The Not-So-Secret Interior Life of the Scientific Moose 5/5
J2 RPS AU
PG-13
Part 5 of 5
Master post
Art
On Sunday, even though he had other things to do, Jared went into Allston for Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School, as Kat had suggested weeks and weeks ago, so he could sit in a bar and draw a live model for a couple of hours. He'd been to Great Scott to see bands a few times in college, and it looked different with artists and a random photographer sitting on folding chairs busily sketching (or photographing) a girl in various stages of burlesque-y undress. The model changed poses every ten or fifteen minutes, which was about what Jared was used to from previous studio sessions with live models, but he was also more used to completely naked models - rather than this girl in her high heels, fishnets, and pasties - or models wearing draped fabric, posing for quiet, earnest artists.
Not that the crowd for Dr Sketchy's wasn't earnest - everyone seemed pretty serious about their drawing - but, well, it was in a bar, and they were encouraged to buy drinks, and there was background music for the model, and after the session was over she and the MC gave out prizes for what they considered the best drawings.
Jared didn't know if this girl was Kat's friend, and he didn't see Kat at all, but he liked drawing her and it got him out of the house. He probably could have spent that time doing something more productive (reading, studying, trying to organize his lab notes, working on a finished drawing for one of the three people who'd actually pledged eighty bucks for the Kickstarter), but drawing things that weren't Haro got him energized to draw things that were.
He went home to find that Chad had taped to the living room wall a timeline of all their commitments to the people who'd funded their comic, plus their commitments to the printer and the printer's commitments to them. Jared pulled a pencil out of the shoulder bag he'd taken to Dr Sketchy's and started adding class and lab commitments as well.
To be fair, he'd always known that he was in for much more work if they got the money to print their comic, so it wasn't as if any of this was a surprise.
"And see," Chad pointed out later, "right here, it says 'Jared introduces himself to his mystery boyfriend.'" He grinned, looking both pleased with himself and aware of what a brat he was being.
"Funny," Jared said dryly. "When are the books being delivered?" Chad had sent the layout file to the printer yesterday.
"We should get the proof copy in a month, maybe six weeks. You'll know when they arrive. The house will suddenly be full of boxes."
"I'm trying to plan ahead."
"That's pretty far ahead. Kick back and relax. You can't start sketching in the books until we get the books." Chad's expression and tone of voice seemed to add You should know that, so why are you worried. "We've only got one more update for the current chapter but I think it's too early to go on hiatus. Now you can start drawing for the big rewards. Make the PDF - we could send that out."
"Shouldn't we wait for the proof? What if I have to make corrections to it?" Jared tapped the timeline where Chad had written T-Day! Stuff face!, wondering if the lab was going to be open that Friday, and if so, would it be worth it to try and go in during the day.
"Don't stress out, Moose," Chad said, patting Jared on the shoulder. "The fans will be patient with you." Sadie wandered into the room and butted against Jared's leg, her second-favorite way to announce that she needed to either eat or pee. Her first favorite way, of course, was to stand next to her bowl or the back door and bark. "Sadie, not so much."
Jared took her and Harley for a walk, only ran into one other dog-walker - a middle-aged man with a middle-aged cocker spaniel - but sadly not Hot Runner Guy, and by the time he got home, Chad had left. Small favors.
"Don’t stress," Danneel told him calmly Tuesday night, "you have your concert tomorrow and Thanksgiving in a couple weeks and a month after that is Christmas break and you can spend all your time doing nothing. You said it would take six weeks, right?"
"For the proof, yeah. And then we have to check it for mistakes and send it back, and Chad thinks a couple weeks after that before the books show up at the house. And by then it's next year." He counted weeks on his fingers just to be sure. He really didn't have to freak out about the time crunch just yet.
"Aren't you TA'ing next semester?" Welling asked.
Shit. Jared added that to what was no doubt going to be a ridiculous schedule. Danneel and Genevieve could tease him about Jensen Ross all they wanted, and Chad could tease him about Hot Runner Guy, but it was clear Jared was just not going to have time for a boyfriend.
"How do I get myself into these things?" he muttered.
"How many sketches will you have to do?" Genevieve asked from her bench.
"A hundred and thirty-two."
Danneel whistled, impressed.
"That's just the twenty-five-dollar reward," Jared went on. "Add another ten, I think, for the people who pledged sixty-five bucks."
"I'm not in a hurry to get mine, if that helps," Danneel told him. "I mean, once they finally show up."
"And I just got the book," Genevieve said. "So you don't have to draw me anything."
"Turn the radio up," Danneel told her. "If anything will cheer up emo panda here, it's that." She batted her eyelashes at him and he blew her a kiss.
You just heard the first single off Jack White's first solo album, which is scheduled to drop next year. I can't wait. It's gonna be amazing. And before that was "Lonely Boy", a dedication from Mayhem to Moose. It's like 80s radio around here tonight. You guys crack me up.
Jensen Ross chuckled over the radio. Jared promised himself that he'd wake Chad up when he got home to give him the noogie of all noogies. But Danneel was right - Jensen's voice did cheer him up, or at least calm him down.
At 3:30 Jared answered the DJ's nightly check-in question with Jared is splitting cells and getting psyched to see Airborne Toxic Event tomorrow.
What a coincidence. Me, too, Jensen texted back. Not the cells, though. Maybe I'll see you there. I'll stand onstage and yell "Jared the cell guy!" and whoever answers will be you. :)
Less embarrassing for you: I'll be the really tall guy who needs a haircut.
"What are you looking so pleased about?" Genevieve asked. Jared just held up his phone, grinning. "Besides that. It's a good conversation, huh? Why don't you just call the guy?"
"You sound like Danny."
"It's a legitimate question."
"I sound like too much of a doofus on the phone. I can get away with being a dork in text."
"You're very strange." She went back to work and Jared looked at his phone, where Jensen had texted Should I bring shears?
Shears? Jared replied.
Scissors? If you need a haircut that badly.
Ha! No. I'd never hear the end of it if I let a non-professional cut my hair.
I'm a professional! Just not a professional hairdresser. ;) I'll let you get back to work. Should be a good show tomorrow.
I'll look for you.
I'll be the one who looks like a DJ. :)
That didn't really help Jared, but he liked knowing that Jensen Ross apparently maybe sort of kind of wanted to meet him too. He wished he knew what the guy looked like, so he could at least try to find him at the concert the next night. Jared's height gave him a slight advantage finding people in a crowd, and they even stood on the balcony because Justin's friend Allison wanted to, thus giving him a good view of the audience.
There was no chance of finding the DJ, but Jared did see someone by the bar who looked so much like Hot Runner Guy that he was sorely tempted to approach him. He was stopped partly by the crush of people and partly by, of all things, the completely unexpected concern that he'd be cheating on Jensen Ross. But by the time he'd convinced himself that that was stupid, Hot Runner Guy had vanished.
The bands were good and the crowd was responsive and the headliner's lead singer closed out the show by telling everyone to go home and make beautiful Boston babies, which made both Justin and Jared laugh, and Jared considered it a good night out, despite his idiotic hesitancy over Hot Runner Guy.
He arrived at the lab wired and exhausted and completely unable to concentrate, and after an hour Welling suggested he take a walk through the building to burn off some excess energy. Danneel and Genevieve both said he needed a nap. So he took all of their advice, pacing up and down the empty echoing corridors listening to the radio on his phone (and passing Dr F once, who waved) and eventually stopping in the lounge with the good vending machines. He knew he'd be hungry later, and it was always nice to have snacks so close to hand. He stretched out on the longest couch, didn't even bother taking off his shoes, and fell asleep to Jensen Ross giving an abbreviated news and weather report in his ear.
He slept for almost an hour, waking up momentarily confused as to why he was lying on a couch in a student lounge. One of his earbuds had fallen out and now he realized he was listening to Aerosmith in mono. He grinned to himself, stretched, readjusted himself and his phone and earbuds, stood up, and went back to the lab.
Welling had gone home and the girls had turned the radio on, and as Jared walked into the lab, Jensen was talking about the concert and introducing a song by the opening band.
"Too bad you didn't see him," Danneel commented. "A rock concert probably isn't the best place to profess your undying love, though."
"Did you check my cells?" Jared asked Genevieve, ignoring her.
"Yes," she said. "I split them too. And reset your alarm." She pointed to his bench. "You have like ten minutes and I have to wash mine."
"You're a treasure."
"I know."
He didn't even check his phone until he went to text Jared's finally busy! Washing cells! for the nightly check-in and noticed that Jensen had sent him a message earlier, evidently while he was napping:
Too many tall guys at HoB! Hope you enjoyed the show. :)
Loved it! Jared sent back. Wish we'd seen each other, though.
Jensen didn't answer, but Jared figured he was probably too busy. He could understand.
* * *
Jared sat in his research seminar listening with half an ear as one of the PhD candidates presented a paper she'd had published in a scientific journal. He doodled through her presentation and for the first ten minutes of everyone else ripping into her research, and even though this was what the seminar was for - analyzing and critiquing published papers in a theoretical attempt to learn how to better conduct and write up one's own research - and it had always been pretty brutal, today for some reason it struck Jared as kind of mean. He knew he'd be up there someday, presenting his research and letting his fellow grad students tear it apart, and for once he just wasn't interested in learning through critical discussion.
"I think I'm burning out," he admitted to Genevieve afterward. She'd sat next to him and had watched him doodle without saying anything, which made him feel relieved - someone else wasn't paying attention either - and grateful, because she hadn't drawn any attention to him. There were enough people in the seminar that he could zone out without anyone noticing.
"You and me both," she said.
"Do you ever wonder if grad school was a mistake?"
"Sometimes." She shrugged. "I think Dr Helfer's letting up, though. Either that or I'm just getting used to her. I met with Dr Ferris yesterday - she's on my thesis committee - and she told me not to sweat it. Those were her exact words - 'Don't sweat it'. So I'm trying not to."
"Oh," Jared said. "I'm not screwing up my project any more than usual, but I still have Haro. We're not going to put it on hiatus until we get the trades from the printer. So I'm still stuck to a schedule. Plus, I have to get my whole thesis committee together before Dr Williams will meet with me. I already talked to Dr Whitfield, and you know Dr Helfer's always got an eye on us, but he said it would be better for me to do it this way. But scheduling everyone at the same time is like herding cats. Fucking scientists." He snorted, annoyed.
"I'm going to sound like Danneel and you have to promise not to make a bitchface at me, but cheer up, emo panda."
Jared chuckled. Grace had told him horror stories about her lab, and every single one of them made him glad he worked with the people he did.
It didn't keep him from wishing there was a little less work, though. Especially since there was still always someone using the hood when he needed it.
"Hey. Jared," Welling hissed, beckoning Jared over to where he was sitting.
"What's up?"
Welling pulled a little black box out of his lab coat pocket and opened it. Inside was what looked suspiciously like an engagement ring, but with a sapphire in the center instead of a diamond.
"Aww, Tomtom," Jared cooed, batting his eyelashes. "You shouldn't have." He wiggled his pinky. "But I think it's too small."
"Shut up. Do you think Jamie will like it?"
"I'm sure she will. I'm probably the wrong person to ask, though."
"Danneel will just give me advice. I don't need any more advice." He dropped his voice. "I'm really nervous about this. What if she says no?"
"Tom. Don't be stupid. Why would she say no?"
"I don’t know!"
"Don't worry about it. Jamie loves you. Congratulations in advance." He clapped Welling on the shoulder. "And if she won't marry you, you can sic Danny and Gen on her."
They both went back work and a couple of hours later Jared was washing cells and listening to the radio on his phone when Danneel poked him in the shoulder to get his attention. He pulled out one of the earbuds and she said "Gen and I just saw Welling walking up and down the hallway talking to himself. What's up with that? He looks like Crazy Dr F."
"He's gonna propose to Jamie," Jared told her. "He must be practicing what to say."
"But I thought he and Mike - " Genevieve said, flapping a hand to indicate the rest of the sentence.
"Oh, he and Mike, definitely," Danneel said. When Genevieve looked a little confused, she added "Threesome."
"Ohhh."
Jared wasn't 100% sure he wanted that mental image - Tom was a good-looking guy, Jamie was pretty, and Mike had been growing out his hair so he was actually kind of cute now - but it seemed like an embarrassing invasion of privacy to imagine his friends' sex lives. Genevieve and Danneel ran with it, trying to determine what a three-person wedding would be like and how would you seat people in the church - bride's side, groom's side, other groom's side? - and would it throw off the number of attendants to have two grooms' worth of groomsmen vs. one bride's worth of bridesmaids and what if you wanted a really traditional ceremony? And would they just get a room with a king-size bed on their honeymoon? Because it wouldn't be fair to make one of them sleep alone. Jared put his earbud back in and let them chatter. He could hear them over the music, anyway.
Children by the millions wait for Alex Chilton. You're listening to the Replacements on 92.7 WBBR.
Jared's phone battery was dying but much to his great relief, Welling reappeared and started packing up his stuff to leave. As soon as he was out of the lab, the radio was going on.
When the nightly what-are-you-up-to poll rolled around, Jared was alone in the lab and because he was getting tired of texting, he figured he'd actually call the station. He'd done it before, and by now he felt familiar enough with the DJ that calling would be the next logical step in their relationship. Although thinking of it as a relationship made him a little nervous - he didn't know enough about Jensen Ross to know how that would be received.
But Jensen hadn't seemed at all averse to being friends, at least, and really, Jared just wanted to hear the DJ's voice in his ear, talking directly to him.
"This is Jensen Ross, WBBR. Tell me who you are and what you're doing."
"This is Jared and I'm questioning my career path."
"That sucks. I thought your career path was interesting. Why are you questioning? Too much cell massage? Or not enough?"
Jensen did not sound surprised to hear from him, and in fact sounded almost as if they were just continuing a conversation they'd had yesterday. Jared took that as a good sign.
"Too much lab, maybe," he said. "I don't know. We have to do these seminars where we critique each others' research papers. It's supposed to help us write up and present our own research later on, but it can get really cutthroat and kind of mean. It's not even useful critique any more, it's just ripping someone a new one because you can, because someone did it to you. Or because you know they're going to in the future. I don't think I'm cut out for that."
"You never struck me as an asshole, no."
"So there's that. And lab work's boring, I know I've said that before, and - shit, dude, did I tell you my comic got funded?"
"The Kickstarter. Yeah, I know." Jared could almost hear a grin in Jensen Ross' voice. "I pledged twenty-five bucks."
"No shit!" Jared cried, surprised and thrilled and oddly flattered. "You get a sketch! Tell me what you want me to draw - I'll draw you anything."
"Draw me as a cowboy."
"Seriously? I don't even know what you look like."
"Draw yourself as a cowboy, then."
Oh, now Jensen was just teasing him.
"I'm kidding," Jensen said. "I don't know what I want. I'll think about it and let you know. How many books did people order?"
"A hundred and thirty-two. More, but that's how many twenty-five-dollar pledges we got. I'll have to start sketching as soon as they come in. We're going to put the comic on hiatus until I'm done, but I'll still have class and lab and next semester I even have to TA. I might have time to sleep."
"That's a lot of work. All I have to do is sit behind a desk and wear headphones and play music. And make ads."
"Ads for what?"
"Station ads. Like, musicians saying 'I'm So-and-so and you're listening to 92.7 WBBR'. I put those together."
"Sounds kind of cool."
"I hate to do this," Jensen said, "but I gotta put you on hold." He sounded genuinely apologetic. "It's time to share the poll results. You want to make a request? Think about it while I do this." And then he put Jared on hold before Jared could say anything.
Genevieve wandered back into the lab during Jensen's poll results, looked curiously at Jared, and then smiled to herself.
"Make a request," Jared told her, pointing to the radio.
'"That Adele song," she said. "'Rumour Has It.'"
So when Jensen Ross came back to the phone, Jared repeated the request and added "Play it for Gen."
"Play it for Helfer lab!" Genevieve called across the lab.
"I heard that," Jensen said, chuckling. "Will do."
Jared took his phone out into the hallway so he could continue the conversation without either distracting Genevieve or inspiring her to make cracks about his DJ, and he and Jensen Ross talked for a good half hour about the lab and immunology and overwork and Haro and music and what to order that wasn't on the menu at Sooner's, which turned out to be owned by Jensen's best friend. Jensen had to put Jared on hold a few times in order to actually do his job, but Jared didn't mind, and finally Jensen played the song Genevieve had asked for and Jared admitted he should really get off the phone and go back to work.
"Look, man, thanks for talking me down," he went on. "I guess I just got too far up my own head to think rationally about everything."
"Any time," Jensen said. "It was my pleasure. It's nice to actually hear your voice, after all the text conversations we've had." Jared could hear the smile in his words. "Did I ever tell you I think you're the only person who's always listening to my show?"
"I think you've told me that, yeah. You know it keeps me sane." Now he hoped Jensen Ross could hear his smile too.
"And you should call me more often and tell me in more detail what you do. I don't get to talk to scientists a lot, and you're fun."
Jared's heart skipped a beat with what he could only call excitement and the recognition of affection. How weird would it be if Jensen Ross had a crush on him?
"Aw, thank you," he said. "I think you're pretty fun to talk to, too. But I should go. Cells to wash and split and infect, you know."
"Use your powers for good. I'll talk to you later."
The more Jared thought about it, and the more he replayed some of their texts, the more he wondered if Jensen Ross had been flirting with him all along and he'd just never figured it out. Now that he had a suspicion, he'd have to flirt back.
"You look happy about something," Danneel remarked, after he floated back to the lab.
"He was talking to the DJ," Genevieve said.
"And you're just telling me now??"
Jared could see Genevieve smiling to herself, like she'd been keeping a secret for him.
"What did you talk about?"
"Stuff," Jared said. "Things. The lab. Haro. Music. It was a nice conversation."
"I just bet it was." Now Danneel was smirking at him. "Did you profess your undying love?"
"No."
"Did you want to?"
"No."
"Did he want to?"
"I don’t think so."
"You don't think so!" Danneel crowed. "You are so cute I don't even know what to do with you."
"You could start by letting me do some work."
"I could." She waved at his bench. "Go. Go back to work. Look after your cells." But her expression said she wasn't letting this go any time soon. Jared wondered how long she could keep her mouth shut, and what she was going to tell Welling when she finally spilled.
I can hear Mark and Seb rattling around outside, so sit tight and they'll be in to carry you through the morning. I'm Jensen Ross, your late-night early-morning voice of reason, and it is time for me to go. I'll see you all tonight.
He closed out his show the same way every morning, with the same Kansas song, and this time Jared sang along with the radio, not even caring that he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. What he lacked in skill he made up for in enthusiasm.
* * *
Jared had been up for all of ten minutes and was looking for clothes that weren't too offensive - he really needed to do his laundry - when his phone barked, indicating a text from Chad.
YOUR BOYFRIEND IS IN THE SHOP GET DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS SECOND, it read. Jared blinked at it.
What boyfriend? he replied.
THE HOT MYSTERY BOYFRIEND. HE READS COMICS. WHERE ARE YOU.
Naked
THAT WILL IMPRESS HIM. DON'T SAY I NEVER DID NOTHING FOR YOU.
Jared tossed his phone on the bed, gave up the search for a clean shirt, grabbed the long-sleeved tee he'd worn yesterday, and got dressed in such a hurry that he pulled a sweatshirt on over it inside-out, which he didn't even realize until he got to the comic shop and Chad rolled his eyes at him and pointed it out.
"You missed him," Chad said. "I tried to delay him but he was in some kind of hurry. He reads Captain America, you'll be pleased to know."
Jared sighed.
"Don’t make that face at me. I told you he was here as soon as I could."
"Are you sure it was him?"
"You drew his face for me. A whole bunch of times." Chad looked smug. "Even better, he started a sub so I know his name, and he signed up for the mailing list so I saw his email address, which is jensenross - one word - at gmail, by the way."
"Wait. What did you just say his name was?" Jared was sure he'd misheard something.
"His email's jensenross but his sub is Jensen Ackles, so Jensen Something. Now you can Google him." Chad looked pleased with himself.
Jared's heart was racing. This was too coincidental.
"And you're sure it's the same guy I keep seeing?"
"Yeah."
"Holy fucking shit." He wanted to sit down. He'd been almost running into Jensen Ross this whole time and he never knew.
And that meant Jensen Ross lived in his neighborhood. Probably.
Danneel and Genevieve were going to have a field day with this.
"You ok?" Chad asked, concerned.
"I'm not sure. I know him, Chad. I've known him this whole time. He's the overnight DJ on BBR. I told you I listen to him in the lab."
So that was him in Shaw's. Jensen Ross really did drop a box of Corn Flakes on Jared's head.
And Jared saw him at the Airborne Toxic Event show after all.
Oh god.
He'd have to tell Jensen they'd actually met in person. But how do you bring that up?
"I managed to take a picture of him for you," Chad said, interrupting Jared's mental flail. He pulled out his phone and showed Jared an off-center picture showing most of a display of graphic novels and part of Jensen's oblivious profile. "I was trying to be sneaky."
"You Kinneared him?" Jared demanded. "What if he'd seen you?"
"He'd have said something and I'd have told him I was taking his picture for my housemate who thinks he's hot."
Jared reached across the counter and smacked Chad upside the head.
"You should just hang around here on Thursdays," Chad suggested. "Wait for him to come in. That way you're more likely to end up with a date with the guy."
Jared couldn't argue with the second half of the sentence, but the first half was a giant no-go. There was nowhere out of the way for him to sit, for one thing, and being in a comic store was too distracting, for another, and at some point he'd really need peace and quiet to get some science read.
And most importantly, if he met Jensen Ross face-to-face again, now knowing what he knew, he'd probably lose what little composure he possessed and turn into such a massive dork that the DJ would never want to talk to him again.
Chad eventually let it go, more or less, and over the next couple of weeks Jared did his reading and worked on his experiments and listened to the radio and texted Jensen Ross and talked to him on the phone and tried to figure out how to bring up that they'd seen each other in person and probably lived in the same general area. He drew comic pages and finished the big incentive drawings for the Kickstarter pledges and wished he could go home for Thanksgiving. The lab was actually open that Friday, and he was sure he'd need the time.
Chad's aunt who lived out in Worcester had included him in her Thanksgiving invitation, and he liked Chad's family, but it wasn't the same.
"I miss my folks," he admitted to Jensen on the phone the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. "I won't get to see them until Christmas."
"I know how that is," Jensen said. "Sounds like you have good friends up here, though."
"Chad? Yeah, he's a good guy, when he's not being kind of a douche. His aunt always puts on a good spread, too. I don't know. I got so much work to do, I couldn't go home anyway."
"At least you get Wednesday and Thursday night off, right? I plan to sleep in. So to speak. And stuff my face."
"That is indeed what Thanksgiving is all about."
Chad drove them to his aunt's house on Thursday so Jared could eat himself into a food coma, and Jared at least planned to spend part of Friday recovering. He could do that and still put in a couple of hours at the lab. Chad apparently had other ideas.
"I did you a favor and got you an early Christmas present, so don't kill me," he said.
"Do I want to know what it is?" Jared asked skeptically. Chad already anticipating homicide was not a good sign.
"Yes. I told your boyfriend about you."
"My what? You mean Jensen? Why?"
"Because you want him! You know you do. And because I am your best friend and I want you to get laid. I mean. I want you to be happy." Chad looked pleased with himself and Jared felt a nearly uncontrollable urge to smack him upside the head. "He came into the store last week and we were talking about Haro, ok? I didn't just bring it up. And I mentioned we were closed for Thanksgiving, and he said he had Friday off. And all I did was mention that you, the artist of this web comic that he likes, was probably going to come into Excelsior on Friday. I didn't tell him anything he didn't know or couldn't reasonably assume. I mean, he knows you draw the comic, if he's read enough of the web site he knows you live with me, he knows I write it, you told me you talk to him at work. You already did the hard work yourself. I am just a facilitator." He grinned. "Alona's filling in for Gabe today. Go keep her company. Maybe Misha will bring his kid in, and you can play with him. You can do your lab work tomorrow."
Jared wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't sure there was anything to say. As much as he liked talking to Jensen Ross and thinking about Jensen Ross - especially now that he knew what he looked like - he hadn't quite gotten as far as figuring out a non-weird way to officially meet Jensen Ross.
But that was apparently why he had Chad.
"You're welcome," Chad said. "Weather looks good for a run. Take your sketchbook."
Jared took his dogs out instead, mostly so he could think about what to say if he did indeed see Jensen at the comic shop, and what he'd tell Chad if the guy never showed. He walked Harley and Sadie down to the bakery, bought a cupcake, walked them home, ate the cupcake, collected his sketchpad and some pencils and his wallet and phone, and did as Chad suggested.
"Jared!" Alona said, as he walked in. "Chad told me to watch out for you and keep you here if I had to." She tried to look deliberately sneaky and giggled. "How was your Thanksgiving?"
"Worthy of the food coma."
"Are you going to draw me something?" She grinned hopefully.
"Why yes, yes I am."
He pulled out his sketchpad, set it on top of a row of back issues, and announced that he'd take requests. He was interrupted twice by curious customers, once by Alona answering the phone and telling him it was Chad, and finally by a voice he recognized saying his name.
Jared turned and there was Jensen Ross, wearing almost the exact same thing he'd been wearing in the grocery store when he'd dropped Corn Flakes on Jared's head. His cheeks were red from the cold and his hair stuck up in all directions. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled.
"You must be Jared." He held out his hand to shake. "It's good to finally see your face." When Jared didn’t answer, because he didn't know how, because how could he say he'd already seen Jensen's face, Jensen looked confused, as if he'd gotten something wrong, and added, uncertainly, "It's Jensen."
And Jared found his voice, and grinned. "I know."
Author's Note | Extras
PG-13
Part 5 of 5
Master post
Art
On Sunday, even though he had other things to do, Jared went into Allston for Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School, as Kat had suggested weeks and weeks ago, so he could sit in a bar and draw a live model for a couple of hours. He'd been to Great Scott to see bands a few times in college, and it looked different with artists and a random photographer sitting on folding chairs busily sketching (or photographing) a girl in various stages of burlesque-y undress. The model changed poses every ten or fifteen minutes, which was about what Jared was used to from previous studio sessions with live models, but he was also more used to completely naked models - rather than this girl in her high heels, fishnets, and pasties - or models wearing draped fabric, posing for quiet, earnest artists.
Not that the crowd for Dr Sketchy's wasn't earnest - everyone seemed pretty serious about their drawing - but, well, it was in a bar, and they were encouraged to buy drinks, and there was background music for the model, and after the session was over she and the MC gave out prizes for what they considered the best drawings.
Jared didn't know if this girl was Kat's friend, and he didn't see Kat at all, but he liked drawing her and it got him out of the house. He probably could have spent that time doing something more productive (reading, studying, trying to organize his lab notes, working on a finished drawing for one of the three people who'd actually pledged eighty bucks for the Kickstarter), but drawing things that weren't Haro got him energized to draw things that were.
He went home to find that Chad had taped to the living room wall a timeline of all their commitments to the people who'd funded their comic, plus their commitments to the printer and the printer's commitments to them. Jared pulled a pencil out of the shoulder bag he'd taken to Dr Sketchy's and started adding class and lab commitments as well.
To be fair, he'd always known that he was in for much more work if they got the money to print their comic, so it wasn't as if any of this was a surprise.
"And see," Chad pointed out later, "right here, it says 'Jared introduces himself to his mystery boyfriend.'" He grinned, looking both pleased with himself and aware of what a brat he was being.
"Funny," Jared said dryly. "When are the books being delivered?" Chad had sent the layout file to the printer yesterday.
"We should get the proof copy in a month, maybe six weeks. You'll know when they arrive. The house will suddenly be full of boxes."
"I'm trying to plan ahead."
"That's pretty far ahead. Kick back and relax. You can't start sketching in the books until we get the books." Chad's expression and tone of voice seemed to add You should know that, so why are you worried. "We've only got one more update for the current chapter but I think it's too early to go on hiatus. Now you can start drawing for the big rewards. Make the PDF - we could send that out."
"Shouldn't we wait for the proof? What if I have to make corrections to it?" Jared tapped the timeline where Chad had written T-Day! Stuff face!, wondering if the lab was going to be open that Friday, and if so, would it be worth it to try and go in during the day.
"Don't stress out, Moose," Chad said, patting Jared on the shoulder. "The fans will be patient with you." Sadie wandered into the room and butted against Jared's leg, her second-favorite way to announce that she needed to either eat or pee. Her first favorite way, of course, was to stand next to her bowl or the back door and bark. "Sadie, not so much."
Jared took her and Harley for a walk, only ran into one other dog-walker - a middle-aged man with a middle-aged cocker spaniel - but sadly not Hot Runner Guy, and by the time he got home, Chad had left. Small favors.
"Don’t stress," Danneel told him calmly Tuesday night, "you have your concert tomorrow and Thanksgiving in a couple weeks and a month after that is Christmas break and you can spend all your time doing nothing. You said it would take six weeks, right?"
"For the proof, yeah. And then we have to check it for mistakes and send it back, and Chad thinks a couple weeks after that before the books show up at the house. And by then it's next year." He counted weeks on his fingers just to be sure. He really didn't have to freak out about the time crunch just yet.
"Aren't you TA'ing next semester?" Welling asked.
Shit. Jared added that to what was no doubt going to be a ridiculous schedule. Danneel and Genevieve could tease him about Jensen Ross all they wanted, and Chad could tease him about Hot Runner Guy, but it was clear Jared was just not going to have time for a boyfriend.
"How do I get myself into these things?" he muttered.
"How many sketches will you have to do?" Genevieve asked from her bench.
"A hundred and thirty-two."
Danneel whistled, impressed.
"That's just the twenty-five-dollar reward," Jared went on. "Add another ten, I think, for the people who pledged sixty-five bucks."
"I'm not in a hurry to get mine, if that helps," Danneel told him. "I mean, once they finally show up."
"And I just got the book," Genevieve said. "So you don't have to draw me anything."
"Turn the radio up," Danneel told her. "If anything will cheer up emo panda here, it's that." She batted her eyelashes at him and he blew her a kiss.
You just heard the first single off Jack White's first solo album, which is scheduled to drop next year. I can't wait. It's gonna be amazing. And before that was "Lonely Boy", a dedication from Mayhem to Moose. It's like 80s radio around here tonight. You guys crack me up.
Jensen Ross chuckled over the radio. Jared promised himself that he'd wake Chad up when he got home to give him the noogie of all noogies. But Danneel was right - Jensen's voice did cheer him up, or at least calm him down.
At 3:30 Jared answered the DJ's nightly check-in question with Jared is splitting cells and getting psyched to see Airborne Toxic Event tomorrow.
What a coincidence. Me, too, Jensen texted back. Not the cells, though. Maybe I'll see you there. I'll stand onstage and yell "Jared the cell guy!" and whoever answers will be you. :)
Less embarrassing for you: I'll be the really tall guy who needs a haircut.
"What are you looking so pleased about?" Genevieve asked. Jared just held up his phone, grinning. "Besides that. It's a good conversation, huh? Why don't you just call the guy?"
"You sound like Danny."
"It's a legitimate question."
"I sound like too much of a doofus on the phone. I can get away with being a dork in text."
"You're very strange." She went back to work and Jared looked at his phone, where Jensen had texted Should I bring shears?
Shears? Jared replied.
Scissors? If you need a haircut that badly.
Ha! No. I'd never hear the end of it if I let a non-professional cut my hair.
I'm a professional! Just not a professional hairdresser. ;) I'll let you get back to work. Should be a good show tomorrow.
I'll look for you.
I'll be the one who looks like a DJ. :)
That didn't really help Jared, but he liked knowing that Jensen Ross apparently maybe sort of kind of wanted to meet him too. He wished he knew what the guy looked like, so he could at least try to find him at the concert the next night. Jared's height gave him a slight advantage finding people in a crowd, and they even stood on the balcony because Justin's friend Allison wanted to, thus giving him a good view of the audience.
There was no chance of finding the DJ, but Jared did see someone by the bar who looked so much like Hot Runner Guy that he was sorely tempted to approach him. He was stopped partly by the crush of people and partly by, of all things, the completely unexpected concern that he'd be cheating on Jensen Ross. But by the time he'd convinced himself that that was stupid, Hot Runner Guy had vanished.
The bands were good and the crowd was responsive and the headliner's lead singer closed out the show by telling everyone to go home and make beautiful Boston babies, which made both Justin and Jared laugh, and Jared considered it a good night out, despite his idiotic hesitancy over Hot Runner Guy.
He arrived at the lab wired and exhausted and completely unable to concentrate, and after an hour Welling suggested he take a walk through the building to burn off some excess energy. Danneel and Genevieve both said he needed a nap. So he took all of their advice, pacing up and down the empty echoing corridors listening to the radio on his phone (and passing Dr F once, who waved) and eventually stopping in the lounge with the good vending machines. He knew he'd be hungry later, and it was always nice to have snacks so close to hand. He stretched out on the longest couch, didn't even bother taking off his shoes, and fell asleep to Jensen Ross giving an abbreviated news and weather report in his ear.
He slept for almost an hour, waking up momentarily confused as to why he was lying on a couch in a student lounge. One of his earbuds had fallen out and now he realized he was listening to Aerosmith in mono. He grinned to himself, stretched, readjusted himself and his phone and earbuds, stood up, and went back to the lab.
Welling had gone home and the girls had turned the radio on, and as Jared walked into the lab, Jensen was talking about the concert and introducing a song by the opening band.
"Too bad you didn't see him," Danneel commented. "A rock concert probably isn't the best place to profess your undying love, though."
"Did you check my cells?" Jared asked Genevieve, ignoring her.
"Yes," she said. "I split them too. And reset your alarm." She pointed to his bench. "You have like ten minutes and I have to wash mine."
"You're a treasure."
"I know."
He didn't even check his phone until he went to text Jared's finally busy! Washing cells! for the nightly check-in and noticed that Jensen had sent him a message earlier, evidently while he was napping:
Too many tall guys at HoB! Hope you enjoyed the show. :)
Loved it! Jared sent back. Wish we'd seen each other, though.
Jensen didn't answer, but Jared figured he was probably too busy. He could understand.
* * *
Jared sat in his research seminar listening with half an ear as one of the PhD candidates presented a paper she'd had published in a scientific journal. He doodled through her presentation and for the first ten minutes of everyone else ripping into her research, and even though this was what the seminar was for - analyzing and critiquing published papers in a theoretical attempt to learn how to better conduct and write up one's own research - and it had always been pretty brutal, today for some reason it struck Jared as kind of mean. He knew he'd be up there someday, presenting his research and letting his fellow grad students tear it apart, and for once he just wasn't interested in learning through critical discussion.
"I think I'm burning out," he admitted to Genevieve afterward. She'd sat next to him and had watched him doodle without saying anything, which made him feel relieved - someone else wasn't paying attention either - and grateful, because she hadn't drawn any attention to him. There were enough people in the seminar that he could zone out without anyone noticing.
"You and me both," she said.
"Do you ever wonder if grad school was a mistake?"
"Sometimes." She shrugged. "I think Dr Helfer's letting up, though. Either that or I'm just getting used to her. I met with Dr Ferris yesterday - she's on my thesis committee - and she told me not to sweat it. Those were her exact words - 'Don't sweat it'. So I'm trying not to."
"Oh," Jared said. "I'm not screwing up my project any more than usual, but I still have Haro. We're not going to put it on hiatus until we get the trades from the printer. So I'm still stuck to a schedule. Plus, I have to get my whole thesis committee together before Dr Williams will meet with me. I already talked to Dr Whitfield, and you know Dr Helfer's always got an eye on us, but he said it would be better for me to do it this way. But scheduling everyone at the same time is like herding cats. Fucking scientists." He snorted, annoyed.
"I'm going to sound like Danneel and you have to promise not to make a bitchface at me, but cheer up, emo panda."
Jared chuckled. Grace had told him horror stories about her lab, and every single one of them made him glad he worked with the people he did.
It didn't keep him from wishing there was a little less work, though. Especially since there was still always someone using the hood when he needed it.
"Hey. Jared," Welling hissed, beckoning Jared over to where he was sitting.
"What's up?"
Welling pulled a little black box out of his lab coat pocket and opened it. Inside was what looked suspiciously like an engagement ring, but with a sapphire in the center instead of a diamond.
"Aww, Tomtom," Jared cooed, batting his eyelashes. "You shouldn't have." He wiggled his pinky. "But I think it's too small."
"Shut up. Do you think Jamie will like it?"
"I'm sure she will. I'm probably the wrong person to ask, though."
"Danneel will just give me advice. I don't need any more advice." He dropped his voice. "I'm really nervous about this. What if she says no?"
"Tom. Don't be stupid. Why would she say no?"
"I don’t know!"
"Don't worry about it. Jamie loves you. Congratulations in advance." He clapped Welling on the shoulder. "And if she won't marry you, you can sic Danny and Gen on her."
They both went back work and a couple of hours later Jared was washing cells and listening to the radio on his phone when Danneel poked him in the shoulder to get his attention. He pulled out one of the earbuds and she said "Gen and I just saw Welling walking up and down the hallway talking to himself. What's up with that? He looks like Crazy Dr F."
"He's gonna propose to Jamie," Jared told her. "He must be practicing what to say."
"But I thought he and Mike - " Genevieve said, flapping a hand to indicate the rest of the sentence.
"Oh, he and Mike, definitely," Danneel said. When Genevieve looked a little confused, she added "Threesome."
"Ohhh."
Jared wasn't 100% sure he wanted that mental image - Tom was a good-looking guy, Jamie was pretty, and Mike had been growing out his hair so he was actually kind of cute now - but it seemed like an embarrassing invasion of privacy to imagine his friends' sex lives. Genevieve and Danneel ran with it, trying to determine what a three-person wedding would be like and how would you seat people in the church - bride's side, groom's side, other groom's side? - and would it throw off the number of attendants to have two grooms' worth of groomsmen vs. one bride's worth of bridesmaids and what if you wanted a really traditional ceremony? And would they just get a room with a king-size bed on their honeymoon? Because it wouldn't be fair to make one of them sleep alone. Jared put his earbud back in and let them chatter. He could hear them over the music, anyway.
Children by the millions wait for Alex Chilton. You're listening to the Replacements on 92.7 WBBR.
Jared's phone battery was dying but much to his great relief, Welling reappeared and started packing up his stuff to leave. As soon as he was out of the lab, the radio was going on.
When the nightly what-are-you-up-to poll rolled around, Jared was alone in the lab and because he was getting tired of texting, he figured he'd actually call the station. He'd done it before, and by now he felt familiar enough with the DJ that calling would be the next logical step in their relationship. Although thinking of it as a relationship made him a little nervous - he didn't know enough about Jensen Ross to know how that would be received.
But Jensen hadn't seemed at all averse to being friends, at least, and really, Jared just wanted to hear the DJ's voice in his ear, talking directly to him.
"This is Jensen Ross, WBBR. Tell me who you are and what you're doing."
"This is Jared and I'm questioning my career path."
"That sucks. I thought your career path was interesting. Why are you questioning? Too much cell massage? Or not enough?"
Jensen did not sound surprised to hear from him, and in fact sounded almost as if they were just continuing a conversation they'd had yesterday. Jared took that as a good sign.
"Too much lab, maybe," he said. "I don't know. We have to do these seminars where we critique each others' research papers. It's supposed to help us write up and present our own research later on, but it can get really cutthroat and kind of mean. It's not even useful critique any more, it's just ripping someone a new one because you can, because someone did it to you. Or because you know they're going to in the future. I don't think I'm cut out for that."
"You never struck me as an asshole, no."
"So there's that. And lab work's boring, I know I've said that before, and - shit, dude, did I tell you my comic got funded?"
"The Kickstarter. Yeah, I know." Jared could almost hear a grin in Jensen Ross' voice. "I pledged twenty-five bucks."
"No shit!" Jared cried, surprised and thrilled and oddly flattered. "You get a sketch! Tell me what you want me to draw - I'll draw you anything."
"Draw me as a cowboy."
"Seriously? I don't even know what you look like."
"Draw yourself as a cowboy, then."
Oh, now Jensen was just teasing him.
"I'm kidding," Jensen said. "I don't know what I want. I'll think about it and let you know. How many books did people order?"
"A hundred and thirty-two. More, but that's how many twenty-five-dollar pledges we got. I'll have to start sketching as soon as they come in. We're going to put the comic on hiatus until I'm done, but I'll still have class and lab and next semester I even have to TA. I might have time to sleep."
"That's a lot of work. All I have to do is sit behind a desk and wear headphones and play music. And make ads."
"Ads for what?"
"Station ads. Like, musicians saying 'I'm So-and-so and you're listening to 92.7 WBBR'. I put those together."
"Sounds kind of cool."
"I hate to do this," Jensen said, "but I gotta put you on hold." He sounded genuinely apologetic. "It's time to share the poll results. You want to make a request? Think about it while I do this." And then he put Jared on hold before Jared could say anything.
Genevieve wandered back into the lab during Jensen's poll results, looked curiously at Jared, and then smiled to herself.
"Make a request," Jared told her, pointing to the radio.
'"That Adele song," she said. "'Rumour Has It.'"
So when Jensen Ross came back to the phone, Jared repeated the request and added "Play it for Gen."
"Play it for Helfer lab!" Genevieve called across the lab.
"I heard that," Jensen said, chuckling. "Will do."
Jared took his phone out into the hallway so he could continue the conversation without either distracting Genevieve or inspiring her to make cracks about his DJ, and he and Jensen Ross talked for a good half hour about the lab and immunology and overwork and Haro and music and what to order that wasn't on the menu at Sooner's, which turned out to be owned by Jensen's best friend. Jensen had to put Jared on hold a few times in order to actually do his job, but Jared didn't mind, and finally Jensen played the song Genevieve had asked for and Jared admitted he should really get off the phone and go back to work.
"Look, man, thanks for talking me down," he went on. "I guess I just got too far up my own head to think rationally about everything."
"Any time," Jensen said. "It was my pleasure. It's nice to actually hear your voice, after all the text conversations we've had." Jared could hear the smile in his words. "Did I ever tell you I think you're the only person who's always listening to my show?"
"I think you've told me that, yeah. You know it keeps me sane." Now he hoped Jensen Ross could hear his smile too.
"And you should call me more often and tell me in more detail what you do. I don't get to talk to scientists a lot, and you're fun."
Jared's heart skipped a beat with what he could only call excitement and the recognition of affection. How weird would it be if Jensen Ross had a crush on him?
"Aw, thank you," he said. "I think you're pretty fun to talk to, too. But I should go. Cells to wash and split and infect, you know."
"Use your powers for good. I'll talk to you later."
The more Jared thought about it, and the more he replayed some of their texts, the more he wondered if Jensen Ross had been flirting with him all along and he'd just never figured it out. Now that he had a suspicion, he'd have to flirt back.
"You look happy about something," Danneel remarked, after he floated back to the lab.
"He was talking to the DJ," Genevieve said.
"And you're just telling me now??"
Jared could see Genevieve smiling to herself, like she'd been keeping a secret for him.
"What did you talk about?"
"Stuff," Jared said. "Things. The lab. Haro. Music. It was a nice conversation."
"I just bet it was." Now Danneel was smirking at him. "Did you profess your undying love?"
"No."
"Did you want to?"
"No."
"Did he want to?"
"I don’t think so."
"You don't think so!" Danneel crowed. "You are so cute I don't even know what to do with you."
"You could start by letting me do some work."
"I could." She waved at his bench. "Go. Go back to work. Look after your cells." But her expression said she wasn't letting this go any time soon. Jared wondered how long she could keep her mouth shut, and what she was going to tell Welling when she finally spilled.
I can hear Mark and Seb rattling around outside, so sit tight and they'll be in to carry you through the morning. I'm Jensen Ross, your late-night early-morning voice of reason, and it is time for me to go. I'll see you all tonight.
He closed out his show the same way every morning, with the same Kansas song, and this time Jared sang along with the radio, not even caring that he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. What he lacked in skill he made up for in enthusiasm.
* * *
Jared had been up for all of ten minutes and was looking for clothes that weren't too offensive - he really needed to do his laundry - when his phone barked, indicating a text from Chad.
YOUR BOYFRIEND IS IN THE SHOP GET DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS SECOND, it read. Jared blinked at it.
What boyfriend? he replied.
THE HOT MYSTERY BOYFRIEND. HE READS COMICS. WHERE ARE YOU.
Naked
THAT WILL IMPRESS HIM. DON'T SAY I NEVER DID NOTHING FOR YOU.
Jared tossed his phone on the bed, gave up the search for a clean shirt, grabbed the long-sleeved tee he'd worn yesterday, and got dressed in such a hurry that he pulled a sweatshirt on over it inside-out, which he didn't even realize until he got to the comic shop and Chad rolled his eyes at him and pointed it out.
"You missed him," Chad said. "I tried to delay him but he was in some kind of hurry. He reads Captain America, you'll be pleased to know."
Jared sighed.
"Don’t make that face at me. I told you he was here as soon as I could."
"Are you sure it was him?"
"You drew his face for me. A whole bunch of times." Chad looked smug. "Even better, he started a sub so I know his name, and he signed up for the mailing list so I saw his email address, which is jensenross - one word - at gmail, by the way."
"Wait. What did you just say his name was?" Jared was sure he'd misheard something.
"His email's jensenross but his sub is Jensen Ackles, so Jensen Something. Now you can Google him." Chad looked pleased with himself.
Jared's heart was racing. This was too coincidental.
"And you're sure it's the same guy I keep seeing?"
"Yeah."
"Holy fucking shit." He wanted to sit down. He'd been almost running into Jensen Ross this whole time and he never knew.
And that meant Jensen Ross lived in his neighborhood. Probably.
Danneel and Genevieve were going to have a field day with this.
"You ok?" Chad asked, concerned.
"I'm not sure. I know him, Chad. I've known him this whole time. He's the overnight DJ on BBR. I told you I listen to him in the lab."
So that was him in Shaw's. Jensen Ross really did drop a box of Corn Flakes on Jared's head.
And Jared saw him at the Airborne Toxic Event show after all.
Oh god.
He'd have to tell Jensen they'd actually met in person. But how do you bring that up?
"I managed to take a picture of him for you," Chad said, interrupting Jared's mental flail. He pulled out his phone and showed Jared an off-center picture showing most of a display of graphic novels and part of Jensen's oblivious profile. "I was trying to be sneaky."
"You Kinneared him?" Jared demanded. "What if he'd seen you?"
"He'd have said something and I'd have told him I was taking his picture for my housemate who thinks he's hot."
Jared reached across the counter and smacked Chad upside the head.
"You should just hang around here on Thursdays," Chad suggested. "Wait for him to come in. That way you're more likely to end up with a date with the guy."
Jared couldn't argue with the second half of the sentence, but the first half was a giant no-go. There was nowhere out of the way for him to sit, for one thing, and being in a comic store was too distracting, for another, and at some point he'd really need peace and quiet to get some science read.
And most importantly, if he met Jensen Ross face-to-face again, now knowing what he knew, he'd probably lose what little composure he possessed and turn into such a massive dork that the DJ would never want to talk to him again.
Chad eventually let it go, more or less, and over the next couple of weeks Jared did his reading and worked on his experiments and listened to the radio and texted Jensen Ross and talked to him on the phone and tried to figure out how to bring up that they'd seen each other in person and probably lived in the same general area. He drew comic pages and finished the big incentive drawings for the Kickstarter pledges and wished he could go home for Thanksgiving. The lab was actually open that Friday, and he was sure he'd need the time.
Chad's aunt who lived out in Worcester had included him in her Thanksgiving invitation, and he liked Chad's family, but it wasn't the same.
"I miss my folks," he admitted to Jensen on the phone the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. "I won't get to see them until Christmas."
"I know how that is," Jensen said. "Sounds like you have good friends up here, though."
"Chad? Yeah, he's a good guy, when he's not being kind of a douche. His aunt always puts on a good spread, too. I don't know. I got so much work to do, I couldn't go home anyway."
"At least you get Wednesday and Thursday night off, right? I plan to sleep in. So to speak. And stuff my face."
"That is indeed what Thanksgiving is all about."
Chad drove them to his aunt's house on Thursday so Jared could eat himself into a food coma, and Jared at least planned to spend part of Friday recovering. He could do that and still put in a couple of hours at the lab. Chad apparently had other ideas.
"I did you a favor and got you an early Christmas present, so don't kill me," he said.
"Do I want to know what it is?" Jared asked skeptically. Chad already anticipating homicide was not a good sign.
"Yes. I told your boyfriend about you."
"My what? You mean Jensen? Why?"
"Because you want him! You know you do. And because I am your best friend and I want you to get laid. I mean. I want you to be happy." Chad looked pleased with himself and Jared felt a nearly uncontrollable urge to smack him upside the head. "He came into the store last week and we were talking about Haro, ok? I didn't just bring it up. And I mentioned we were closed for Thanksgiving, and he said he had Friday off. And all I did was mention that you, the artist of this web comic that he likes, was probably going to come into Excelsior on Friday. I didn't tell him anything he didn't know or couldn't reasonably assume. I mean, he knows you draw the comic, if he's read enough of the web site he knows you live with me, he knows I write it, you told me you talk to him at work. You already did the hard work yourself. I am just a facilitator." He grinned. "Alona's filling in for Gabe today. Go keep her company. Maybe Misha will bring his kid in, and you can play with him. You can do your lab work tomorrow."
Jared wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't sure there was anything to say. As much as he liked talking to Jensen Ross and thinking about Jensen Ross - especially now that he knew what he looked like - he hadn't quite gotten as far as figuring out a non-weird way to officially meet Jensen Ross.
But that was apparently why he had Chad.
"You're welcome," Chad said. "Weather looks good for a run. Take your sketchbook."
Jared took his dogs out instead, mostly so he could think about what to say if he did indeed see Jensen at the comic shop, and what he'd tell Chad if the guy never showed. He walked Harley and Sadie down to the bakery, bought a cupcake, walked them home, ate the cupcake, collected his sketchpad and some pencils and his wallet and phone, and did as Chad suggested.
"Jared!" Alona said, as he walked in. "Chad told me to watch out for you and keep you here if I had to." She tried to look deliberately sneaky and giggled. "How was your Thanksgiving?"
"Worthy of the food coma."
"Are you going to draw me something?" She grinned hopefully.
"Why yes, yes I am."
He pulled out his sketchpad, set it on top of a row of back issues, and announced that he'd take requests. He was interrupted twice by curious customers, once by Alona answering the phone and telling him it was Chad, and finally by a voice he recognized saying his name.
Jared turned and there was Jensen Ross, wearing almost the exact same thing he'd been wearing in the grocery store when he'd dropped Corn Flakes on Jared's head. His cheeks were red from the cold and his hair stuck up in all directions. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled.
"You must be Jared." He held out his hand to shake. "It's good to finally see your face." When Jared didn’t answer, because he didn't know how, because how could he say he'd already seen Jensen's face, Jensen looked confused, as if he'd gotten something wrong, and added, uncertainly, "It's Jensen."
And Jared found his voice, and grinned. "I know."
Author's Note | Extras