Meeting the Boy Next Door’s Parents and Extended Family 1/1 [R], Jensen/Jared
Title: Meeting the Boy Next Door’s Parents and Extended Family
Author: truelyesoteric
Rating: R (for language)
Pairings: Jared/Jensen
Warnings: Its RPS AU. Boy on Boy. And there is shameful use of the Padalecki and Ackles family. I swear I’m almost sorry. Mackenzie Ackles probably doesn’t have a mouth on her like I have outlined.
Spoilers: None.
Disclaimer: I don’t own them. Nobody is paying me to write this.
Word Count: 5600
Summary: Its kind of a big gay farce and then it isn’t.
This follows The Boy Next Door and Dating the Boy Next Door.
Just trust me on the title.
“This is a farce,” Megan announced.
“These are the rules,” Sharon said sighing, “If you are dating some guy, you have to bring him to dinner.”
“Jared doesn’t have to bring Jensen for a terribly embarrassing dinner,” Megan pointed out.
Jared sighed, “They’ve known Jensen since he was six, having a dinner would be farce.”
“You’re a farce,” Megan said rushing from the room.
Sharon and Jared looked after her and then looked at each other in confusion. Megan came back into the room with a dictionary.
“Farce,” Megan said, “Noun. a light, humorous play in which the plot depends upon a skillfully exploited situation rather than upon the development of character.”
She looked up at her mother, “Indeed it might not be a farce to being Jordan home, but it’s definitely a witch hunt.”
She looked at Jared thoughtfully, “If we had dinner with Jensen it would totally be a farce. A big gay farce,” she chewed on her lip and turned back to her mother.
“I like,” she said mischievously, “Mom I will bring Jordan home AFTER we have dinner with Jensen.”
“That is so not fair,” Jared whined.
“You so have been dating him longer than I’ve been dating Jordan.”
“We went on our first and only date yesterday!” Jared exclaimed, “You’ve been sneaking around with Jordan for like three months.”
Megan put her hands on her hips, “You’ve been dating Jensen since you were thirteen. We know neighbor Jensen, we don’t know your boyfriend Jensen.”
Jared wanted to smack himself in the head.
Or maybe her.
“Mom,” he appealed with puppy dog eyes.
Sharon was deep in thought.
“I do think that we need to get together,” Sharon finally said, “Just a little thing to see where you see this going
Jared glared at Megan. Megan grinned.
‘A little thing.’ Famous last words.
The text was simple.
‘Picnic table? Now?’
Jensen looked at his phone. Jared was a talker he loved to leave long rambling messages on voicemail; he loved to talk incessantly about anything as soon as anyone picked up. In their year when Jensen was at UT Austin and he was at UC San Diego Jared would call and leave messages that were more like episodes of life.
Jared didn’t write text messages.
He didn’t do brevity.
Jensen was curious.
Jared was sitting on the picnic table, playing with his cell phone when Jensen exited the house.
“What’s up Jared?” Jensen asked coming and sitting next to Jared.
Jared took a deep breath, but didn’t move to explain.
Jared didn’t say anything, just played with his phone and not looking up.
“You’re freaking me out,” Jensen said taking the phone away from him.
“Are you my boyfriend,” Jared blurted out, finally looking Jensen in the eyes, “I mean I think that by now it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility, but it just seems like its just so fast, I mean last week you were dating Chris.”
Jensen stared at him taken aback, understanding the logic, but not knowing what to say, “You were dating Sandy last week. I mean I’m pretty sure that most people didn’t even know that you liked guys.”
Jared sighed with the weight of the world, “I know I just think that there isn’t anything wrong with you being my boyfriend. We know we get along and we know that the sex is amazing, but still…”
Jensen nodded, “It feels like we’re skipping a step.”
“Exactly,” Jared said and then a frown crossed his face, “Or maybe we’ve done all the steps but in the wrong order.”
Jensen ran a hand through his hair, “Yeah, do we have to know this right now.”
“Kinda,” Jensen said quietly.
“Why?”
“Because we have to have a big gay farce.”
“Hunh?”
“Meggie won’t introduce Jordan to the parents until I bring you to dinner to meet my family,” Jared tried to explain and Jensen got that oh my god that is the craziest thing that I’ve ever heard and you seriously don’t expect me to kill small puppies.
“They know me,” Jensen pointed out.
“Please do this Jensen,” Jared begged, “We can figure out what we are later. You don’t have to be my boyfriend, just be my date for Friday.”
Jensen smiled and bumped his shoulder against Jared’s.
“I can so handle your parents,” Jensen told him.
Jared relaxed, “Good. It will be simple, just my parents.”
Which would have been right if it were true.
Megan lay back on the picnic table, legs dangling off; Mackenzie lay with her head at Megan’s head in a similar position. Jeff and Josh lay on the seats, Sophia perched on the table eating a popsicle.
“They used to buy lube at that porn shop outside of town,” Mackenzie announced.
“How the hell do you know that?” Jeff asked.
“I talked to Mac Fuller,” she told them.
Josh sat up, “What the hell were you doing talking to Mac Fuller? That dude is a pervert.”
Mackenzie shrugged, “He’s got funny stories about people who come into the porn shop. I guess one of them used to sneak in once a week. They were dirty little boys.”
Josh closed his eyes, “Gawd, I’m getting that image of them again.”
“Hmm,” Sophia said dreamily, “Was it hot?”
Jeff sat up and gave her a glare, “He’s your cousin Sophia.”
She shrugged, “I wasn’t part of it. I can admire beauty and still not have it be illegal.”
“You guys are all perverts,” Megan told them.
Mackenzie shrugged, “In retrospect everyone has a fucking story to tell about just how much they knew, but not quite fucking knew that the dear sweet boys were fucking. I think I’m going to write a book.”
“Isn’t it funny how retrospect is so clear,” Josh pointed out.
“I still find it astonishing,” Jeff muttered.
“You didn’t see Jared getting head,” Megan pointed out, “That makes things pretty clear.”
It was three in the morning when Jared got the first inkling that it wouldn’t be totally simple to just move into a relationship with Jensen.
He woke up and his phone was shrilly beeping.
“Lo,” he said, still half asleep.
“Why?” a feminine voice said on the other end.
Jared sat up, “Sandy?”
“I knew what you were,” said far to loud to be sober, “I knew what you were when I started dating you. You fucked my roommate before we got together. I knew what you were. You were slutty. Everyone told me not to waste my time on you.”
Jared closed his eyes and tried to breathe. He could hear her sobbing.
“I knew and I did it anyway. You told me someone broke your heart and I fell in love anyway, despite you. I wanted to believe that I was different.”
“You were different,” Jared said softly.
“Fuck you I was different,” Sandy said vehemently, so out of character, “If I was different then your hand would not have been down Jensen Ackles pants for your family, for your friends, for the fucking town to see. If I were different I wouldn’t have found out that you liked dudes along with everyone else in the known universe with your hand down Jensen’s pants and you making noises I’ve never heard. How was I different?“
She was openly sobbing now.
“Was I just your cover up?” she asked between hiccups, “Was I just something to make you normal.”
“Sandy,” Jared said lowly, “I dated guys too.”
“God!” she swore, “Never in the light, never where people could see them, never where any of our friends could tell me. So did you go home during break and fuck Jensen in your fucking closet?”
“No,” Jared admitted, “Never Jensen, never when I was with you.”
She sobbed in almost a relief, “But you had, you did, you don’t kiss strangers like that.”
“No, you don’t kiss strangers like that,” Jared said weakly.
She let out a sputter and then there was silence. Jared wondered for a moment if she had passed out or hung up.
And then she let out a breath.
“It was him,” she said with the strength of a dying new born kitten, “He is the one.”
Jared stayed silent for too long, trying to figure out if he should lie or tell the truth.
“He broke your heart and you still loved him,” Sandy figured out, crying abandoned, “He broke your heart and kept it and you let me think that you could love me.”
“Yes,” Jared breathed, ashamed.
“Do you love him?” Sandy demanded, “Are you going to be with him now?”
“I’m sorry Sandy,” Jared managed.
“Well fuck you, I don’t forgive you,” Sandy fired at him.
There was a click and there was no more.
Jared stared up at the ceiling for an hour, her words playing over in his mind.
He couldn’t sleep.
He finally sighed and got up.
There was only one place to go.
It was eerily familiar, walking across the darkened backyard; he could almost remember the amount of steps that it took.
He ducked to the side of the house and quietly knocked on the screen window. It was so very easy. He had done it for years.
There was rustling and almost an instant movement inside, like an automatic response Jensen seemed to be expecting him, as if they were eighteen and still horny as hell.
Jensen looked at him through the screen and sighed, removing it.
“I am not going to have sex with you at four in the morning,” Jensen said, puttering back to his bed.
Jared replaced the screen and knelt by the bed, “Sandy drunk dialed me.”
Jensen’s eyes opened and looked at Jared in the moonlight. Jared’s eyes were glassy. Jensen couldn’t think of anything to do except for motion for Jared to slide on the bed.
“Tell me you aren’t breaking up with me at four in the morning,” Jensen said without malice as Jared slid in next to him. Jensen slid an arm and a leg around Jared, holding him and anchoring him into him.
Jared reached for Jensen’s hand and laced his fingers through Jensen’s, “I hurt her so badly.”
Jensen pulled him closer.
“Jen, I never loved her,” Jared said on the verge of tears, “My entire life has been you and I used people to make me think differently all my life.”
“Me too,” Jensen said quietly.
They lay there for a while, touching, just being there.
Then Jensen said the one thing he had never in his life uttered to Jared.
“Stay with me.”
Jared smiled, despite everything and cuddled into Jensen.
They listened to each other breathe until they fell asleep.
“Well at least they’re not blowing each other,” was the first thing that Jensen and Jared heard before waking up.
Jensen buried his head into the soft t-shirt of Jared’s shoulder blades.
“You lips to God’s ears that I never see that again.”
Jared cracked an eye open and saw Josh and Mackenzie looking at them from the doorway.
“At least they’re dressed,” Mackenzie announced loudly.
“If you don’t leave right now I’m going to give Jared the blow job of his life,” Jensen said, muffled by Jared’s back.
Mackenzie let out a yelp, Jared’s eyes shot open.
“Really,” Jared asked.
“Leaving now,” Josh said, pulling Mackenzie with him, “Mom’s making pancakes, I’m sure you’re both invited unless Jared wanted to try to cram himself through the window again.”
Jensen grumbled as they closed the door, “I’m not going to blow you until the third date.”
Jared smiled, something he thought he would never do after the conversation last night, “Promises promises.”
Then Jared’s stomach’s let out a growl.
“Fine Padalecki,” Jensen said, ever so slowly untangling himself from Jared, “You win, come have Momma’s pancakes.”
“For real?” Jared squeaked, “You’re not going to make me squeeze out the window.”
“It seems a little late for that now.”
They trudged into the kitchen, fully respectable.
Donna looked momentarily startled to see Jared there, pajamas and all.
Jensen kissed her on the forehead and whispered into her ear, "Sandy drunk dialed him. It didn't go well."
Donna got that soft look on her face and smiled at the boys, "He needed you."
Jensen looked down sheepishly.
"Momma," Mackenzie whined, "I'm eating, don't make me nauseous."
"Did I miss anything?" Megan bounded into the house, "Ohh pancakes."
“Yes you missed mom turning Jensen and Jared into a Harlequin romance novel,” Mackenzie sighed, “Hello mom, remember four days ago, the porno in the backyard.”
Jared blushed deeply and chomped on the pancakes, making happy noises. Jensen glared at his little sister as he drank his coffee.
“Mackenzie,” Donna chastised.
Mackenzie shrugged, “I’m just saying that you all the sudden think that they’re so cute, now, four days ago you were completely mortified.”
“You are the worst sister in the universe,” Jensen informed her.
“I just want to keep this real,” Mackenzie told him.
Donna rubbed her forehead, “Where is Jeff? This little tirade seems almost empty without him.”
“Jeff is at his home,” Megan sighed, “Probably getting ready for work.”
Donna looked at the assortment of grown up kids at her kitchen table on a Monday, “Why don’t you guys have places of your own or jobs.”
Megan grinned, "In high school, I so have a job."
“You wait tables at the diner two days a week,” Jared said as he shoved another pancake in his mouth.
"Not starting until September," Jensen shrugged.
“What are you doing in September?” Jared asked, mouth full.
“Yeah you two talk much?” Mackenzie asked.
“I’m teaching at the high school,” Jensen told him.
Jared tilted his head and stared at nothing, a smile played at the edges of his mouth.
“Stop thinking of Jensen in glasses and other pervy fantasies,” Megan said, throwing a napkin at her brother.
Jensen looked incredulously at Jared; Jared blushed again and looked down at his pancakes.
Jensen turned to look at Megan, “What number am I thinking of?”
“Hunh?” She said eloquently.
“You read minds now apparently,” Jensen informed her.
Jared interrupted before it could escalate, "Aimless after college."
“I’m just lazy,” Mackenzie told them with no shame to her honesty.
"In Medical school," Josh said with a shit-eating grin.
The other four siblings turned to look at him.
“Nobody likes a show off, Joshua Ackles” Mackenzie informed him.
Jared changed his shirt for the third time. He shouldn’t be nervous, he shouldn’t be this anxious, but all the world he was freaking out.
He had the feeling that something was going to go wrong.
The doorbell rang.
“JT,” his mother called, “Can you get the door?”
Jared bounded through the house, and went to the door fully expecting Jensen.
Instead Sophia stood there with a bottle of wine.
“Hi J-Pad,” she said grinning.
“What are you doing here Sophia,” Jared asked, very confused.
“Mackenzie invited me,” she said as if that made sense.
“Why would Mackenzie invite you?” he asked, “How does Mackenzie even know that this is happening?”
Sharon Padalecki entered the room, “I invited the Ackles family, I figured that you only need to do this once.”
“Oh my god,” Jared exclaimed, “You invited the entire both families.”
Sharon just smiled.
And that did nothing to help Jared’s apprehension.
Sophia smiled, “And I’m your cousin so I get to come too.”
She squealed and Jared had very very bad feelings about what this night was going to look like.
He noticed the table, it was all Thanksgiving, with the extra table and all.
Sophia clapped her hands, “This is going to be so much fun.”
Jensen and Jared sat awkwardly on the couch surrounded by parents and siblings and Sophia.
It was not the most fun that he had ever had.
“So how did you two get together,” Sharon said curiously.
Jared and Jensen looked at each other and shrugged.
“We were experimenting,” Jared said taking the lead, as always, “It was just something that we did there were these little moments stolen away.”
“Since you were thirteen you’ve been doing this?” Megan said bouncing on the edge of the couch.
“Can we talk about how they lied to us for their entire lives?” Mackenzie pointed out.
Sharon got a look on her face, “There is that.”
Jensen held up his hands, “We were kids and very confused. We didn’t know how not to lie about this.”
Jared patted Jensen’s knee.
“We talked, we fooled around,” Jared offered, hoping that was enough, “We did it for a very long time and I really like him and I am hoping that you are okay with the I know that me liking guys is new to you but this is something that I’d like to do, I’d like to actually date Jensen.”
Jensen looked down and smiled ridiculously.
“I’m gonna throw up,” Mackenzie said.
“So this is something real, I’m not going to find you with some new guy in a week. I just got used to Christian Kane,” Donna Ackles asked.
Jensen looked up, “Ma, I’m pretty sure that this is something worth sticking too.”
“So you’re going to stay here?” Sharon asked her son.
Jared looked confused, “Why would I do that.”
“Because Jensen is here,” Sharon replied, always afraid of this answer. She never knew where her youngest son would be. He always has his eyes on the horizon.
And there was a really awkward silence.
They looked at each other. They had talked about everything under the sun, except the future. Jared assumed that Jensen would go with him to wherever he was heading, Jensen assumed that Jared was ready to stay.
You know what they say about assumers.
The dinner was appropriately awkward and Jensen and Jared didn’t look or talk to each other. Everyone else took pity on them, but it was terrible.
It was only when the two of them were washing and drying the dishes that they had a moment to talk.
“This is hardly the place to be gay,” Jared said, naming the elephant in the room, “Lets go to California, lets go to New York.”
“Well they probably won’t roll out any parades on our behalf,” Jensen muttered, “This is my home this is where I want to be.
Jared handed him a plate to dry, “I want to be somewhere else. I can’t do this here.”
His voice took on the tone of the scared boy and it brought Jensen back to the closet, to high school when Jared promised him ‘someday.’ Jensen remembered very clearly, thank you very much, why he broke up with Jared. He always knew that Jared didn’t want this.
Jensen glared at him, “You know what, lets not do this. This dating thing was a bad idea.”
He slammed down the plate and stormed out the door.
Sophia found Jensen on the back picnic table, staring up at the stars. She came and sat down next to him.
“I’ve watched you your entire life,” she said in her sweet horse voice, “I’ve watched you and I’ve always known that you were giving up something to stay here, you never wanted to leave. You’ve given up opportunities at various drama camps, you’ve given up so much and I always wondered who it was for.”
Jensen really didn’t have a response for that didn’t know if it warranted a response.
“I have watched him try to leave. I have watched my dear cousin attempt to go everywhere. He’s been looking for something his entire life. He doesn’t know where he is going, he just goes.”
Jensen raised an eyebrow.
“So you’re saying I should go where ever Jared Padalecki goes?” Jensen growled.
“No J-Ro I am saying you need to grow a pair,” she told him on no uncertain terms, “Stop letting my stupid cousin make the rules. I’ve gotten an earful in the last couple of days and from what I hear you’ve never asked him to come out of the closet, you’ve never asked him to be your boyfriend, and in the last few days you’ve never even asked him to try for you. What I’m saying is that you’ve been so scared that if you push him he’s going to leave and you’re gonna be the only gay on the block and you’re gonna be hurt. Well guess what I’m tired of you being hurt and I’m really really tired of him being a slut.”
Jensen had forgotten how much Sophia didn’t pull her punches. He pulled her into him because he need to hold onto something to keep from shaking.
“What if he leaves,” Jensen said, “He’s always wanted nothing more than to leave. What if he actually leaves and I’m not enough.”
“Then we’ll eat ice cream and have the biggest fag/hag relationship in the world,” she told him softly, “But J-Ro, ya gotta know that that boy just up ended his entire life to be with you. Up until a week ago he thought he would marry some nice girl and move away. You’re already enough to make him change his entire life. Stop sitting here and thinking that you’re just going to stay in San Antonio and have him for clips at a time. Go take a stand and have a fucking relationship.”
Jensen laughed, deep in his chest, “When did you get so smart about relationships. You dated Chad off and on for something like a million years.”
“Don’t bring up Chad ever again,” Sophia said glaring at him, “I’ve done nothing but talk to the sisters for three days. We’ve analyzed all aspects of it, called upon Jeff and Josh’s wisdom and we’ve got you figured out.”
Jensen groaned.
That isn’t what he wanted, but this is what he needed.
Jensen stepped into Jared’s room, which was unchanged and unfamiliar. The unfamiliarity was because Jared’s room was on the second floor and difficult to sneak into. Difficult to sneak into meant that it was hard to maintain stealth if you were crawling up trees or drainpipes that he didn’t have in order to fuck your not-really-boyfriend.
Jensen just started in the middle of the conversation, “So when we were fourteen you kissed your first girl and I really wanted to punch her in her smug little smile. At fifteen you lost your virginity to Hannah Bullock, and it killed me. When you were seventeen you were attached to Kathy Gibson at the mouth, and I wanted to throw up every time I saw you. I’ve been second fiddle our entire life.”
Jared blanched, “You thought sweet little Janet Barlow was smug.”
Jensen held up his hand, “No Jared we are having the serious conversation. We’re not going to play memory lane and we’re not going to fudge around the facts. See my entire life I’ve been waiting for you to choose me. I’ve been waiting here for you to choose me and its bullshit. I’m tired of waiting.”
“I have chosen you,” Jared said mouth agape, “I have chosen you and I’m here.”
“You never have,” Jensen replied angrily, “You didn’t even choose me over Sandy. She left you. You’ve never in your entire life said hey there is something that I really want, but I’d rather be with you. I’m something you fall back on. I’m your default setting. I’m what you have when you have nothing left.”
Jensen looked at him with unshed tears.
“Chose me,” Jensen said defiantly, voice breaking into a million pieces, he was honest in a way that he didn’t even know he knew how to be, “Choose home. Choose life here, stop running. Choose me.”
Jared for once in his life couldn’t find the words. Only Jensen would ever do this to him, tie him up in knots and not let him go.
Jared saw his imaginary and blurry future crumbling. Everything that he ever thought about himself was slowly being stripped away. He was scared to leave, he was terrified to stay. He couldn’t make a decision.
And the minutes ticked away.
Jensen just smiled sadly after too much time had passed, “That went well.”
He walked off, out of Jared’s life. Jared felt cold in the June Texas heat.
Jared was manning the grill the next night when Mackenzie had come out of the house fuming.
“You are a goddamned asshole,” she said to Jared, “Would it really be that fucking bad!”
She glared at him and Jared cowered a little at this little girl.
“Do you know how much it cost him to say that to you,” she said hands on hips.
Jared knew what it cost Jensen, because he knew Jensen.
The answer was everything.
In the next few days Jared learned a few very important things. The first was that Jensen had a friend named Jason Manns who was going on tour that summer, the second was that he didn’t like the feeling of being left behind, the third is that summer breaks after college aren’t that much fun.
Jared was listless, throwing up the plush basketball, laying on his bed like he had for days. He did not smell nice.
“I didn’t raise you like this,” Sharon said from the doorway.
Jared looked at the ceiling.
“I know you miss him,” she continued, “But you don’t get to lay around and be miserable and hibernate.”
Jared shot her a look that would make baby penguins die.
She glared back at him like the Texas mother she was, “I raised you better than to be a petulant brat who gives up when he doesn’t get everything that he wants.”
Jared’s cheeks blazed with shame, but he looked her in the eye like the Texas boy he was.
They stayed in a battle of wills for a moment, then he looked down.
“My entire life is changing, momma,” he mumbled, “I don’t know what is happening.”
Her heart broke at her child’s omission.
She went to him and put her arms around him. She let him cry. She let him have that, whispering unintelligible words against his hair.
Jared appeared on Sophia’s doorstep.
“I screwed up Soph,” he said, eyes already red, “And it’s too late.”
Jensen came home in August.
He avoided the picnic table like it was his job. Until he couldn’t.
He ran into Sharon in the back yard and took a deep breath and started a conversation about the weather.
Sharon took it in stride.
Finally Jensen asked, “Jared?”
She looked at him, “He doesn’t live here any more…”
Jensen stood up, “Great, that is just so Jared. One little thing and he’s gone. Just great.”
He stormed off.
“I hate my fucking brother,” Mackenzie told Megan.
“I know,” Megan agreed, “He is such a bitch.”
“Dude the kid starts running the moment you mention Jared’s name,” Mackenzie replied, seeing if glitter looked good. It did not.
“Call Sophia,” Megan advised, “This has gotta end.”
Jensen huffed. Of course since Jared Padalecki had abandoned his family he was the surrogate male of the Padalecki household. Of course he was the one that Sophia called to move her old TV to Jeff’s household. That is just the way life played out.
And of course nobody answered the doorbell, even though he could hear movement in Jeff’s backyard.
Of course.
So Jensen schlepped the television through the gate, he momentarily congratulated himself on not dropping it.
Then he almost dropped it at the sight before him.
Jared Padalecki. In the backyard. With some dogs.
He had always been good at Clue.
Yet this made less than no sense to his brain.
Jared stopped when he saw Jensen. The dogs did not, but Jared just stared at him and a slow grin crossed his face.
“You’re back!” Jared said enthusiastically, not noticing the huge television that Jensen was holding.
Jensen was struck dumb.
“You’re here,” he managed, forgetting about the television.
Jared smiled, “Its great isn’t it? I’m living with Jeff.”
“You’re living with Jeff?” Jensen tried to process.
“I moved in because I thought that Jeff would be more amenable to me sleeping with my boyfriend than my parents,” Jared said hopefully.
Jensen’s entire world swayed a bit. His first thought was he was going to find this boyfriend and end him. The second was that Jared was here. The third was that Jared was here. The fourth was ‘when the hell did Jeff get dogs?’. The fifth was that the television was really heavy. The sixth was when did he even think things like he was going to ‘end’ someone. He needed to let up on the MTV. The seventh was that Jared had a great smile and he never smiled at Jensen like that, except, well now. It was easy and there was no pain, no secrets under it.
And he couldn’t come up with anything more after that.
“You moved in with Jeff,” Jensen repeated.
“I chose to live with Jeff because I am staying here. I chose to get a job in the Admissions office of UT San Antonio because I needed to pay rent. I chose to coach basketball because I missed it. I chose to get dogs because I never thought that I would stay in one place long enough, but I am going to now.” Jared fired out, way to fast for Jensen to process.
“Admissions?” Jensen asked, feeling stupid for asking, feeling even more stupid for picking that part of the conversation, really wanting to know if this was Jared choosing him.
“I did it in college,” Jared said lowering his head in the patented awe shucks head duck, “I did it to meet the hot incoming freshmen girls.”
Jensen adjusted the ninety-eight pound television, “You’re staying here?”
“For all intents and purposes,” Jared responded, “Why are you carrying a TV?”
Jensen had almost forgot about the television, even in all its bulk.
“Sophia,” he said as his phone chirped, “Its for Jeff.”
Jared looked at him strangely, “We have three already.”
Jensen’s phone was still ringing and he didn’t have a third hand. He looked around panicked about how he was going to pick up his phone and hold the television.
“Need help?” Jared asked, and instead of taking the television he brazenly reached into Jensen’s back pocket to retrieve the phone.
Jensen just looked at Jared.
Jared just looked back at Jensen as some conversation was happening.
Finally someone spoke.
“Soph,” Jared said hoarsely, “What is with the TV.”
Jared stared at Jensen shocked, “You were mad at me and you wouldn’t listen?”
Jensen wanted to kick himself because for the last ten days he could have been in Jared’s smile, instead he had been brooding.
“No I am not going to give your TV back after this charming ruse,” Jared told her, “I’m probably gonna break your TV or put it on my plasma and watch both. This television is about a hundred years old it is a service to you and electronics everywhere.”
Jared hung up the phone and Jensen ran through a thousand apologies.
Jared just regarded him, “If you think I did this for any other reason than to have you as my boyfriend then you’re an idiot.”
“You’re choosing me?” Jensen squeaked out.
“Put down Sophia’s television.”
That was all the warning that Jensen Ackles got before Jared Padalecki attacked him.
We don’t like to talk about the television.
Jeff walked into the den where Mackenzie was braiding Megan’s hair and Josh was drinking a beer. He sat down heavily.
“I walked in on Jared getting sucked off,” he said.
“Welcome to the club,” Josh said handing him his beer.
Jeff chugged the remaining beer and sighed, “This is not a club I wanted to join.”
Megan and Mackenzie squealed, “They’re together.”
“Finally,” Josh said practically.
“I win the only sibling not to see Jared with his dick in somebody’s mouth lottery,” Mackenzie said holding up her arms, “I am the luckiest PadaleckiAckles.”
“Yes, yes you are,” Jeff said, staring off into space, “You’re the only one who doesn’t need post traumatic stress therapy.”
“I totally didn’t see Jared and Jensen, I saw some random dude,” Megan pointed out, “I’m only half terrorized.”
Donna appeared in the doorway, “First its not a contest. Second it is two in the afternoon why are there beers?”
“There is only the one,” Josh defended.
Donna glared, “Third it is a beautiful day. Stop watching soap operas and do something with yourselves. Fourth, stop living in the Jared and Jensen saga and get your own lives.”
Jared and Jensen lay in a sweaty pile of limbs.
“Say it again,” Jensen whispered.
“I choose you,” Jared said laughing, “I choose you over New York, over California, over boobs.”
Jensen poked him, but Jared was on a roll, “I choose you over ovaries, over discrimination, over the river and through the woods. I choose you over any objections, over the possibility of hell fire, over Leviticus, over George Clooney who is ridiculously gay. I choose you to be my boyfriend, my lover, and my friend.
Jared was howling with laughter, “I choose you to fight with, to tell things to, to kick my ass, to feed me candy. I choose you as the cornerstone on which I build my life.”
Jensen was rolling his eyes, “Honestly did you eat Hallmark cards?”
Jared continued, cracking himself up, “I choose you to be my bitch when the times get rough. I choose you to help me remember where my keys are. I choose you to figure out if I can actually have a relationship. I choose you to laugh at my jokes and to eat my cooking. I choose you to be the one our family walks in on at inopportune moments. I choose you every day, any day, forever and ever amen.”
Jensen rolled away from him and Jared pulled him back, sweaty and messy.
“Don’t cha get it,” he whispered in Jensen’s ear, suddenly very serious, “For almost a decade I couldn’t live without you. I love you. It’s just taken me a long time to realize it.”
Jensen relaxed into him.
“Everything has lead me here,” Jared continued, “Everything had to happen like it did in order for me to be here and to be this happy.”
Jensen smiled, “I love you too you big idiot.”
Doing Life With The Boy Next Door
Author: truelyesoteric
Rating: R (for language)
Pairings: Jared/Jensen
Warnings: Its RPS AU. Boy on Boy. And there is shameful use of the Padalecki and Ackles family. I swear I’m almost sorry. Mackenzie Ackles probably doesn’t have a mouth on her like I have outlined.
Spoilers: None.
Disclaimer: I don’t own them. Nobody is paying me to write this.
Word Count: 5600
Summary: Its kind of a big gay farce and then it isn’t.
This follows The Boy Next Door and Dating the Boy Next Door.
Just trust me on the title.
“This is a farce,” Megan announced.
“These are the rules,” Sharon said sighing, “If you are dating some guy, you have to bring him to dinner.”
“Jared doesn’t have to bring Jensen for a terribly embarrassing dinner,” Megan pointed out.
Jared sighed, “They’ve known Jensen since he was six, having a dinner would be farce.”
“You’re a farce,” Megan said rushing from the room.
Sharon and Jared looked after her and then looked at each other in confusion. Megan came back into the room with a dictionary.
“Farce,” Megan said, “Noun. a light, humorous play in which the plot depends upon a skillfully exploited situation rather than upon the development of character.”
She looked up at her mother, “Indeed it might not be a farce to being Jordan home, but it’s definitely a witch hunt.”
She looked at Jared thoughtfully, “If we had dinner with Jensen it would totally be a farce. A big gay farce,” she chewed on her lip and turned back to her mother.
“I like,” she said mischievously, “Mom I will bring Jordan home AFTER we have dinner with Jensen.”
“That is so not fair,” Jared whined.
“You so have been dating him longer than I’ve been dating Jordan.”
“We went on our first and only date yesterday!” Jared exclaimed, “You’ve been sneaking around with Jordan for like three months.”
Megan put her hands on her hips, “You’ve been dating Jensen since you were thirteen. We know neighbor Jensen, we don’t know your boyfriend Jensen.”
Jared wanted to smack himself in the head.
Or maybe her.
“Mom,” he appealed with puppy dog eyes.
Sharon was deep in thought.
“I do think that we need to get together,” Sharon finally said, “Just a little thing to see where you see this going
Jared glared at Megan. Megan grinned.
‘A little thing.’ Famous last words.
The text was simple.
‘Picnic table? Now?’
Jensen looked at his phone. Jared was a talker he loved to leave long rambling messages on voicemail; he loved to talk incessantly about anything as soon as anyone picked up. In their year when Jensen was at UT Austin and he was at UC San Diego Jared would call and leave messages that were more like episodes of life.
Jared didn’t write text messages.
He didn’t do brevity.
Jensen was curious.
Jared was sitting on the picnic table, playing with his cell phone when Jensen exited the house.
“What’s up Jared?” Jensen asked coming and sitting next to Jared.
Jared took a deep breath, but didn’t move to explain.
Jared didn’t say anything, just played with his phone and not looking up.
“You’re freaking me out,” Jensen said taking the phone away from him.
“Are you my boyfriend,” Jared blurted out, finally looking Jensen in the eyes, “I mean I think that by now it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility, but it just seems like its just so fast, I mean last week you were dating Chris.”
Jensen stared at him taken aback, understanding the logic, but not knowing what to say, “You were dating Sandy last week. I mean I’m pretty sure that most people didn’t even know that you liked guys.”
Jared sighed with the weight of the world, “I know I just think that there isn’t anything wrong with you being my boyfriend. We know we get along and we know that the sex is amazing, but still…”
Jensen nodded, “It feels like we’re skipping a step.”
“Exactly,” Jared said and then a frown crossed his face, “Or maybe we’ve done all the steps but in the wrong order.”
Jensen ran a hand through his hair, “Yeah, do we have to know this right now.”
“Kinda,” Jensen said quietly.
“Why?”
“Because we have to have a big gay farce.”
“Hunh?”
“Meggie won’t introduce Jordan to the parents until I bring you to dinner to meet my family,” Jared tried to explain and Jensen got that oh my god that is the craziest thing that I’ve ever heard and you seriously don’t expect me to kill small puppies.
“They know me,” Jensen pointed out.
“Please do this Jensen,” Jared begged, “We can figure out what we are later. You don’t have to be my boyfriend, just be my date for Friday.”
Jensen smiled and bumped his shoulder against Jared’s.
“I can so handle your parents,” Jensen told him.
Jared relaxed, “Good. It will be simple, just my parents.”
Which would have been right if it were true.
Megan lay back on the picnic table, legs dangling off; Mackenzie lay with her head at Megan’s head in a similar position. Jeff and Josh lay on the seats, Sophia perched on the table eating a popsicle.
“They used to buy lube at that porn shop outside of town,” Mackenzie announced.
“How the hell do you know that?” Jeff asked.
“I talked to Mac Fuller,” she told them.
Josh sat up, “What the hell were you doing talking to Mac Fuller? That dude is a pervert.”
Mackenzie shrugged, “He’s got funny stories about people who come into the porn shop. I guess one of them used to sneak in once a week. They were dirty little boys.”
Josh closed his eyes, “Gawd, I’m getting that image of them again.”
“Hmm,” Sophia said dreamily, “Was it hot?”
Jeff sat up and gave her a glare, “He’s your cousin Sophia.”
She shrugged, “I wasn’t part of it. I can admire beauty and still not have it be illegal.”
“You guys are all perverts,” Megan told them.
Mackenzie shrugged, “In retrospect everyone has a fucking story to tell about just how much they knew, but not quite fucking knew that the dear sweet boys were fucking. I think I’m going to write a book.”
“Isn’t it funny how retrospect is so clear,” Josh pointed out.
“I still find it astonishing,” Jeff muttered.
“You didn’t see Jared getting head,” Megan pointed out, “That makes things pretty clear.”
It was three in the morning when Jared got the first inkling that it wouldn’t be totally simple to just move into a relationship with Jensen.
He woke up and his phone was shrilly beeping.
“Lo,” he said, still half asleep.
“Why?” a feminine voice said on the other end.
Jared sat up, “Sandy?”
“I knew what you were,” said far to loud to be sober, “I knew what you were when I started dating you. You fucked my roommate before we got together. I knew what you were. You were slutty. Everyone told me not to waste my time on you.”
Jared closed his eyes and tried to breathe. He could hear her sobbing.
“I knew and I did it anyway. You told me someone broke your heart and I fell in love anyway, despite you. I wanted to believe that I was different.”
“You were different,” Jared said softly.
“Fuck you I was different,” Sandy said vehemently, so out of character, “If I was different then your hand would not have been down Jensen Ackles pants for your family, for your friends, for the fucking town to see. If I were different I wouldn’t have found out that you liked dudes along with everyone else in the known universe with your hand down Jensen’s pants and you making noises I’ve never heard. How was I different?“
She was openly sobbing now.
“Was I just your cover up?” she asked between hiccups, “Was I just something to make you normal.”
“Sandy,” Jared said lowly, “I dated guys too.”
“God!” she swore, “Never in the light, never where people could see them, never where any of our friends could tell me. So did you go home during break and fuck Jensen in your fucking closet?”
“No,” Jared admitted, “Never Jensen, never when I was with you.”
She sobbed in almost a relief, “But you had, you did, you don’t kiss strangers like that.”
“No, you don’t kiss strangers like that,” Jared said weakly.
She let out a sputter and then there was silence. Jared wondered for a moment if she had passed out or hung up.
And then she let out a breath.
“It was him,” she said with the strength of a dying new born kitten, “He is the one.”
Jared stayed silent for too long, trying to figure out if he should lie or tell the truth.
“He broke your heart and you still loved him,” Sandy figured out, crying abandoned, “He broke your heart and kept it and you let me think that you could love me.”
“Yes,” Jared breathed, ashamed.
“Do you love him?” Sandy demanded, “Are you going to be with him now?”
“I’m sorry Sandy,” Jared managed.
“Well fuck you, I don’t forgive you,” Sandy fired at him.
There was a click and there was no more.
Jared stared up at the ceiling for an hour, her words playing over in his mind.
He couldn’t sleep.
He finally sighed and got up.
There was only one place to go.
It was eerily familiar, walking across the darkened backyard; he could almost remember the amount of steps that it took.
He ducked to the side of the house and quietly knocked on the screen window. It was so very easy. He had done it for years.
There was rustling and almost an instant movement inside, like an automatic response Jensen seemed to be expecting him, as if they were eighteen and still horny as hell.
Jensen looked at him through the screen and sighed, removing it.
“I am not going to have sex with you at four in the morning,” Jensen said, puttering back to his bed.
Jared replaced the screen and knelt by the bed, “Sandy drunk dialed me.”
Jensen’s eyes opened and looked at Jared in the moonlight. Jared’s eyes were glassy. Jensen couldn’t think of anything to do except for motion for Jared to slide on the bed.
“Tell me you aren’t breaking up with me at four in the morning,” Jensen said without malice as Jared slid in next to him. Jensen slid an arm and a leg around Jared, holding him and anchoring him into him.
Jared reached for Jensen’s hand and laced his fingers through Jensen’s, “I hurt her so badly.”
Jensen pulled him closer.
“Jen, I never loved her,” Jared said on the verge of tears, “My entire life has been you and I used people to make me think differently all my life.”
“Me too,” Jensen said quietly.
They lay there for a while, touching, just being there.
Then Jensen said the one thing he had never in his life uttered to Jared.
“Stay with me.”
Jared smiled, despite everything and cuddled into Jensen.
They listened to each other breathe until they fell asleep.
“Well at least they’re not blowing each other,” was the first thing that Jensen and Jared heard before waking up.
Jensen buried his head into the soft t-shirt of Jared’s shoulder blades.
“You lips to God’s ears that I never see that again.”
Jared cracked an eye open and saw Josh and Mackenzie looking at them from the doorway.
“At least they’re dressed,” Mackenzie announced loudly.
“If you don’t leave right now I’m going to give Jared the blow job of his life,” Jensen said, muffled by Jared’s back.
Mackenzie let out a yelp, Jared’s eyes shot open.
“Really,” Jared asked.
“Leaving now,” Josh said, pulling Mackenzie with him, “Mom’s making pancakes, I’m sure you’re both invited unless Jared wanted to try to cram himself through the window again.”
Jensen grumbled as they closed the door, “I’m not going to blow you until the third date.”
Jared smiled, something he thought he would never do after the conversation last night, “Promises promises.”
Then Jared’s stomach’s let out a growl.
“Fine Padalecki,” Jensen said, ever so slowly untangling himself from Jared, “You win, come have Momma’s pancakes.”
“For real?” Jared squeaked, “You’re not going to make me squeeze out the window.”
“It seems a little late for that now.”
They trudged into the kitchen, fully respectable.
Donna looked momentarily startled to see Jared there, pajamas and all.
Jensen kissed her on the forehead and whispered into her ear, "Sandy drunk dialed him. It didn't go well."
Donna got that soft look on her face and smiled at the boys, "He needed you."
Jensen looked down sheepishly.
"Momma," Mackenzie whined, "I'm eating, don't make me nauseous."
"Did I miss anything?" Megan bounded into the house, "Ohh pancakes."
“Yes you missed mom turning Jensen and Jared into a Harlequin romance novel,” Mackenzie sighed, “Hello mom, remember four days ago, the porno in the backyard.”
Jared blushed deeply and chomped on the pancakes, making happy noises. Jensen glared at his little sister as he drank his coffee.
“Mackenzie,” Donna chastised.
Mackenzie shrugged, “I’m just saying that you all the sudden think that they’re so cute, now, four days ago you were completely mortified.”
“You are the worst sister in the universe,” Jensen informed her.
“I just want to keep this real,” Mackenzie told him.
Donna rubbed her forehead, “Where is Jeff? This little tirade seems almost empty without him.”
“Jeff is at his home,” Megan sighed, “Probably getting ready for work.”
Donna looked at the assortment of grown up kids at her kitchen table on a Monday, “Why don’t you guys have places of your own or jobs.”
Megan grinned, "In high school, I so have a job."
“You wait tables at the diner two days a week,” Jared said as he shoved another pancake in his mouth.
"Not starting until September," Jensen shrugged.
“What are you doing in September?” Jared asked, mouth full.
“Yeah you two talk much?” Mackenzie asked.
“I’m teaching at the high school,” Jensen told him.
Jared tilted his head and stared at nothing, a smile played at the edges of his mouth.
“Stop thinking of Jensen in glasses and other pervy fantasies,” Megan said, throwing a napkin at her brother.
Jensen looked incredulously at Jared; Jared blushed again and looked down at his pancakes.
Jensen turned to look at Megan, “What number am I thinking of?”
“Hunh?” She said eloquently.
“You read minds now apparently,” Jensen informed her.
Jared interrupted before it could escalate, "Aimless after college."
“I’m just lazy,” Mackenzie told them with no shame to her honesty.
"In Medical school," Josh said with a shit-eating grin.
The other four siblings turned to look at him.
“Nobody likes a show off, Joshua Ackles” Mackenzie informed him.
Jared changed his shirt for the third time. He shouldn’t be nervous, he shouldn’t be this anxious, but all the world he was freaking out.
He had the feeling that something was going to go wrong.
The doorbell rang.
“JT,” his mother called, “Can you get the door?”
Jared bounded through the house, and went to the door fully expecting Jensen.
Instead Sophia stood there with a bottle of wine.
“Hi J-Pad,” she said grinning.
“What are you doing here Sophia,” Jared asked, very confused.
“Mackenzie invited me,” she said as if that made sense.
“Why would Mackenzie invite you?” he asked, “How does Mackenzie even know that this is happening?”
Sharon Padalecki entered the room, “I invited the Ackles family, I figured that you only need to do this once.”
“Oh my god,” Jared exclaimed, “You invited the entire both families.”
Sharon just smiled.
And that did nothing to help Jared’s apprehension.
Sophia smiled, “And I’m your cousin so I get to come too.”
She squealed and Jared had very very bad feelings about what this night was going to look like.
He noticed the table, it was all Thanksgiving, with the extra table and all.
Sophia clapped her hands, “This is going to be so much fun.”
Jensen and Jared sat awkwardly on the couch surrounded by parents and siblings and Sophia.
It was not the most fun that he had ever had.
“So how did you two get together,” Sharon said curiously.
Jared and Jensen looked at each other and shrugged.
“We were experimenting,” Jared said taking the lead, as always, “It was just something that we did there were these little moments stolen away.”
“Since you were thirteen you’ve been doing this?” Megan said bouncing on the edge of the couch.
“Can we talk about how they lied to us for their entire lives?” Mackenzie pointed out.
Sharon got a look on her face, “There is that.”
Jensen held up his hands, “We were kids and very confused. We didn’t know how not to lie about this.”
Jared patted Jensen’s knee.
“We talked, we fooled around,” Jared offered, hoping that was enough, “We did it for a very long time and I really like him and I am hoping that you are okay with the I know that me liking guys is new to you but this is something that I’d like to do, I’d like to actually date Jensen.”
Jensen looked down and smiled ridiculously.
“I’m gonna throw up,” Mackenzie said.
“So this is something real, I’m not going to find you with some new guy in a week. I just got used to Christian Kane,” Donna Ackles asked.
Jensen looked up, “Ma, I’m pretty sure that this is something worth sticking too.”
“So you’re going to stay here?” Sharon asked her son.
Jared looked confused, “Why would I do that.”
“Because Jensen is here,” Sharon replied, always afraid of this answer. She never knew where her youngest son would be. He always has his eyes on the horizon.
And there was a really awkward silence.
They looked at each other. They had talked about everything under the sun, except the future. Jared assumed that Jensen would go with him to wherever he was heading, Jensen assumed that Jared was ready to stay.
You know what they say about assumers.
The dinner was appropriately awkward and Jensen and Jared didn’t look or talk to each other. Everyone else took pity on them, but it was terrible.
It was only when the two of them were washing and drying the dishes that they had a moment to talk.
“This is hardly the place to be gay,” Jared said, naming the elephant in the room, “Lets go to California, lets go to New York.”
“Well they probably won’t roll out any parades on our behalf,” Jensen muttered, “This is my home this is where I want to be.
Jared handed him a plate to dry, “I want to be somewhere else. I can’t do this here.”
His voice took on the tone of the scared boy and it brought Jensen back to the closet, to high school when Jared promised him ‘someday.’ Jensen remembered very clearly, thank you very much, why he broke up with Jared. He always knew that Jared didn’t want this.
Jensen glared at him, “You know what, lets not do this. This dating thing was a bad idea.”
He slammed down the plate and stormed out the door.
Sophia found Jensen on the back picnic table, staring up at the stars. She came and sat down next to him.
“I’ve watched you your entire life,” she said in her sweet horse voice, “I’ve watched you and I’ve always known that you were giving up something to stay here, you never wanted to leave. You’ve given up opportunities at various drama camps, you’ve given up so much and I always wondered who it was for.”
Jensen really didn’t have a response for that didn’t know if it warranted a response.
“I have watched him try to leave. I have watched my dear cousin attempt to go everywhere. He’s been looking for something his entire life. He doesn’t know where he is going, he just goes.”
Jensen raised an eyebrow.
“So you’re saying I should go where ever Jared Padalecki goes?” Jensen growled.
“No J-Ro I am saying you need to grow a pair,” she told him on no uncertain terms, “Stop letting my stupid cousin make the rules. I’ve gotten an earful in the last couple of days and from what I hear you’ve never asked him to come out of the closet, you’ve never asked him to be your boyfriend, and in the last few days you’ve never even asked him to try for you. What I’m saying is that you’ve been so scared that if you push him he’s going to leave and you’re gonna be the only gay on the block and you’re gonna be hurt. Well guess what I’m tired of you being hurt and I’m really really tired of him being a slut.”
Jensen had forgotten how much Sophia didn’t pull her punches. He pulled her into him because he need to hold onto something to keep from shaking.
“What if he leaves,” Jensen said, “He’s always wanted nothing more than to leave. What if he actually leaves and I’m not enough.”
“Then we’ll eat ice cream and have the biggest fag/hag relationship in the world,” she told him softly, “But J-Ro, ya gotta know that that boy just up ended his entire life to be with you. Up until a week ago he thought he would marry some nice girl and move away. You’re already enough to make him change his entire life. Stop sitting here and thinking that you’re just going to stay in San Antonio and have him for clips at a time. Go take a stand and have a fucking relationship.”
Jensen laughed, deep in his chest, “When did you get so smart about relationships. You dated Chad off and on for something like a million years.”
“Don’t bring up Chad ever again,” Sophia said glaring at him, “I’ve done nothing but talk to the sisters for three days. We’ve analyzed all aspects of it, called upon Jeff and Josh’s wisdom and we’ve got you figured out.”
Jensen groaned.
That isn’t what he wanted, but this is what he needed.
Jensen stepped into Jared’s room, which was unchanged and unfamiliar. The unfamiliarity was because Jared’s room was on the second floor and difficult to sneak into. Difficult to sneak into meant that it was hard to maintain stealth if you were crawling up trees or drainpipes that he didn’t have in order to fuck your not-really-boyfriend.
Jensen just started in the middle of the conversation, “So when we were fourteen you kissed your first girl and I really wanted to punch her in her smug little smile. At fifteen you lost your virginity to Hannah Bullock, and it killed me. When you were seventeen you were attached to Kathy Gibson at the mouth, and I wanted to throw up every time I saw you. I’ve been second fiddle our entire life.”
Jared blanched, “You thought sweet little Janet Barlow was smug.”
Jensen held up his hand, “No Jared we are having the serious conversation. We’re not going to play memory lane and we’re not going to fudge around the facts. See my entire life I’ve been waiting for you to choose me. I’ve been waiting here for you to choose me and its bullshit. I’m tired of waiting.”
“I have chosen you,” Jared said mouth agape, “I have chosen you and I’m here.”
“You never have,” Jensen replied angrily, “You didn’t even choose me over Sandy. She left you. You’ve never in your entire life said hey there is something that I really want, but I’d rather be with you. I’m something you fall back on. I’m your default setting. I’m what you have when you have nothing left.”
Jensen looked at him with unshed tears.
“Chose me,” Jensen said defiantly, voice breaking into a million pieces, he was honest in a way that he didn’t even know he knew how to be, “Choose home. Choose life here, stop running. Choose me.”
Jared for once in his life couldn’t find the words. Only Jensen would ever do this to him, tie him up in knots and not let him go.
Jared saw his imaginary and blurry future crumbling. Everything that he ever thought about himself was slowly being stripped away. He was scared to leave, he was terrified to stay. He couldn’t make a decision.
And the minutes ticked away.
Jensen just smiled sadly after too much time had passed, “That went well.”
He walked off, out of Jared’s life. Jared felt cold in the June Texas heat.
Jared was manning the grill the next night when Mackenzie had come out of the house fuming.
“You are a goddamned asshole,” she said to Jared, “Would it really be that fucking bad!”
She glared at him and Jared cowered a little at this little girl.
“Do you know how much it cost him to say that to you,” she said hands on hips.
Jared knew what it cost Jensen, because he knew Jensen.
The answer was everything.
In the next few days Jared learned a few very important things. The first was that Jensen had a friend named Jason Manns who was going on tour that summer, the second was that he didn’t like the feeling of being left behind, the third is that summer breaks after college aren’t that much fun.
Jared was listless, throwing up the plush basketball, laying on his bed like he had for days. He did not smell nice.
“I didn’t raise you like this,” Sharon said from the doorway.
Jared looked at the ceiling.
“I know you miss him,” she continued, “But you don’t get to lay around and be miserable and hibernate.”
Jared shot her a look that would make baby penguins die.
She glared back at him like the Texas mother she was, “I raised you better than to be a petulant brat who gives up when he doesn’t get everything that he wants.”
Jared’s cheeks blazed with shame, but he looked her in the eye like the Texas boy he was.
They stayed in a battle of wills for a moment, then he looked down.
“My entire life is changing, momma,” he mumbled, “I don’t know what is happening.”
Her heart broke at her child’s omission.
She went to him and put her arms around him. She let him cry. She let him have that, whispering unintelligible words against his hair.
Jared appeared on Sophia’s doorstep.
“I screwed up Soph,” he said, eyes already red, “And it’s too late.”
Jensen came home in August.
He avoided the picnic table like it was his job. Until he couldn’t.
He ran into Sharon in the back yard and took a deep breath and started a conversation about the weather.
Sharon took it in stride.
Finally Jensen asked, “Jared?”
She looked at him, “He doesn’t live here any more…”
Jensen stood up, “Great, that is just so Jared. One little thing and he’s gone. Just great.”
He stormed off.
“I hate my fucking brother,” Mackenzie told Megan.
“I know,” Megan agreed, “He is such a bitch.”
“Dude the kid starts running the moment you mention Jared’s name,” Mackenzie replied, seeing if glitter looked good. It did not.
“Call Sophia,” Megan advised, “This has gotta end.”
Jensen huffed. Of course since Jared Padalecki had abandoned his family he was the surrogate male of the Padalecki household. Of course he was the one that Sophia called to move her old TV to Jeff’s household. That is just the way life played out.
And of course nobody answered the doorbell, even though he could hear movement in Jeff’s backyard.
Of course.
So Jensen schlepped the television through the gate, he momentarily congratulated himself on not dropping it.
Then he almost dropped it at the sight before him.
Jared Padalecki. In the backyard. With some dogs.
He had always been good at Clue.
Yet this made less than no sense to his brain.
Jared stopped when he saw Jensen. The dogs did not, but Jared just stared at him and a slow grin crossed his face.
“You’re back!” Jared said enthusiastically, not noticing the huge television that Jensen was holding.
Jensen was struck dumb.
“You’re here,” he managed, forgetting about the television.
Jared smiled, “Its great isn’t it? I’m living with Jeff.”
“You’re living with Jeff?” Jensen tried to process.
“I moved in because I thought that Jeff would be more amenable to me sleeping with my boyfriend than my parents,” Jared said hopefully.
Jensen’s entire world swayed a bit. His first thought was he was going to find this boyfriend and end him. The second was that Jared was here. The third was that Jared was here. The fourth was ‘when the hell did Jeff get dogs?’. The fifth was that the television was really heavy. The sixth was when did he even think things like he was going to ‘end’ someone. He needed to let up on the MTV. The seventh was that Jared had a great smile and he never smiled at Jensen like that, except, well now. It was easy and there was no pain, no secrets under it.
And he couldn’t come up with anything more after that.
“You moved in with Jeff,” Jensen repeated.
“I chose to live with Jeff because I am staying here. I chose to get a job in the Admissions office of UT San Antonio because I needed to pay rent. I chose to coach basketball because I missed it. I chose to get dogs because I never thought that I would stay in one place long enough, but I am going to now.” Jared fired out, way to fast for Jensen to process.
“Admissions?” Jensen asked, feeling stupid for asking, feeling even more stupid for picking that part of the conversation, really wanting to know if this was Jared choosing him.
“I did it in college,” Jared said lowering his head in the patented awe shucks head duck, “I did it to meet the hot incoming freshmen girls.”
Jensen adjusted the ninety-eight pound television, “You’re staying here?”
“For all intents and purposes,” Jared responded, “Why are you carrying a TV?”
Jensen had almost forgot about the television, even in all its bulk.
“Sophia,” he said as his phone chirped, “Its for Jeff.”
Jared looked at him strangely, “We have three already.”
Jensen’s phone was still ringing and he didn’t have a third hand. He looked around panicked about how he was going to pick up his phone and hold the television.
“Need help?” Jared asked, and instead of taking the television he brazenly reached into Jensen’s back pocket to retrieve the phone.
Jensen just looked at Jared.
Jared just looked back at Jensen as some conversation was happening.
Finally someone spoke.
“Soph,” Jared said hoarsely, “What is with the TV.”
Jared stared at Jensen shocked, “You were mad at me and you wouldn’t listen?”
Jensen wanted to kick himself because for the last ten days he could have been in Jared’s smile, instead he had been brooding.
“No I am not going to give your TV back after this charming ruse,” Jared told her, “I’m probably gonna break your TV or put it on my plasma and watch both. This television is about a hundred years old it is a service to you and electronics everywhere.”
Jared hung up the phone and Jensen ran through a thousand apologies.
Jared just regarded him, “If you think I did this for any other reason than to have you as my boyfriend then you’re an idiot.”
“You’re choosing me?” Jensen squeaked out.
“Put down Sophia’s television.”
That was all the warning that Jensen Ackles got before Jared Padalecki attacked him.
We don’t like to talk about the television.
Jeff walked into the den where Mackenzie was braiding Megan’s hair and Josh was drinking a beer. He sat down heavily.
“I walked in on Jared getting sucked off,” he said.
“Welcome to the club,” Josh said handing him his beer.
Jeff chugged the remaining beer and sighed, “This is not a club I wanted to join.”
Megan and Mackenzie squealed, “They’re together.”
“Finally,” Josh said practically.
“I win the only sibling not to see Jared with his dick in somebody’s mouth lottery,” Mackenzie said holding up her arms, “I am the luckiest PadaleckiAckles.”
“Yes, yes you are,” Jeff said, staring off into space, “You’re the only one who doesn’t need post traumatic stress therapy.”
“I totally didn’t see Jared and Jensen, I saw some random dude,” Megan pointed out, “I’m only half terrorized.”
Donna appeared in the doorway, “First its not a contest. Second it is two in the afternoon why are there beers?”
“There is only the one,” Josh defended.
Donna glared, “Third it is a beautiful day. Stop watching soap operas and do something with yourselves. Fourth, stop living in the Jared and Jensen saga and get your own lives.”
Jared and Jensen lay in a sweaty pile of limbs.
“Say it again,” Jensen whispered.
“I choose you,” Jared said laughing, “I choose you over New York, over California, over boobs.”
Jensen poked him, but Jared was on a roll, “I choose you over ovaries, over discrimination, over the river and through the woods. I choose you over any objections, over the possibility of hell fire, over Leviticus, over George Clooney who is ridiculously gay. I choose you to be my boyfriend, my lover, and my friend.
Jared was howling with laughter, “I choose you to fight with, to tell things to, to kick my ass, to feed me candy. I choose you as the cornerstone on which I build my life.”
Jensen was rolling his eyes, “Honestly did you eat Hallmark cards?”
Jared continued, cracking himself up, “I choose you to be my bitch when the times get rough. I choose you to help me remember where my keys are. I choose you to figure out if I can actually have a relationship. I choose you to laugh at my jokes and to eat my cooking. I choose you to be the one our family walks in on at inopportune moments. I choose you every day, any day, forever and ever amen.”
Jensen rolled away from him and Jared pulled him back, sweaty and messy.
“Don’t cha get it,” he whispered in Jensen’s ear, suddenly very serious, “For almost a decade I couldn’t live without you. I love you. It’s just taken me a long time to realize it.”
Jensen relaxed into him.
“Everything has lead me here,” Jared continued, “Everything had to happen like it did in order for me to be here and to be this happy.”
Jensen smiled, “I love you too you big idiot.”
Doing Life With The Boy Next Door