Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

6 Lessons to Live By (JA/JP) NC-17

Title: 6 Lessons to Live By (As Told By Jared Padalecki)
Author: keepaofthecheez
Characters: JA/JP, J2, Padackles (Best. Word. EVER.)
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 11, 605
Disclaimer: Pshaw…yeah, I own them! And fluffy pink donkeys dance on my ceiling at five in the afternoon, singing “I Touch Myself”.
Summary: Oohhh…this is just porn. Probably. With a sprinkling of plot. Okay, really the plot is porn.
Notes: God, this fandom has eaten my brain. First incest, now RPS? *dies*
Thanks to my beta rachel_shanz




 

Jared had never had a problem talking, but when he got around Jensen, whatever filters he had in place ceased to exist. Whatever dark secrets he’d ever possessed had been blurted out over beer and stale pretzels months ago, and honestly, were usually pretty stupid to begin with.

The time he set himself on fire during a reenactment of the Battle of the Alamo.

Hooking up with twin sisters at the same after-party, and being none the wiser until sister A returned to the scene to find sister B getting friendly with Jared’s oversized belt buckle.

There was also that one time he and a friend back home had sortakinda gotten drunk and jerked off together. Just for the helluvit, he remembered adding when Jensen had given a single blink in response.

And that was so fucking Jen. His reactions varied from barely obvious, to practically nonexistent. Jared often wondered if he could make up some off-the-wall shit…tell Jen that he’d once humped a statue of the Virgin Mary, and his friend would just look at him with that same irritatingly vague smile and drawl, “Well, all right then.”

The bottom line was that Jensen knew way more about Jared than Jared had ever dreamed of knowing about Jensen. Now, that’s not to say that he and Jensen weren’t close. Because they were – probably closer than two guys had any right to be after only a few months of filming. And granted, they were together in virtually every scene, every moment of every day, but that didn’t necessarily constitute a friendship in acting circles.

No, what did it was that they were so damn alike, and yet so fucking different. Jared was a self-proclaimed goofball, whereas Jensen played the mature sophisticate to perfection. Jared embraced his Texan roots, and while Jen never spoke ill of their home state, he went out of his way to conform to the expected Californian ways. His accent only came out when he was pissed off or drunk, and even then Jared was so much worse that hardly anyone ever noticed.

Jared was straight and had a girlfriend, and Jensen occasionally messed around with guys. All that time on a soap opera, Jared would mock him, trying to act like the aloof grin Jen would shoot back had no affect whatsoever.

They balanced each other out, tit for tat. Like a fucking married couple he’d heard Kripke remark on more than one occasion.

And at first it’d been amusing, because Jared knew something nearly everyone else was in the dark about. Jensen wasn’t as shy and reserved as he seemed. The guy could talk your ear off about everything from football to global warming if you caught him at the right time and place. His stand-offishness was less due to any supposed insecurity and more due to the fact that Jensen just didn’t give a damn.

Case in point, Jared had just gotten an email from his friend and former co-star, Chad Michael Murray.

The message simply read “Don’t watch the news, man. Just don’t.”

Of course, that was like dangling a large steak over a pit-bull, so the first chance he got Jared flipped on Entertainment Tonight and was soon embroiled in the latest scandal his best friend’s life had become.

He was sitting there, shaking his head and debating on whether he should call Chad up and laugh his ass off, or offer some kind of support, when Jensen walked through the door with a grocery bag.

It only took one look at Jen’s face and Jared knew, he knew.

“Lordy, Lordy…what’s Mayhem gotten himself into now?” Jensen grinned wickedly as he referred to Chad by the title he’d earned himself on message boards across America, quite obviously enjoying himself.

“Dude. You can shut up anytime,” Jared answered, feeling like he owed Chad some sense of loyalty, although his previous thoughts ran along the same vein as Jensen’s. “He’s having it rough.”

Jensen snorted, and headed into the kitchen. Jared heard the sounds of bottles being slid into the refrigerator as he continued watching the news report. The longer it went on, the more people who came on to speak, he slid lower and lower into the cushions.

“Christ, Chad,” he muttered, a small chuckle torn from his throat as Chad’s face appeared on the screen, dark glasses covering his eyes as he woefully explained to the press that since he wasn’t allowed to take his fiancée to her senior prom – good God – he’d just buy her a car instead.

Howling laughter followed the statement, and Jared knew that Jensen had turned on the TV in the kitchen. “Hell, can’t get into his fiancée’s prom,” he choked out, walking back into the living room with a beer in each hand.

Jared felt his own lips twitching as he accepted the drink. “Yeah, it’s pretty fucking sad.”

“What do you see in that guy anyway?” Jensen wondered, settling into a wide armchair and spreading his legs apart. “He acts like his brain’s on a diet.”

“He’s a good guy,” Jared murmured, heaving a sigh when the program switched to footage of Sophia Bush, Chad’s ex-wife, and her perspective on what was going on. “Oh, wonderful.”

“I can’t believe he fucked that up,” Jensen shook his head mournfully. “Sophia’s hot. And sweet as hell.”

“You’ve only met her for ten minutes,” Jared pointed out, twisting the cap off of his beer and taking a swig.

“Oh, well, maybe it’s her body that’s sweet as hell.” A grin flashed across Jen’s face, and he lifted his beer in a toast. “Not that you can appreciate it, but a bachelor like me?”

Jared rolled his eyes. Jensen was apparently in a mood, all right. It happened every so often…particularly after strenuous work periods with little to no relaxation in between.

Since they were about to come up on sweeps, everything and everyone was on edge and harried. But oddly enough, Jensen didn’t seem to be nervous that the show might not see a second season. He took it in stride, and Jared wondered if that came from having so many bit parts on so many different shows, or if it was just because Jensen was a cool son of a bitch.

And yet…something was definitely on Jensen’s mind. It was subtle, but you could tell. For one, Jensen never fidgeted the way he was doing now; tapping his foot against the floor, crossing and uncrossing his legs. Jensen could lie out on a bed of nails and look like he was sleeping on an air mattress, but right now he appeared distinctly uncomfortable.

“Dude, what’s up?” Jared asked, amused and exasperated when Jensen started playing a drum riff on his thigh. “Did someone spike your iced tea with Red Bull?”

Jensen turned his head, pinning Jared with a look. “Come again?”

Jared had long ago ceased to be intimidated by Jensen’s cynical expressions, so he just snorted and took another sip of beer. “Whatever. But just so you know, you’re spilling beer on your new carpet.”

Jensen blinked, then jumped as he caught sight of the liquid steadily leaking out of his tilted bottle. “Shit,” he drawled, quickly righting the bottle and standing up to search himself for wet spots. He turned and bent over, and Jared blinked as his eyes were somehow drawn to the curve of Jensen’s ass tight against his jeans.

He spun around when Jensen straightened, whistling innocently and shifting on the couch as the opening sequence for Supernatural came on. He and Jensen made it a habit to watch the show together every week, officially so that they could draw off of each other’s performances, and unofficially so they could rag each other.

Thanks to various trips to sites and message boards devoted to the show, a favorite topic of conversation was who was lusting after whom more that week. Jared usually won, because Jensen had a bad habit of checking out his ass whenever he thought the camera wasn’t on him.

The first time he’d pointed it out, Jensen had shrugged and mentioned that if they didn’t put Sam in so many damn layers, he’d ogle his chest instead. Jared took it in stride, because he knew Jensen didn’t mean anything by it. And hell, he ogled Jen on occasion, too, especially when the writers made him lose his shirt. It was hard not to, because Jensen almost had too much presence when his clothes were on. Which is why they both knew the fans were justified, to a point, in their debates.

Jared cocked his head as Dean appeared onscreen, pouty lips and leather jacket in place. He inclined his head in Jensen’s direction, eyes on the screen as his teeth flashed. “Man. You and Angelina Jolie, with those dick-sucking lips.”

Jensen spit a stream of beer across the floor, and Jared glanced over in mild surprise. Jen’s cheeks were flushed and he didn’t quite meet Jared’s gaze as he mumbled something incoherent and excused himself to the kitchen.

Jared’s brows drew together at the odd reaction, but he shrugged it off as his character joined Dean and the story of the week began.


 

Several hours and a case of beer later, Jared woke up to find himself sprawled out on Jensen's bed with no idea how he’d gotten there. The last thing his drunken mind could remember was beating Jensen at an impromptu game of arm wrestling, and falling off of the couch in hysterics when Jen popped a woody in the middle of it.

Jensen hadn’t seemed nearly embarrassed enough by it, and Jared had ribbed him that he needed to get laid, and soon. And then…Christ…had he actually offered to hook Jensen up with Chad?

Jared snorted in the dark, lifting a hand to scratch his nose. He struggled for about ten seconds before he realized something was weighing down his entire right side. He turned his head, wincing as the room spun slightly, and then just stared.

Jensen was passed out on the bed next to him, stripped of everything but a pair of undistinguishable boxers and socks. His back was pressed up firmly against Jared’s side, heat emanating in the area where their bodies met.

Okay, so, it wasn’t completely abnormal for him to sleep over at Jensen’s. But to pass out together in their underwear…Jared closed his eyes and struggled to keep quiet when Jensen made a sound and shifted against him.

The movement brought them closer together, and that’s when he realized…he was hard. And Jensen was arching against him like a lazy cat stretching in the sun.

Sonofabitch, he thought dazedly, fucking hell, directly on its heels.

He slung a leg across Jensen’s hips, stilling Jen’s actions. Tension thickened the air as both breathed unevenly in the darkness, and then Jensen moved again. It was subtle, uncertain, but it was there.

Jared sucked in sharply, dick stiffening as Jensen’s hips worked against him. His leg clenched around Jen’s thigh, hand opening and closing on his pillow. “Jen…what the fuck?” he managed.

Jen made a sound, a deliciously rough and throaty sound that had Jared fighting against the urge to grab him and fuck him senseless. Which was probably what Jensen wanted in the first place. Then, “Want me to stop?”

Of course. Leave it up to Jared, who was so goddamned hard that the idea of resisting was laughable. He gritted his teeth, struggling to remember all of the reasons why this was a bad, bad idea. Not the least of which was the fact that he had a girlfriend waiting for him back home.

And then…Christ…Jensen’s hand reached around and found him. He palmed Jared’s cock through thin cotton, and Jared couldn’t muffle the pleasured response. He could practically hear Jensen’s satisfied grin.

Fuck Jen, anyway.

“We shouldn’t…” he began, trailing off on a broken moan when Jensen freed him from his boxers without hesitation. “Aw, goddamn hell, Jen!”

When Jensen spoke, there was a definite smirk in his tone. “Your Texas is showing, Jared.”

“Fuck you,” Jared slurred, pushing his hips against Jensen’s fingers.

He sat up so suddenly that he nearly fell off of the bed, and had Jen pinned in under three seconds. They lay there, Jensen’s back plastered to his front, both panting in the dark. Jared found Jen’s hands and covered them with his own, dragging them up onto the pillow.

“This what you want?” he demanded, almost angrily, shoving his hips against Jensen’s ass. When Jensen only groaned in response, Jared leaned forward and hissed in his ear, “Oh, no you don’t. Fuck that, you’re gonna say it.”

If there was one quality that Jensen shared with Dean above all else, it was the character’s damn stubbornness. Jared couldn’t count the number of times he’d done something outrageous just to get a rise out of Jensen, and he’d simply lift an eyebrow and rattle off some inane dribble about the weather.

“Looks like rain later.”

But now…

Jen twisted his neck to meet Jared’s gaze, and the moonlight caught the hint of an excited flush on his cheeks. Green eyes were heavy-lidded and black with lust, and Jared’s stomach tightened.

“Yeah, man, do it.”

That plea, thick and rich, nearly undid him. Jared growled low in his throat, and then he was attacking Jensen’s jaw with his lips. Teeth. Tongue tracing the faint shadow of stubble as Jensen gasped and bucked against him.

They grappled, Jensen hooking an arm around Jared’s neck to force him closer. Jared jerked Jen’s head back and fuckingfinally found Jen’s smart-ass mouth. His teeth sank into his lower lip, and Jensen’s surprised grunt immediately melted into a harsh moan.

This lasted a good two minutes, with intermittences of oaths and nonsensical words that neither understood. Or cared to understand. Right now it was all about getting off, and Jared was pretty fucking good at that, if he said so himself.

He tore his mouth away, lurching up to his knees as Jensen sprawled half-sideways on the bed. His mouth curved slightly, so goddamn cocky, and desperation bubbled up inside of Jared. The need to wipe that freaking smirk right off of Jensen’s too-hot-for-his-own-damn-good face.

He held Jensen’s gaze, hooking both thumbs in the waistband of his underwear. Jensen met his eyes steadily, not even flinching when Jared tilted his hips and yanked the flimsy boxers down. Jen’s eyes dropped, and then…then, Jared got the reaction he’d been waiting for.

If possible, his dick grew even harder beneath Jensen’s watchful gaze.

“Well, at least you’re proportional,” Jen finally muttered, his expression torn between admiration and panic. His eyes returned to Jared’s, and he flashed a grin. Considering Jensen made a habit of pointing out how freakishly large Jared was all the damn time, Jared took that as high praise indeed.

Without bothering to reply, he reached a hand out and pushed Jensen onto his back. “You’re gonna get it,” he promised, voice shaking with analogous frustration and desire. “Been messing with me all this time, haven’t you?”

Low laughter rumbled out of Jensen, and he stretched a little too lazily for Jared’s liking. The coy action sent a jolt down Jared’s spine, and his lips pressed into a flat line as Jensen said, “Whatever, dude.”

“Damn it, Jensen…”

“Get with the program, Padalecki,” Jen interrupted, the corner of his mouth lifting in challenge. “Time to paint your butt white and run with the antelope.”

Jared blinked at the slow drawl, and then let out a bark of laughter. “Now whose Texas is showing?” he grumbled, feeling drunk and stupid on Jensen Ackles. Moving slowly, he reached down and cupped himself, letting his thumb trail over the head of his cock, once. Twice.

Jensen sucked in a breath. Jared grinned, evilly, and that’s all it took. Jensen’s shorts were practically ripped from his body, landing in a ragged heap on the other side of the room as Jared flipped him over and straddled the back of his thighs.

He placed both hands at the small of Jensen’s back and just…pressed. Jensen let out a little moan and twisted beneath him. “Oh, yeah.”

“You taught me that,” Jared had to grin. “Remind me why you aren’t a physical therapist again?” It was said in a mocking tone, because Jared loved ribbing Jensen about his various careers and activities before the acting bug had bitten. Like cheerleading, for chrissake.

“Because actors are so much prettier. And easier.” The pillow muffled Jensen’s voice, but Jared easily read the sarcasm coloring it. “Hey, Jare?”

“Mmm?” Jared stared down at the muscular lines of Jen’s back, his mind a fuzzy mélange of why’s and how’s. He trailed a blunt fingertip along Jen’s spine, avidly cataloguing the shivery response. His other hand continued to work his cock, tongue caught between his teeth.

“I’m not getting any younger here.”

Jared’s head snapped up at Jensen’s shaky words, and the space between his brows disappeared. Suddenly, all sense of playfulness was gone and the moment was all too real.

He was about to fuck his co-star.

He was about to fuck Jensen.

He wasn’t sure he was nearly drunk enough for this shit.

Consequences began to play out in his mind at warp speed; breaking Sandy’s heart, the look on Eric’s and the rest of the crew’s faces if they ever found out, Mike Rosenbaum’s smarmy, shit-eating grin. Well, man, at least the fangirls’ll be happy.

And then there was Jensen himself.

The truth was, no matter how close he and Jen were, Jared had absofuckinglutely no clue what was going to happen the next day. He’d been around for a few of Jensen’s past relationships, but the guy was so close-mouthed about personal shit like that. All Jared knew was that one day the chick was there, the next she wasn’t.

Of course, sometimes the chick was a dude, and then neither of them ever mentioned it again.

Was he really willing to risk a solid friendship for a night of sex? Sex he wasn’t even sure he really wanted?

Okay, so he was a goddamn liar. At that particular moment, Jared wanted nothing more than to ride Jen’s ass until the cocky fucker screamed his name and clawed the sheets apart. But tonight and tomorrow morning were two horses of a different color.

His mama had always said if you can’t say it, you ain’t ready to do it. Well, Jared had no problem saying it, but he still didn’t think his mama would approve. He could already imagine the conversation taking place…

“Yeah, Mama, this is Jensen. You know, that guy who plays my big brother on TV? Now, you don’t mind if we get naked on occasion and rastle around?”

Jesus H.

The awkward silence was broken by Jensen, who shifted beneath him and let out something of a weary sigh. “Look, Jared, its cool. We can just forget it.”

Relief warred with disappointment, and Jared froze. He hadn’t missed the hollow sound in Jen’s voice, and it made him feel guilty for everything he’d just thought about over the last several moments.

After all, Jared wasn’t the only one putting himself out there to be tortured later on.

Jensen moved as if to slip out from under him, and Jared found his thighs tightening perversely around Jensen’s stomach. “No,” he mumbled, then in a louder voice, “No.”

“Jared—”

“Shut up,” Jared murmured, lowering his head. He hesitated a fraction of a second, then let his mouth brush against the back of Jen’s neck. Jensen let out a hissing sound of surprise, muscles twitching.

“I’ll be damned if you get me all worked up and then don’t follow through,” Jared continued, no real heat in his voice as his lips skimmed lower. “Pretty boy cock-tease.”

“Fuck,” was the only thing Jen could manage as Jared nuzzled his lower back. His hands curled into fists, gathering up portions of the sheets with them. A thrill shot down Jared’s spine.

“Soon,” he promised, not even recognizing the dark need woven through his own voice. He rested more of his weight on top of Jensen, relishing the sense of control. He could handle this, no problem. As long as he stayed in. Control.

“Christ, Jared…let me…” Jen was stretching now, letting out soft sounds of frustration as he struggled to throw Jared off of him. He twisted his head around, lips shiny as if he’d just licked them. “Let me suck your cock.” The words were barely above a whisper, yet packed more punch than a Mike Tyson uppercut.

Jared found himself nodding slowly, rising up to allow Jensen to turn over, then wet heat covered the head of his dick. His neck strained, an odd sort of strangled noise escaped his throat, and his fingers filled with short dirty blonde hair.

Jensen’s hands were on his hips, motioning him closer, deeper, and Jared blinked before looking down to find Jensen taking him in his mouth. Sweet Jesus, he thought, eyes stinging with sweat.

Jensen stared back at him through long lashes, looking like a fucking cover boy for gay porn as his cheeks hollowed in and out. Wet sounds of encouragement filled the air; Jared’s fingers found the headboard and gripped so tightly his knuckles whitened.

He couldn’t look away.

“Jensen,” his voice breaking on a groan, “So fuckin’ good…” He ground his teeth, struggling not to blow his wad then and there. His cock in Jensen’s able mouth, he was vulnerable enough to admit, “I’m…nervous.”

Jensen paused, then released all but the head of Jared’s cock from his mouth. His tongue swirled along the rim, then he murmured, “I’m not gonna judge you, man.”

Jared pulled back, breathing rough and heavy. Somewhere between the making out and Jensen sucking him off, the alcohol had worn off and left him well-aware of the situation, and yet, he felt unsteady. Groggy.

Apparently giving up on a reply, Jen opened his mouth again, but Jared cut him off by bending his head and taking Jensen’s flat nipple into his mouth. Jen jumped, a low, keening sound coming from his lips as Jared sucked.

“Godyes,” Jen muttered, bucking his hips, lids falling closed. “Fuck…hurry…”

Jared stared up at him, wondering just how long he’d been waiting for this moment. Maybe not consciously, but there was no denying the fact anymore. Having Jensen Ackles underneath him, begging, had become Priority Number One a long time ago.

“Do it, do it, do it,” Jensen was croaking, flushed and eager. “Jared, goddamn…” He was lifting his hips, pressing his stomach against Jared’s. Their cocks rubbing together was one of the most sublime feelings in Jared’s twenty-three years of living, and he bit back a trembling moan before pushing up, bracing himself on his hands.

His head hung between his shoulders, mouth within Jensen’s reach. Jen reached a hand up, caught him around the neck and dragged him the remaining few inches forward, crashing their lips together.

Jared tasted blood in his mouth, but could hardly care when Jensen’s fingers snuck between their bodies to play with his balls. He groaned into his friend’s mouth, humping him furiously as Jensen chuckled.

“Whoa, slow down cowboy,” Jen murmured in a silky voice. “We got all night.”

“What? I thought you wanted me to hurry up.”

“Yeah, well, now I’m nervous.” But the statement was accompanied by a mischievous smile, and Jared barely refrained from rolling his eyes toward the ceiling. Instead, he managed to get Jensen back on his stomach, face buried in the pillow and hips lifted.

This was it. Point of no return.

He could blame it on beer tomorrow, and maybe even get away with it, but he’d forever know the truth.

“I’m clean, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Jared nearly choked at that. He hadn’t even been thinking of that possiblity, which proved just how much this situation was fucking him up. Not that Jensen was a player by any definition of the word, but he definitely slept around more often than Jared did.

“There’s condoms and lube in the nightstand.”

Jared reached over dumbly, finding the items with ease, then looking back at Jensen. Sprawled out, waiting for him. Christ Jesus.

He tugged on a condom, added the slick lubricant, all the while desperation threatened to consume him. Poised at Jensen’s entrance, he took a deep breath, trying not to plunge forward and kill them both. He had to get inside Jensen, and soon—

“Jared, do me a favor.”

Jared froze, his mind beyond rational thinking. He prayed Jensen just wanted an extra pillow, and not something that would require actual thought on his part. “Um, yeah?”

“Whatever you do, don’t call me Dean.”

His voice sounded so dreamy, yet serious, and Jared couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing, the action slipping him inside of Jensen with a surprise thrust. They both stilled, then the top of Jared’s head came off.

“Christ, Jen, you’re tighter’n hell,” he moaned, vowels elongated and thick.

“Such sweet…talk,” Jensen managed, and Jared could tell he was gritting his teeth. “Fuuuuck, this is worse than I thought it’d be.”

“What? What?” Jared was fighting to think about something, anything, other than the feel of Jensen hot and tight around his dick. Something clicked, and his eyes flew open. “Are you telling me you’ve never done this before?”

“Not exactly,” Jen panted beneath him, fidgeting and squirming on the sheets. “I mean, I have, I just haven’t…oh, Christ.”

High on sexual euphoria or not, Jared didn’t need a further explanation. Jensen Ackles was in pain, because Jensen Ackles had never been a bottom before.

Before Jared.

“Aw, man,” Jared whined through his teeth, the revelation sending whatever remaining blood left in his brain directly to his groin. “I can’t…”

He wanted to take it slow, maybe even stop. Regardless of how good it felt, he wouldn’t hurt Jensen for anything. But Jensen’s hand reached back and curved around his ass, and his voice demanded, “Keep going.”

Short, succinct. And so fucking hot that Jared gave up the inner argument with himself and plunged deeper. They both cried out in unison, expelling curses and breaths ragged with varying sensations.

Jared couldn’t figure out where to put his hands. They pressed into Jen’s broad shoulders, practically forcing the other man down, and then moved to his sides. From there, his fingers dug into Jen’s hips.

Jensen was no longer twitching in pain, but thrashing beneath Jared like one of the cock-hungry whores you glimpsed on late-night cable. It urged Jared on, hips pumping faster, faster, faster…

His foot slipped on the slick sheets, and he threw an arm across Jensen’s chest as they half-rolled onto their sides. Jensen grunted, pushing back against him and muttering things like, “Come on, yeah, come on…”

He glanced down to see Jensen jerking himself off in time with his thrusts, and with a hoarse sound he knocked Jen’s hand away, his own palm closing over the hot flesh and pumping it.

Jensen arched, coming hard in Jared’s hand, and Jared bared his teeth, muscles tightening. When he came, he yelled so loudly that he knew Jen’s neighbors would be talking about it for weeks, and Jensen would probably crack a joke about the rafters shaking. He’d always been teased about it, but this…this was unreal.

Long moments punctuated by silence and heavy breathing passed before Jared finally rolled completely off of Jensen, throwing an arm over his eyes as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

He heard the faint sound of drawers opening and closing, and peeked through his arm to find Jensen’s naked back facing him, blue smoke billowing toward the ceiling. Jensen turned slightly, eyes catching Jared’s as he puffed on a thin cigarette.

“Well,” he drawled softly, tapping the cig over an ash tray.

Jared lowered his eyes to stare at the burning end rather than meet Jensen’s questioning gaze. Recriminations were quickly piling high, and this time he didn’t have the edge of desire to make things foggy. He cleared his throat, but his voice still came out sounding brittle and coarse. “I should go…early call tomorrow and all.”

Jensen didn’t blink, just nodded and took another long drag. When he finally answered, he just lifted a shoulder and murmured, “Could always spend the night.” Like you have a million times before, was the unspoken continuation.

Jared flinched, looking away and out the window where the Vancouver night sky hung low and heavy. Of course, he knew he could stay the night at Jen’s. And before, he would have. But things had just progressed too fast and too far for Jared’s comfort…and he knew what a dick that made him.

Better to get home and spend the night staring at the ceiling, preparing himself for the hell tomorrow would be. Trying not to relive every aching moment inside of Jensen…

“Well, whatever you want,” Jensen added easily, lounging back against the pillows like what had just occurred was nothing out of the ordinary. Like they’d simply whiled away the hours playing PSP instead of fucking and sucking each other raw.

Jared’s jaw ticced, and he found himself wanting to strangle Jensen. Make him acknowledge that fifteen minutes ago he’d been on his hands and knees begging for more of Jared’s cock. Goddamn, he was losing his mind.

Jared sat up, feeling frustrated and angry for no one reason he could pinpoint. It wasn’t like he expected Jensen to get all righteously indignant and beg him to stay. They weren’t girls for chrissake. But he’d assumed there’d be at least a mention…

He yanked his shirt over his head, jerked his underwear and jeans up his hips, all the while watching Jensen from beneath his lashes. His friend was surfing late-night TV, pausing on a rerun of Conan O‘Brien. Jared shook the contrary thoughts from his head and offered a thin smile. “Right, well, see ya.”

“Later, man.” Jensen saluted him absently, eyes riveted on the television as Jared fumed at the doorway. Just as he turned to leave, Jensen threw out, “Oh, by the way…”

Jared spun around so quickly he nearly tripped. “What?”

“Don’t forget we’re shooting on location tomorrow,” Jen mumbled, gaze still following Conan and guest’s onscreen antics. “Don’t go getting lost at the studio again.”

Jared could feel himself blushing, darkly. “One freaking time and they never let you forget it,” he grumbled, ignoring Jensen’s chuckles as he turned and left the apartment.

 

“I bet you’re missing my ass now, huh?”

Jared made a face, then apologized to the harried makeup girl who rushed to fill in the places where the powder creased. “Yeah, right,” he answered into his hands-free, sinking back into the chair and staring at someplace just above his own image in the mirror. “Like a pimple on my ass.”

“You’re sick,” Chad complained, then there was a beat of silence. “Well, I miss you, fucker. Wilmington got old about two years ago.”

“Mmm…maybe you should’ve kept it in your pants, then Sophia wouldn’t be making your life a living hell right now,” Jared suggested, only partly kidding. God only knew, he loved Chad. But the guy was a fucking moron. “And how’s your little Lolita doing? Sure sucks that I couldn’t get a picture of you in your tuxedo, man.”

“Fuck you,” Chad sighed, and Jared could practically imagine his best friend flipping him off. He bit back a a grin when Chad added, “Not so good. I think I might’ve made a mistake.”

“With women? You?” Jared clucked his tongue. “Never.”

“Why are we friends again?”

“Because I kicked your ass at pool, and you’ve just been riding my coattails ever since.”

“Har, har.”

Jared’s smile faded a little when he caught sight of Jensen entering the trailer, already in costume as he tugged at the sleeves of Dean’s signature leather jacket. Jen paused to smile at one of the makeup girls, and his eyes fleetingly passed over Jared.

Jared sucked in a breath, looking away and feeling like an idiot as Chad continued to whine about something in his ear.

“Dude, are you even fucking listening? Do I have to start paying you for sessions or some shit, because lemme tell ya…between my therapist and the damn pre-marital counselor Kenzie’s mom is insisting on, I’m—”

“Hey, Chad,” Jared interrupted, having heard nothing of his friend’s previous ramble. His eyes followed Jensen as he exited the makeup trailer. “You and James.”

“James,” Chad echoed, easily going with the change in topic. “What about him?”

“You two get along, right?”

Chad’s confusion was evident by the slow way he sounded out his words. “Sure, great.”

Jared’s pulse was racing. Despite his self-assurances otherwise, he hadn’t forgotten the night before, even if Jensen for all intents and purposes had. It was normal for them to be all up in each other’s business before every scene, but so far Jared had only seen Jen once that morning.

Of course, he’d gotten to the set late, and had driven himself as opposed to catching a ride with Jen, but still. It was weird. And he knew damn well why.

“You two ever fight about anything?” he asked of Chad, wondering how he could get the information he really wanted without clueing his friend in to the fact that he was mooning and brooding over his male co-star. For chrissake.

“Hell yes,” Chad answered with a laugh. “If we aren’t kicking each other’s ass on a regular basis, then something’s seriously wrong. “

Jared blinked. “Really?” He suddenly wondered why he’d never bothered to ask Chad about his “other life” in Wilmington. Sure, they talked about it, same way they talked about Jared’s life in Vancouver, but it was mostly just bullshitting and vague points of interest.

Jared had met Chad’s cast members a few times at various WB promotional events, and they’d all seemed great, but it had never occurred to him that he didn’t really know how Chad felt about them. Except for Sophia, of course, which was a completely different ball of wax.

“Yeah, man,” Chad continued, oblivious to the inner-monologue going on in Jared’s head. “We like to give each other crap. He’s four years younger, you know.”

Jared rolled his eyes at the friendly reminder of the same age-difference between him and Jensen. “Yeah, well it doesn’t count when you act like you’re fourteen,” he returned.

“Bite me. Anyway, James’s a cool kid. Why you ask? You and Jensen break up?”

Heat flushed his cheeks, and before he could stop, he blurted out, “What?! No!”

“Jesus, chill,” Chad laughed, a little surprise coloring his tone. “I figured as much. You two are joined at the hip. Bet you’ve never even raised your voices at each other, have you? Pussies.”

Well, now I dunno, Jared mulled silently. Does ‘God, yes, fuck me harder’ count?.

Outwardly, he just gave a sickly grin and replied, “Suck it, Murray.”

“I’ll leave that to Jenny,” Chad snorted. Then, “Tell me, when can we expect the happy news in the papers?”

“Screw you,” Jared laughed, but his knuckles were white against his knee. “Don’t you have a high school prom to get kicked out of?”

His answer was a particularly nasty curse, followed by a dial tone. Jared yanked the headset from his ears and tossed it onto a nearby table in disgust. “Well, that accomplished absolutely nothing,” he muttered, rubbing his forehead as techs milled around the trailer noisily.