longsufferingly | (no subject)

Title: When You Say Nothing At All
Author:

poor_choices
Fandom: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jared Padalecki/Jensen Ackles
Rating: PG-13.
Warnings: None I can think of.
Word Count: 2100.
Summary: Timestamp for And Good Riddance. Jared and Jensen aren't good at first dates.
Notes: Written for

without_me for

fandomaid! Sorry it took so long!
Disclaimer: Lies and untruths.

"So, how was the world's most awkward human being?" asks Chad. Jared wonders, not for the first time, why he ever tells Chad anything. It never ends well.

"Don't call him that," says Jared. "His name is Jensen."

"He isn't up here, so you're not getting laid," Chad points out. "And you don't look like you just got back from your first date with your soulmate."

Jared sighs, flopping down on the couch. "Okay, yes, it wasn't the best first date I've ever had," he admits. "But that's not a big deal."

Chad snorts. "Dude, you're the most romantic guy I know. If you have a bad first date, you think it's fate and give up."

"No, if I have a bad first date, I think it's because we're not compatible. But that wasn't it with Jensen. He's nice, he's funny, he just--he was nervous. I get it. I was nervous too. But, you know, when I'm nervous, I don't shut up, and he doesn't talk, so--yeah. I just blathered for the whole date and he didn't know what to say. Awkward."

"So you still think he's your soulmate," says Chad. "Okay, now I'm bored."

"You are a gigantic asshole," says Jared. "I'm going to tell you all about my feelings and make you braid my hair. You started this, now you have to deal with it."

"Aren't you leaving tomorrow?" asks Chad. "Can't you bitch to your mom about your boyfriend not loving you enough or whatever?"

"He's not really my boyfriend yet," says Jared. "But I've got his number, and I'm going to friend him on Facebook. I have plans."

"Do not tell me your fans, asshole, I will stab you."

"You will not," says Jared. "You love me. And Jensen is going to love me too. It's going to be awesome."

*

Jared likes being home in theory, but in practice, he likes hanging out with his mama and papa while they're around. Once he gets there, it only takes about twenty minutes for him to remember that apart from them, there is absolutely nothing to do. None of his friends are really in San Antonio anymore, and his parents work, so it's him and daytime TV or shopping.

He grabs his phone and scrolls through to find Jensen. I'm so bored right now, he texts.

He finds the Daily Show on TV, at least, so life could be worse. And then his life gets a lot better when Jensen texts back. Shut up, you don't even have a job anymore. I have boring work to do. And Jake is being an asshole.

Is Jake ever not an asshole? I have never seen him to not be. Jared considers for a minute and then sends, Do you have gchat? That would be way easier than texting. I have lots to say.

He realizes he's smiling like an idiot. He doesn't even know why, really. He likes Jensen, but the first date was a disaster, and he's pretty sure that's not something he can just magically fix with awesome texting and optimism.

Then his phone buzzes again, and he's got Jensen's gmail address, so he figures, well, at least he's got that going for him.

*

JaredJensen: hey
how's texas?
Jared: I forgot how boring it was being home without any of my friends or siblings. I was here for like twenty minutes before I started climbing the walls.
Jensen: you don't have any attention span, do you? how did you manage to be a security guard?
Jared: I had a computer! There was free cell. And people were always passing by and saying hi. Except you.
Jensen: shut up
i wasn't really expecting you to get in touch with me again, you know
Jared: You weren't?
Jensen: i kinda failed at our date
Jared: Hey, so did I! Yo should have duct-taped my mouth shut, man. It would have been an act of mercy.
Jensen: nah
i like hearing you talk
it makes me feel better about being quiet
Jared: Yeah? Awesome :D
Jensen: oh god, of course you don't use emoticons
Jared: And you don't use capital letters. So we're even.
Jensen: shut up

*

"So," says Jared's mom, "tell me about the new boy."

Jared laughs, flushing a little. "Am I that obvious?"

"Every time you hear your phone, you perk up, and then you grin like a loon when you reply," says his mother. "It doesn't take a detective to figure it out."

"His name's Jensen," says Jared. "He worked with me before, he's really shy. We went out once before I left and--it was actually really awkward," he admits. "I think he's great, but he's shy, and kind of anti-social, and I don't know how to make him talk to me."

"Did you try shutting up?" asks his mother, affectionately.

"I tried!" says Jared, laughing. "You know I'm no good at that. I was nervous, so I couldn't shut up, and he was nervous, so he couldn't start talking. It was sad. You would have smacked me."

"But you're still trying," she says.

"I really like him," he admits, looking down at the table. "I don't want to give up on it yet. But--that's about ninety percent because he's smoking hot."

His mother laughs. "Really?" she asks. "That doesn't seem like you. You've never just cared about looks."

Jared grins. "Yeah, but mama, you haven't seen this guy."

*

Jared: My mother says I'm not shallow.
Jensen: uh
good?
Jared: I'm not just into you because you're really smoking hot.
Jensen: i didnt give you a lot else to go on
Jared: Well, we're talking now! And I can't monopolize the conversation. Tell me something about you.
Jensen: um
i majored in physical therapy in college
Jared: Yeah? So how did you end up in business?
Jensen: accident
i worked an office to make money during college so i had experience
i wasnt ready for grad school
just figured id stick with this for a while
Jared: Do you like it?
Jensen: mostly, yeah
how'd you get into journalism?
Jared: Well, I suck at keeping my mouth shut ;) Writing lets me tell a ton of people what I'm thinking at all times.
Jensen: wow
do you have a really annoying blog?
on myspace? is that still a thing?
Jared: No, you're definitely really old. Like, I might have to be embarrassed to be seen with you in public for our next date.
Jensen: our next date?
Jared: Yeah. Unless you don't want to go out with me again? That's fine if you don't, I don't want to pressure you or anything.
Jensen: no, no
i just
i wasnt very interesting
Jared: And I was kind of an overenthusiastic loser. I'm up for a second try if you are.
Jensen: yeah
when do you get back again?
Jared: Six days. So I can take you out to dinner?
Jensen: yeah
i can live with that

*

Jared's week in San Antonio passes agonizingly slowly. Part of it is that he's talking to Jensen online every day, and he's anxious to get back and try this again already, see if the two of them can actually work, or if Jensen is going to be the hottest guy he's ever been totally incompatible with in person. But he doesn't really think it can be a problem, not after how easy it is to talk to Jensen online. There has to be something there, some real connection.

Or maybe Jared's just a stupid, overly romantic idiot. It's a theory that Chad has put forth more than once.

Jared gets back to Chicago in the afternoon, and the first thing he does is call Jensen. Some part of him realizes that it's kind of weird to call a guy he's been on one date with this much, but he doesn't really care. He's never been in to standing on ceremony. He likes Jensen, and he wants to talk to him.

"You know I have a job, right?" Jensen says, but he sounds amused, happy, and easy. Not like he's stressed out just talking to Jared. That's got to be a positive.

"And yet whenever I call, you pick up," Jared says. "And you talk to me on gchat even when your status says you're busy. I think you like talking to me. The jig is up."

"The jig is up, seriously? Who says that?"

"So, tonight," says Jared. "I'm thinking Thai. Do you like Thai?"

"I do like Thai," says Jensen. "You sure you want to try this again? I might just be super awkward the whole time."

"I like you," says Jared says simply. "I'm willing to give this a lot of tries. And it's not like you were the only one bringing the awkward last time. I told you about the time I was five and peed myself during field day."

Jensen laughs. "And you just brought it up again. You're not actually good at this, are you, Padalecki?"

"Not even a little," he agrees cheerfully. "I can meet you outside the office tonight? Six?"

He can hear Jensen still smiling, and it makes him feel warm all over. "Yeah, six sounds great."

*

Jared shows up outside his old office building feeling a little weird. He didn't hate the job or anything, but he's pretty sure you're not supposed to go back to your workplace a week after quitting. He sees a few people who know him, has to chat with them about what he's doing there and how home was, and by the time he's finished catching up with Mr. Morgan, Jensen is there, waiting with a slightly amused look.

Jared hasn't gotten to kiss him yet. It's a real shame.

He raises a hand to wave. "Hey."

"Hey," says Jensen. "You really can talk to anyone, huh."

"Yeah," says Jared. "It's getting me to shut up that's the problem."

Jensen laughs. "So, where's this Thai place?"

"A couple blocks. You mind walking?"

"Nah, I like walking." He falls into step next to Jared, quiet but not awkward.

"I brought duct tape," Jared blurts out, because it's hard for him to not be awkward, no matter how hard he tries. He doesn't really know how to stop talking.

Jensen laughs, though, instead of telling Jared he's a loser. "I brought conversation cards. Aldis helped me write them. It's a list of things I could ask you or trivia facts about myself I can inject into conversation. Aldis tried to get I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue in there, but I got it out."

Jared grins. "I can actually do that."

"Really?" asks Jensen, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, really. I was bored and decided learning how would be a good project."

"So it's not a sign of your sexual prowess."

"No, no!" Jared says. "It is totally unrelated to my sexual prowess. Which is also mighty, by the way."

"You have mighty sexual prowess."

"I do. Mighty is really the only word for it."

"Has anyone ever told you you're kind of a dork? I mean, you're all tall and hot and muscular, so it's hard to notice at first, but you are really, truly, incredibly dorky."

Jared beams. "I actually get that all the time, yeah. But thank you for noticing."

Jensen smiles. "So, duct tape. Was I supposed to use it, or would this be you mercy-killing yourself?"

"Honestly, I'm not picky. As long as someone shuts me up, I don't care if it's me or you. I nearly beat my head on the table last time."

"I actually do like listening to you talk," Jensen says. "It's about seventy-five percent interesting. And the rest is at least endearing."

Jared feels like Jensen just gave him ten million bucks. "I'm endearing, huh?" he says. "Tell me more. I'm also tall and hot and muscular and amazing, right?"

"I didn't actually say amazing," Jensen corrects, smiling. He shrugs a little, looking embarrassed. "I still want this to work. How's that?"

"I do too," Jared says. He hesitates and then figures, well, what the hell. He puts his arm around Jensen's shoulder. "And it's totally going to."

"Yeah?"

"Dude. You brought conversation cards and I brought duct tape. That's dedication. We're totally going to make it."

Jensen laughs, shaking his head. But his smile is soft and real. "I hope so."