(no subject)

[longsufferingly]

Feed Animals In the Zoo (Then Later a Movie Too)
J2 high school AU, 1500 words, PG. Jared thinks Jensen Ackles deserves one perfect day. The universe disagrees.

For beckaandzac, inspired by the Hey, Arnold! episode "Eugene's Bike," which we just watched. Hey, Arnold! on Netflix = magic.


"Have you thought about saying, Hi Jensen, would you like to go on a date with me?" asks Aldis. "I mean, I know it sounds crazy, but it just might work."

Jared groans. "He hates me."

"He doesn't hate you."

"I dropped a bucket of paint on him!" Jared groans. "And then when I tried to help clean him up, I scalded him with hot water. And then--"

"Dude," says Aldis. "Let me break this down for you. You are--and I say this as a guy who is comfortable with his sexuality--a hotass. Jensen is--well, Jensen is a dork. He's like that chick in She's All That."

"He wears glasses and likes painting and is actually hot even though everyone thinks he isn't?" asks Jared.

"Yeah, go with that," says Aldis, rolling his eyes. "What I'm saying is, you're a catch. Ackles? I hate to say this, man, but he's, like, the opposite. He can't get through an entire day without getting hit in the face with a locker. You? Are out of his league. Ask him out."

"You know what?" asks Jared.

"I'm right."

"You're right," Jared says. "Jensen doesn't need a boyfriend."

"Exa--wait, what?"

"Jensen needs a friend. Jensen needs an awesome day, where nothing goes wrong, and everything is perfect."

"Or a date."

Jared makes a face. "No, not anything romantic. I mean, even if he's not into me, he still deserves an awesome day, right?"

Aldis groans. "You know what? I give up. Do whatever the hell you want. I officially give up on you."

"I am going to go give Jensen Ackles the best day of his life," says Jared. He grins. "See you later, man."

Aldis shakes his head. "Yeah. Whatever."

*

Jensen Ackles has been in Jared's class for as long as they've been in school. Well, even before school--they were in pre-school together. Jensen's always been kind of a loner; he's quiet and a little shy, and he's worn big glasses since second grade, and everyone kind of wrote him off. Jared's always been nice to him, but they've never run in the same circles--Jared does sports, Jensen does chess club. Jared likes English, Jensen likes math.

And then, this year, they were in art class together, and Jared realized that Jensen was funny, and nice, and gorgeous, and he's been pathetically crushing on him ever since.

He is aware this is pathetic.

Jensen picks up his call with a surprised, almost wary, "Hello?"

"Hey, Jensen!"

"Yes," says Jensen, as if he's still not sure the call is for him.

"It's Jared. Padalecki. From art class?"

"And our whole lives," Jensen says, but he sounds amused. "Hi, Jared Padalecki from art class. What's up?"

"I--do you want to hang out tomorrow?"

There's a pause long enough that Jared starts to get nervous. Which mostly just means babbling.

"I mean, I've got tickets to this baseball game, and I still feel bad about spilling my paint on you the other day, and I just--you're cool and I want to hang out?"

He hears Jensen laugh, and finds himself flushing, and suddenly very glad that Jensen can't see him.

"I was trying to remember if I had anything to do tomorrow," Jensen says, clearly amused. "But I don't. So, yeah, I'd like to hang out with you."

Jared grins like an idiot. "Awesome. So I'll pick you up at ten?"

"Yeah," says Jensen. "I'll see you tomorrow, man."

"Tomorrow," Jared repeats.

This is going to be the best day ever.

*

Jared gets to Jensen's house at 9:50 and spends a while debating if he should wait until ten, or just go now, before realizing that standing outside Jensen's house like a creepy stalker is a really terrible plan, and sucks it up and goes to knock.

Jensen's wearing a gray t-shirt and blue jeans, hair mussed and glasses sliding down his nose, and Jared has to forcefully remind himself that this is not a date. This is a good day. For Jensen.

"Hey," says Jensen.

"Hey," says Jared, with a dorky little wave he immediately regrets. "So, uh--like I said, I feel really bad about the paint thing. And the scalding thing. And that time in third grade I accidentally tripped you and you fell into the jungle gym and lost a tooth."

Jensen raises his eyebrows. "The what now?"

"Anyway," says Jared. "We're gonna have the best day ever."

"Ever?" asks Jensen, but he's grinning. "Okay, Padalecki. Wow me."

*

Jared had been planning to wow Jensen. He really had. He'd had awesome plans for awesome things, and the universe pretty much kicked him in the ass.

The baseball game starts off awesome. Jensen's grinning, laughing, clearly having a great time, and then halfway through the first inning, it all starts going to hell. A woman spills her Coke all over him, the kid behind him starts kicking his seat and crying about how bored he is, and the woman in front of them starts talking loudly on her cellphone about her asshole ex-husband.

Then, at the bottom of the ninth, there's a miraculous home run, and the ball hits Jensen in the face.

"Holy shit!" says Jared. "Dude, are you okay?"

Jensen winces. He's going to have a black eye. "Yeah, it's fine," he says, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eye. "My nose isn't bleeding or anything." He gives Jared a grin, blinding and completely beautiful. "Don't worry, Jared."

The kid behind them starts crying about how he wanted the ball, and Jensen gives it to him, with another smile.

Jared is a little bit in awe.

*

"Okay, so, the game had some issues," says Jared. "But this next part? It's going to be nothing but awesome."

Jensen looks amused. "Okay. So, what's the plan?"

"We're going to the aquarium," says Jared smugly.

Jensen laughs. "Sounds awesome. But you know I'm not actually pissed at you, right? You don't have to do this."

"Hey, I know," says Jared, feeling guilty for making Jensen think he was just doing this out of obligation. "I want to hang out with you."

"Oh," says Jensen, grinning and looking away. "Sounds awesome."

Jared really has no choice but to grin back.

*

"Really, it's fine. It's just a scratch."

Jared rubs his forehead. "It's a touch pool," he says. "No one is supposed to get hurt in a touch pool."

Jensen laughs, a little mirthlessly. "Sorry, man," he says, shrugging. "Apparently I've got skills."

"I don't blame you! I'm not mad," says Jared. "Just--stupid crab."

Jensen laughs. "That's right, blame the crab. It's fine, Jared. It's barely bleeding."

Jared groans. "Okay, next up: the park."

"The park?"

"Whatever, the park is amazing. And they have the best hot dogs."

Jensen laughs, giving Jared a fond smile. "Whatever you say, Jared."

Jared grins. "That's the spirit."

*

"I am so, so sorry."

"It's fine."

"No, I'm really--"

"Jared," says Jensen. "There is no way you could have known I had a clown phobia. And neither of us knew the movie had a clown, so--"

"Yeah, but--" says Jared, letting out an exasperated huff. "It's not just the clown! I mean, first it was the soda, and the crying kid, and the bitter woman, and the fly ball, and the crab, and the nettles, and you choked on the hot dog. And the fountain. And that angry dog. And--"

"Jared," says Jensen. "It's not a big deal."

"It is!" says Jared, flopping back onto the bench with a groan. "I wanted to give you one perfect day, and everything went wrong. You had a nervous breakdown!"

"I had a flashback to a traumatic birthday party," says Jensen. Jared feels him sit down next to him. "Jared. It was a perfect day. Man, don't you even--" he laughs. "We went to a ballgame. We went to the aquarium. We went to the movies. You took me to the fucking park, man. This was amazing."

Jared licks his lips, surprised. "Really?"

"Really," says Jensen. He flushes, looking down at his hands. "Honestly, the only thing that would have been better would be if it was a date."

Jared stares. "Wait, really?"

"Uh, maybe," says Jensen. "I mean, no pressure, but--"

"Oh my god, please go on a date with me," says Jared. "I don't care how much goes wrong."

Jensen looks up, surprised, and breaks out in a grin. "I would love to go on a date with you."

"Are you free tomorrow?"

Jensen laughs. "I dunno, I might need a day to recover," he teases, and then rolls his eyes at Jared's crestfallen expression. "Yes, I'm free. Dork."

Jared bites his lower lip and leans in, feeling bolder when Jensen tilts his face up to meet him.

And then feeling abruptly much worse, when their foreheads knock together.

"So--not the perfect first kiss, either," says Jared, flushing.

"You are way too worried about being perfect," says Jensen, with another roll of his eyes, and pulls Jared down.

Their noses bump, but their lips meet, and Jared thinks that, yeah, maybe Jensen has a point.

Because this just became the best day ever.