Muffins 'Verse | #07; Little Talks
Title: Little Talks
Author: cocoplumb
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Jared/Jensen. angst. fluff. family stuff, that sorta thing.
Warnings: cancer. mentions of chemo.
Word Count: 3000
Summary: Jared and Jensen go to Jared's family home for his brothers engagement party.
Notes: Remember when I said this wouldn't be long? Four months later...here it is. My bad.
Previous Parts: #01 | #02 | #03 | #04 | #05 | #06
Jared clipped his seatbelt on and pulled out from the side of the road. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you nervous before. Pretty sure doctors offices don’t count, I mean everyone’s bound to be nervous at a hospital so basically yeah, this is the first time I’ve seen you nervous about something.”
“I’m not nervous,” Jensen replied, leaning his head against the cool glass.
“They'll love you, just be yourself and you’ll be fine. I mean how could they not love you, I do,” Jared winked at him.
“Myself is a puking mess on the bathroom floor most days.” Jensen sighed and closed his eyes.
“Hey, you okay?” Jared asked, reaching a hand over to squeeze Jensen's knee, taking his eyes off the road for a beat to see his boyfriends pale complexion and tired eyes. He got off treatment a few days ago, his surgery was in four days and he was doing everything he could to not look terrified about it. Jared wasn’t blind though, he knew Jensen now, knew his habits and his emotions, what it meant when he closed himself off and got lost inside his sad little head. Which is why Jared had convinced his family to have the engagement party now rather than after Jensen's surgery. The guy needed a serious pick me up.
Jensen turned his head and gave Jared a sad smile. “M’fine. Sorry I’m not much fun these days.”
“Hush, you’re plenty fun.” Jared pulled out into the main road and joined the traffic. “Listen, if my mom gets too clingy, just give me the nod and I’ll distract her so you can make a run for it. I’ll even leave my car keys in the sun visor for a quick get away.”
Jensen chuckled.
“I’m serious, she doesn’t have any grandkids yet so she might try to imprint on you like a mother panda or something.”
Jensen chuckled. “I’m just excited to see all the Padalecki photo albums.”
Jared made a mental note to make sure the first thing he did when he got to the house was to hide all those dreaded photo albums.
-
Jared’s childhood home was about three hours away in minimal traffic and Jensen slept most of the drive. Jared kept the soft rock station on knowing it was Jensen's favourite when he was tired and he kept the volume low.
They stopped at the services half way, Jensen hadn’t flinched when Jared pulled into the parking lot so he jumped out, locked the doors and left the man to sleep.
Although they would be eating in just a few short hours, Jared’s stomach grumbled and reminded him to get snacks. As of last week, the smell of coffee was Jensen's latest vomit inducer, so Jared just got himself a strong black tea and a family sized bag of gummy bears. He was pretty sure Jensen had been lying earlier in the morning when he said he’d eaten breakfast, so Jared got him a soda and a bag of salted potato chips.
At the register, they were selling blankets and Jared wondered why he hadn’t thought to bring for Jensen from home. He picked the least grandmotherly pattern and added it to his other purchases. Jensen probably wouldn’t appreciate it, but Jared was good at talking him into things and reasoning with him, it was probably one of the things that made them a good pair. He smiled, thinking how his mother will probably bring that very same statement up when she saw them later. She was good at observing.
“Thanks,” he said to the cashier, despite being overcharged double for pretty much every item in his basket compared to an average grocery store. Services sure knew what to charge idiots like Jared who forgot to pack food and blankets before leaving.
Jensen was awake when Jared got back to the car. He looked a little confused and sleep was still evident in his features so he must have only woken up a moment or two before.
“Good morning sunshine, I come with gifts.” Jared climbed into his drivers seat with his hot tea and put the bag down by Jensen's feet.
“Where are we?” Jensen asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes, looking around the parking lot for a sign or any indication as to where they were.
“About just over an hour out from my parents. I got you some chips and a drink.” He didn’t mention the blanket, just took it out of the bag, ripped off the packaging and folded it out to lie over Jensen's legs. As expected, Jensen gave him a ‘bitch please’ look and grumbled. “It’s a good color on you,” Jared grinned, cocking his head to the side. “Then again, every color is a good color on you, you sexy beast.”
Jensen snorted, shook his head, and put up with the blanket without another muff. He ate half of the chips and drank all of the soda by the time they made it Jared’s parents and hadn’t felt queasy at all. The day was looking up.
-
The street outside Jared’s old home was crowded with cars when they got there. Congratulations banners covered the front porch and decorative balloons were tied with ribbon on either side.
Jared opened Jensen’s door like a true gentleman after getting out himself and straightened his shirt and put the beanie on his head a little more central. Jensen proceeded to tug on Jared’s shirt just the same, receiving a kiss afterwards.
“They haven’t seen your hair yet have they?” Jensen guessed, Jared wasn’t the tech savvy kind of guy to send them all a picture when he’d first shaved his head a few days ago.
“Nope, but I’m pretty sure my mother knows what shape my skull is, she birthed me after all.”
Jensen made a face, his puke face to be precise. Jared worried for a moment Jensen was getting sick but quickly realised what he’d said to get the look of nausea from his boyfriend.
“Not what I meant. I just mean my mothers known me my whole life, this won’t be a shock. Why are you so worried anyway?”
Jensen chewed on his bottom lip. “I guess I just don’t want your family thinking I talked you into it or…whatever, I’m being paranoid. I’m sorry.” Jensen had grown up in a pretty unsympathetic and quite cynical household, things start to rub off after a while.
“Don’t worry about a thing. Just breathe and be the Jensen I love.”
They made it up the porch steps and Jared’s mother opened the door with a big grin on her face. “Honey, you made it! And look at that beautiful face without all that hair cover it.” She threw her small arms around Jared and hugged him fierce; she kissed him on the cheek before letting him go and turning to Jensen. “And you must be Jensen, Jared never shuts up about you and I’m now forced to use that god awful phrase, ‘I feel like I know you already.’”
Jensen smirked and looked over at his boyfriend who was rolling his eyes.
“Mom, thanks for embarrassing me before we even get in the door.”
Sherry smiled proudly. “There’s plenty more where that came from, Jay-Jay. Come on, get inside, you boys must be starving.”
Jensen turned to Jared and mouthed, “Jay-Jay?”
Jared’s cheeks moved up in the blush chart and Jensen chuckled to himself, following Jared into the house.
Jared brother greeted them next, giving Jared a big hug and a pat on the back as Jared congratulated him and made a joke about holding onto Julie -Jeff’s fiancé- for dear life because she was way out of his league. He gave Jensen a strong handshake and thanked him for coming and patted his frail back before excusing himself. Jared’s dad did just the same, a hug for Jared and a handshake for Jensen and a pat on the back for them both. Jared’s sister was the last of the family to say hi.
“How’ve you been?” Megan asked Jared.
“Good, I’m good. How’s law school?” Jared glanced at Jensen for a moment he could tell the older brother in him was beaming with pride.
“Hard but really cool. Got my final exam next week then I’m on placement at a law firm for three months.”
“Awesome, call me and I’ll come visit. You can buy me lunch.” Megan poked Jared in the ribs and told Jensen it was nice to meet him.
“Likewise.”
Jensen smiled, mingled, met Jeff’s fiancé at some point and then somewhere along the way he got separated from Jared. He reminded himself he was a grown man and perfectly capable with making conversation with strangers, even if some of them stared in the way that people only stare when you’re ill. It was a combination of sympathy and ignorant curiosity; something Jared had never once given him, not ever. Jensen continued to smile politely, and told the few that were brave enough to ask that he was, “Fine, thank you.”
Jensen went in search of Jared again and found him chatting in the kitchen with his brother who was laughing about Jared’s hair, or lack they’re of.
“Next time, I’m going to pay you to keep your hair. Seriously, man, not a good look on you.”
Jared snorted. “Next time I’m coming to Dallas and I’m tying you to a chair so I get to shave your head.”
“Not really sure Julie would appreciate that. How’s Jensen like the new do?”
Jensen hung back behind the hallway wall so he could listen but not interrupt.
“Pretty sure he hates it,” Jared chuckled and something crunched in his mouth, he was probably eating the rest of Jensen's salted chips from the car, he never did stop eating.
Jensen smiled fondly and continued to eavesdrop as the conversation.
“I’m scared, Jeff. I’m really scared.” There was no more crunching in Jared’s mouth.
Jensen didn’t recognised the persons steps in the room so he assumed Jeff had moved closer to Jared for more support. “He has a good chance, Jay. I phoned some of his doctors, his percentage is really positive and his surgeon is one of the best.”
“You wouldn’t bullshit me?” Jared sounded so small and Jensen's heart broke.
“I’m a doctor, it’s against my oath to bullshit, even to my own brother.”
Jensen walked away as silently as he could and let himself upstairs to find the bathroom. Jared had made sure he knew where it was in case he needed to make a quick dash during dinner, so it wasn’t hard to find.
He sat down on the closed toilet seat with the door locked. He blew his nose and blinked the tears from his eyes. “I really fucking hate cancer,” he muttered before composing himself, flushing the toilet and going back downstairs as Jared’s mother was calling everyone for dinner.
-
Jared’s mother was what you’d call an over-cooker. She never failed in making more food than was ever necessary and there would always be left over’s, even with Jared at the dinner table. It probably stemmed from the fact that all three of her children were freakishly tall and always looked like they needed fattening up. Jared and his siblings each surpassed puberty eventually, growing into their spidery long limbs one by one and their mother ran out of excuses for her huge portion sizes. Today however, with Jensen at the table, she had a brand new fattening up project to embark upon and boy did she deliver.
Jeff stood at the head of the table with his mouth watering and his eyes wider than Jared’s. “Mom, I haven’t seen you cook like this since Meg’s graduation.”
Sherry set down a few spare serving spoons on the table and smiled proudly at the selection. “Jared never told me what Jensen likes so I just thought I’d make everything I know. Is that okay Jensen?”
“This is amazing, Mrs. Padalecki,” Jensen said, in awe of the shire amount of food.
“Oh, you’re welcome honey. And call me Sherry.”
There was lasagne, sausages, steak, every type of potato Jensen had ever known, countless vegetables, pizza, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, the food was endless. Jensen’s head was spinning by the time his eyes had reached the end of the table, yet somehow all the smells together created something beautiful. It had been a long time since Jensen had smelt this much food and not felt nauseas. It felt good.
Members of Jared’s family drifted into the large dining room from the kitchen or other places in the house, the table started to fill and Jensen began to feel self conscious and somewhat alone. He breathed a sigh of relief he didn’t know he’d been holding when Jared appeared from the kitchen with a beer in each hand, he passed one to his father and the other to someone Jensen might be a cousin, making his way to Jensen's side with a smile on his face.
“Sorry, Jeff needed some manly advice. Something about cold feet.” Jared shrugged, no evidence of the sadness Jensen had heard in his voice just minutes ago.
Jensen didn’t want to ruin it so he carried on his own façade. “Don’t worry about it, I mingled. You’re families surprisingly normal and easy to talk to compared to my boyfriend.”
Jared laughed and was about to say something as he pulled Jensen’s chair out for him when his father spoke from the other side of the table. “You want one, Jensen?” Jerry held up his beer and lifted his eyebrows in the comical fashion Jared always did. Jensen's original thought that he and Jared looked nothing alike was quickly starting to turn on its head.
Jensen blushed. “No thank you, sir.”
“Jensen can’t drink, dad,” Jared told him, his tone light but with an underdone of warning Jensen had never heard from him before.
“Come on, one beer’s not gonna hurt. And why don’t you get one for yourself while you’re at it.”
Though he was being completely harmless, Jerry had no idea just what damage one beer could do to Jensen, especially now, just four days away from him receiving life changing, or rather life saving surgery. It didn’t stop Jensen from feeling any less pathetic for not accepting a beer though. He felt even guiltier Jared wasn’t drinking either because of him.
Sherry smacked her husband up the side of the head before Jared could interject again and took away his beer. “That’s enough alcohol for you, and no celebratory cigars for your boys later either. I’m not having that smoke in my house again.”
Jensen sat down in the seat Jared had pulled out for him and started to fill his plate. He got a bit of everything, or at least the things that went together like the lasagne, pizza, some roast potato wedges and half a burger he split with Jared. At first he nibbled this and that to be polite, even though he didn’t feel all that hungry, especially after overhearing Jared and his brother’s conversation. But soon he felt his taste buds start to wake up and his stomach craved for more.
He was stuffed to the point where he could barely move when he was done, that went for everyone else around the dinner table too so Sherry took it as a success.
When the house started to empty and it was just immediate family left, Sherry brought out the photo albums Jared had tried and failed to hide earlier in the day.
Sherry walked Jensen through Jared’s entire life, his friends, his grades, his childhood broken bones and many embarrassing stories with Jeff and Megan pitching in every so often. Jensen enjoyed laughing with them, he pried the sofa cushion away from Jared when he tried to hide in it and Jensen even forgot he wasn’t actually part of their family for a little while. The mood became sombre when Sherry asked about Jensen's family. It was a perfectly innocent question, Jensen tried to answer it as politely as he could.
“We’re really not that close. I guess I just drifted when I left home.”
She understood and didn’t bring up the subject again for the rest of the night.
When Jeff and Julie announced they were leaving, more hugs were handed out, more congratulations and Jensen found himself being taken aside by the bride to be in the middle all the goodbyes.
Julie took Jensen's hand and said, “Thank you so much for coming, and thank you being Jared’s plus one at the wedding, my table settings are finally perfect.”
Jensen smiled. “Thanks for inviting me. I swear I’ll even let Jared put makeup on me so I don’t look like death on your wedding day.”
“Nah, I don’t think you need it. You’re pretty handsome without the makeup.” She smiled and hugged him, Jeff took her hand and they both slipped out of the door. Jensen could see what made them work, they looked like they belonged. He hoped he and Jared looked that well together, and hoped he would live long enough to promise Jared til death do us part.
“Hey, I’ve missed you today.” Jared slipped his arms around Jensen and pulled him close.
“We sat next to each other for three hours in a car and then an hour at a dinner table.”
Jared smirked. “Yeah, but I miss you and me on your couch, alone.”
“Then maybe we should be heading home.”
They said their goodbyes as well and left with three Tupperware tubs of left over’s from Jared’s mother. Jared’s arms were wrapped around Jensen and Jensen buried in Jared’s shirt as they walked to the car. “I love you,” Jensen told him. “I had a great time today.”
“I love you too.”
Jensen fell asleep five minutes into the drive with the blanket back over his legs and his beanie discarded on the back seat. He dreamed of wedding rings and matching blue tuxedos.
The End.
Author: cocoplumb
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Jared/Jensen. angst. fluff. family stuff, that sorta thing.
Warnings: cancer. mentions of chemo.
Word Count: 3000
Summary: Jared and Jensen go to Jared's family home for his brothers engagement party.
Notes: Remember when I said this wouldn't be long? Four months later...here it is. My bad.
Previous Parts: #01 | #02 | #03 | #04 | #05 | #06
Jared clipped his seatbelt on and pulled out from the side of the road. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you nervous before. Pretty sure doctors offices don’t count, I mean everyone’s bound to be nervous at a hospital so basically yeah, this is the first time I’ve seen you nervous about something.”
“I’m not nervous,” Jensen replied, leaning his head against the cool glass.
“They'll love you, just be yourself and you’ll be fine. I mean how could they not love you, I do,” Jared winked at him.
“Myself is a puking mess on the bathroom floor most days.” Jensen sighed and closed his eyes.
“Hey, you okay?” Jared asked, reaching a hand over to squeeze Jensen's knee, taking his eyes off the road for a beat to see his boyfriends pale complexion and tired eyes. He got off treatment a few days ago, his surgery was in four days and he was doing everything he could to not look terrified about it. Jared wasn’t blind though, he knew Jensen now, knew his habits and his emotions, what it meant when he closed himself off and got lost inside his sad little head. Which is why Jared had convinced his family to have the engagement party now rather than after Jensen's surgery. The guy needed a serious pick me up.
Jensen turned his head and gave Jared a sad smile. “M’fine. Sorry I’m not much fun these days.”
“Hush, you’re plenty fun.” Jared pulled out into the main road and joined the traffic. “Listen, if my mom gets too clingy, just give me the nod and I’ll distract her so you can make a run for it. I’ll even leave my car keys in the sun visor for a quick get away.”
Jensen chuckled.
“I’m serious, she doesn’t have any grandkids yet so she might try to imprint on you like a mother panda or something.”
Jensen chuckled. “I’m just excited to see all the Padalecki photo albums.”
Jared made a mental note to make sure the first thing he did when he got to the house was to hide all those dreaded photo albums.
-
Jared’s childhood home was about three hours away in minimal traffic and Jensen slept most of the drive. Jared kept the soft rock station on knowing it was Jensen's favourite when he was tired and he kept the volume low.
They stopped at the services half way, Jensen hadn’t flinched when Jared pulled into the parking lot so he jumped out, locked the doors and left the man to sleep.
Although they would be eating in just a few short hours, Jared’s stomach grumbled and reminded him to get snacks. As of last week, the smell of coffee was Jensen's latest vomit inducer, so Jared just got himself a strong black tea and a family sized bag of gummy bears. He was pretty sure Jensen had been lying earlier in the morning when he said he’d eaten breakfast, so Jared got him a soda and a bag of salted potato chips.
At the register, they were selling blankets and Jared wondered why he hadn’t thought to bring for Jensen from home. He picked the least grandmotherly pattern and added it to his other purchases. Jensen probably wouldn’t appreciate it, but Jared was good at talking him into things and reasoning with him, it was probably one of the things that made them a good pair. He smiled, thinking how his mother will probably bring that very same statement up when she saw them later. She was good at observing.
“Thanks,” he said to the cashier, despite being overcharged double for pretty much every item in his basket compared to an average grocery store. Services sure knew what to charge idiots like Jared who forgot to pack food and blankets before leaving.
Jensen was awake when Jared got back to the car. He looked a little confused and sleep was still evident in his features so he must have only woken up a moment or two before.
“Good morning sunshine, I come with gifts.” Jared climbed into his drivers seat with his hot tea and put the bag down by Jensen's feet.
“Where are we?” Jensen asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes, looking around the parking lot for a sign or any indication as to where they were.
“About just over an hour out from my parents. I got you some chips and a drink.” He didn’t mention the blanket, just took it out of the bag, ripped off the packaging and folded it out to lie over Jensen's legs. As expected, Jensen gave him a ‘bitch please’ look and grumbled. “It’s a good color on you,” Jared grinned, cocking his head to the side. “Then again, every color is a good color on you, you sexy beast.”
Jensen snorted, shook his head, and put up with the blanket without another muff. He ate half of the chips and drank all of the soda by the time they made it Jared’s parents and hadn’t felt queasy at all. The day was looking up.
-
The street outside Jared’s old home was crowded with cars when they got there. Congratulations banners covered the front porch and decorative balloons were tied with ribbon on either side.
Jared opened Jensen’s door like a true gentleman after getting out himself and straightened his shirt and put the beanie on his head a little more central. Jensen proceeded to tug on Jared’s shirt just the same, receiving a kiss afterwards.
“They haven’t seen your hair yet have they?” Jensen guessed, Jared wasn’t the tech savvy kind of guy to send them all a picture when he’d first shaved his head a few days ago.
“Nope, but I’m pretty sure my mother knows what shape my skull is, she birthed me after all.”
Jensen made a face, his puke face to be precise. Jared worried for a moment Jensen was getting sick but quickly realised what he’d said to get the look of nausea from his boyfriend.
“Not what I meant. I just mean my mothers known me my whole life, this won’t be a shock. Why are you so worried anyway?”
Jensen chewed on his bottom lip. “I guess I just don’t want your family thinking I talked you into it or…whatever, I’m being paranoid. I’m sorry.” Jensen had grown up in a pretty unsympathetic and quite cynical household, things start to rub off after a while.
“Don’t worry about a thing. Just breathe and be the Jensen I love.”
They made it up the porch steps and Jared’s mother opened the door with a big grin on her face. “Honey, you made it! And look at that beautiful face without all that hair cover it.” She threw her small arms around Jared and hugged him fierce; she kissed him on the cheek before letting him go and turning to Jensen. “And you must be Jensen, Jared never shuts up about you and I’m now forced to use that god awful phrase, ‘I feel like I know you already.’”
Jensen smirked and looked over at his boyfriend who was rolling his eyes.
“Mom, thanks for embarrassing me before we even get in the door.”
Sherry smiled proudly. “There’s plenty more where that came from, Jay-Jay. Come on, get inside, you boys must be starving.”
Jensen turned to Jared and mouthed, “Jay-Jay?”
Jared’s cheeks moved up in the blush chart and Jensen chuckled to himself, following Jared into the house.
Jared brother greeted them next, giving Jared a big hug and a pat on the back as Jared congratulated him and made a joke about holding onto Julie -Jeff’s fiancé- for dear life because she was way out of his league. He gave Jensen a strong handshake and thanked him for coming and patted his frail back before excusing himself. Jared’s dad did just the same, a hug for Jared and a handshake for Jensen and a pat on the back for them both. Jared’s sister was the last of the family to say hi.
“How’ve you been?” Megan asked Jared.
“Good, I’m good. How’s law school?” Jared glanced at Jensen for a moment he could tell the older brother in him was beaming with pride.
“Hard but really cool. Got my final exam next week then I’m on placement at a law firm for three months.”
“Awesome, call me and I’ll come visit. You can buy me lunch.” Megan poked Jared in the ribs and told Jensen it was nice to meet him.
“Likewise.”
Jensen smiled, mingled, met Jeff’s fiancé at some point and then somewhere along the way he got separated from Jared. He reminded himself he was a grown man and perfectly capable with making conversation with strangers, even if some of them stared in the way that people only stare when you’re ill. It was a combination of sympathy and ignorant curiosity; something Jared had never once given him, not ever. Jensen continued to smile politely, and told the few that were brave enough to ask that he was, “Fine, thank you.”
Jensen went in search of Jared again and found him chatting in the kitchen with his brother who was laughing about Jared’s hair, or lack they’re of.
“Next time, I’m going to pay you to keep your hair. Seriously, man, not a good look on you.”
Jared snorted. “Next time I’m coming to Dallas and I’m tying you to a chair so I get to shave your head.”
“Not really sure Julie would appreciate that. How’s Jensen like the new do?”
Jensen hung back behind the hallway wall so he could listen but not interrupt.
“Pretty sure he hates it,” Jared chuckled and something crunched in his mouth, he was probably eating the rest of Jensen's salted chips from the car, he never did stop eating.
Jensen smiled fondly and continued to eavesdrop as the conversation.
“I’m scared, Jeff. I’m really scared.” There was no more crunching in Jared’s mouth.
Jensen didn’t recognised the persons steps in the room so he assumed Jeff had moved closer to Jared for more support. “He has a good chance, Jay. I phoned some of his doctors, his percentage is really positive and his surgeon is one of the best.”
“You wouldn’t bullshit me?” Jared sounded so small and Jensen's heart broke.
“I’m a doctor, it’s against my oath to bullshit, even to my own brother.”
Jensen walked away as silently as he could and let himself upstairs to find the bathroom. Jared had made sure he knew where it was in case he needed to make a quick dash during dinner, so it wasn’t hard to find.
He sat down on the closed toilet seat with the door locked. He blew his nose and blinked the tears from his eyes. “I really fucking hate cancer,” he muttered before composing himself, flushing the toilet and going back downstairs as Jared’s mother was calling everyone for dinner.
-
Jared’s mother was what you’d call an over-cooker. She never failed in making more food than was ever necessary and there would always be left over’s, even with Jared at the dinner table. It probably stemmed from the fact that all three of her children were freakishly tall and always looked like they needed fattening up. Jared and his siblings each surpassed puberty eventually, growing into their spidery long limbs one by one and their mother ran out of excuses for her huge portion sizes. Today however, with Jensen at the table, she had a brand new fattening up project to embark upon and boy did she deliver.
Jeff stood at the head of the table with his mouth watering and his eyes wider than Jared’s. “Mom, I haven’t seen you cook like this since Meg’s graduation.”
Sherry set down a few spare serving spoons on the table and smiled proudly at the selection. “Jared never told me what Jensen likes so I just thought I’d make everything I know. Is that okay Jensen?”
“This is amazing, Mrs. Padalecki,” Jensen said, in awe of the shire amount of food.
“Oh, you’re welcome honey. And call me Sherry.”
There was lasagne, sausages, steak, every type of potato Jensen had ever known, countless vegetables, pizza, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, the food was endless. Jensen’s head was spinning by the time his eyes had reached the end of the table, yet somehow all the smells together created something beautiful. It had been a long time since Jensen had smelt this much food and not felt nauseas. It felt good.
Members of Jared’s family drifted into the large dining room from the kitchen or other places in the house, the table started to fill and Jensen began to feel self conscious and somewhat alone. He breathed a sigh of relief he didn’t know he’d been holding when Jared appeared from the kitchen with a beer in each hand, he passed one to his father and the other to someone Jensen might be a cousin, making his way to Jensen's side with a smile on his face.
“Sorry, Jeff needed some manly advice. Something about cold feet.” Jared shrugged, no evidence of the sadness Jensen had heard in his voice just minutes ago.
Jensen didn’t want to ruin it so he carried on his own façade. “Don’t worry about it, I mingled. You’re families surprisingly normal and easy to talk to compared to my boyfriend.”
Jared laughed and was about to say something as he pulled Jensen’s chair out for him when his father spoke from the other side of the table. “You want one, Jensen?” Jerry held up his beer and lifted his eyebrows in the comical fashion Jared always did. Jensen's original thought that he and Jared looked nothing alike was quickly starting to turn on its head.
Jensen blushed. “No thank you, sir.”
“Jensen can’t drink, dad,” Jared told him, his tone light but with an underdone of warning Jensen had never heard from him before.
“Come on, one beer’s not gonna hurt. And why don’t you get one for yourself while you’re at it.”
Though he was being completely harmless, Jerry had no idea just what damage one beer could do to Jensen, especially now, just four days away from him receiving life changing, or rather life saving surgery. It didn’t stop Jensen from feeling any less pathetic for not accepting a beer though. He felt even guiltier Jared wasn’t drinking either because of him.
Sherry smacked her husband up the side of the head before Jared could interject again and took away his beer. “That’s enough alcohol for you, and no celebratory cigars for your boys later either. I’m not having that smoke in my house again.”
Jensen sat down in the seat Jared had pulled out for him and started to fill his plate. He got a bit of everything, or at least the things that went together like the lasagne, pizza, some roast potato wedges and half a burger he split with Jared. At first he nibbled this and that to be polite, even though he didn’t feel all that hungry, especially after overhearing Jared and his brother’s conversation. But soon he felt his taste buds start to wake up and his stomach craved for more.
He was stuffed to the point where he could barely move when he was done, that went for everyone else around the dinner table too so Sherry took it as a success.
When the house started to empty and it was just immediate family left, Sherry brought out the photo albums Jared had tried and failed to hide earlier in the day.
Sherry walked Jensen through Jared’s entire life, his friends, his grades, his childhood broken bones and many embarrassing stories with Jeff and Megan pitching in every so often. Jensen enjoyed laughing with them, he pried the sofa cushion away from Jared when he tried to hide in it and Jensen even forgot he wasn’t actually part of their family for a little while. The mood became sombre when Sherry asked about Jensen's family. It was a perfectly innocent question, Jensen tried to answer it as politely as he could.
“We’re really not that close. I guess I just drifted when I left home.”
She understood and didn’t bring up the subject again for the rest of the night.
When Jeff and Julie announced they were leaving, more hugs were handed out, more congratulations and Jensen found himself being taken aside by the bride to be in the middle all the goodbyes.
Julie took Jensen's hand and said, “Thank you so much for coming, and thank you being Jared’s plus one at the wedding, my table settings are finally perfect.”
Jensen smiled. “Thanks for inviting me. I swear I’ll even let Jared put makeup on me so I don’t look like death on your wedding day.”
“Nah, I don’t think you need it. You’re pretty handsome without the makeup.” She smiled and hugged him, Jeff took her hand and they both slipped out of the door. Jensen could see what made them work, they looked like they belonged. He hoped he and Jared looked that well together, and hoped he would live long enough to promise Jared til death do us part.
“Hey, I’ve missed you today.” Jared slipped his arms around Jensen and pulled him close.
“We sat next to each other for three hours in a car and then an hour at a dinner table.”
Jared smirked. “Yeah, but I miss you and me on your couch, alone.”
“Then maybe we should be heading home.”
They said their goodbyes as well and left with three Tupperware tubs of left over’s from Jared’s mother. Jared’s arms were wrapped around Jensen and Jensen buried in Jared’s shirt as they walked to the car. “I love you,” Jensen told him. “I had a great time today.”
“I love you too.”
Jensen fell asleep five minutes into the drive with the blanket back over his legs and his beanie discarded on the back seat. He dreamed of wedding rings and matching blue tuxedos.
The End.