(no subject)

[longsufferingly]

The Perfect Summer Is Waiting
Jared/Jensen AU, PG, 1600 words. Jared's not having the best time at the beach. Until he is.


Jared wants to like the beach, but it's tough. He's seventeen, too young to be invited to the parties Jeff seems to find without even trying, to old to hang out with Megan, who's thirteen and constantly arguing with their mother about her bathing suit and whether or not she can go out like that. Jared isn't thrilled about the idea of his baby sister going out in a string bikini, but he knows better than to get involved. Megan isn't afraid to kick him in the shins, even if she won't use that tactic on their mother.

Jeff started off the summer just as sulky and moody as Jared, complaining about how he wanted to be spending time with his girlfriend and his friends, how the beach was for kids--all the stuff Jared thought, but wasn't allowed to say because Jeff was even older than him, and had the monopoly on outgrowing things.

But then, of course, he found the other college students who were here (without their families, of course, and Jeff still bitches about that), and now he's going places and doing shit all the time. And Jared's stuck hanging out on the beach with a bunch of giggling girls Megan's age who do absolutely nothing for him.

And that's the last part--the worst part--Jared is pretty sure he's gay, and he figured it out for sure because Jeff's new friend Jensen? He's unbelievably hot.

He's got freckles all over, and Jared's been watching more and more pop out as the summer goes by. He wants to lick every one of them. When he smiles, it's slow and almost hesitant, like he doesn't realize it's the best thing ever. Jared knows practically nothing about him, except in passing, but he wants to find out everything. And he wants to punch Jeff in the jaw. He's going to be eighteen in two weeks. That's old enough to party with the big kids.

He's in the crow's next of their beach house, trying not to be an emo teen, like Jeff keeps calling him, and pretty much failing, when his mother calls him down.

He gets up with a sigh, wondering where Jeff is and why he never gets yelled at. Life is seriously unfair.

"What?" he asks, too moody, and regrets it immediately when he sees his mom is standing with Jensen. He manages a polite smile. "Hi mom, what is it?"

His mother raises her eyes, but blessedly doesn't comment on his total change of demeanor. That would be embarrassing. "Do you know where your brother is?"

"No," Jared lies. Jeff has been trying to score with this girl Katie, and he clearly indicated he thought he was going to succeed tonight. Mom doesn't need to know that. "Why?"

"Well, he was supposed to spend time with Jensen tonight, but we can't find him. I'd invite him to wait, but we're about to go out to dinner."

"Oh, I'll stay," Jared says, almost cutting her off with his enthusiasm.

"Oh, really?" his mother asks, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah," says Jared, nodding. "I'm not really in the mood for Indian anyway."

"What will you eat?"

"I'm sure we can find something, Mrs. Padalecki," Jensen says, with a smile that Jared thinks would charm anyone. He turns it on Jared, and he's momentarily stunned. "Thanks for sticking around, Jared."

"Yeah," says Jared. He shakes his head slightly. "Yeah, no problem."

"Well, I guess that settles it," says his mother, looking a little surprised. "Megan!" she shouts, and for a few minutes it's Megan being sulky (until she sees Jensen, and reminds Jared how ridiculous he's being, thinking he has a chance with a gorgeous guy like that) and everyone finding shoes and taking off.

And then Jared is alone with Jensen.

He licks his lips. "Um--I know where Jeff is."

Jensen laughs. "Trying to score with Katie?"

"Oh," says Jared, rubbing the back of his neck. "You knew?"

"I suspected. He told me we were gonna hang out, but I also knew he was trying to score. I figured there was a fifty-fifty shot he'd be here."

"Oh," says Jared, feeling like the stupidest person in the universe. "Well, he's not."

"Obviously," Jensen says, laughing. It doesn't sound like mean laughter. "But I get you, right?"

Jared flushes from head to toe. "Um, yeah," he says. "We can order pizza? See if Jeff shows up again?"

"Sure," says Jensen, with an easy shrug. He flops down on the sofa, stretching his arms over the back. He's wearing a worn black t-shirt with a band logo and cargo shorts. Jared wants to climb into his lap, but he calls in the pizza instead.

"So," he says, sitting down next to Jensen, under his arm. He can feel the heat of it. "It'll be about half an hour."

"Cool," says Jensen. He smiles again. "Jeff said you're going to Austin for college."

Jared flushes. "Yeah," he says. "You're--graduated, right?" he asks. Like that isn't embarrassing as fuck. Jensen is already done with college. He has no chance.

"Yeah, this is my summer of fun before I start grad school," says Jensen. "In Austin, actually."

Jared's heart speeds up. "Uh--really?"

Jensen smiles, ducking his head. Jared thinks he's blushing. "Yeah. I thought maybe Jeff told you."

"Jeff doesn't talk to me," Jared admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm his loser tag-along little brother." He groans. "Why did I say that?"

Jensen laughs. "Hey, man, I get it. I've got an older brother too. From about age--twelve to twenty, he thought I wasn't worth interacting with. He'll get over it, don't worry."

Jared laughs too, feeling himself relax. "I guess I'm glad it's not just me."

"Yeah, I think it's genetic. He'll get over it." He smiles. "You always seemed cool to me," he adds.

"I like to think I am," Jared agrees, feeling his whole chest warm up.

Jensen laughs. "Don't we all."

*

By the time the pizza arrives, Jared wants to marry Jensen. He's smart, and funny, and likes golf, which is such an old guy thing that Jared has to find it adorable. He's going to grad school for physical therapy, and he and Jared are (kind of) going to be classmates at UT in Austin.

The pizza is a good way to keep from jumping him.

"I hope you like meat," he says, as he puts it down. "I realized I didn't ask."

Jensen laughs, snagging a piece of pizza and taking a big bite. "I love meat. I dated this vegan guy for a while, I had to break it off because I liked dead animals more than him."

Jared starts choking on his pizza.

Jensen thumps his back, laughing. "I'm gay, by the way," he says. "I figured Jeff told you."

"Uh, no," Jared says. He coughs until his voice recovers. "Like I said, he doesn't talk to me much. Um. I think I'm gay too," he admits. He's only ever told Genevieve before, and she was supportive but also kind of disappointed. He thinks she wanted them to get together.

"Yeah," says Jensen, voice gentle and a little affectionate. "I think you are."

Jared looks away, feeling nervous. "Yeah, I'm feeling pretty sure right now," he says. His heart is beating like crazy.

Jensen shifts a little closer. "Hey--" he starts, but before he can say whatever he was going to say, his phone starts ringing. He makes a face, pulling it out. "It's, uh, your brother," he says, flushing. "I should probably get it."

"Yeah," Jared agrees.

Jensen gets up, wiping his hands on his shorts before he answers. Jared closes his eyes and breathes, trying not to feel stupid and nervous over whatever Jensen was going to say. Jensen is totally out of his league. Whatever he's thinking isn't going to happen.

"Hey," says Jensen, hanging up the phone. "Want to go to a party?"

"Uh--seventeen?" Jared offers.

"You're tall, and no one is carding. Come on, we can finish up the pizza and go."

Jared licks his lips. It doesn't feel like tagging along with his brother. It feels kind of like Jensen asking him out. "Yeah," he says. "Okay."

Jensen's smile is brilliant. "You're gonna have a great time. Promise."

*

"Dude, did you bring JT?" asks Jeff. "He's like an embryo!"

Jared flushes angrily, sure that everyone can hear Jeff with how loud he's yelling to be audible over the music.

Jensen shakes his head. "Don't be a dickwad, man. Like you weren't partying when you were his age."

Jeff shakes his head. "Dude, I get you've got some weird crush on him or whatever, just don't do it where I can see, okay? I don't want to think about my little brother's sex life."

Jared can't quite comprehend that, and by the time he's recovered from the sheer shock, Jeff is gone and Jensen is flushed dark red.

"You, um," says Jared, always articulate.

Jensen rubs the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah," he says. "I was going to, you know, ask you out or something. But you were never around. So, I--"

Jared fists his hand in Jensen's shirt and tugs him forward, kissing him because it's clear Jensen isn't going to object.

Jensen makes a quiet noise of approval, sliding his arms around Jared's neck and kissing back. Jensen clearly knows a lot more about kissing than Jared does, but he also doesn't seem to mind.

Jared figures he'll pick it up.

Jensen pulls back slowly, giving Jared a soft smile that might be the best one yet. "So, hey, this might seem forward, but--what are you doing for the rest of the summer?"

Jared laughs. "Hanging out with you, obviously."

Jensen grins. "That's what I thought."

Comments

[misbegotten]

Lovely!