saone | J2 AU Fic: Where the Love Light Gleams (PG)

Title: Where the Love Light Gleams
Author:

saone77
Summary: AU. Jensen knows he's slightly (or mostly) Grinch-ish. When his family members make other plans for Christmas, he's more than okay with a peaceful and relaxing holiday alone. However, Jared - neighbor, BFF, and object of Jensen's unrequited affections for two years running - thinks that's a horrible idea, and he becomes tenaciously committed to making sure Jensen's in good company on Christmas. Luckily for Jensen, Jared's motive is less than altruistic.
Characters: J2 and various CW/Leverage folks.
Rating: PG
Warnings: An ending sappier than a Christmas tree
Word Count: 5216
Disclaimer: This is indulgent, cracktastic fiction.
Notes: Written for

unplugged32 for the

spn_j2_xmas exchange. I tried to combine parts from a couple different prompts, sprinkled in some angst, and then topped it off with a big helping of happy ending. Hope you like it. :D Big thanks go to

dracodion,

wirrrn, and

cappy712 for the look throughs and betaing.

Even taking into account all of his anti-social and misanthropic tendencies, Jensen is not, by nature, a violent person. Anyone who has to deal with him on a regular to semi-regular basis knows that his bark is far worse than his bite. Still, even his best of workplace buddies are keeping their distance this morning because Jensen knows damn well the look he has on his face right now is downright scary.

At least since everyone is worrying about their own skin, no one has bothered to tease him about the card he received in the morning's mail. The musical card. The musical card which, when opened, loudly and clearly played his neighbor's less than dulcet voice singing an ear-bleedingly bad rendition of I'll Be Home For Christmas.

It was horrific; Jensen thinks he might be traumatized. But not as traumatized as Jared's going to be once Jensen gets through with him, because regardless of how cute, and hot, and built, and mind-numbingly yes, please he might be, butchering a Christmas carol in Jensen's office, even through electronic means, is so not on.

Jensen's in the middle of planning out a suitable revenge that wouldn't mar the perfection of Jared's face or body when he hears three rapid knocks against one of his cubicle walls. He looks up to see Tom peering around the partition.

"I come in peace," Tom says, making a gesture with his left hand.

Mike appears behind Tom and smacks him upside the head. "That's the 'live long and prosper' sign, you moron; the peace sign only uses two fingers."

Tom looks askance at his own hand. "Huh. Who knew?"

Mike shakes his head and shoves Tom out of the way so he can come into Jensen's space. "So," he says as he perches on the outer edge of Jensen's desk, "how're you doing? What's going on? Who pissed in your Quaker Oats?"

Jensen crosses his arms over his chest, sinks down into his chair, and glares.

"Ooooh," Mike says. "Hold me, Tom, I'm scared!"

Tom comes in, puts Mike in a headlock and propels him back into the corridor. "Look" Tom says, turning back to Jensen, "I don't care about your issues; I just want you to stop frightening the interns."

Jensen snorts. "It's not my fault our unpaid lackeys have the constitutions of anxiety ridden rabbits."

"Wow," Tom says, "you are in rare form today. Okay, I lied; I totally care about your issues. What the hell is going on, man?"

Jensen rolls his eyes. "Nothing."

The gaze Tom levels at him is stern and oddly paternal. It makes Jensen's skin itch. "Jensen," Tom says solemnly, "are you going to make me get out the HR Conflict Resolution Handbook?"

Jensen feels the blood drain from his face. He knows that's not an idle threat - Tom's a master at using the more boring aspects of office life to bring misery upon his co-workers. "Fine," Jensen says quickly, "just not now, not here."

"Why?"

Jensen puts a finger to his lips then gingerly gets up from his chair and walks the few steps to the back wall of his cubicle where he punches the mid-section of the temporary wall with as much force as he can. A muffled "Ow!" can be heard from the other side, followed by "Not cool, Ackles!"

Jensen smirks.

"Point taken," Tom says. "Kane's after work?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Awesome. Now," Tom says, rubbing his hands together and raising his voice, "I think I need to have a little chat with Erica about listening in on other people's conversations. Let me get my handbook."

From the other side of his wall Jensen can just barely hear a low, pitiful moan. He smiles.

_____________

A few hours and a couple of beers later Jensen's still not exactly happy, but he also can't quite find it in himself to work up any real level of indignation. At most, he's mildly exasperated and oddly open to sharing his woes. "It's just, being alone for Christmas isn't that big of a deal, you know? I mean, my family's holidays have always been more Griswold than Walton."

"That explains so much," Tom mutters.

"Okay, wait, wait, wait," Mike says. He started off the evening with shots and has been having a little trouble keeping up. "So you're not going home for Christmas because your parents are going to Iceland-"

"Ireland," Jensen says.

"Whatever. And your brother and sister are spending it in the Outback-"

"No, they're spending it with their in-laws. What the hell was in those shots?"

"And you're upside because you're not upside." Mike blinks a few times. "Wait, that doesn't sound right."

Tom pats Mike on the back. "He's upset because Jared wants to take Jensen home with him for the holidays, and he's not taking no for an answer."

"Jared?" Mike perks up. "You mean hot-godlike-neighbor-guy crush, Jared?"

Jensen groans and curses last year's office holiday party and the loosening of his lips caused by Allison's 100 proof rum cake. "And those kind of statements are why I never invite you guys over to my place. But, God, yeah. Christmas is his favorite holiday, and the thought that I might be spending it alone is like morally offensive to him or something."

"Okay," Mike says, "maybe Kane's moonshine has killed off more brain cells then I had planned on-"

"You willingly drank his home-brew?!" Jensen hisses. "Jesus Christ, Mike!"

Tom picks up Mike's last shot glass, takes a sniff, and gags.

"May I continue?" Mike asks with far more decorum than a man whose eyes are involuntarily crossing should have. "As I was going to say, I don't understand why this is a bad thing. You've been crushing on this guy for over a year-"

"Two," Jensen says glumly. "Since I moved in."

"So, let him take you home for Christmas! Dude," Mike says, leaning over the table and nearly knocking Jensen out with his breath, "this scenario is what crappy Hallmark movies are made of. He'll take you home; through family, and mistletoe, and shit you'll discover the true meaning of the season; your heart will grow three sizes, and then you'll fall in love." Mike sits back in his chair. "Problem solved. Case closed. Big, gay wedding shortly to follow."

There's a solid thunk as Jensen lets his head fall to the tabletop.

"Uh," Tom says, sounding uncomfortable, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but what Mike just said makes sense. In an odd, booze-soaked way."

Jensen lifts his head up just far enough to give Tom a stink-eye.

"What?" Tom holds out his hands. "You're in love with the guy, and he obviously likes you and all your... um, eccentricities enough to want to take you to his parent's house, for God's sake. What's the prob... Oh." Tom's face falls. "Oh, jeeze, man, is he straight?"

"He's bi," Jensen says.

"Hey, you've got a fifty/fifty shot," Mike says. "And since you're prettier than a lot of girls that probably tips the odds in your favor, right?"

Tom grimaces. "Ugh. No more talking for you."

"The problem," Jensen says, "is that in the past two years I have seen the kind of people that Jared brings home, and I'm not exactly his type. Without fail, guy or girl, they've all had dark hair-"

"Dye," Tom says.

"-They're all petite-"

"Slouch," Mike says."

"-And they all seem really, really perky."

Both Mike and Tom let their eyes wander over everything except Jensen.

"Exactly," Jensen says. "Jared offered to take me home for Christmas because he's a nice guy - an amazing guy. But if I make that trip with him - being in close quarters and seeing him be all awesome with his family - it's just going to make everything I feel ten times stronger, and I don't want to do that to myself." He punctuates his statement by staring morosely at his nearly empty beer bottle.

"Well, shit," Tom says on an exhale. "Would it make you feel better if I said you could keep scaring the interns all you want?"

Jensen thinks about the type of person Jared seems to be drawn to and their sweet, sunny, fucking stupid dispositions. "Yes," he says. "Yes, it would."

_____________

Jensen ends up staying at the bar until his buzz wears off. He even helps Aldis and Gina mix drinks when the crowd gets a little big and unruly - he can be a totally nice person. He also shares his sob story with a few other people, and isn't surprised when, after describing Jared's type, everyone goes quite and refuses to make eye contact. However, he is surprised, pleasantly so, when he receives a number of invitations for Christmas dinner. He's touched, and a little humble, and that's when Chris kicks him out. Evidently Jensen's 'humble' looks a lot like other people's 'maudlin', and Chris claims he's pulling down the collective mood of the bar.

The jackass redeems himself though when, after walking Jensen out to his truck, he says, "Just so you know, there's always an empty seat at my table for you, Jen." He then smacks Jensen on the shoulder, hard, calls him a sad fucker, and rushes back inside before Jensen can even formulate a response.

Jensen totally blames the sudden moisture in his eyes on the biting December wind.

When Jensen gets home it's late, but the light's on in his living room. Jensen rests his head against his steering wheel and, for a moment, wishes he had never given Jared his 'just in case' spare key. Then, knowing that there's no point prolonging the inevitable, Jensen goes inside to face the music. The off-key, horrible, Christmas music.

Jared's waiting for him when he opens the door, and from the half-eaten snacks on the coffee table and the Jared-shaped impression in the pillows of his sofa, Jensen thinks that he's probably been here a while.

"Hey," Jared says nervously, "you're home late."

Jensen feels one of his eyebrows arch as a whole litany of smart-assed and sarcastic comments dance through his head. He swallows back a 'no shit' and instead says, "Yeah, I went over to Christian's after work." He shrugs off his coat and is a bit surprised when Jared takes it and hangs it up for him. "I ended up helping out behind the bar," Jensen adds, something compelling him to make sure Jared knows he didn't spend the whole evening drinking.

"Dude, you should have called," Jared says. "I haven't been to Kane's in while; I totally would have come over. Especially if you were bartending."

"Uh..."

"Unless the reason you didn't call and stayed there so long was because you were afraid you might rip me a new one over that nasty surprise you probably opened this morning." Jared winces. "Um, would it help my case if I told you that as soon as I mailed that card I realized what a horrible mistake I was making and seriously thought about trying to bust into the mailbox to get it back?"

Jensen tries hard to not be charmed by the blush stealing over Jared's cheeks, or the way he rubs the back of his neck and smiles sheepishly. He really, really tries. "Yes," he says reluctantly. "Though I am glad you didn't follow through and get arrested or tased by an overzealous postal employee. Still, you couldn't have warned a guy that something like that was coming?"

Jared shrugs. "I knew you were going to get mad at me either way, and I figured it would be better for my health if that happened when I was far, far away from your actual person." Jared brightens. "Hey, have you eaten yet?"

"Well-"

"Something other than bar food?" Jared waits until Jensen shakes his head, then he says, "C'mon, I'll make you a sandwich."

Jensen deposits his keys and wallet on the table by the door then helplessly follows Jared into the kitchen. He takes a seat at the table and watches Jared putter around with a familiarity that starts an ache in Jensen's chest. Jared seems perfectly at home and Jensen wonders, not for the first time, if maybe this crush he has might go away if he just spent less time around Jared. Jensen imagines his life with less Jared in it then promptly decides that that idea is stupid and living in constant, love-sick misery isn't all bad.

Jared sets a plate down in front of him and Jensen doesn't even have to look to know the ham and Swiss on rye is made just the way he likes it. Jared's kind of awesome like that. He takes a big bite and can't help but make happy noises while he chews. Jared looks very pleased with himself and fetches Jensen some sweet tea to wash down his food.

"So," Jared says, after setting the glass down on the table, "I don't suppose my heavy-handed and ill-considered attempt to change your mind worked?"

Jensen sighs. "Jared-"

"Come on, Jen!" Jared says, coming dangerously close to a whine. "I know you said you'll be fine, but I really don't like the idea of you being here all alone. Besides, my family's dying to meet you. My mom won't shut up about 'will Jensen like this' and 'will Jensen like that'. You have to come."

"You told your parents about me?" Jensen's mildly horrified, yet also just a smidge pleased.

"Dude, of course," Jared says, "you're my best friend. Why do you seem so surprised? Have you... Uh, have you not told your parents about me?" Jared tenses up and looks a bit unsure.

"No, I have," Jensen says, although most of his familial conversations about Jared involve him pining hopelessly while his mother makes the odd noise of support before telling him to 'man up and ask the boy out already'. Jensen long ago decided that not only must Jared never meet his officemates; he must also never meet his parents. "I don't know, I guess I just don't think of myself as having a place in a phone call home."

Jared shakes his head and gives him a look that Jensen had long ago interpreted to mean 'why is Jensen being so stupid?' "You know," he says, "for such a normally confident guy, you don't always have that great of an opinion about yourself."

Jensen snorts. "That's because I know me too well," he says. "And because I do know myself so well, I know that I'm not the easiest guy to get along with-"

"You don't say?"

"Shut it, Padalecki. I'm trying to tell you why I'm still not gonna take you up on your offer." Jensen internally cringes at the forlorn expression that comes over Jared's face. "Dude, I know that your family is probably just as awesome as you are, but, if you recall, it took you a while to warm up to me after we first met."

"You were kind of dick," Jared says almost fondly.

"I still am a dick," Jensen says, "you've just gotten used to me. But your family hasn't; and I don't want to ruin their holiday with my inherent meness."

Jared shakes his head again. "It's not like you're Ebeneezer Scrooge, man, you're just kind of... grumpy, that's all." He grins. "You're a lot more adorable than you think; trust me."

Jensen scowls. "I am not adorable."

"Yes you are," Jared says. "Like a little grouchy, grumbly puppy."

"That's it," Jensen says, collecting his empty plate and glass and taking them to the sink, "get out."

Jared laughs, then grows serious, and Jensen can just see another argument being formulated behind his eyes. Deciding to head him off at the pass, Jensen says, "Look, I know you've said over and over that you don't want me to be alone, and I won't be."

Jared starts a bit. "You won't?"

"Nope," Jensen says. "I received a bunch of Christmas invitations from people at the bar tonight. I'll have you know, I am very much in demand." He smirks.

"Yeah, I bet," Jared mutters. He looks oddly disgruntled, and when he speaks again his voice has an unusual snarky tone to it. "A bunch, huh? Are you going to pick just one, or take them all on and have a really merry holiday?"

Jensen blinks a few times. "Uh, actually I was leaning towards Aldis. He said he's gonna make his nanna's Bourbon Sweet Potato Praline Casserole." Jensen licks his lips. He had had that dish at a potluck Thanksgiving a few years back and has been trying to wrestle the recipe out of Aldis ever since.

"Oh! You mean you were invited to... Oh." Jared's lips twist up into a small smile. "Oh," he says again. "Okay, then."

"Okay?" Jensen says. "So you're satisfied that I won't be wasting away without you, and you'll stop harping on me to crash your family's Christmas?"

Jared bites his bottom lip for a moment, and then says, "Yes. No more harping. I promise."

Jensen's relieved, but some reason he has an overwhelming urge to check for crossed fingers.

____________

The time leading up to Christmas passes quickly and, true to his word, Jared doesn't mention taking Jensen home to San Antonio again. Jensen is relieved, yet he can't help missing the extra attention he had been getting. Oh, they still hang out or at least chat every day, but for a while there Jensen seemed to be the center of Jared's world, and that was a heady feeling indeed.

Roughly a week before the big day Jensen and Jared arrive home at the same time. Jensen's barely out of his car and trying to remember if there are any games on tonight that he could use as an invitation excuse when he notices Jared struggling under the weight of at least a dozen large plastic shopping bags. He's got them hanging off both forearms and, as Jensen rushes over to help, he swears he can see the big guy teetering backwards.

"Jesus, man," Jensen says, putting a steadying hand on Jared's back. "What the hell? Would a second trip out to the car kill you, because trying to do this all in one go might."

"I already have to make a second trip," Jared says with a huff, causing Jensen to look in the back of his SUV and see that, yes, there are still a heck of a lot of bags in there.

"Gimmie some of those," Jensen says, already relieving Jared of some of his burden. "Did you buy out a store?" He peers into one of the bags and sees tinsel and fake greenery. "A Christmas store?"

"Thanks," Jared says, repositioning the bags he's still carrying. He starts to walk up the path to his house. "And, no, smartass, I didn't buy out a store. There was plenty still there when I left, trust me."

Jensen follows him. "Okay." He's dying to ask what all this stuff is for, but he restrains himself.

Jared unlocks his door, then moves into the living room and unceremoniously drops all his bags onto the couch. He gestures at Jensen to do the same. "Do you know," he says, "I've lived in this house for almost four years and I never decorated it for Christmas? I love Christmas decorations, but I just figured why bother since I go home every year."

Jensen gets it; he has zero Christmas decorations too. Although, with his situation this year, he has been thinking of maybe picking up a little pre-lit fake tree or something equally festive and non-complicated. But he's staying here for the holiday, and Jared isn't, so this shopping spree isn't making a lot of sense.

"Not to rain on your holiday fest here," Jensen says, "but, dude, you're gonna be leaving in a couple days; are you sure you want to bother putting all this stuff up just to have to take it down when you get back?"

Jared looks suspiciously squirrely and a warning bell starts to ring in Jensen's head.

"Jared," he says slowly, "why did you buy a shit load of holiday stuff when you're going to be leaving in a few days?"

"What, a guy can't be festive?"

"Jared?"

"I'll have you know I love the smell of fake pine."

"Jared?"

"I'm not going home this year," Jared says, dropping it like it's no big deal. "You gonna help me get the rest of the stuff in?"

Jensen feels his left eye twitch. Without saying one word he spins on his heel and stalks out of Jared's house and across the yard to his own property. He can hear Jared calling his name, but he's far too angry to respond right now, and he's honestly frightened about what he might say.

He manages to get his door open, get inside, then slams and locks it before Jared makes it onto his porch. The doorknob rattles, and a few seconds later there's the sound of a key scraping the lock. Jensen is so getting that spare back.

Jared is in such a rush that, when the door gives, he almost falls into the house. He seems surprised to find Jensen standing there waiting for him. "What the hell, man?" Jared asks. "What's your problem?"

"My problem?" Jensen snorts. "My problem right now is you!" Jensen feels horrible at the wounded look that's just come over Jared's face, but he also can't help the vicious, little thrill that runs through him. "This is way worse than the card, Jared. Way worse."

Jared's brow furrows. "I don't-"

"Are you or are you not trying to guilt trip me into going home with you?" Jensen asks, point blank.

"Of course not! I wouldn't do that," Jared says with vehemence, but there's the tiniest hint of shame in his face that Jensen, connoisseur of all things Jared, picks up on immediately.

"Oh, my God," Jensen says. "I can't believe this. Why have you gone so psycho over Christmas?"

"Everybody goes psycho over Christmas," Jared says heatedly. "And, for your information, no, I'm not trying to guilt trip you. I just-"

"Don't want me to be alone for Christmas," Jensen says. "Yeah, I got it the first hundred times."

"Well if I'd known you were gonna be such a jackass about it-"

"Don't call me a jackass; you're the jackass! Just, please," Jensen says, "please tell me why you're making this into such a huge, fucking deal."

"I'm not!"

"What? Excuse me? You are so-"

"No I haven't, I-"

"Oh, please! You're skipping your trip home, Jared. Just give me one good reason why-"

"Because I'm in love with you!" Jared spits the words out, then his entire body freezes with his face caught in a ridiculous, wide-eyed, open-mouthed gape. Jensen would be laughing his ass off if he wasn't pretty sure that his expression is something eerily similar. And if his brain hadn't stuttered to a full and completely stop at the whole 'love' thing.

After a long moment Jared very quietly says, "Fuck me," before he spins around and jackrabbits out of the house.

Jensen stares at the open door for several seconds until he manages to shake some sense back into himself. "Oh, no you don't," he mutters as he tears outside and sprints back to Jared's house. He's not one hundred percent sure what just happened, but he absolutely, positively knows that if he has a half a chance of getting what he's wanted for the past two years, he needs to confront Jared now.

Jensen bursts through Jared's thankfully unlocked door to find the object of his maybe-not-so unrequited affections sitting dejectedly in the middle of his couch surrounded by all of his recently purchased Christmas stuff.

At Jensen's entrance, Jared buries his head in his hands and says, "If you're going to yell at me can you at least wait until I've finished having my breakdown and maybe eaten some cookies or something?"

Jensen swallows a few times before he manages to ask "And if I'm not going to yell?"

"Then could you still go away?" Jared barely raises his head. "I'm just... I can't deal with you right now, Jen."

Jared sounds so sad, so pitiful, and every fiber of Jensen's being just aches to make him feel better. "Tough shit," Jensen says softly, "because you just said you're in love with me and I'm going to need some clarification on that." He moves further into the room and gingerly perches on the arm of Jared's couch.

Jared lets out a harsh laugh. "Clarification? How about I'm stupid over my best friend; how's that for clarification?" Jared runs both hands through his hair, then grabs handfuls and tugs on the strands a few times. "God, I'm such an idiot. Momma told me I was coming on too strong, that someone like you needed a gentler touch. But did I listen, of course not! I just had to go in full throttle, like always, and of course it backfired, and now you hate me, and-"

"Whoa!" Jensen says. He takes a chance and eases down onto the cushion just to Jared's left. "I don't hate you, Jared. I might get angry or upset with you, but I don't think I could ever hate you. And trust me, if you're an idiot, then so am I." He takes a deep breath and scoots a little closer. "Dude, I've had a crush on you for ages."

Jared stares at him. "You have not."

"Have too."

"Have not."

Jensen rolls his eyes and punches Jared on the upper arm. "Have too. Ask any of my friends. Or my mom. Or my co-workers." Jensen feels heat come across his cheeks. "Or, better yet, don't ask, because I'm not sure my ego could survive you finding out how, disgustingly ridiculous I've been about you."

Jared's still staring. "You're serious," he says after a few moments. "You... Oh, my God, you... But why didn't... And how come you never... Holy shit, we could have been having sex for, like, months now."

"Years," Jensen says, feeling his blush get deeper.

"Years? Jensen..." Jared slides over until their knees are touching. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Why didn't you?"

"Fear."

"Oh, look, it's the same reason." Jensen sighs. "I've seen the kind of people you gravitate towards, Jared, and I'm not like them, all short, and smiley, and stupid."

Jared laughs again, but this time it's a light and happy sound. "I may have dated a certain type, but you're the one I gravitate towards, Jensen. And I don't know if you've noticed, but all those short, smiley - and non-stupid, by the way - people haven't been coming around lately. Not since I realized I'm so completely gone over you."

Jensen thinks back and, wow, he hasn't seen anyone date-like around Jared's house in quite some time. He can't help but grin. "You're gone over me, huh?"

Jared grins back. "Completely." His expression turns solemn, and his right hand reaches out to cup the side of Jensen's face. "I'm going to kiss you right now," he says, licking his lips, "so, if you have any object-"

Jensen surges forward and presses his mouth to Jared's. For a few seconds it's clumsy and awkward, but then Jared relaxes a bit, and Jensen tilts his head just right, and their first kiss becomes about as perfect as real life can get. Their second is even better, and by their fifth Jensen has somehow moved onto Jared's lap.

"Whoa," Jared says, pulling back, taking in a deep breath, and flexing the hands now holding Jensen's hips, "and I didn't even have to unwrap my new mistletoe sprig."

"Yeah. Whatever. Shut up," Jensen says before diving back in.

They make out like teenagers until Jared remembers that he left his car unlocked. Jensen reluctantly climbs off of him, and together they bring in the rest of Jared's Yule-themed haul. Jensen drops his bags with the others by the couch, then reaches down to pick up a rather unfortunate looking, but pleasantly soft, stuffed penguin that had tumbled onto the floor.

"You know," Jensen says, clutching the toy to his chest, "if you still want me to go home with you, I'll-"

"Do you know why Christmas is my favorite holiday?" Jared asks abruptly.

"Presents? Food? Lots of shiny things?" Jensen easily dodges the swat Jared aims at his head.

Jared laughs. "Yeah, those are all big draws. But every year I'd watch my mom and dad act so amazing and in love with each other, even after over thirty years together, and it would always give me hope that one day I'd find someone to be that happy with."

Jensen wonders if he's allergic to tinsel because his eyes are watering suspiciously. "Thirty years, huh?"

"No pressure," Jared says with a grin. "I don't care where I spend Christmas, Jen, as long as I get to spend it with you."

"Wow, that's horribly sappy," Jensen says.

"But you like sappy?" Jared asks hopefully.

"I like you."

"Good enough."

_____________

Since Jared kind of went overboard with trying to buy Christmas cheer - and because he steadfastly refused to even think about returning anything - he and Jensen decide to split the decorations between their two houses. The tree they go and pick out together ends up in Jared's living room, but Jensen insists on keeping the penguin.

Over the next few days Jensen is almost unrelentingly happy, and he discovers that the interns are just as frightened of him in a good mood as they are when he's aggravated at everything.

"I'm a little disturbed by how pleased you are about that," Jared says as they're sacked out on his couch. A Christmas Story is playing on the television, the lights on the tree in the corner of the room are twinkling brightly, and the two of them are dangerously close to cuddling territory.

Jensen pokes Jared in the stomach, "you already dropped the 'L' bomb; there's no changing your mind now." He stifles a smile as Jared's expression grows soft and fond. Angling his head just the right way for a kiss has quickly become second nature to Jensen, and he lets out a happy little noise as Jared takes him up on his silent offer.

After a moment Jensen pulls back and says, "You know, I do too."

Jared smirks. "Do too what?"

"You know, love, and you, and all that."

Jared laughs and somehow hauls Jensen in even closer. "It's a Christmas miracle."

Jensen uses the back of one hand to smack Jared's stomach. "You're such a jackass."

"No, you're a jackass."

"No, you're-"

"Dude, you make interns cry."

"I'm not that bad. Have you been talking to Mike? No, it was Erica, wasn't it? I knew it was a bad idea introducing you to those bastards. I just-"

"Hey, Jen," Jared says softly, interrupting the impending tirade.

"Yeah?"

"Merry Christmas."

Jensen glances at the clock on the mantle and sees that it's just ticked over to the first minute of the twenty-fifth. He looks back at Jared and, while Jensen's heart doesn't grow three sizes, it does fall just that little bit more in love with the man in his arms.

"Merry Christmas, Jared."

_____________

end

Page 1 of 2 << [1] [2] >>

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

geri.livejournal.com

Awe this just perked me right up it's so sweet with just enough of a little angst but nothing over board about it. I totally love it......

From:

Blah, Blah, Blah...

J2 AU Fic: Where the Love Light Gleams (PG) - A Gift For Unplugged32

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags