(no subject)

[longsufferingly]

Title: She Laughs Like the Flowers
Author: poor_choices
Fandom: CWRPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles/girl!Jared Padalecki
Rating: PG
Warnings: None I can think of!
Word Count: 2100.
Summary: It's been ten years since Jensen say his best friend Jeff's family, and Jeff's little sister apparently got hot. So basically, Jensen is going to hell.
Notes: For setissma, for her birthday! It is possible I just enjoy taking J2 AU cliches and writing them with girls involved. I am fine with this as a life choice. Title from Bob Dylan, as is my wont.
Disclaimer: Lies and untruths.


So it's not actually the most terrifying day of Jensen's life when he shows up at Jeff's parents' house and Jay Padalecki has boobs, but it's right up there.

The thing is, he's always liked Jeff's little sisters--Megan was too young to really be interesting, but Jensen liked to swing her up on his shoulders and carry her around while she laughed, and Jay was smart as a whip and funny, and he had a lot of fun just hanging out and shooting the shit with her. And then graduation happened, and college happened, and Jensen's seen Jeff a few times, but not the rest of his family, not once.

Except now, somehow Jeff is getting married, and Jensen is standing on Jeff's porch with an armful of tall, gorgeous girl, and he's feeling a little lightheaded.

"Jeff said you were coming tomorrow!" says Jay, all wide grin and dimples. She's gotten tall, only a few inches shorter than Jensen himself, and she's wearing a pale blue sundress with bright white flowers, long, tan legs bare under it. She's honestly the most beautiful girl he's ever seen in his life, and he feels like someone punched him in the stomach, because this is Jeff's kid sister, and two steps beyond off-limits.

"My boss let me off early," he manages, giving her a smile. "Figured you guys wouldn't mind."

"Mind? No way! Mama and papa are going to be thrilled." Jay winks at him. "Honestly, I think mama was more excited about you than the wedding."

Jensen has to laugh at that. "I didn't know she missed me so much."

"Jeff used to say you were her favorite child." She flushes suddenly, looking inside, and Jensen gets distracted by the way the color climbs her neck. "Where are my manners? I should have asked you to come inside, not just jumped you."

"Jay," says Jensen, gently, because--Jay is adorable, and there's no way he's going to let her feel bad. "I would've been way more offended if you didn't give me a hug."

That gets the grin back, big and bright. "You better not be a stranger, okay? We missed you."

"Yeah," says Jensen, and this part, at least, is completely honest, and has nothing to do with how pretty Jay's become in the last ten years. "I missed you too."

*

Dinner is kind of hellish. Jeff is still awesome, Megan is still adorable, but Jay is hilarious, and hot, and continues to be everything Jensen has ever wanted in a girl, and he would have asked her out so fast if she was anyone else in the world. And it's kind of a constant struggle for Jensen to not stare at her, or sigh dreamily, or play footsie with her.

Christ, he's twenty-seven and he's acting like a fucking pre-teen.

After dinner, Jensen attempts to go to a hotel, and the entire Padalecki family gives him simultaneous looks like he's grown a second head. It's actually kind of eerie, how well-coordinated it is.

Which is how he ends up in the guest room, and kind of hating his life.

"I can't believe you thought that would work," says Jeff, laughing. "A hotel. It's like you forgot everything you ever knew about my family."

"Yeah, well," says Jensen, flipping him off. "I figured you'd have ten billion relatives in here."

"Nah, they all got hotels months ago. You're the slacker."

Jensen rolls his eyes. "Why did I even come to this? It's not like I like you."

Jeff snorts. "You just wanted my whole family to dote on you. You're so needy, Ackles."

Jensen's about to respond, but just then Jay sticks her head in. She's fresh from the shower, wrapped up in a white towel that shows off her amazing body even more than the sundress did. Her legs seem to go on for miles. Jensen is pretty sure he knows exactly what he's going to be thinking about when he jerks off tonight. And then, for eternity, in hell.

"Hey, guys, I'm heading to bed, just wanted to say goodnight. See you tomorrow! And welcome back, Jensen," she adds, with a soft smile.

"Thanks," Jensen manages, hoping he's not bright red.

"Put on some clothes, we have company!" Jeff says. "It's like you were raised by wolves, seriously."

"It's not company, it's Jensen," says Jay. "Night, guys."

Jensen stares at the place Jared was for just a second too long, but when he looks back at Jeff, he hasn't noticed. So it's still okay.

Mostly.

*

The next day, of course, the universe conspires, and Jensen gets sent on errands with Jay. She's got her own little car that she drove down from Austin, and Jensen tries not to think that the drive from Fort Worth down to Austin isn't that bad. Not really.

You're being an idiot, he tells himself firmly.

"So, can I ask?" Jay asks, once they're on the road. She's wearing big sunglasses that say princess on the side; Jensen suspects she got them from Claire's. It's kind of adorable.

"Ask what?" he asks, honestly unsure.

Jay licks her lips. "Jeff said you had a plus one," she says. "I was expecting you to show up with someone. A fiancee of your own, or something." It's not quite an accusation--and why would it be?--but there's a strangeness in her tone that makes Jensen feel like he's missing something.

"She cheated on me," Jensen says, shrugging. "Kind of."

Jay looks over, eyes wide behind her glasses. "How do you kind of cheat on someone? I always thought that was pretty cut and dry."

"Well, she didn't think we were exclusive," says Jensen, resisting the urge to make finger quotes. "And I did. We talked about it. I said I didn't do casual, and she said she didn't do exclusive, so we broke up." He shrugs. "We weren't that serious." He smiles wryly. "I mean, we couldn't have been, right? Or I would have known her views on monogamy."

"Wow," says Jay. "I'm sorry."

Jensen shrugs. "I'm not that broken up about it," he says, and that's true. "We're still friends." Not good friends, and it's still a little weird, but it hadn't been bad. His heart certainly wasn't broken, or anything.

Jay shakes her head. "Well, good for you, I guess," she says, sounding like she would have some choice words to say to Vanessa, if she ever met her. Considering Jay has a good ten inches on her, Jensen doesn't think it would end well.

He clears his throat. "What about you?" he asks, hoping to change the subject. "Your boyfriend coming?"

"I'm not seeing anyone right now," Jay says, shrugging. "Nothing as dramatic as you, though. My boyfriend and I broke up after college, and I haven't had anything serious since." She throws him a grin. "So if any of my scary relatives ask tomorrow, you're my boyfriend, okay?"

Jensen snorts, hoping it hides his stupid flush. "Is that a big problem for you?" he asks.

Jay sighs. "You remember my grandmother. She wanted me married in, like, middle school."

Jensen laughs, because grandma Padalecki was always kind of terrifying. She used to call him and Jeff hooligans. "Okay, okay," he says. "Fine. I am your boyfriend for the wedding if you need me."

Jay's grin is bright and white and as amazing as ever. "You're the best, Jensen."

*

When Jay turned five, Jensen gave her Lady and the Tramp for her birthday, and she gave him a big smile and a hug, and said she loved him way more than Jeff.

When she turned twelve, he got her earrings, for her newly pierced ears, and Jeff said, "Dude, keep this up, and she's gonna fall for you."

Jensen just always--he likes Jay. He hasn't seen her in ten years, and that hasn't changed. All that's changed is that, suddenly, she's not just the little girl who's missing half her teeth and likes to make him play GI Joes vs. My Little Ponies.

She's so much more.

*

"So, here's the story," says Jay, sidling up to Jensen at the wedding. She's dressed in blue again, darker than the sundress, simple and gorgeous. Her hair's done up with flowers in it. He thought bridesmaids were supposed to look bad. He kind of wishes she did. "We met up again after many years, eyes met, sparks flew, and now we are in love."

"That's not actually much of a story." It's also not that far from the truth, on Jensen's end. Which is kind of depressing.

"Well, everyone in my family knows you," Jay points out. "So my original I met him when he was working as a rodeo clown fell through."

"Rodeo clowns? That's your type?"

"I saw through to your inner hotass," says Jay dryly, and Jensen tries not to blush again. "I am not shallow like all those other rodeo girls. Also, Aunt Susan said it would be criminal if you didn't dance with me. So come on."

"I think you're taking advantage of my kindness here," says Jensen, grinning and pulling her onto the dance floor. She slides to his arms easily, resting her head on his shoulder as they sway. It's nice, comfortable, even, in a way Jensen usually isn't at these things. The one time everyone might be looking at him, and he doesn't even care.

"You're kind of making all my childhood dreams come true," Jay murmurs after a long minute, so quiet Jensen almost doesn't hear. "I had this huge crush on you." She laughs softly. "I thought you were going to be shorter than me and a jerk now and break my heart."

Jensen smiles, not entirely sure what to say. "So, being short would have been as bad as being a jerk?" he finally asks.

"Oh, hush," says Jay, laughing. "I don't meet a lot of guys taller than me. This is exciting."

Jensen tugs her a little closer, even though they're already dancing way closer than almost everyone else. He missed her. "Glad I didn't disappoint," he says, and means it way more than he should.

Jay just laughs softly, and Jensen looks away from her so he doesn't do anything stupid, like kiss her. Which puts him looking right at Jeff, dancing with Laura on the other side of the floor. When their eyes meet, Jeff gives him a grin and a thumbs up, and Jensen's heart kind of stutters. It's pretty obviously approval, and Jensen doesn't quite know what to do with that.

In fact, when he looks around the room, all the Padaleckis are giving him a look like him dancing with Jay is the perfect ending to a perfect wedding, and Jensen looks back down.

"Did you tell your parents we were dating?"

"No, I told them I was terrified of my grandmother," says Jay. "Which we all agree on." She pulls back to look up at Jensen, looking a little confused. "Why?"

Jensen wants to answer--really, he does--but he doesn't really know what to say, and Jay is just--pretty much the girl of his dreams. So he leans down and kisses her, just a quick brush of lips before he pulls back.

"Probably that would have been safer if they thought we really were dating," he realizes belatedly. "Does your dad have a shotgun?"

Jay laughs, and tugs him down to kiss him again, longer and a little deeper. Jensen can't help grinning like an idiot.

"My dad is not going to shoot you," she says, and then considers for a heart-stopping moment. "Well, he might if he figures out we had sex in the bathroom." Jay flashes him a wicked grin. "So we're going to have to be discreet, right?"

Jensen gulps. On the one hand, he really might get his ass kicked. On the other hand, Jay. Jay who apparently has sex at her brother's wedding reception, which is way hotter than it should be. "Very, very discreet," he agrees.

Jay kisses him on the cheek. "See you in ten minutes," she says, with a wink. "And you're buying me dinner tomorrow. I'm a classy girl who deserves to be courted with respect."

"Obviously," Jensen says, with a teasing smile that he's pretty sure doesn't hide that he is ridiculously happy. "Ten minutes?"

"Don't be late," says Jay, and Jensen wouldn't dream of it.