time, please," Jensen said, though he still wore a smirk.
Lowering his gaze, Jared didn't feel awkward this time as a silence blanketed them. He could hear insects outside the half-built house, along with birds and the sound of cars out on the main road. It hadn't started raining yet, but it'd gotten just a little darker.
"I can still feel it," Jared said. He raised his gaze a little bit. "Inside of me...humming at me."
"You're going to," Jensen said. "It'll never go away -- you just get used to it after a while."
"Really?" Jared asked, kind of surprised, and Jensen nodded. Reaching down to his necklace, Jared started twisting his ring between his fingers, looking over it intently as he thought. "This," he said, "What's this have to do with everything?"
"That ring is what you need to use the Power," Jensen answered. "Without it, you wouldn't be able to do anything."
"What? Really?"
"The Power's inside of you," Jensen said, "But the ring is the source, the ring is what helps you channel all of your energy, all of the magic. Now you understand why I told you to never lose it. Without it, you'd be helpless, no offense meant, but you'd be useless."
Jared laughed, rocking back slightly, and he shook his head. "No offense taken," he said.
"Essentially," Jensen continued, "Don't let it fall into another's hands. Even if the person who takes it from you doesn't have the Power, they will be able to use it because of you. You won't realize it at the time, if they decide to use it, but after a while it will start to drain you, and they will feel none of the effects, just reap the benefits."
"Well that's pretty lame," Jared said, picking at his sneakers again.
A chuckle came from Jensen, a raspy sound in his throat that made Jared feel warm all over. "Yeah," he replied. "Lame's a good word."
It was hard to explain, but Jared had never been happier than he was today. He finally felt like he belonged somewhere, like there was a reason that he was on earth. And with Jensen there with him, he didn't feel quite as lonely as he normally did. Also, with the promise of teaching him many more of his "magic tricks," Jared knew he and Jensen were going to be spending a lot of time together.
And that was always a good thing.
NEXT.
Fandom: RPS - Actors
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki
Rating: NC17 (overall)
Warnings: AU, language, slash, sexual content, bottom!Jared, violence, character death, crack.
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.
Disclaimer: No harm, no foul.
Words: This Part: 5,979 ; Full Story: 20,889 (so far)
Note: This chapter took me forever to finish -- I'd have liked to post it a lot sooner. I've been rereading it and rereading it, but as much as I don't like it, I can't find anything to change; it's all stuff that needed to be said. So, while I may not be too happy with this update, I certainly hope you guys enjoy it. :]
Previous Chapters:
{ MASTERPOST}
DARK LIGHT
f o u r
"You seem different today."
Jared glanced away from the window, taking his eyes off of the raindrops that splattered against the glass. Dr. Morgan was in his usual seat, watching Jared with a smirk playing at his lips.
"I do?" Jared asked.
"Well, you're still kind of quiet," Dr. Morgan said, "But it's different today. You look happy. How're you sleeping lately?"
Jared gave a little nod. "Good," he answered. "My dreams have stopped -- been feeling a lot better about that." It was partly true -- he was just leaving out the part about Jensen being the man from his dreams/stalker/guardian. He hadn't been having his dreams since he'd met Jensen, and he figured it was probably because his whole life, Jensen had been causing the dreams in his attempt to find him.
"That's great," Dr. Morgan said, writing something down. "How was class yesterday?"
Lowering his gaze, Jared bit his bottom lip sheepishly. There was no sense in lying to Dr. Morgan about some things -- the man was just so good at reading him sometimes.
"Uh oh," Dr. Morgan said, half-scolding and half-playful. "Jared?"
"I know, I know," Jared said with a little sigh. He ran his fingers through his hair, shrugging one of his shoulders. "I shouldn't have."
"Why did you?" Dr. Morgan asked curiously.
"Chad wanted to go get something to eat," Jared answered. "And I didn't feel like wasting my day in that boring class." He gave his doctor a little smile. "You gonna tell my parents?"
Dr. Morgan studied him for a small moment, then returned the smile. "Guess I can keep this one secret," he said.
Now grinning, Jared looked back towards the window, up at the dark gray sky. He was kind of wishing today would go by a little faster -- he wanted to see Jensen again, more than he should've. He knew he had a crush on him, and he knew it was dumb of him, but he just couldn't help it.
"Sleep can't be making you this happy," Dr. Morgan said, "Please, feed my curiosity and tell me what's going on with you. I'm actually kind of jealous at how happy you've grown over the course of a day."
Jared smiled, and after a short look back at the older man, he supposed he could say a little bit. "Well," he started, "I kind of...met this guy."
Dr. Morgan's smile was a fatherly one that made Jared think of Gerry for some reason. He cocked his head slightly, and Jared felt his face flush. "That's certainly something to be happy about then," he said. "What's he like?"
"Mysterious," Jared answered, suddenly excited to be talking about Jensen. "Kind of vague a lot of the time, but he's charming. He has this air about him, this...caring and --" Jared couldn't think of a better word, "-- protective air."
"How'd you meet him?" Dr. Morgan asked.
Jared tried to think quickly, looking towards the window again so Dr. Morgan wouldn't be able to tell that the gears in his brain were shifting. "The bus stop," he finally said, and he was surprised at how true the answer actually was. "When I left on Tuesday, I met him at the bus stop. We just kind of connected."
"Have your parents met him?"
Pausing slightly, Jared shook his head. "I don't really...think they'd like him too much."
"Why not?"
"He's older," Jared said -- among other things.
"How much older?" Dr. Morgan's brow rose.
Only a hundred plus years or so. "He's in his late twenties." Jared was mostly guessing -- Jensen could pass for twenty-eight, he thought. He grinned at the way Dr. Morgan seemed to be trying to keep his face composed. "I know it sounds bad."
"Not real bad," Dr. Morgan said, "But I do think it's something you'll want to bring up with them soon."
"Yeah," Jared answered slowly, nodding. "But I should...focus first on telling them that I'm gay."
"Ahh," Dr. Morgan said knowingly, "And here I thought you'd already told them." He quirked a brow just slightly. "Are you afraid of their reactions?"
"I don't know," Jared admitted. "They're real cool and accepting, but I just...I don't want it to scare them or anything. It's...weird."
"It's natural," Dr. Morgan said, "For you to be nervous about it. Telling them will probably be one of the biggest events in your life, it's going to scare you a little at first."
Jared nodded his head, trying to imagine how he'd let it slip that he liked boys instead of girls. Maybe tell Sharon first, have her tell Gerry? Dr. Morgan was silent for a moment, and he seemed to read Jared's expression.
"You could always write them a letter," he suggested. "Might make things easier for you."
Jared thought about it, then nodded once more. It could work, he supposed. It would definitely be a lot easier than trying to find the right words -- he was never good at stuff like that. Suddenly, Dr. Morgan shifted in his seat, setting his legal pad on the couch beside him. Jared looked for a clock, just like he always did, before he remembered there wasn't one in the room.
"Time already?" he asked.
Dr. Morgan smiled. "A little over, actually," he answered. He gave a wink. "I won't charge for the extra ten minutes."
Laughing, Jared climbed to his feet. As Dr. Morgan led him out of the small room, Jared was surprised to see Sharon in the waiting room, flipping through a magazine -- it hadn't been raining when he'd left the house, so he'd just taken the bus. The fact that Sharon had come for him because it'd started drizzling -- when he hadn't even asked -- was heartwarming, to say the least.
It was one of the many times when Jared forgot that she wasn't his real mom; she sure enough acted like it, and that was all that mattered.
* * *
"I don't know, I can't explain it."
Jared stopped outside the kitchen doorway, his ears practically perking up. Sharon's voice was low as she spoke to Gerry; it was her gossiping tone. Jared could tell she was talking about him -- it was just a sixth sense that most teenagers had. He turned his head slightly to listen.
"He just seemed so different today, more cheerful -- chipper," she was saying. "Earlier, while we were coming home from Dr. Morgan's, he was ten kinds of talkative."
"Jared talkative?" Gerry was mildly surprised, it sounded.
Crossing his arms, Jared pondered whether or not he should've felt offended at their incredulous tones. He didn't think he'd been acting all that different, but all the adults he knew seemed to think differently.
"Do you think it has anything to do with his doctor?" Gerry asked. "Bringing him out of his shell more and more?"
"I don't know," Sharon said, "But whatever it is, I'm so glad. He's such a great kid, he deserves to be happy."
Even with the warmth of gratitude he felt, Jared had to wonder if Sharon would still think the same if she knew it was a strange man with magical powers that was making him happy. If he told her that, he'd be thrown in a padded cell before he'd even known what hit him.
He waited for a short while, until his parents had changed topics, and then he casually turned to enter the room. It was obvious by their expressions that they didn't think he'd heard anything, and he quickly said his goodnights, brushing it off when Sharon told him how early it still was.
In his dark room, he was free to do nothing but think about Jensen. Wearing just a pair of drawstring pajama pants, Jared was lying flat on his back, gazing up at the shadowed ceiling with his hands folded beneath his head. His real mother's ring was warm against his throat where it'd slid when he'd laid down, but it was a feeling he'd grown quite used to, the heat it seemed to radiate.
Any normal person may have still been freaked out over all that had happened in just a few days, but Jared couldn't have felt any better. He'd felt like he was different his whole life, not in the arrogant way that reeked of superiority, just unusual compared to the people around him. And Jensen's stories told him that he was right, he was different. Jensen was a tie to Jared's past life, his real family, and there was so much comfort in that that he couldn't find it in him to be doubtful and confused.
Going back to the older man, Jared couldn't stop his mind from wandering.
The first thing he thought of, like always, were Jensen's eyes -- he couldn't get over how hypnotizing they were. Then the rest of Jensen's face came into focus. Particularly the crinkles at his eyes when he smiled, the full lips that would pucker just slightly as he thought of what he was going to say.
Starting to think about the rest of Jensen -- the broad shoulders, the strong arms, the thick waist -- Jared could feel heat begin to flow through his body. Jensen was one of those people who you could just tell had a great body, and this wasn't the first time Jared had tried to imagine what his guardian looked like without a shirt. He suddenly wondered if Jensen had freckles on his chest, maybe his shoulders, to match those on his cheeks.
What about his legs? Freckles on his thighs?
Opening his eyes quickly, Jared could feel his face burning, his throat dry. Just the thought of Jensen was making his cock start to harden in his loose-fitting pants.
Usually when he wanted to touch himself, Jared would think about his gym teacher -- big, beefy, movie-star material -- or even Dr. Morgan, who's gravelly voice always made Jared feel like his heart had skipped a beat. But Jensen wasn't like them, not at all. To Jared, Jensen was a work of art, something too good to be true.
And he'd just met the guy. Who knew how he'd feel after he got to know him? If he got to know him.
Tongue coming out to brush over his lips, Jared shifted in bed, reaching a hand down to his erection. He cupped it through the thin material of his pants, and he started to press in against it, kneading his fingers and squeezing it.
But then a thought occurred to him, well, multiple thoughts, and all equally terrifying. Would Jensen know what was going on? Would he be able to feel what Jared was doing? Would he know that Jared was thinking about him at the time?
As these questions crossed his mind, Jared's hand promptly snapped back to where it'd been beneath his head. His dick started to throb now, but he fought to ignore it.
Sometimes, Jared really hated the way his mind worked.
For some completely strange and unsettling reason, the next thing his mind jumped to was the idea of Jensen getting himself off. He didn't know why, but it entered his mind like a plague and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push the mental images away.
Giving a groan of irritation, Jared rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face into his pillow. Why did he have to be gay? If he wasn't, he would have been able to think of Jensen without wanting to see him naked.
Closing his eyes again, Jared breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of his own shampoo that lingered on his pillow. Without meaning to, he tried to imagine what Jensen smelled like. He looked like he would smell strong and musky, yet comfortable and homey. He'd have to remember to try and secretly get a whiff of the older man the next time he saw him, be real inconspicuous about it.
His cock throbbed again, grabbing his attention once more, and Jared bit the inside of his cheek. After another moment, he all but threw himself out of bed. After a cold shower, he was going to use all of his strength to keep Jensen from his mind. At least for tonight.
* * *
Jared woke late the next morning, unable to place the sense of urgency that was overwhelming him. As he lay in bed, blinking away grog and rubbing at his face, he realized what it was. Jensen was waiting for him, wondering where he was. Jared side-glanced his alarm clock, it was a little past eleven.
"Now?" he asked his empty room. "He wants to meet up now?"
He lay there for a few more moments, before sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of his bed. Jensen was waiting at the half-built house on Greeley Way -- he could feel it. With a little sigh, Jared moved quickly, going to his dresser and pulling on a plain white tee, loose fitting and worn. Then he slipped his shoes on, not bothering to change out of his pajama pants, and left his bedroom.
He did the normal morning routine -- bathroom, brush his teeth, make sure his hair was presentable -- and he made his way downstairs. Gerry was already at work, and Sharon had left a note about how she'd gone to a friend's place. Megan was on the computer in the living room, the sound of the keyboard seeming strangely loud in the quiet house.
Sharon had left Jared a plate of breakfast in the microwave, but he only bothered to take a few bites, before washing it down with orange juice. He went to the living room, stopping in the doorway.
"I'm going out," he said.
She gave him only a slightly quizzical look. "You just woke up," she said.
"I know," he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm late -- I told Chad I'd meet up with him. We're going into town."
"To do what?" she asked.
"Pick up chicks," Jared answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. "Do I pry into your life when you go to hang out with your friends?"
"Only because you've never thought to," she said, shrugging.
"I'm going out," Jared repeated. "You can take care of yourself, right?"
"I'm not a baby, Jared," she said. "Besides, mom'll be home soon."
"Tell her I won't stay out too long," Jared said, though he was really unsure. If Jensen wanted to spend all day with him, there was now way he was going to cut that short. "You know how she likes to worry."
Megan turned back to the computer, mumbling something. Something stirred in Jared, but he tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, pretend she'd said something else.
"What?" he asked.
Megan paused, then started typing again. She answered softly as she worked on whatever it was she was doing. "She likes to worry about you. Sometimes she could care less what I'm doing."
Giving a little sigh, Jared raked his fingers through his hair. "Megan, that's not true," he said shortly. Not only did he not have time for this, Megan was being dumb. "She worries about you just as much as me."
She said nothing for what felt like hours, then she turned to him and nodded, though he could tell it was forced. "I know," she said, tone unconvincing. "Go meet up with Chad, you know how he likes to overreact."
Normally Jared might've smiled at this, but instead, he stared hard at Megan for a good minute or so, expression never changing. She turned away from him casually, going back to whatever she was doing. Licking his lips, Jared turned and went to the front door.
The sky was a pasty shade of gray, threatening showers like the day before. Hoping it wouldn't rain on him, Jared started walking briskly; he felt like he'd already made Jensen wait too long. As he reached Greeley Way, the feeling of compulsion seemed to fade. When he made it to the same plot he'd met with Jensen before, the feeling was completely gone. He almost thought he'd dreamed it up.
"Sorry if I woke you."
Startled, Jared spun to see Jensen -- long sleeves, damnit -- standing a few feet away from him. Realizing he was slightly stiff from the momentary scare, he told himself to relax.
"Can you give me some warning next time you do that?" he demanded.
"Do what?"
"Just...pop up," Jared said. "Magically disappearing and reappearing might be old news to you buddy, but I've only got one heart, and you might give it an attack."
Jensen smiled, the humor reaching his eyes, and he nodded mock solemnly. "You're right," he said, "I'm terribly sorry."
Jared crossed his arms, nodding his head. "Good," he said. "Thank you. Now what do you mean, sorry if you woke me?"
"I thought you were going to sleep all day," Jensen admitted. "I didn't know how it would work if I attempted to push myself on you -- but I must've done something right; here you are."
It was a little weird to imagine Jensen trying to wake him up with their bond, but after the other things Jensen had done in front of him, Jared was over it quickly. He nodded again.
"It's okay," he said. "I should've been awake earlier. I was just..." He trailed off and shook his head, "Nevermind." He'd been about to tell Jensen that he'd been having some good dreams, but that would involve telling Jensen what made them so good.
As Jensen rounded him to go towards the cut-out doorway, Jared threw a glance up at the sky, turning to follow.
"Is it going to rain today?" he asked.
"I don't know," Jensen answered, and there was a smile in his tone, "I'm a Warlock, not a meteorologist."
Jared flushed as the two of them reached the same spot as two nights ago, but he decided against saying anything, for fear of embarrassing himself further. The plot looked a lot less dangerous during the day, the roof looked a lot more sturdy in the light. That was a small comfort.
Jensen turned to him, and Jared looked at him for just a second or two before lowering his gaze -- he felt like if he stared at Jensen for too long, his secret wouldn't be quite so secret anymore. Playing it cool, he lowered himself onto the concrete, getting comfortable with his legs curled Indian-style. Immediately, his hands went to his shoes, and he started to pick at them, chewing on his bottom lip.
"What's wrong?" Jensen asked, staring down at him.
With a little smirk, Jared raised his eyebrows. "You ask me that a lot," he said.
"If you would tell me the first time," Jensen said, "I wouldn't have to."
"Nothing's wrong, I promise," Jared replied. "So what are you we doing today?"
There was a long pause, and Jensen's expression was unreadable, his lips doing that purse thing. Then he arched one of his eyebrows in a perfect way. "The ring?" he asked.
Looking down, Jared pulled the necklace out from under his shirt again, letting the ring drop against his chest. Jensen glanced at it briefly, then his gaze met Jared's, and it was hard for Jared to look away this time. Jensen's eyes were dark, but thoughtful, and he held Jared's stare with his own for what felt like ages.
When he looked away, he made a face almost like he was fighting with himself.
"Now it's my turn to ask what's wrong," Jared said, feeling like a dork -- normally he didn't mind silences, but with Jensen it was awkward.
The older man paused, then looked back at Jared. Instead of answering Jared's question, he said, "Think it's about time we tried. The Power, I mean."
Excitement ran through Jared, and he grinned before he could help himself. "We're gonna wake it up?" he asked.
"Try to," Jensen answered, though that didn't dampen Jared's spirits any. "I know it's in there, trying to get out -- I know you can feel it. But it's been so many years, I don't know how it's going to work."
"I trust you," Jared said quickly, and it was completely honest.
Another unreadable look came to Jensen's face, his lips flickering up into a smile. He looked away this time, glancing to the floor as his brow furrowed in thought.
"Can you promise me something, Jared?" he asked.
"Sure," Jared said, then paused. "Well...it depends..."
Jensen's mouth turned up again, but his tone was serious when he spoke again. "After today, you're going to be strong, your powers are going to be strong. I'll be teaching you all that I can, watching out for you as best as I can, but it has to work both ways. I need you to promise me that you won't be reckless. Swear to me that you won't abuse it."
When he looked back at Jared, his eyes were fiery and intense -- it made Jared pause as he swallowed against his suddenly dry throat. He nodded slowly.
"I promise, Jensen," he said. "I swear I'll go easy with it."
Jensen reached up to rub at his jaw, and Jared raised his eyebrows at him.
"Don't you trust me?" he asked somewhat playfully.
"More than you know," Jensen answered quietly, apparently not noticing that it was mostly a joke. "I'm just trying to do this right, I have to be sure..." He trailed off.
Jared looked down, wishing he could know what Jensen was thinking. He said he trusted Jared, but he still seemed hesitant and wary. Was it his fault, Jared had to wonder.
"What kind of things will I be able to do?" he asked curiously, once more not liking the silence. "Freeze time? That disappearing thing you do? Will I be able to like...move things with my mind?"
With a smile, even though his gaze was still averted, Jensen shook his head slightly. "Not right away," he answered. "If you try you'll only end up hurting yourself. It takes time."
"So what --?"
"You'll see." Jensen held a hand up, stopping the question before Jared could get it out. "Lay down."
"What?" Jared asked, puzzled.
Jensen gave a playful grin, though it barely reached his troubled eyes. "I thought you said you trusted me," he said.
Unable to keep a smile from his own face, Jared glanced behind him -- the ground was clear. He looked back at Jensen who nodded, and he started to lie back. Heart hammering in his chest, Jared took a few slow breaths through his nose. His excitement was joined with trepidation, and while he was anxious, a part of him was also in disbelief. The idea that he had some sort of power in him was a little silly, but he was beyond willing to try.
Nearing him, Jensen ended up on his knees beside Jared, which made Jared's heart speed just a little bit, being so close to Jensen.
"This is weird," Jared said.
"Relax," Jensen said absently, reaching forward to grab Jared's ring. "For this to work, you're going to have to be completely composed."
"I'm composed," Jared lied. Relax with Jensen practically lying over him like this? No way.
Jensen placed the ring against the middle of Jared's chest, then grabbed Jared's right wrist, putting his hand over it and cupping it against his body. Then Jensen's right hand settled on to Jared's, and that was all she wrote -- heat was moving through Jared's body slowly, his pulse pounding heavy in his ears. Jensen's hand was warm and welcome, and it made Jared feel a little tingly.
Sitting back on his haunches, but keeping his hand on top of Jared's, Jensen paused thoughtfully. Jared thought this was even more silly than the idea of him being magical or whatever, and he could only imagine what an outsider would think if they stumbled across the scene to see two men holding a necklace against one's chest like this.
"You're not even close to being relaxed, are you?" Jensen asked.
"I'm working up to it," Jared answered, his voice betraying him and cracking slightly.
With a little sigh, Jensen said, "Close your eyes, Jared."
He obliged, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath at the same time. It didn't help that the first thing Jared saw in his mind when his eyes were closed was Jensen -- he felt so dumb. There was a long pause, and then Jensen sighed slightly.
"What on earth are you thinking about?" he asked. "This is supposed to be helping."
"Sorry," Jared said sheepishly.
"Clear your mind. If you want this to work..."
Giving his own sigh, Jared shoved his guardian from his mind and thought about nothing. He imagined blank white space, he pushed away the sounds of the neighborhood, ignored the smell of rain-threatened air, and he tried to empty out his head.
"Are you ready?" Jensen asked, tone surprisingly soft.
"I think so."
Another pause, and Jensen started to speak in some language Jared didn't know -- definitely not something they offered at his school. His voice was quiet, almost a whisper, and Jared's brow furrowed as he attempted to make out at least one of the words. He couldn't.
Suddenly, the ring started to get hotter against Jared's chest, and his whole arm seemed to start tingling. Jensen kept speaking, seeming to be repeating a chant, and Jared almost opened his eyes out of curiosity. It was the fear of messing this all up that kept them closed.
He was sure his heart couldn't beat any faster than it already was, and his whole body felt like it was being lit on fire. It was like a switch had been flipped, turning on a light inside of Jared, and spreading energy -- white hot -- all throughout him.
He didn't even notice when he gave a gave a sharp gasp.
Something in his veins, maybe even his blood itself, was calling out to him. Power thrummed inside of him, igniting a certain sense of ecstasy within. It wasn't a sexual kind of pleasure, more of a high he'd assume you got when you did drugs. And it intensified with each passing moment.
Mindlessly, Jared's left hand snapped up, his fingers wrapping around Jensen's wrist and holding it tightly, almost as if he were afraid Jensen would let go. A noise that could only be described as a groan welled in Jared's throat, and his back arched slightly against the concrete.
He'd never felt anything like it, and the way it pumped adrenaline through him was unbelievable.
Jensen's other hand was suddenly on Jared's forehead, and color bloomed on the backs of Jared's eyelids, a thrill shooting straight down his spine. Another noise left him, and his body convulsed again.
At some point, Jensen had stopped talking, but it'd been hard to tell when, as Jared's ears had started ringing. For just a moment, Jared felt like his heart had stopped beating completely, and then it was over as quickly as it'd begun.
Just like that.
Jared collapsed, his chest heaving as he panted heavily. His arms fell limp, and he tried to open his eyes. His vision was slightly blurred though, and he closed them again, attempting to ignore the dying buzz in his ears.
Jensen's hands were abruptly on Jared's face, and the older man was leaning over him, his breath warm on Jared's face. "Jared?" his voice sounded weird in Jared's droning ears. "Jared?"
Opening his eyes again, and trying to blink away the fuzzy edges, Jared focused as hard as he could on Jensen's face. The green eyes were worried, full of concern, and while Jared knew the other man's face was merely inches away from his own, he couldn't let himself be too excited about it -- he was just too drained.
Jared tried to speak, but only closed his mouth after a second or two, not knowing what to say. He swallowed against his cotton-mouth.
"How do you feel?" Jensen asked. "Are you okay?"
Jared nodded slowly, reaching up to grab Jensen's wrists. As much as he liked having Jensen's hands on him, it was only making him feel crowded at the moment -- it didn't help that he felt hot and sweaty. Jensen didn't seem to notice Jared's hands.
Opening his mouth again, Jared was fully intent on telling Jensen to back up just a bit, but the only thing he could get out was, "Sandalwood."
"What?" Jensen asked, and Jared's vision had cleared enough so that he could see the furrow of his brows.
Feeling suddenly very sheepish and awkward, Jared shook his head. He hadn't realized what he was saying, but as he took in a deep breath, he realized that Jensen smelled like sandalwood -- thicker than that, more woodsy. It was a nice smell, nicer than he'd originally imagined.
"Does that mean you're okay?" Jensen asked, a hesitant smirk coming to his face.
Jared pulled himself out of Jensen's grasp, rolling away from him and reaching up to cover his face with both hands. Jensen leaned back to give him room, and Jared stayed on his side for a long moment, trying to collect himself. He was also trying to clear his mind, he wanted to make sure he wasn't going to slip up again and say something else that would only embarrass him.
"How do you feel?" Jensen asked him again.
"I don't know," Jared answered truthfully, "Like I was just electrocuted or something?"
He was getting a weird feeling in his bones, a purr-like sensation, like something inside of him was singing to him. His heart had slowed, but now his head was throbbing slightly, feeling swelled and overfilled. He massaged his temples lightly, listening to Jensen's easy breathing beside him.
"That was..." he paused thoughtfully, "While slightly scary, amazing."
"It was the Power," Jensen said.
Jared rolled onto his back again, peering up at his guardian from underneath his sweat-dampened bangs. Jensen seemed a little more relaxed than he'd been a few minutes before, his eyes less troubled, but only slightly.
"Did it work?" Jared asked.
"I don't know," Jensen answered. "I've never done it before. I've just been practicing all these years by myself."
Slowly, Jared pulled himself up into a sitting position. After a second, he realized how close this had brought him to Jensen, and the embarrassment he'd been waiting for since his sandalwood comment came to him, making his face heat up slowly. Jensen didn't seem to notice, probably thinking the blush was an aftereffect.
"How do we...know?" Jared asked.
Jensen shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "Tell me what I'm thinking."
"What?"
A smirk. "Try and read my mind, Jared," he said. "Concentrate."
Jared didn't like being this close to Jensen, close enough to count the freckles that dusted the bridge of Jensen's nose. He stared at Jensen's hairline, unable to look into his eyes for too long a time, and he tried to focus. He'd never used any kind of powers before, so he didn't exactly know what to do.
"The Power you feel," Jensen said softly, coaching him, "Reach for it. Communicate with it, and tell it what you want it to do. Concentrate on me."
Biting the inside of his cheek, Jared attempted to follow the simple-sounding instructions. His mind went blank, and he felt something, a spark of something. But it was gone before he could grasp it. Jensen read the irritation on his face, and he grabbed Jared's right hand again. This time, he placed it on his head, putting Jared's palm right against his forehead.
"Now try it," he said.
Breath hitching silently from actually touching Jensen, Jared fought not to let this distract him. He closed his eyes and thought harder. Tried to find that spark again. Something came, an image of sorts. It was foggy and distorted, and Jared's brow furrowed as he tried to bring it into focus.
"Is that...?" he paused, his head cocking. The image flickered, then brightened for about two seconds before going back to being cloudy. "My house?"
"Had to be something simple, didn't it?" Jensen asked, voice full of a mix of things -- pride and relief being the main ingredients.
Jared opened his eyes again, removing his hand and grinning widely at Jensen. "You were really thinking that?" he asked excitedly. "My house?"
"Which car was in the driveway?" Jensen asked, smirking.
"Gerry's," Jared answered, and at Jensen's nod, Jared let out a bark of laughter. "Wow. I just...read your mind."
"Well," Jensen said, "You picked up a thought that I was trying to send your way -- I had to do a little work too, you know?"
Still smiling, Jared pulled back from Jensen, sitting down on the ground again. He suddenly felt so exhausted that he just wanted to lay down again, and he noticed that Jensen was looking a little paler than he had earlier that morning. He had no doubt that waking up the powers in Jared had taken its toll on the both of them.
"What else can you teach me?" Jared asked.
"One thing at a time, please," Jensen said, though he still wore a smirk.
Lowering his gaze, Jared didn't feel awkward this time as a silence blanketed them. He could hear insects outside the half-built house, along with birds and the sound of cars out on the main road. It hadn't started raining yet, but it'd gotten just a little darker.
"I can still feel it," Jared said. He raised his gaze a little bit. "Inside of me...humming at me."
"You're going to," Jensen said. "It'll never go away -- you just get used to it after a while."
"Really?" Jared asked, kind of surprised, and Jensen nodded. Reaching down to his necklace, Jared started twisting his ring between his fingers, looking over it intently as he thought. "This," he said, "What's this have to do with everything?"
"That ring is what you need to use the Power," Jensen answered. "Without it, you wouldn't be able to do anything."
"What? Really?"
"The Power's inside of you," Jensen said, "But the ring is the source, the ring is what helps you channel all of your energy, all of the magic. Now you understand why I told you to never lose it. Without it, you'd be helpless, no offense meant, but you'd be useless."
Jared laughed, rocking back slightly, and he shook his head. "No offense taken," he said.
"Essentially," Jensen continued, "Don't let it fall into another's hands. Even if the person who takes it from you doesn't have the Power, they will be able to use it because of you. You won't realize it at the time, if they decide to use it, but after a while it will start to drain you, and they will feel none of the effects, just reap the benefits."
"Well that's pretty lame," Jared said, picking at his sneakers again.
A chuckle came from Jensen, a raspy sound in his throat that made Jared feel warm all over. "Yeah," he replied. "Lame's a good word."
It was hard to explain, but Jared had never been happier than he was today. He finally felt like he belonged somewhere, like there was a reason that he was on earth. And with Jensen there with him, he didn't feel quite as lonely as he normally did. Also, with the promise of teaching him many more of his "magic tricks," Jared knew he and Jensen were going to be spending a lot of time together.
And that was always a good thing.
NEXT.