Back to Part Two


When Jensen wakes up, he’s lying on the ground outside the school, the part where the grass is worn and thin, and littered with pebbles. Ms. Graham, the school nurse, is bent over him, her hand on his wrist. “I’m fine,” he says, but his voice catches and he starts coughing.

“Shh,” she says. “The fire truck is here.”

“Did all the kids get out?” he asks, gasping.

“Yes. Every single one of them, and I’m pretty sure everyone will be fine.”

He closes his eyes. He has that at least. He’s done his job if they’re all alive.

“Teachers?”

“Ms. Harris is a little cut up, but she’ll be fine. Mr. Padalecki got the worst of it.”

Jensen panics, his stomach twisting as his lungs tighten and he starts coughing again.

He can’t see Jared.

He doesn’t try to control himself. He figures a little hysteria’s okay, since half of his school is in ashes, and several of his students and teachers are injured.

Jensen rolls onto his side, but he’s coughing so hard he can’t get up.

“Mr. Ackles. Don’t move.”

He sees Jared then, stretched out on the ground not far away from him. Ms. Bell has her back to Jensen, holding a cloth to Jared’s head. She shifts, and he gets a glimpse of Jared’s face, covered in blood. There are others kneeling over him.

It looks like Jared’s breathing, but his eyes are closed and he hasn’t moved at all.

Jensen grabs at the ground with his hand, trying to scoot closer, but then the paramedics are in his face, talking slowly and pulling him away from Jared.

Jensen protests, but they insist that he’s suffering from smoke inhalation. So he gets an ambulance ride, some oxygen and some IV fluids.

He passes out again on the way to hospital.


***


When he wakes up again, he’s in the emergency room. He starts searching frantically for the call button, ignoring the burn in his lungs and the pounding in his head. He has to find out where Jared is.

When he turns his head to the left, he can see into the next cubicle. The curtain is thin and it doesn’t fully close, and to Jensen’s surprise, it’s Jared lying in the bed.

Jared’s got stitches in his head and his skin looks a little gray, but if he’s still in the emergency room, Jensen figures that Jared can’t be too bad off.

“Thank god,” he says out loud, closing his eyes.


***




Within the hour, the rest of the staff shows up, and so does the superintendent. Parents flood into the cubicles sobbing all over Jensen first and then Jared, who’s just woken up, until a doctor comes and kicks them out.

A reporter shows up just in time for Jared’s first smile, asking him how he feels about the events of the day. “We just did what we had to do. We spend six hours a day with these kids, and there’s no way we’d let anything happen to them. No teacher at Wakefield would have done any differently. I’m a big guy, and so is Mr. Ackles, so we were able to get in and get the kids out pretty quickly. Sorry, that doesn’t sound sexist does it?” Jared shows his dimples. “I’ll blame the pain medicine.”

By the time Jared’s done, Jensen’s grinning at Jared’s charm, and the reporter’s smitten.


***


The hospital won’t let Jensen go home alone, which is not a problem since his mother and sister show up in hysterics, insisting they’re staying over for a few days until he’s well. Jared’s parents show up too, and they’re even more worked up than Jared’s family.

Jensen leaves first, hating that he can’t go talk to Jared like he wants to. He stops by Jared’s bed, lingering while Jared sleeps. He wishes he could sit down and talk to him, hold his hand, even if Jared doesn’t know he’s there, but there’s no way that’s an appropriate way for him to act with one of the teachers.

“Please tell him to call me if he needs anything,” Jensen says to Jared’s mother, then wonders if that’s a stupid thing for a boss to say. He decides that it can be excused, under the circumstances.

Jared’s mother smiles at him. “You just concentrate on getting better, Mr. Ackles, and we’ll take care of Jared.”

Once he gets home, he’s desperate to call Jared, but he’s afraid of waking him up if he’s napping. On the second day, he gives in and calls Jared’s cell phone, but it goes straight to voicemail. He considers leaving a text message, but if someone besides Jared has the phone, then it might reveal the nature of their relationship.

The doctors told Jensen not to go back to work until Monday, despite the fact that half of his school is in ruins and he doesn’t trust anyone else to get the students organized. He’s exhausted though, so he listens, and stays home. His family is there constantly, but they mostly do everything for him, cooking and cleaning and laundry, so that, along with not being able to see Jared, gives Jensen plenty of time to think.

They aren’t very pleasant thoughts.

Jared’s been willing, all along, to talk about ways around their situation, ways to make it work. Jared’s even mentioned moving, and Jensen could’ve discussed that with him, could have said hey, when my dad’s better, we’ll go, and see what happens. But he didn’t. Everything Jared’s offered, Jensen’s taken for granted.

He’s treated Jared like crap, and Jared’s put up with him, because he’s generous like that, and Jared’s patience with Jensen has allowed Jensen to be a real asshole.

What if Jared had died?

It was close, all the fire and smoke, and the explosion because of the closet outside the art room with the painting supplies and the turpentine.

He would have lost Jared without ever telling him he loved him, and that he wanted to be with him. He was so scared of causing a scandal, but that doesn’t matter to him now.

If Jared wants him, then Jared will have him.


***


On the third day after the fire, Jensen’s trying to figure out the best strategy to go visit Jared when his phone rings.

"Hey man, you gotta come get me," Jared says.

“Hey.” Jensen grins against the phone. "You sure you're up for a visitor?"

"Please. I don't care if I'm up for it or not, and I don’t want a visit. I want an escape."

"Okay, I'll come now. But what will you tell your family?"

"That I need some papers that are locked up. Can't get into the school without a key."

"You have a key."

"They don't know that."

"Shit. I'll be there in ten minutes." Jensen’s thankful that his mother and sister left the hour before. He appreciates that they cared enough to come stay with him, but the fretting and hovering got old fast.

Jensen dreads meeting Jared's family again — they don't know what's going on, and he hopes he can hide it. He wants to walk in and hug Jared, to run his hands through that hair, to grab onto him and squeeze until his arms are numb — all the things he couldn’t do at the hospital.


***


“Hello, Mrs. Padalecki, Megan. It’s nice to see you both again,” Jensen says after they open the door for him.

“Hello, Mr. Ackles. Thanks for coming to get Jared.”

"No problem, ma'am. We're all just happy Jared's okay."

When Jared walks into the living room wearing track pants and a t-shirt, looking a little pale and a little thinner, but still really really good, it’s nearly impossible for Jensen to be casual. He has to bite his lip to sound calm. "You ready?"

"Honey, I don't know if you need to go out —"

"Mom.” Jared kisses her on the cheek. “I'm not driving," he says, walking out the front door.

"Thank you, again.” Mrs. Padalecki touches Jensen on the arm. “He's been going stir crazy, and he's obsessed with getting these papers graded."

“Yes, he’s one of our most dedicated teachers.”

"And how are you feeling?"

"I'm great. Going back to work tomorrow."

Once they’re finally in the car, Jared leans his head back against the seat. "The hovering. The fretting. The constant questions. Oh god. I appreciate that they care about me, but I can't take it anymore."

“My family was the same way. But the good news is, they just left.” Jensen moves his hand over, placing it on Jared’s knee. "I wish you could have stayed with me."

Jared squeezes Jensen’s fingers. "Me too."


***


Jensen doesn’t even have the door closed before Jared’s got a hand on the back of his neck, rubbing up and down.

Jensen looks up, surprised at the expression on Jared’s face. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Yes. I need it."

"You need some of my medicine?"

Jared laughs. "I'll swallow it right down."

"Mmm. We should take it easy though."

"The doctor said no driving. He didn't say anything about sex."

Jared tastes like always, like red jellybeans and sugar, and Jensen’s in heaven. He knows that’s a really stupid thought, but it’s true. He can’t believe how lucky he is to have Jared back.

He gets Jared lying down on the couch, and he can feel Jared’s erection through the track pants. He rubs his hand over it, outlining the bulge in the fabric. “Damn, you feel good.”

Jared throws his head back and moans, arching up into Jensen’s touch. “Don’t stop.”

“You have no idea how much I missed this,” Jensen says.

“Yeah, I do. Because I missed it more.” Jared’s hands are on his head, rubbing through the short hairs at the back of his neck. “You smell so good. I thought about the way you smell all day yesterday.”

“And what do I smell like?”

“I can’t put a name to it. I think of it, and my brain shuts down — it just thinks ‘want, want, want,’ over and over again.”

Jensen’s flattered. “I can handle that,” he says pulling away when Jared winces. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just the broken ribs. I fell out of the window sideways.” He laughs. “Kinda klutzy.”

“I knew we shouldn’t be doing this so soon. And you are not klutzy.”

“We aren’t stopping. I wouldn’t care if I broke several more bones, I want you.”

Jensen can’t answer, because Jared’s just shoved one hand down the front of his pants, and one hand down the back. “Okay, point taken.” Jensen slides down onto the floor, letting his knees rest on the carpet so there’s no weight on Jared’s ribs. He works on Jared’s shirt first, inching it up as he kisses all over the wrapping. He licks up the side of Jared’s neck, swirling his tongue over it, his cock getting harder at the sounds that Jared’s making.

“Holy shit,” Jared says, writhing, grasping at Jensen’s arms.

“Shhh.” Jensen scoots lower, going for Jared’s pants. The elastic of the track pants slip easily over Jared’s hips, and Jensen pulls them down, not bothering to get them all the way off. “No underwear?” Jensen kisses the spot right under Jared’s bellybutton. “I approve.”

“I knew I’d be trying to seduce you.”

“I always said you were smart.”

Jared laughs, still rubbing his fingers all over Jensen’s hair. It feels great, like a massage, and Jensen’s head is tingling. He holds Jared’s hips in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over the tan skin while he kisses all over Jared’s erection. Jared’s hands fall away from Jensen’s head, and he sneaks a glance up at Jared, who’s got his eyes closed and his mouth open, hands grabbing at the fabric of the couch.

Jensen takes that as a good sign, and keeps going, opening his mouth over Jared’s cock, taking as much of it in as he can.

He can tell Jared’s not going to last long: he’s already arching his back and moaning, so Jensen increases the pressure with his tongue and moves his head up and down until Jared tenses, his whole body rigid as he comes.

Jared sinks back down into the couch, limp, and Jensen shoves his hand into his own pants, only stroking twice before he’s done.


***


"I don't want this to be casual anymore," Jensen says, resting his head on Jared’s thigh. Maybe he should give Jared a few more minutes to recover from his orgasm, but Jensen can’t wait any longer to say this.

Jared’s been rubbing little circles on the back of Jensen’s neck, but he stops. "What do you mean?"

"God, Jared, I didn't even want you in that building. But seeing you do that, for the kids, for our school, risking your life, risking getting burned or killed... I already knew you were a good person, but that highlighted what an idiot I've been. Anyone can run Wakefield High.” Jensen pauses. He’s going on and on, and he knows, it, but Jared deserves to hear everything that he’s been thinking, even if it does make Jensen sound really lame and mushy.

He keeps his face pressed against Jared’s bare leg. “But not anyone can have you, or at least I hope not, starting now. I can get a job somewhere else, and then we won't have to be so careful."

"Wow." Jared lets his hand rest on Jensen’s shoulder, but he doesn’t say anything else.

"I know it's a lot to think about. I've been all over you for months about us hiding this, keeping it secret, and that's still fine if you want to, but I want us to know that it's more serious than that, even if we don't tell the rest of the world."

Jared pulls his hand away, shifting under him, trying to pull up his pants. “I don’t know what to say.”

Jensen takes the shifting as a bad sign. If Jared doesn’t want to be naked around him now, that means he probably fucked this up. "You don’t have to say anything,” he says, finally turning to face Jared. He helps him tug his track pants up, adjusting them around his waist. “Just think about it. I want to be with you."

"You’re serious? Really serious, and this isn’t just some reaction to the fire that’s going to fade in a few weeks? Because if it is, I’d rather just keep doing this,” Jared moves his hand in between the two of them, “until one of us is ready to move on.”

“I’m not going to be ready to move on, Jared. Not now, not in a few weeks," Jensen says. “My dad’s been getting treatments for almost year, and he’s getting better, so I’m willing to move, as long as it’s within driving distance.” Jensen takes a deep breath. “I know it’s not fair for me to expect that you’d even want to after what a dick I’ve been, putting you off, and — ”

“Shhh.” Jared smiles a little. “Now look who’s rambling.”

Jensen can feel his cheeks warm up. “I really am sorry.”

“Relax. Calm down, and give me a minute.”

“Do you want me to go and leave you alone? Or take you back home?”

“No. I’d rather be dropped into Laredo with no water.” Jared gives him another tiny grin. “I don’t want to be away from you. I’m surprised. I understand why you backed off, back when Marisa saw us together, but it still sucked. So I guess I want to know that’s not going to happen every time someone sees us, even if it’s innocent.”

“I can’t promise that I’ll never freak out again. But I can promise you that I’m determined for us to be together, if that’s what you want, and that I won’t let a job or the threat of a small-town scandal control how I act or feel.”

“I think I can live with that.” Jared smiles and puts his hand back on Jensen’s head, running his fingers through his hair again.


***


By Wednesday, Jared’s back at work, even though he can’t stand up for long periods without his ribs starting to ache. He let Jensen take him back home after their talk, and because Jared’s mother stayed in town until last night, they haven’t gotten to spend any more time together.

Jensen had gone back to work two days earlier, and Jared knew he’d been exhausted from dealing with all the chaos following the fire, so he’d been trying to give Jensen some space and not cling to him, even though that’s what Jared wanted to do.

When Jensen walks into his classroom, glancing around to make sure no one else is present, he smiles, a smile that’s just for Jared.

"So. Since you were so good natured about Six Flags, does that mean I can count on you for prom duty?"

"Prom?" Jared's face twists. "I nearly die in a terrible fire, caused by your school, and you want me to brave a dangerous social function? You must be joking."

"Surely if you can handle a Greyhound full of teenagers and a weekend away, you can handle one little party." Jensen crosses his arms. “Not to mention that I nearly died on that hideous Superman ride.”

"I don't know. There's not much comparison between roller coasters and bad punch."

"I don't have enough people," Jensen pleads.

"Oh god. I'm going to say yes, aren't I?"

"I hope so." Jensen beams.

"Damn you and your pathetic prom." Jared straightens in his chair. “Will you be wearing the pirate outfit again?” he asks, just barely ducking in time when Jensen takes a swipe at his head.


***


Jensen snakes an arm around Jared’s waist from behind. "Do you have a tux for your big night out?"

"A tux? I'm a chaperone."

"The female teachers are wearing dresses."

"You're fucking with me."

"Yeah, but you do need to wear a suit, at least. No jeans and t-shirts, no matter how good you look in them."

"You're lucky I'm going at all," Jared grumbles.

"Aww. You're so mistreated." Jensen pats his back and smiles to himself, thinking about the phone call he’d gotten earlier that day from one of the Austin school districts.


***


They drive separately to the prom, and Jensen’s already standing in the entrance when Jared arrives. "What do I need to do at this sophisticated function?" Jared asks, cringing at the papier-mâché Eiffel Tower where students are already lining up to get their pictures taken.

"Watch the kids as they leave. Make sure none of them smell like alcohol. I've got Danneel on punch patrol, so hopefully that won’t be an issue. I'm not worried about them dancing too close, but nothing horribly obscene, or the parents will have me skinned alive."

"Like they don't all have hotel rooms for afterward." Jared rolls his eyes. "That their parents paid for," he adds.

"Yep, but the parents will think no one else knows about that. Here, everyone can see their child gyrating, and report on the sluttiness and general depravity of said child on Sunday morning at church."

“I love this town,” Jared says, snapping a photo of the tropical hut that covers the punch area. “This looks worse than my senior prom. Does everyone do the “around the world” theme? We did that. I think my parents did that.”

“Yeah. It’s a classic. And each class thinks they’re the only ones who’ve thought of it.” Jensen lowers his voice and leans closer. "You look great, by the way."

"Yeah?” Jared puffs his chest up. “You like the tie?"

"I like the whole thing. Makes me wanna leave right now and rip it off of you."

"I could be persuaded."

"As much as I'd like to, we aren't leaving until this place is clean and every student is gone."

"Hey now, I didn't sign up for any cleaning."

Jensen smiles suggestively. "I'll make it worth your while, I promise."

"In that case, where's the mop?" Jared asks, leering right back at Jensen.


***

Once the last student is gone, Jared leans back against one of the tables. “I feel like I’ve spent my life at school functions.”

“You have,” Jensen says. “Just imagine how you’ll feel when you’re eighty.”

Jared tosses an empty cup at his head. “Yep. All these years… hundreds and hundreds of nights spent with sticky punch and rowdy teenagers.”

“You know, I still haven’t fucked you,” Jensen says.

Jared grabs onto the edge of the punch table. “Shit. Don’t say something like that without warning me. I could have broken all these little cup things.”

“They’re punch flutes.”

“Whatever.”

“And I have something to tell you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Spill it then.”

“I’ve got an interview,” Jensen says, suddenly nervous. Austin’s close enough that they’ll still be within driving distance of both Wakefield and San Antonio, and Jensen hopes that Jared isn’t offended that Jensen hasn’t discussed something this significant with him. But Jensen wanted to surprise him, and show Jared how dedicated he is to making this work. “In Austin. At Eanes Independent School District.”

“Yeah?” It seems to take Jared a minute to catch on. “You’re serious?”

“Wakefield was never going to be permanent.” Jensen clears his throat. “And since you haven’t signed your contract here yet, for next year…” This is harder than Jensen expected, because Jared’s just standing there, not saying anything. Jensen keeps talking, determined. “There are ten districts in Austin, and several of them need English teachers, so we could work in separate districts. If you’re interested.”

“I can’t believe you have an interview.”

Jared doesn’t sound angry, to Jensen’s relief, just shocked. “I wanted to surprise you. And make up for being such a loser all year.”

“Wow.”

“Is that a good wow?”

Jared gives him a blinding grin. “Of course it is, you idiot. Assuming I can get a job there, it’s perfect.”

Jensen whacks him on the arm. “You’ll get a job. Didn’t you tell me once that you’d always gotten every job you interviewed for?”

“Yep,” Jared shrugs, holding his hands up. “Just part of my irresistible charm.” Jared sobers and stares right at Jensen. “You’re really serious about this.”

It’s not a question, exactly, but Jensen knows the answer. “One hundred percent.”

“God, I love you,” Jared says, and then he freezes, looking like he wishes he hadn’t said it yet.

Jensen doesn’t blame him: no one wants to be the only one who says those three words. But Jared doesn’t have to worry about that, not anymore. “I love you too,” Jensen says, smacking him on the ass. “Now get back to work, there’s a papier-mâché tower with your name on it.”


-end-