“Jay, it’s fine-” Jensen said the nickname softly with a small grin, his tone reassuring. He was pretty sure that Jared could do mostly anything and it would be fine. Even if his playing did put Jared to sleep, Jensen knew he’d be more than okay with that, as long as he was the person to put the contently happy look on his face. That sounded selfish in Jensen’s head, but something in him didn’t care. He wanted to be someone that Jared automatically cataloged as a source of comfort in his brain. “Really, if you’re gunna sleep, then sleep.”
Jensen had to admit even he was feeling tired from the day, from the toll of traveling and meeting Jared for the first time. But he was enjoying playing for Jared more. The song was heavy with emotion, but it was still one of Jensen’s favorites and he could practically play it backwards from having done it so much. It had such meaning, and though it was heavy, Jensen never considered it being too heavy to play for someone in this setting. It was just a good song, one of his favorite, and he was sharing that.
But by the time Jensen finished, he realized that Jared was sniffling and it sounded like a lot more than just an allergy. Jensen looked over at him, his heart sinking guiltily because that’d be the last thing he’d be aiming for. But on some level, he knew it had to be a good thing. Whether it was the song or his playing, he assumed it was a good reaction. “Yeah he’s uh… he’s got some deep stuff. S’my favorite, though - are you … um ..” Jensen hesitantly grabbed the handkerchief that he had in his jacket pocket on the side of the bed and handed it over to Jared with a soft, shy smile. “Here, s’clean, I promise,” he said with the same smile and ducked his head a little bit. “Sorry, I should stick to the happy songs.”
Jared nodded when Jensen asked if he was okay, also agreeing with the comment about Tim McGraw having some pretty heavy songs. McGraw was a master at digging deep and forcing you to feel the gut wrenching emotions, and Jensen’s voice didn’t exactly help the matter. When Jensen offered up his handkerchief in apology, trying to alleviate the pain, Jared found himself suddenly filled with joy as laughter erupted despite the lingering tears.
He takes the bit of fabric, but grabs Jensen’s wrist with his other hand as he yanks Jensen down to lie beside him. He’s careful not to be too rough, considering Jensen is still holding his guitar. The giggles are growing, allowing the pent up emotion Jared was holding onto during the song, causing him to curl in on himself. He winds up holding onto Jensen’s arm accidentally, pulling it to his chest as he collects himself.
“Sorry,” he says finally after calming himself down, the tears now from laughter instead of sadness. “It’s just—” Then Jared chuckles again, relaxing his muscles and, in turn, releasing Jensen’s arm. “You offered me your hankie, Jensen.” Jared manages through the giggles, wiping his eyes. His face is sore from the wide smile on his face but he can’t help himself.
“You’re so thoughtful.” He teases, finally sobering out of his giggle fit. Jared wipes his face, gently massaging his facial muscles as he catches his breath. He feels more awake now after all the excitement, being reminded again that he’s happy Jensen is here. “But, really, it was a good song and, I haven’t heard Tim’s version, but I think you did a good job with it. Sounded nice, considering.” Jared tells him, propping himself on his side to face Jensen.
Jensen smiled, feeling like this was something much more intimate then it was meant to be. Jared’s body was relaxed, laying down on the mattress and Jensen couldn’t help but look over it, protected by the fact that Jared’s eyes were closed. The younger boy’s body was lean, and long, lined with fine muscle. His chest rose slightly with every breath he took, his legs slightly spread. And Jensen gulped a little bit, eyes lingering on certain areas of Jared’s body a little longer then he meant to.
But what really grabbed his attention was Jared’s face. It was calm, peaceful, and Jensen smiled a little bit at the sight. He’d never met someone as open as him - and he couldn’t help but be drawn to it like a moth to a flame. He’d known Jared for such a short time and yet it felt like a lifetime. He smiled wide, shaking his head with a shyer grin.
“Don’t worry ‘bout it. M’good at lullaby’s,” he winked. His heart fluttered a little bit at the idea that Jared had been kept awake by excitement anyway. “Kenzie used to fall asleep to this kinda stuff all the time. She was a crabby kid,” he added sheepishly, finding it weird that he could so easily divulge this stuff to Jared, these little details about his life, and not feel like he shouldn’t in the first place.
“How ‘bout… ” Jensen drawled, looking down at his guitar as he thought through the catalog of songs he knew by heart. It took him a minute but he got one, so he re-situated himself and cleared his throat. He had to quietly make the notes on the neck of the guitar before starting in on his favorite Tim McGraw song. He knew he didn’t do it justice, but Jensen put his heart into trying, eyes focused intently on the instrument.
“But it’s rude, isn’t it?” Jared reasoned, knowing that if he was the one playing guitar while someone else napped, he might take it personally. “So long as you know it’s not your playing that’s making m sleepy. I’m just sleepy.” He continued, suddenly hellbent on Jensen understanding him. “Sometimes I can be a crabby kid, too.” Jared mumbled, mostly to himself as if he’d thought better of his statement just a little too late.
He settled in again, closing his eyes as Jensen sat quiet thinking of a song he wanted to play. As the music began again, Jared tried pinpointing the tune in his head before Jensen started to sing, but he didn’t know this one. Jared let Jensen’s voice wash over him as he listened intently to the lyrics to the song that sounded tragic in that beautiful way only country really has.
Around the halfway point, Jared opens his eyes and finds they’re dewy with unshed tears that fall away as they widen. He can sense that same raw emotion coming from Jensen and assumes that it’s one of Jensen’s personal favorites because of that. There’s playing a song and then there’s playing a song.
Jared wipes his eyes, feeling foolish, as the song ends. He laughs brokenly, feeling like a giant baby for tearing up over a song and tries to hide his face without being obvious as to what he’s doing. “McGraw, huh?” Jared asks, sniffling rather loudly to clear his sinuses. “I bet it is. His songs are freaking painful.”
Jensen
“Moves like..” Jensen began but stopped when it dawned on him not a second later. “Oh! You mean the song … moves like .. Jagger - y’know the funny thing is that Mick really doesn’t have all that many great movies unless you look at his younger years an’ even then it’s -” He cut himself off fast and smiled sheepishly, ducking his head to look down at his guitar and cleared his throat. “Anyway,” he began with a chuckle, plucking at a string absently on his guitar.
Jared’s compliments and praise had color touching Jensen’s cheeks, and he tried to ignore how good it sounded to him. To hear that coming from Jared. He already enjoyed listening to the younger boy talk, and listening to him sing his praises - albeit unfairly generous praises - had Jensen feeling ten times warmer, like he was sitting under a Summer sun. And that didn’t help the already strong pull he felt towards Jared in general. I am so screwed.
Jensen smiled a little bit. “Yes’sir,” he drawled before looking back down at the guitar. “Well …” He trailed off, watching Jared flop back to lay down. “No requests, huh?”
As Jensen tries to explain how a lyric from a popular song isn’t exactly plausible, Jared smiles as he tries not to laugh. He doesn’t want Jensen to think he’s being too literal, but, it’s also incredibly amusing to listen to. He defaults instead to patting Jensen on the back roughly and saying, “Dude, I know. The song’s just catchy.” He assures Jensen, beaming despite his attempts to keep his giggles to a minimum.
Jared then takes a deep breath, practically melting into the mattress as he gets comfortable. His eyes slip closed, palm slipping from Jensen’s shoulder and landing on his stomach in a deadened manner. At Jensen’s question, Jared shook his head lazily, not bothering to open his eyes. “Nope, not at this time.” Jared mutters, fighting back a yawn as he stretches.
Then, his eyes flutter open again as he gives Jensen a lazy smile. “Sorry. I, uh, didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” Jared confesses. “Was too excited you were coming.” Jared continues, wondering if that sounded weird but found he didn’t care what it sounded like. If Jensen was going to be his friend, this was who Jared was and if he didn’t like it, best for them both to know now.
Though nervous about sharing something so personal about his life with Jared, Jensen felt strangely calm letting him listen at the same time. As if something about Jared’s presence promised that he wouldn’t be judgmental. Besides, if Jensen had confidence in one area of his life, it was this one, and it was with this song. He strummed at the chords, plucking the notes he knew well and kept his eyes down on the instrument, voice low and sure.
Jensen hadn’t even finished the song yet before Jared stopped him and Jensen’s heart immediately leaped into his throat for two reasons - Jared had touched his hand to get him to stop and kept it there, and Jared had stopped him. For a moment Jensen feared that he’d done the song bad, maybe Jared hadn’t liked it and wanted him to stop. And he blanched at the idea. Great job, Jensen, the one freaking moment you actually had to impress him and you blew it.
But Jared’s words weren’t hazing at all, in fact they were encouraging. And Jensen chuckled a little bit at the praise, looking back down at where Jared still had his hand over his. “Nah … not me. Doubt most folks would flock to see a guy in plaid and a guitar. I don’t exactly have the uh … Bieber moves,” he said sheepishly. “And m’not all that great in front of a crowd.”
“But you … you liked it?” Jensen smiled a little bit with just one side of his mouth, more eager to hear that Jared had liked it rather then hear he could do it for other people.
“I think it’s moves like Jagger, Jensen,” Jared replies playfully, giving Jensen a warm, comforting smile. “but even if you don’t have Bieber or Jagger moves, you’re still good. Who says you gotta dance around the stage to me successful?” Jared points out, brow rising as doubt fills his features. “It takes talent, and you’ve got that.”
Jared nods, only then realizing he still has Jensen’s hand gripped in his own. He blushes, shying away as he removes his hand and gives Jensen his space back. “Basically, what I’m getting at is that you’re selling yourself short and I’m not going to tolerate that. Not when you’re here, at least.” Jared threatens half heartedly as he settles onto the bed beside Jensen.
At first, he sits up straight beside the other boy, but soon he gives in to his tiredness and folds his arms under his head and lying down. “Play something else,” Jared requests. “Promise I won’t interrupt this time.”
Jensen
Once Jared seemed to understand what Jensen was asking him, Jensen smiled, feeling at ease completely because this was something he could actually show Jared that he had pride in from his world. H pulled up the guitar case, setting it on the bed so he could easily open it and looked towards Jared as he corrected his statement that he looked like a real New Yorker now. “Least I’ll be easy to spot in a crowd?” Jensen commented with a small, joking face, looking at Jared’s shirt a second later and chuckling. “Ya could fake the accent and be from Texas, dunno if I could pull off the New Yorker slang, though-“ he furrowed his brow, trying to think back to movies he’d seen that had people with New Yorker accents and ended up only being able to come up with something like a muddled version of The Godfather and decided against even trying. “I’d pro’lly sound like a flipped version of Marlon Brando,” he laughed.
Jensen popped open the latches to his case, pushing up the lid and was about to say something else before he heard Jared’s mother, and turned to look at the woman with a smile. “Yes ma’am,” he drawled with a nod, thinking back to whatever nicer looking clothes he had brought. There was a black button up somewhere in his duffel that he knew he could pull out. It had rolled up sleeves and wasn’t anything fancy but it was darker and therefore looked nicer than most of his wardrobe. He remembered Gen telling him that dark clothes automatically looked fancier because they were dark, and he was really hoping that his best girlfriend was right about that one. Before he could give it more thought though, Sherri came over to him and he smiled a little bit, less shy about the shirt with the woman’s approval. “S’okay, really,” he promised and nodded. “She said to tell you thanks again for everything.”
Watching Jared’s mother move to the other boy, Jensen smiled, more shy at the eagerness of both of them towards the shirt he’d gotten Jared but happy that Sherri liked it all the same. “Thank you, Sherri-“ Jensen mumbled shyer towards the woman as she left the room and he turned back to the guitar on the bed, propping up the lid and looking at Jared out of the corner of his eye. “Yeah, sure, I got your back,” Jensen chuckled, relaxing more visibly and moved to follow Jared out to help him with the bed. “Y’know I don’t mind sleepin’ on the floor or anything, if it’s easier. I’ve slept on worse-“ he flashed a small grin. And that was true, considering where he and Chris had slept on odd occasions including a barn floor.
Jared
When Jensen popped open the case of the guitar, it gave the sense of pride in it. It was the same air he got from his mother when she talked about her grandmother and how close they were, or his father with his work. Jared could tell it was a part of him, just from these simple actions, and being a part of that made Jared feel important. “I doubt I could pull off a Texas accent,” He replies seriously. “It would sound more like I was making fun of you.” Then, his mother interrupted and he almost scolded her, like she was intruding on something she shouldn’t. But, it was just a guitar. She didn’t know, and, Jared wasn’t certain he was either.
Once she was gone, Jared changed their course of action to getting the bed set up for Jensen. Once that was done, he’d feel a lot better settling down and listening to Jensen play. His skin was tingling at the thought, anticipation almost suffocating as he scoffs at Jensen’s reply. “You’re a guest, Jensen.” Jared replies, shaking his head. “You’re not going to sleep on the floor, man, and anyway. My mom wouldn’t exactly allow that.” He continued, leading the way down the hall a few feet and throwing open the door. “She’d put you up in the extra bedroom before she let you sleep on the floor.”
He steps into the area somewhat, uncovering a roll away frame with a folded mattress on top. Jared yanks at it roughly, trying to free it from getting caught on a stack of boxes and old clothes he doubts his aunt knows still exist. The stack threatens to come crashing down towards him and he curses under his breath. Pursing his lips in thought, he nods to himself as he shoves his body to one side. “I’ll hold the boxes aside and you pull the bed out, alright?” Jared problem solves, glancing at Jensen with a nod before doing so.
“What are you hanging in the closet for?” A little female voice asks as Megan comes up the stairs. She has a weird expression on her face as she looks Jensen over from head to foot, as if memorizing him. Jared looks over his shoulder to get a better view of his sister and sighs loudly. “If Aunt Lisa sent you up here to spy, you better take off now.” Jared informs her, annoyed. The girl gives him a dirty look for that, sticking out her tongue before flashing another Padalecki smile in Jensen’s direction.
“I’m not spying for no one.” She replies defiantly, stepping closer to get a better look at what they’re doing in the middle of the hallway. “Anyone.” Jared corrects her, Megan shrugging in response. “Whatever,” She says, rolling her eyes. Once it registers what they’re doing, she begins to pout. “I thought he was staying across the hall from me?” Megan asks, sounding half her age.
“Nah, he’s going to sleep on the pullout in my room,” Jared explains. “We discussed it in the car.”
“But—” She replies with a deeper pout, crossing her arms over her chest and stared Jensen down through her lashes. Jared was none too impressed by her antics. Instead, he rolled his eyes flicked her on the nose. “I invented that face, Megs. You can’t out pout the master.” He tells her, pushing her gently to encourage her to move along.
Flailing her arms at her brother in defiance, Megan asks, “I can still say hi, though, right?” Then Jared gets a hold of her wrists and forces her into his chest so he can wrap his arms around her, pinning her wiry frame to his.
“Sure you can. I’m not holding the guy hostage.” Jared assures her, kissing the top of her head as Megan pretends to gnaw her way out of her brother’s hold. He lets her go then and she steps away. In doing so, she smooths down her hair as she smiles sweetly at Jensen again. “I was spying, a little.” She confesses, batting her lashes in hopes that will lessen her reprimand. “But, not for Aunt Lisa.”
“Wait, what?” Jared asks as she saunters off down the hall, humming happily to herself. Then Jared shakes his head, a quiet perplexed laugh filling the quiet in Megan’s absence. “Girls are freaking weird.” He decides, gesturing toward the closet again. “Let’s try this again.” He says, reacquainting himself with his aunt’s cluttered space.
Jensen
Jensen suddenly got the feeling that he’d caught Jared doing something, but he really hadn’t. Just gotten a glimpse of the other boy lightly touching his guitar case and that was nothing bad or unwanted. “D’you wanna see it?” Jensen couldn’t help but ask, a glint in his eye like a little kid that was getting to show off his most precious toy. And in a way he kind of was, considering how special the instrument was to him. But if Jared wanted to see it, Jensen couldn’t help but feel boyishly giddy, excited to show him a part of his world that as he’d told him about in the letters.
“Real New Yorkers where this kinda get up?” Jensen looked down at himself, a smile tugging at his lips, pleased that Jared liked his choice of wardrobe. It was comfortable and not much different from the plain white shirt he’d been wearing earlier and it was funny considering they were now both in shirts that came from their respective homes. It was hard to believe that something they’d talked about in theory was actually happening now, and Jensen grinned at just the very idea of it.
“Yeah, everything’s good. Momma’s cooking, think she’s puttin’ the energy she has missing me into food,” he chuckled and grabbed his duffel, dragging it over to the chest of drawers just as a reminder to himself to shove his clothes in there later. “She’s worried about me getting mugged,” he added with a smile, obviously amused by that. He highly doubted he’d be the one to get mugged considering he didn’t look like he came from a lot of money.
Jared
Jared isn’t sure what Jensen means by his question when he returns. He looks over Jensen’s body as if that would clue him in to understanding. The crisp shirt he’d gotten Jensen and the other boy’s worn jeans. His gaze finds Jensen again and then, he gets it. “Oh, y-yeah. I’d love to!” Jared replies, finally realizing that Jensen caught him touching the guitar case when he came in. Jared wondered why he hadn’t picked up on that to begin with, but brushed it off and gave his guest a warm smile.
Jensen’s next question is a lot easier to decipher and thus easier to answer. He’s still recovering from the internal embarrassment of not comprehending the last one that his chuckle sounds off. “Uh, now that you mention it, we don’t really wear those shirts. No,” Jared confesses, scratching the back of his head. “You look like a real New York tourist now, if that helps?” Jared continued, laughing softly. Then, he looks down at his own chest, the laugh growing more amused. “Though, I think I look more out of place now than you do.”
Jared nods then, thinking about Jensen’s mother cooking when she’s worried and noticing the parallels between his own mother. “Think of all that food.” Jared says without thinking, but he catches himself and laughs awkwardly. “Uh, I mean, that sucks she’s missing you but at least she’s putting it to good use.” Jared adds nervously, hoping Jensen understands. With Jensen’s comment about her thinking Jensen would get mugged in New York, Jared waves his mother’s worry away. “Nah, I won’t let you get mugged. Promise.”
Just then, the click of heels on tile came down the hallway and Jared tensed in the very same way one might when they’ve been caught being deceiving children, even though they’re just standing around talking. A second later, a knock on the door people it opens. “Hi boys, just letting you know we’re going to dinner tonight. We’ll be leaving in around two hours, so please be ready around then.” Jared’s mother informed them, a soft smile on her face when she realizes that Jensen is wearing the t-shirt they’d gotten for him.
“It fits nicely, Jensen.” Sherri says with a nod, moving into the room to smooth out the shoulders as if he was wearing a designer suit instead of a tourist shirt. “Also, I apologize for my sister-in-law’s brash first impression. She means well, but my own boys stopped playing supermodel with her a long time ago.” She informs him with her best motherly voice, hoping to calm his nerves. Her smile is soft, comforting as well and she pats him on the cheek to complete the motherly gesture. “You’ve phoned your mother, I assume?” She asks then, her brow raising in the beginning of a reprimand if his response isn’t what she wants.
She catches her son out of the corner of her eye and her face lights up. “Oh, and I see you’ve gotten one too. That’s wonderful!” She says as she steps closer, repeating the same actions she’d just done with Jensen. Jared laughed quietly, looking over the t-shirt design again. “Yup! He got it in the airport before he got on the plane. Cool, huh?” He asks, beaming again in appreciation and gratitude.
“Very cool,” Sherri responds, giving Jared a kiss on the cheek instead of the soft pat she’d given Jensen. “Remember, ready in two hours.” Sherri advises, Jared nodding in understanding, she gives them both a smile before exiting the room.
There’s silence after that in which Jared isn’t quite sure what to say after that. He’d been so caught up in the strange sense of confusion when Jensen asked about his guitar and when his mother came in. The feeling is gone now, being smoothed over by his mother’s touch, but that didn’t mean he didn’t remember. “So anyway,” Jared began, voice cracking slightly as it catches. He clears his throat, not really knowing what to say before his brain supplies something for him. “I’m going to go get your bed from the hall closet. Be right back.”
He gives Jensen a soft smile but it doesn’t reach to his ears like it should. When he’s opening the door, he remembers how much a pain this fold out thing really is and stops in his tracks. “I could use some help, though?” Jared offers, his smile widening slightly.
Jensen
Laughing, Jensen shook his head. “I’ll give you some lessons, you’ll be moving shit with your mind in no time, young Skywalker,” he joked and glanced back at his duffel bag. “I mean –“ He quickly spoke up to rectify the clothes situation. “I’ll put ‘em in the drawers later, if you’re uh.. sure. I don’t wanna take up more space in your room,” Jensen explained, rubbing his hand through his short spikes.
However, it took Jared’s beaming smile at the t-shirt Jensen handed him and the stripping of his other shirt to send Jensen from relatively comfortable in the same room with the boy to damn near insane. Oh you gotta be kidding me – Jensen all but whipped his head to look towards the wall where he was trying to find something remotely interesting to pin his eyes on that didn’t involve the lean muscles of Jared’s chest and shoulders. Karma, remember your karma… Nope, screw karma. He needed something more hardcore. Gene Simmons, grandpas in g-strings, Gene Simmons in a g-string … oh. That last one was enough to make him internally shudder and suddenly he felt a lot better about looking at Jared shirtless without getting uncomfortable, thanks to the downright wrong images now flashing through his brain.
With messy hair and the shirt that Jensen had bought him on, Jared looked like something straight out of his dreams and Jensen had to continue the mental mantra for another minute before being able to grin without feeling like a stalker. “You got me one?? Wow-“ He barked out a laugh at the idea of the rainbow heart, but nodded in agreement that it’d be a bad one to have in Texas. “Thanks, man –“ Jensen smiled genuinely over at him, holding the shirt up to look at. “I’ll be wearing this later,” he chuckled, taking it with him to the bathroom and shut himself into the room. It was ten times nicer than anything he’d ever been in back home, and he almost felt guilty for stepping onto the clean floor at all so he tried consciously not to touch anything.
Once Chris’s number was dialed, it only took two rings for his friend to answer, and Jensen was grateful because at that moment, he really needed to just hear the guys voice. Once the conversation ended, Jensen quickly stripped out of his own shirt and into the New York shirt, figuring it was what he should do since Jared was now wearing the one he’d got him, and he wanted to, anyway. Afterall, he figured it’d get him one of the dimpled smiles from Jared that he’d already come to treasure so it was worth it. Ducking out of the bathroom a moment later, Jensen headed back to Jared’s room and came in, tossing his shirt onto his duffel and held up his arms. “How’s it look?”
(Jen’s phone call is under the cut cuz it’s long xD)
Jared
Jared isn’t that good at keeping himself occupied when he’s waiting on someone. It’s not like Jensen is going to be gone for more than a couple of minutes, but even that short a time period is lethal with idle hands. At first, he stands there feeling somewhat awkward, even given the fact it’s his room. Technically, it’s not, but it will be for the time being. That’s not really what’s causing the feeling. It’s mostly due to Jensen actually being here and he can’t quite wrap his head around that, even though it’s happening.
A smile ghosts over his features as he looks over Jensen’s duffel and guitar case. It’s hard evidence that his penpal’s presence wasn’t a figment of his imagination. He decides to run his fingers over the case of the stringed instrument, wondering if it was an electric or an acoustic, then remembered Jensen’s upbringing and where he’s from, settling on the latter of the two. Jared wondered in Jensen wouldn’t mind terribly playing for him, but it seemed such an odd request for the very first thing they do together on Jensen’s visit to New York. He wonders that Jensen’s voice is like, getting lost in his thoughts as his fingers trace the curves of the case.
Then, the door opens up again, seemingly without warning and Jared yanks his hand back as though it’s been burned. He isn’t sure whether Jensen noticed or not, but his embarrassed blush will almost certainly give him away. Though, he takes advantage of the fact Jensen is wearing the t-shirt he gave him and nods enthusiastically when Jensen asks how it looks. “You’re starting to look like a real New Yorker now!” Jared replies, beaming. “Everything cool at home, then?”
Jensen
Jeff reminded Jensen much of his own older brother, and from what he knew about how Jared and him occasionally didn’t get along from Jared’s letters, he figured they actually were a lot alike. “Maybe I shoulda tried to check the accent and boots at the door-“ Jensen snorted sheepishly, wondering suddenly if he’d be going back to Bonham with a whole ‘nother suitcase full of clothes or if he could get out of it. Pulling off his Stetson, Jensen set it down on top of his suitcase, unsure of where else he should put it and proceeded to watch the brothers fight it out for a moment, figuring he should stay out of that one and let them caveman it out. Because that was what brothers did.
“You’re tellin’ me. Josh used to be able to twist my arm until I cried –“ Jensen smiled a little to himself though at the memory now. Because he might have been the small fry in his family when he was a kid, but as a young man he had stocked up on muscle and a bit more height (though around Jared, Jensen would’ve thought he’d shrunk) and it gave him the upper hand over his “big” brother when it came down to those wrestling matches nowadays. They didn’t happen often, since Josh was away at school and then spent most of his summer with his long distance girlfriend but still, it was nice to know anyway. “I can kick the crap outta him now though-“ Jensen added.
“You have a game room?” Jensen stared, wondering if Jared’s aunts looked anything like the crappy “entertainment lounge” him and Chris had set up in his grandpa’s basement. It had Chris’s X-Box and a worn and torn couch they’d found on the side of the road, and Jensen assumed that Jared’s aunt would have one much more stocked. “Nah, my stuff can sit in there, s’not like I’m worried about wrinkles,” Jensen said with a sheepish smile before suddenly worrying that he should be worried about wrinkles. What if they went out somewhere nice? Jensen didn’t exactly think a wrinkled flannel shirt and Wranglers would impress Jared all – no, Jensen corrected himself mentally – Jared’s Mom all that much.
Before the worry showed on his face, Jensen decided it was a good idea to duck out before he said something really stupid around the other boy and go call his mom. But first he wanted to do something – Jensen dragged his duffel and zipped it open, digging through it for a moment and tossed a shirt to Jared with a forming grin. “Gotcha that, hope it fits,” he said, and honestly he hoped it did. It was kind of a joke he supposed that he was gonna get Jared a shirt that said “Everything’s Bigger in Texas” but he found one in Dallas airport in the gift shop and figured it was some kinda sign from the big man upstairs that he had to get it for him. It’d been a guess on his size, and Jensen was suddenly glad that he’d gone with the one did because Jared’s height had to make clothes at least one size larger.
“I know we were kinda kidding ‘bout the shirts but … saw it and figured you’d uh…” He stopped before he said ‘like it’ and instead just shrugged a shoulder, looking at Jared hopefully. “Thought you’d think it was funny,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “I better call my Momma before she calls the FBI,” Jensen waited a minute for Jared to acknowledge him and ducked right outside the door with his phone but wound up a few minutes later in the bathroom, dialing Chris’ number instead.
Jared
“Wait, Josh doesn’t do that crap to you anymore?!” Jared asked, extremely interested in Jensen’s obvious ninja skills. You’d have to be to dodge most of Jeff’s attacks. Just as Jared’s on to him, he finds something new and they have to start all over again. “I mean, I don’t cry anymore, but it still fucking hurts.” Jared explains, pouting slightly at a particularly painful memory. “Teach me your ways, oh wise one.” Jared says, using a false Asian accent to compliment the slight bow he’s seen in all of the old kung-fu movies.
The corner of Jared’s mouth curls excitedly at Jensen’s question about the game room. “Her husband’s a game developer,” Jared starts, lips curling mischievously. “What do you think?” He asks, nodding with conviction. He’s actually envious of his uncle’s set-up, to be honest, because it doesn’t come close to the one he has at home. When Jensen tells him his clothes are fine there, Jared shrugs and tucks his hair behind his ears absently. He’d tried the exact same thing when they arrived. Can’t fault the guy for it, after all.
Then, Jensen started going through his bag. For a moment, Jared thought Jensen had changed his mind and wanted to unpack. Before he could offer to help, however, a ball of fabric was being thrust into his hands and it caught him off guard. It quieted the question in his throat as he took it, began to untangle it and the smile widened happily as Jensen told him he’d gotten it for him.
“No way,” Jared breathed out quietly, holding it up to get a better look at it. “You really— no way!” Jared continued, wasting no time in stripping out of the Blue’s Brothers one he was wearing. Before replacing it with the new one, however, he decided to reply to Jensen’s comment. “I wasn’t kidding about the shirt, Jen.” Jared assured him, shaking his head. “Which is why you have one, too.” He continued, going to his closet and pulling out a small black shopping bag folded neatly at it’s creases.
“It’s just the classic white shirt with a red heart, black letters,” Jared explains as he pulls on the Texas shirt Jensen brought him. When his head reappears, his hair is a mess but he doesn’t attempt to correct it as he continues. “Mom and I thought the one with the rainbow heart would’ve been cool, but, then I remembered you’ve gotta go back home and, well, this one’s a little more Texas-friendly.”
Then Jensen said he’d better call his mom and Jared nodded in agreement, smile still plastered on his face. “You should, yeah. Otherwise both our mothers will hate us until we’re like, eighty. Don’t want that.” Jared agrees, waving his hand in a small gesture as Jensen leaves. When he does, Jared catches his reflection in the decorative mirror hanging above the dresser and yelps in surprise. He smooths his hair out some, looking at his t-shirt. “Should probably actually visit Texas, now.” He mumbles to himself, the idea causing his smile to widen.
