Can't you see we're meant to be: Frankie the Turtle strikes again 2/7
"I'm not sure I know what you mean."
Immediately after saying this, Jensen's phone chimes on his desk. He quickly checks it out, seeing that Jared has texted him back.
"You look great in that suit. You're honestly the most handsome person I've ever been around. I love your style, Jack."
Jensen blushes again at Jared’s effusive compliments, wishing he knew if Jared was serious or not. Of course Christian notices, and his smirk is firmly back in place.
"Dating again, I see. Jeffrey?" Christian leans forward, studying Jensen closely. “I hear he’s back in town again, looking to get plugged back in.”
Jensen recoils sharply. "What? God, no! Never again. Not after last time."
"But there is someone, hmm?" Chris probes. “Come on, out with it. Who’s the lucky guy?”
He smirks, eyebrow raising, and Jensen surrenders. Once Christian gets an idea in his head, there’s no escape.
"His name is Jared. He's 34, he loves animals, and drives a shitty car that’s almost as old as he is. But he's so gorgeous and upbeat and amazing and--"
Chris laughs abruptly, holding up a hand to put an end to Jensen’s gushing. "I see. How long have you guys been dating?"
"2 months, and um...we're not dating. Not exactly."
That gets a reaction. "What do you mean, not exactly? You’re either dating, or you’re not." Christian groans suddenly. “Oh, God. Please tell me you didn’t fall for another straight guy.”
"I mean we're not dating," Jensen snaps. "I don’t know what we’re doing. We hang out everyday after work, chat, eat together...stuff like that. He hugs me and holds my hand and wears rainbow t-shirts, but he hasn’t made a single actual move the entire time we’ve been friends. I don’t know what the hell is going on.”
Christian bursts out laughing. “Oh my God. The great and powerful Ackles is friendzoned. I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Shut up, Chris,” Jensen says tightly. “It’s not--that’s not what this is about. It’s not just about sex. Jared’s a great guy--friendly, sweet, caring.” Jensen leans forward unconsciously as he warms to his subject. “He volunteers at an animal shelter, and he convinced me to start too. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. We’re going to Galveston next month to pick up trash on the beach and I’m excited about it. He listens to me, and when he talks I want to listen to him, too. He pulls me out of myself just by being there, by being himself. He’s--”
"Perfect for you," Chris finishes, smiling at his friend. "Man, you are so gone. Seriously, you should tell him how you feel."
Jensen puts his face in his hands, sighs. "I don't know how I feel. We haven’t been on a single date. We’ve never even kissed! This morning, before work, I sat there and rehearsed a speech on how I would ask him to dinner tomorrow night. Me! Rehearsing! Nervous!"
"Ackles, permission to speak freely?"
"This isn't the damn military, Chris,” Jensen mutters irritably, then waves at him to continue. “Besides, it’s not like I could stop you anyway.”
Chris leans in dramatically, almost whispering. "You need to get laid."
Jensen blushes furiously and points at the door. "Out."
"I'm just saying...lay one on him and see where it goes.” Chris holds up his hands in mock surrender, rising from his seat.
"Out. Now."
"Do you even know his last name?"
"Out. Out. Out."
Chris laughs on his way out the door, leaving Jensen to his indecision. Despite what he’d told Christian, Jensen is sure how he feels about Jared. He’s just not sure how Jared feels about him. Something Chris had said worms it’s way to the forefront of Jensen’s brain. Oh God, don’t tell me you fell for another straight guy! Jensen groans, remembering that mixed signal disaster, but it’s true--he and Jared have never even talked about whether or not Jared is gay or bi, or if he’s just a sympathetic ally. Jensen just assumed--
Jensen snatches up his phone, fingers poised to type out a frantic message, then drops it again. How the hell is he going to bring that up after two months of friendmaybemoreship? He groans again then tosses his phone into a drawer and locks it. He can’t think about this anymore right now or he’s going to lose his mind. He opens the file in front of him again--the Fairpoint deal--and smiles grimly. Eviscerating Misha’s project--unlike Jared, that is something he knows exactly how to handle.
God help him.
****
"Jensen! Hey, man!"
Just like that, Jensen is swept up in Jared's huge arms. Jared squeezes him tightly, spinning him round and round in the parking lot of the animal shelter until Jensen can't help but laugh.
No matter how it happens, Jensen loves being in Jared's arms. He loves Jared's huge biceps, his firm and well muscled chest, his irresistible charm, his happy-go-lucky nature--Jared is a force of nature, and he leaves Jensen wanting more every time they touch.
Jared sets him down eventually, slinging an arm around his shoulders as though they’ve been apart for months rather than the less than twenty four hours it’s actually been. Jensen takes it all in--Jared’s scent, the way Jared’s heart beats in rhythm with Jensen’s own. It leaves him feeling dizzy and a little giddy when they finally head into the shelter.
Inside, Jared greets the other volunteers, fistbumping his friend Adam with a secretive grin. Adam and Jared are practically brothers, and while Jensen feels like he ought to be jealous, he’s not. Watching Jared and Adam goof off while tending to the many animals of the shelter just makes Jensen happy, the way anything that brings a smile to Jared’s face makes him happy.
Jared leaves Jensen to change his clothes in the bathroom, making a suggestive jest about how tight his pants looked today. Once he’s gone, Jensen leans against the door, confused all over again by what the hell Jared wants from him. He straightens up with a sigh and gets changed, determined to enjoy the evening with Jared and their furry friends no matter how frustrated he feels.
As usual, once Jensen gets to work the evening flies by. Jared sings along to whatever song plays on the radio as he shampoos the dogs while Jensen covers his ears in mock horror. Jared’s voice is far from terrible, no matter how much Jensen teases him, and he loses more than a few minutes daydreaming about a private serenade. Night has fallen by the time they’re finally done, and Jensen’s carrying his garment bag in one hand while Jared holds the other. It would be perfect, if it actually meant anything.
"You've doing great, you know that right?" Jared says, watching Jensen hang his suit carefully in the back seat.
Jensen snorts. "Thank you."
Jared's smile fades for a second, his expression turning serious. It throws Jensen off, because Jared is almost never serious.
"I mean it," Jared tells him warmly. "You’re amazing. You don’t have to come here everyday and help out, but you do, and it means the world to me. I didn’t think you’d come back after we released Frankie back into the wild, but I’m really glad you did."
Jensen circles back around to the other side of the car and leans against the warm metal, looking up at Jared through his lashes. "I have my reasons for coming back." The words sound more wistful than Jensen intended and he blushes, biting his lip and hoping he hadn’t screwed things up.
Jared's sudden smile glows brighter than the rising crescent moon as he steps closer, close enough that Jensen can smell his cologne underneath the nearly overpowering aroma of wet dog.
"I'd like to know those reasons,” he says softly.
"Well..." Jensen’s head is spinning, hope making his stomach swoop and flutter. "For starters, I stayed because everyone’s so nice."
Jared leans on the car next to him, almost caging Jensen in. "Yeah? That's awesome! Any other reasons?"
"My company is sponsoring the place..."
"And?"
"I learned that animals are kinda cool, too."
"Aaaaand?"
Jensen laughs softly at Jared’s teasing. "You're not gonna make this easy for me, are you? Fine...the biggest reason I stayed around is you. You make me happy, Jared. I want to be around you.” He nudges Jared with his shoulder. “Satisfied?”
Jared's patented grin comes out again as shifts to cover Jensen’s body with his, trapping him against the car. "Not even close,” he murmurs, so low that Jensen barely catches the words.
Jensen doesn’t answer, just tilts his head back, eyes closed and lips parted as he waits for Jared to kiss him. He’s not sure when his arms wound themselves around Jared’s shoulders, and he doesn’t care. He just wants. After a moment, he opens his eyes in confusion, looking up into Jared’s beautiful eyes and soft, adoring smile. His breath hitches when Jared’s eyes drop to his lips, but Jared just sighs and pulls gently out of Jensen’s arms. It’s almost too much, Jensen’s heart cracking in his chest at this clear indication that whatever Jensen’s feeling, he’s on his own. He smiles tremulously and blinks, hard, determined not to ruin what Jared is willing to give him. He’s so sure that this is the end of everything he wants that he nearly misses Jared’s question.
"So...would you wanna go out to dinner with me some time?"
Jensen blinks again, mutely shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts.
Did he hear that correctly?
Jared’s face falls. “Oh, okay.”
"Wait, what...?" Jensen sputters. “Did you just--”
Jared smiles tentatively. "I asked if you would...like to go out to dinner with me."
Jensen can’t stop his answering smile, so wide his cheeks hurt as he laughs. "I was going to ask you that..." he says, in answer to Jared’s unspoken question.
"You snooze, you lose,” Jared says smugly. “But seriously. Eating hot dogs with you every night is kind of the highlight of my day, but I’d like to take you someplace a little nicer. If you want?" He looks so eager that Jensen can’t even tease him.
"I’m dying for a good steak," Jensen confesses, and it’s true. “Not that I don’t love our nightly stroll to the hotdog stand, but I need real food.”