(no subject)

[longsufferingly]

Title: Just Like the Greeks
Author: poor_choices
Fandom: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None that I can think of!
Word Count: 2400.
Summary: Jared's just trying to be friendly to the shy guy in his writing workshop. A good moderator knows all his participants.
Notes: This is for quantrail for help_nz, who wanted shy Jensen and oblivious Jared. I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: Lies and untruths.


"So then Mabel says--" Chad is saying, and Jared is trying to listen, but he looks into the cafeteria and there's fucking Jensen Ackles, and Jared gets totally distracted staring.

Jared got hired straight out of undergrad as the assistant coordinator for the student writing center, and now he's kind of accidentally the head, due to people quitting and budget cuts, and all sorts of other over-dramatic shit. So Jared knows a lot of people who are tutors, and a lot of people who need tutors, aspiring writers, editors, and artists. For someone who doesn't actually go to the college anymore, he's really connected. Seeing people he knows is normal, mostly. Sometimes a little disconcerting, like seeing teachers out of class was in high school, but nothing bad.

But this is Jensen.

Jensen comes to the fiction workshop on Monday nights, and he's--different. He smiles, he's pleasant, but he's quiet, almost entirely silent, except he actually volunteers to read every few weeks. He's a great writer, writes amazing feedback during that part of the workshop, and always just seems--cool.

"Chad!" Jared hisses. "Chad."

"Huh?" asks Chad.

"Will you kill me if I abandon you?"

"Huh?"

"The one guy in my workshop I haven't bonded with is sitting over there, alone, and I want to go be friendly."

Chad looks over, and snorts. "Oh, I get it."

Jared makes a face, surprised. "Seriously? That's really mature of you."

"Dude's hot, you want to bone him," says Chad. "Too much dick for me, but you need to get laid. I give you my blessing."

Jared groans. "You just lost all your points," he says. "I just want to talk to him."

"Uh huh," says Chad. "Fine. I'll talk to you later, ass munch."

Jared socks him in the arm and heads over.

He guesses Jensen is attractive--kind of dorky, with the big glasses and the sweater vests, but he makes it work. But Jared's more concerned with just getting to know the guy at this point. He feels like he's pretty close to most everyone else in the workshop--they get drinks sometimes, hang out, talk.

Jared knows Jensen is getting his PhD in Classics and does not have a Facebook. That's about it.

He feels a little bad interrupting the guy--he's got a book open and looks to be interested, but he's really fucking curious. He's not used to knowing so little about anyone.

"Hey," he says, giving Jensen a smile. Jensen looks up, totally confused, and then his eyes widen as he sees Jared. "Can I sit with you? It's Jared," he adds. "From the fiction workshop?"

Jensen licks his lips. "Yeah," he says, hesitantly. "Hi. I mean, yeah. You can sit down."

"Hi," says Jared, feeling his smile grow as he sits down. "What are you reading?"

"Um," says Jensen, flushing. "The Odyssey."

"Oh, yeah? I read that in high school. I mean, in English. You're reading it in Greek."

"Yeah," says Jensen. He looks down at the book, closing it slowly.

"Hey, don't let me stop you from working," says Jared. "I've got some stuff in my bag, we don't have to chat or whatever. I just wanted to say hi. We never really get to talk, you know? You're always busy after the workshop, you never come out."

"Ah," says Jensen, rubbing the back of his neck. He looks away, a little nervously. "Yeah, I'm--" he laughs, a little self-deprecatingly. "I'm kind of shy. Shocker, I know."

Jared smiles. "I kind of figured, yeah. But it really surprised me, you know."

Jensen looks shocked at that. "Really?"

"I mean, not exactly, I guess? Just--most of the people who are too shy to talk in workshops won't actually read their stuff aloud. Even if it's as good as yours."

Jensen flushes at that. "Thanks," he says, smiling down at his tray.

"It's nothing I haven't said before," Jared points out. "I really like your work."

Jensen takes a breath, and then looks back up at Jared. "It's--I don't like talking. Without, uh. When I can't plan it out. If I'm reading aloud, it's not like I have to come up with anything--fast."

Jared considers that. "Huh," he says. "I mean, that's probably good sometimes. My mama say I talk too much, I just run my mouth like an idiot. But I think there's probably a happy medium."

Jensen shrugs. "I'm happy," he says, softly, and then blanches. "Shit. Not--uh, I didn't think you meant I wasn't, I just--fuck." He rubs his face. "This is what I'm talking about."

Jared smiles. "Dude, that's nothing. I have said so much worse. Also I am pretty much impossible to offend. You should meet my friend Chad, you'll see." He makes a face. "Actually, you know what? Never meet my friend Chad. That would go so, so badly. For everyone. But take my word for it, you never have to worry about making me think you're being dumb."

Jensen looks at him for a minute and then laughs softly, and Jared feels himself smiling back. Making Jensen laugh is awesome. "Okay, I see your point," Jensen says. He flushes. "Not that I think you're dumb, or--" he groans. "Jesus."

"Don't worry about it," says Jared. "Seriously, just relax. I'm not judging you here, I just wanna chat."

"I know," Jensen says softly.

Jared decides that talking about this is not doing anyone any good, so he soldiers on. He's pretty good at bulldozing through conversations. "So, how'd you get started writing?"

Jensen looks up, surprised, and flushes. "I, uh," he says, rubbing the back of his neck. "It just seemed cool."

"Well, you really are good," Jared says. "I loved that story you did last week, about the Spartans? I was telling my friend Gen about it and she was convinced I just liked it for the guy-on-guy action, but, seriously. It was an amazing story."

Jensen looks kind of confused for a minute, and then he clears his throat. "You, uh, like guy-on-guy action?"

"Oh, yeah," says Jared. "I'm gay. I forget it's not actually stamped on my forehead sometimes. All my friends tell me I love pink so much it's like having a rainbow tattoo on my ass. Except--more obvious. I mean, to people who aren't seeing me naked." He figured Jensen was probably gay too, or at least open-minded, given the guy-on-guy content in his last story, and he's hoping the gaping isn't homophobia. That always ruins a friendship fast.

"Uh," says Jensen. "Yeah," he says. "I, uh, wondered? You like pink." He rubs his face. "Anyway. I am too. Gay, I mean."

"Yeah?" asks Jared, smiling. "That's cool."

Jensen smiles back hesitantly, and Jared's about to try to find another conversation starter when he hears a buzzing.

"Uh, sorry," Jensen says, grabbing his phone and taking a look at it. He makes a face as he sees whatever it is. "Shit. I have a meeting? At the museum. For one of my classes. I have to--"

"Yeah, of course," says Jared, smiling. "I'm not offended. Go ahead. I'll see you on Monday, right?"

Jensen smiles back. "Yeah, Monday. Definitely. See you, Jared."

"See you," Jared agrees, and watches Jensen leave with a sense of pleasant accomplishment.

At least, until Chad slides into the seat Jensen just vacated.

"So, he's pretty, is he also witty and gay?"

Jared flips him off without even thinking about it. "Yes, actually," he adds. "Shut up, jackass."

*

Jensen doesn't magically change after their lunch together, but he gets a little more receptive. He smiles when Jared sits next to him, and smiles when Jared talks to him, and makes fun of him via facial expressions. It's not exactly friendship, but Jared would like it to be.

"Hey," he says, grabbing Jensen before he runs after the end of the workshop. "Come out with us."

"Where?" Jensen asks, a little warily.

"It's Aldis's birthday on Thursday, we're taking him out for drinks."

"I like Aldis," Jensen says, a little hesitantly. He gives Jared a wary look. "You think I need friends, don't you. This is a charity thing."

"I think I want you to be my friend," says Jared, grinning and putting his arm around Jensen's shoulders. "And this is my excuse to hang out with you."

Jensen doesn't really respond to that, just kind of stares at Jared, but he goes along to the bar, so Jared considers it a success.

*

"You are drunk," Jared says, laughing. Jensen has been leaning against his side all night, and it's cute. Kind of funny. He's still not talking, but he's laughing at everything, and he's glued to Jared's side. Jared has to approve.

"Your fault," Jensen says, vaguely. "You made me be all social. And drinking."

"I did make you all social and drinking," Jared teases. "That was all me. I'm a jerk."

"Why?" asks Jensen.

"Am I jerk?"

"Me. Why are you talking to me?"

Jared smiles, depositing Jensen on his couch. "Here, lie down. I'm going to get you a blanket and water."

"I'm sleeping over?" Jensen asks.

"I don't trust you to get back to wherever you live."

"Roommate."

"Roommate?"

"I should text my roommate. Tell her I'm here. Okay. Dreams come true."

Jared smiles and shakes his head. "Dude, you are seriously too drunk to text anyone. Here, give me your phone."

"What?"

"I'll text her. I want her to actually get the message that you're okay."

"Oh," says Jensen. "Yeah. That makes sense."

"I need her name," Jared says gently.

"Right," says Jensen. "Danneel. Tell her I'm with Jared."

"She knows who Jared is, huh?" he asks, finding Danneel in Jensen's contacts and sending her a quick message.

Jensen goes white, and Jared gets to the kitchen to grab a bowl.

"Here, if you need to throw up, just do it in here," he says, giving Jensen a smile. "I'll be back with the blanket and the water, okay?"

"Okay," says Jensen, giving Jared a smile. "Thanks, Jared."

Jared grins. "Hey, I dragged you out. This is the least I can do."

*

Two days later, Jared is in his office trying to set up the roster for the writing workshop this week when he hears someone knock.

"Yeah?" he asks. "Come in."

"You're Jared?"

It's not a voice he recognizes, and he looks up, surprised. "Yeah, I'm Jared," he says. The girl is tallish and pretty, brown hair and nice legs. He's pretty sure he's never met her. "How can I help you?"

She looks at him for a minute, and then sits down, sighing. "Okay, look--are you interested in Jensen?"

Jared blinks. "Huh?"

"My roommate, Jensen."

"Oh," says Jared. "You're--Danielle?"

"Danneel. Not the point."

Jared rubs his face. "What is the point?"

"The point is, if you're interested in my roommate, you should ask him out, because he's never going to make a move. And if you're not, you shouldn't get his hopes up."

It takes Jared a minute to process this. "Wait, your roommate is interested in me?"

Danneel looks at him for a long second, during which Jared feels like the stupidest person ever. "Yes," she finally says. "For some reason."

"Oh," says Jared. "Shit!"

Danneel raises her eyebrows.

"No, uh, in a good way? I mean. I'm an idiot."

"Yeah, I'm getting that." Danneel sighs. "Anyway. He's going to kill me, so get him laid or something. I want him in a good mood when he finds out I told you."

"Why did you tell me?"

"Because he's driving me crazy. Just have awesome gay sex. Or let him down easy. But, seriously, think about the gay sex. He's cute."

"Yeah," says Jared. "Thanks."

*

Next Monday, Jensen must not know Danneel came to visit, because he's acting completely normal. Although he doesn't really know how he'd tell. Probably he wouldn't have showed up.

The thing is, Jensen is--okay, kind of inept. But he's adorable. And kind of awesome, even with just facial expressions and short sentences. And he was kind of too busy thinking about getting Jensen to open up to think about, well.

Man, he's hot.

It's kind of distracting now. And Jensen is interested. In him.

"Dude," says Aldis, waving his hand in front of Jared's face. "Dude! You coming?"

"Coming where?"

"We're going out."

Jared glances over at Jensen, who's gathering his stuff purposefully slowly, like he's waiting for Jared.

"I'll take a rain check," Jared says. "You guys go ahead."

"I'm not going out," says Jensen, when Jared gets to him. "Last week was it for the next month for me."

Jared laughs. "I wasn't going to ask you to go out. I mean, not drinking. Not with everyone."

Jensen raises his eyebrows, waiting for Jared to go on.

"I was thinking you might go out with me? Like, on a date."

"A date," says Jensen, a little hollowly.

"If you're interested, yeah."

"But--you're not interested."

"No, I am," says Jared, quickly. "Seriously. You're kind of awesome."

Jensen raises his eyebrows. "Really."

"You have got to stop selling yourself short. You're hot, you're funny, you're an awesome writer--"

"I just started writing because I had a crush on you," Jensen mumbles.

"What?"

Jensen groans. "I'm seriously a creepy stalker. I saw you at this, um, English department event, and you were--you, and I kind of wanted to get to know you, and I joined the fiction workshop. And I was too chickenshit to talk to you."

Jared smiles gently. "Well, I found you in the cafeteria and made you be my friend. So obviously I don't care." He resists the urge to ruffle Jensen's hair. "That means you're gonna come on a date with me, right?"

Jensen smiles back, hesitant but genuine. "I could go on a date."

Jared slings his arm around Jensen's shoulder, notices for the first time the way Jensen leans into it, close and snug. "Awesome," he says. "You gonna talk on this date?" he adds, scrunching his face up in mock-consideration.

Jensen rolls his eyes and shoves him lightly, not enough to dislodge him in the slightest. "Shut up, Jared."