nineteen (jared)
Nov. 21st, 2010 12:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smackenzieA few days after his long afternoon with Jensen and the motorcycle, Jared came down with a cold. He didn’t feel 100% in the morning but went to work anyway because there was no reason not to, but by the afternoon he was flagging, and apparently looked bad enough that Jim sent him home. He lay on the couch for a while and then took some cold drugs and put himself to bed.
The next day he felt worse, so he called the garage when he woke up, and then went back to sleep. Jeff came by to get the dogs, not knowing Jared was home, but Jared didn’t mind because it meant he didn’t have to get dressed and more importantly, didn’t have to leave the house. But he did take it as a sign that he should maybe get out of bed.
He took a shower while Jeff walked the dogs, and by the time Jeff brought them back Jared was clean and dressed in a different t-shirt and shorts, and he’d had some toast and didn’t feel quite as terrible as before, but still not that good.
Jeff did not come that far into the house, understandably.
And Jared was asleep (with the TV on) when someone knocked on the door.
“Go away,” Jared mumbled, rolling off the couch so he could get the door. “I’m sick and contagious and I’ll just sneeze on you.” He opened the door. Jensen stood on the front step, holding a carton of orange juice. “Jensen. Um. What are you doing here?”
“I called the garage and they told me you were home sick,” Jensen said. “So I thought I’d bring you some juice.” He held up the carton.
“Thank you?”
“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.”
“I’m not really good company,” Jared said. He didn’t want Jensen to leave, now that he was here, but he also didn’t want Jensen to expect much from him. And he didn’t want Jensen to get sick. “I mean, I was just sleeping.”
“I can go, it’s ok. I know I should’ve called.”
“No, you’re here, come in.” Jared stepped back so Jensen could come inside. “Thanks for the orange juice. Just put it in the fridge.”
“It works for me when I’m sick,” Jensen called, walking through the house to the kitchen. Sadie got up and followed him. “Hi, Sadie. Are you taking care of Jared?”
“She tried to lick my face when I was trying to sleep.” Jared sneezed. “I’m really sorry, Jensen, I don’t think I can hold a conversation. You can stay, I mean it’s not like I want you to leave, but just, I don’t know, watch TV or something.”
“I’ll hang out in case you need anything.” Jensen sat down at one end of the couch. “Here. Lie down. You can use me as a pillow.”
Jared blinked. “I don’t – “
“Jared. It’s ok. You won’t get me sick.”
So Jared lay down on the couch, which was a hair too short for him even when there wasn’t someone already sitting on it, and put his head on Jensen’s thigh. Jensen idly brushed his hand over Jared’s hair. It was oddly comforting, actually, and weirdly intimate.
Jared could hear Jensen talking to him, or maybe to the dogs – “If I’m keeping you up, just let me know,” Jensen said, to which Jared answered “No, it’s nice.” He tried to contribute to the conversation, although all he really managed was the occasional encouraging noise to let Jensen know he was listening. They watched TV and Jensen talked to him, and then he fell asleep.
When Jared woke up again, it was to Jensen shaking him gently.
“How long was I out?” Jared asked, his voice thick and fuzzy. He tried to cough the phlegm out of his throat.
“A couple hours.”
“Man, I’m sorry. You were talking to me.”
“You did warn me.” Jared twisted around so he could look up, and Jensen was smiling affectionately at him. He brushed Jared’s hair back from his face. “I have to go. Jason can’t make it to band practice and Chris wants me to fill in. I guess they need both guitars, and I know most of the songs.”
“Ok. Thanks for coming over. Can you let the dogs out before you go? Just open the back door, let them do their thing, and call them back in. Please.”
“No problem. Just sit up a sec so I can get out.” Jared tried to sit up, at least so Jensen could get out from underneath him. He watched Jensen go back into the kitchen, calling to the dogs to follow, and Jared couldn’t see but he could tell when Jensen opened the back door and Harley and Sadie went outside. The TV was still on. He closed his eyes again.
He heard Jensen come back in, probably because the dogs came with him, and then he felt Jensen’s lips on his skin. Jensen kissed him on the forehead, like his mother used to do, and Jared felt his heart swell with illness-heightened love. He felt Jensen’s hand on his head and opened his eyes.
“Take care of yourself,” Jensen said softly. “Sleep a lot.”
“’Kay. Thanks.” Jared smiled tiredly.
He wasn’t sure, but he thought Jensen’s hand lingered on his head, and then Jensen said goodbye to the dogs and let himself out. And Jared went back to sleep, feeling like someone cared about him, because someone clearly did.
words: 920
total words: 35,103
The next day he felt worse, so he called the garage when he woke up, and then went back to sleep. Jeff came by to get the dogs, not knowing Jared was home, but Jared didn’t mind because it meant he didn’t have to get dressed and more importantly, didn’t have to leave the house. But he did take it as a sign that he should maybe get out of bed.
He took a shower while Jeff walked the dogs, and by the time Jeff brought them back Jared was clean and dressed in a different t-shirt and shorts, and he’d had some toast and didn’t feel quite as terrible as before, but still not that good.
Jeff did not come that far into the house, understandably.
And Jared was asleep (with the TV on) when someone knocked on the door.
“Go away,” Jared mumbled, rolling off the couch so he could get the door. “I’m sick and contagious and I’ll just sneeze on you.” He opened the door. Jensen stood on the front step, holding a carton of orange juice. “Jensen. Um. What are you doing here?”
“I called the garage and they told me you were home sick,” Jensen said. “So I thought I’d bring you some juice.” He held up the carton.
“Thank you?”
“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.”
“I’m not really good company,” Jared said. He didn’t want Jensen to leave, now that he was here, but he also didn’t want Jensen to expect much from him. And he didn’t want Jensen to get sick. “I mean, I was just sleeping.”
“I can go, it’s ok. I know I should’ve called.”
“No, you’re here, come in.” Jared stepped back so Jensen could come inside. “Thanks for the orange juice. Just put it in the fridge.”
“It works for me when I’m sick,” Jensen called, walking through the house to the kitchen. Sadie got up and followed him. “Hi, Sadie. Are you taking care of Jared?”
“She tried to lick my face when I was trying to sleep.” Jared sneezed. “I’m really sorry, Jensen, I don’t think I can hold a conversation. You can stay, I mean it’s not like I want you to leave, but just, I don’t know, watch TV or something.”
“I’ll hang out in case you need anything.” Jensen sat down at one end of the couch. “Here. Lie down. You can use me as a pillow.”
Jared blinked. “I don’t – “
“Jared. It’s ok. You won’t get me sick.”
So Jared lay down on the couch, which was a hair too short for him even when there wasn’t someone already sitting on it, and put his head on Jensen’s thigh. Jensen idly brushed his hand over Jared’s hair. It was oddly comforting, actually, and weirdly intimate.
Jared could hear Jensen talking to him, or maybe to the dogs – “If I’m keeping you up, just let me know,” Jensen said, to which Jared answered “No, it’s nice.” He tried to contribute to the conversation, although all he really managed was the occasional encouraging noise to let Jensen know he was listening. They watched TV and Jensen talked to him, and then he fell asleep.
When Jared woke up again, it was to Jensen shaking him gently.
“How long was I out?” Jared asked, his voice thick and fuzzy. He tried to cough the phlegm out of his throat.
“A couple hours.”
“Man, I’m sorry. You were talking to me.”
“You did warn me.” Jared twisted around so he could look up, and Jensen was smiling affectionately at him. He brushed Jared’s hair back from his face. “I have to go. Jason can’t make it to band practice and Chris wants me to fill in. I guess they need both guitars, and I know most of the songs.”
“Ok. Thanks for coming over. Can you let the dogs out before you go? Just open the back door, let them do their thing, and call them back in. Please.”
“No problem. Just sit up a sec so I can get out.” Jared tried to sit up, at least so Jensen could get out from underneath him. He watched Jensen go back into the kitchen, calling to the dogs to follow, and Jared couldn’t see but he could tell when Jensen opened the back door and Harley and Sadie went outside. The TV was still on. He closed his eyes again.
He heard Jensen come back in, probably because the dogs came with him, and then he felt Jensen’s lips on his skin. Jensen kissed him on the forehead, like his mother used to do, and Jared felt his heart swell with illness-heightened love. He felt Jensen’s hand on his head and opened his eyes.
“Take care of yourself,” Jensen said softly. “Sleep a lot.”
“’Kay. Thanks.” Jared smiled tiredly.
He wasn’t sure, but he thought Jensen’s hand lingered on his head, and then Jensen said goodbye to the dogs and let himself out. And Jared went back to sleep, feeling like someone cared about him, because someone clearly did.
words: 920
total words: 35,103
