Chapter Text
“Hey, Jen, you gonna be ready to go anytime soon? I’m getting hungry and it’s your turn to pay.”
Jensen glanced up from the stack of essays on his desk to see Danneel standing in the doorway to his office, hip propped against the frame and arms crossed. He sighed as he dropped his gaze back down to the pile that seemed to stay the same size no matter how many essays he’d graded already.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Danneel called, pushing off the door and taking a few steps toward his desk, continuing when he looked back up at her. “You’re thinking if you work through your break between classes, you’ll finish that stack there. That may be true, but the point of a break is not to work. Besides, summer courses are fewer and smaller. I expect this of you from August to May, but now?”
Jensen sighed again, knowing Danneel was right as always. “I guess there isn’t as much as I think there is, and I could use the time later to work,” he said, eyeing the stack on his desk as he stood and gathered his keys, wallet, and phone. “Not many students see me in the evening.”
“You’ll eat in that time too, right?” Danneel said, snatching his bag up from the floor by the desk and pushing him from the office, turning off the light and locking the door on her way out. The tone of her voice made it clear it wasn’t really a question so much as it was an order.
Jensen took his bag from her and slung it over his shoulder. “Yes, Mom.”
“Good,” Danneel said with a nod of finality, completely ignoring the jab.
They had almost reached the main entrance to the English department when a female voice called out across the foyer.
“Dr. Ackles!”
Jensen turned to see a young woman jogging toward them, textbooks clutched to her chest. He recognized her as one of the students in his night class and one of the few students that regularly utilized his office hours for help. She must have another course in the afternoon if she was here this early in the day.
“Holly,” he greeted, offering her a small smile. “What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering if I could stop by your office before class tonight. I need help with the short stories we’ve been working on, and I know I didn’t make an appointment, but-” she said, a bit breathless after having run to catch up with him.
“Breathe, Holly,” Jensen said gently with a slight chuckle, waiting until she’d taken a deep breath. “I’m always happy to help. And,” he added, lowering his voice so only she and Danneel could hear, “don’t worry about not having an appointment. That rule doesn’t generally apply to my night office hours because there are so few students here that late that spontaneous visits are not a problem.”
“Great. Awesome,” she huffed, nodding to herself. “Thanks. See you later then!” she called, hurrying off back in the direction she’d come from.
“And you said no one comes to visit you at night,” Danneel teased as they continued their way out of the building.
Jensen groaned and Danneel whined dramatically as they exited the air-conditioned building into the humidity of the July heat. Even a short walk to their favorite little diner just a block from the school would leave them both drenched in sweat by the time they got there. But the diner was their favorite place to go for lunch, and neither could justify taking one of their cars for a short distance when it wouldn’t have time to cool before they got there.
The diner was a casual place that always smelled like burgers and some kind of freshly baked dessert, and the staff knew Jensen and Danneel well, treating them like old friends or family. Being there felt like being home. Or at least what Jensen imagined home could feel like if he had someone there waiting for him.
Instead, he spent his nights at home alone, cooking simple, quick meals and grading assignments. At least once every couple of weeks, Danneel would drag him to a bar with the goal of meeting someone. He wasn’t sure how she tolerated it, but at thirty-one years old, Jensen no longer cared for the loud music and cramped spaces of bars and the impersonal, drunken flirting. Danneel had even tried to sign him up for a dating app or two, but he’d dismissed those. He’d rather meet someone in a more meaningful way.
They stepped into the cool air of the diner and Jensen inhaled deeply, a small smile curling the corners of his mouth as the smell of greasy meat and cinnamon filled his senses. He followed Danneel to their usual table in the front corner near the window and put his bag in the chair beside him as he slipped into his seat.
Jensen always ordered the same thing, so while Danneel picked up her menu, he fiddled with the silver bracelet around his left wrist, smoothing a finger across the familiar engraving on the tag. JENSEN ACKLES. ALGYS: PEANUTS. TREE NUTS. GIVE EPIPEN IN BAG. CALL 911. Under that was his mother’s cellphone number beside the letters “ICE” as his emergency contact just in case he had an allergic reaction while he was out alone. Although that rarely ever happened as he rarely came into contact with his allergens because he was very careful about avoiding them. He felt better having the bracelet there just in case.
“You know,” Danneel said, breaking him from his thoughts again. “I’m sure there are other nut-free foods on this menu. Don’t you get tired of having the same thing?”
“Don’t you?” he countered with a smirk. “We both know you’re getting the same thing you always get.”
Danneel huffed and crossed her arms over the table. “Not the point.”
Before Jensen could further argue with her, a waitress stepped up to the table. She was a teenager who seemed like work was the last place she wanted to be, eyes not bothering to lift any higher than the pad in her hand and popping a wad of gum Jensen suspected she wasn’t really supposed to be chewing. Neither recognized her, so she must have been recently hired.
“Good afternoon. I’ll be your waitress,” she said in a bland tone. “Today, we have a special item not on the menu yet – the chef’s new special tomato sauce over zucchini pasta.”
Jensen glanced at Danneel, the two sharing a thoughtful look. She shrugged, and he turned his attention back to the waitress. “Are there any nuts in the dish?” he asked. “I’m allergic.”
The waitress only popped her gum and finally lifted her eyes to Jensen’s, giving him a scathing look. “It’s tomato sauce,” she said snidely.
Once again, Jensen and Danneel shared a look, Danneel’s lips twitching in an effort not to smile. After a few seconds of silent communication, Jensen nodded to the waitress.
“I’ll try it,” he said.
Danneel ordered the same thing she always did. As the waitress walked away, Jensen couldn’t help smirking at her.
“You were just making fun of me for always ordering the same thing. Now I’m getting something new, and you aren’t?” he asked with a chuckle.
Danneel just shrugged and quirked one side of her mouth up in a half smile. “What can I say? I stick to my favorites.”
Jensen chuckled and shook his head in amusement then fiddled with the wrapped silverware in front of him as he glanced out the window. People hurried up and down the sidewalks and cars passed by on the street. He caught sight of an elderly couple walking side-by-side. The woman had her arms wrapped around one of her husband’s, his other hand clasped over hers. As they passed by, Jensen saw she was grinning up at her husband. Jensen wanted that. Someone that loved him and who he could love in return. Someone to grow old with and walk down the street arm-in-arm, side-by-side. Someone that would smile at him and make him feel like he was their entire world.
“Jensen!”
Jensen startled and his gaze snapped over to Danneel. “Hm?”
“You’re spacing out on me,” she sighed.
“Sorry, just thinking,” he mumbled lamely.
“Well, stop that. Whatever you were thinking about, you looked about ready to cry,” she huffed.
Before Jensen could defend himself, their waitress returned, placing their plates on the table in front of them.
“Anything else I can do for you?” she asked.
“No, sweetheart,” Danneel said in a saccharine sweet voice laced with sarcasm that made the girl narrow her eyes before turning sharply on her heel and stalking away. “That girl’s not getting a tip.”
Jensen hummed his agreement, but shrugged and tilted his head thoughtfully. “Maybe she’s having a rough day?” he offered, spearing a few pieces of pasta and twirling them in the sauce. He moaned appreciatively at the flavors when he took a bite.
“Still, no excuse for being so rude,” she said. “So, I was thinking-”
“Always a bad sign.” Jensen chuckled then cleared his throat to relieve an itch, reaching for his water.
“Shut up,” Danneel huffed though she couldn’t hide a small smile of amusement. “Anyway, I was thinking... We are sorely overdue for a bar night.”
Jensen took a few sips of water then set his glass back down, grimacing as the irritating itch in his throat persisted. “We went two weeks ago, didn’t we?”
Danneel frowned at him, narrowing her eyes. “Are you okay? You’re starting to flush.”
Jensen coughed again, harder than before, and panted to catch his breath afterward. Each inhale was a struggle and made a wheezing sound. His chest felt tight, and he brought his hand to press against it, aiming a pleading look at his friend.
“Can’t… catch my breath,” he gasped.
Danneel’s eyes widened, quickly putting together his symptoms. “Shit!” she hissed as she lunged across the table to reach for his bag in the corner while Jensen fought to drag in deep enough breaths. “Hang on, Jen, I got it, I got it...” she mumbled, yanking his bag across the table and shoving her hands through the pockets.
Jensen wheezed, and his hand slid up to clutch at his neck though he knew nothing would ease his breathing until Danneel found his EpiPen.
“Excuse me? Is everything alright?”
Danneel jerked her head up to glare at the new woman who stepped up to their table. Her name tag said “Manager” underneath her name.
“Does everything look alright?” Danneel snapped, finally jerking the EpiPen from the bag and dropping to her knees beside Jensen whose breath was coming in more shallow, wheezing pants. His eyes seemed glazed as he watched her. “Call an ambulance. Tell them someone’s having an allergic reaction and that epinephrine has been given. And send the chef out here. I want to know what the fuck was in that food,” she ordered, pulling the pen from its case and holding it in a fist.
In his hazy state, Jensen still marveled at how his usually friendly and polite friend could turn so harsh when she was worried about the ones she cared about. It was one of the things that he loved about her. But there hadn’t been enough things in common for their relationship to work out, and they’d broken it off after a few months, agreeing that they were better friends. And it was true; they’d even managed to bypass the awkward “we used to date” stage.
“Almost got it, Jen,” Danneel murmured, pulling him back into focus. He noticed the manager had disappeared to do as Danneel ordered.
Danneel pulled the blue top off the EpiPen then pressed the orange end to the outer edge of his mid-thigh. The pen clicked, and Jensen twitched as the needle stabbed his thigh. Danneel sighed in relief, holding the pen there for ten seconds. As soon as she pulled it away, she lifted her empty hand to rub the injection site.
“Ambulance is on its way,” the manager said behind her. Danneel didn’t respond.
After a few seconds, Jensen relaxed and dragged in a deep breath, coughing a few times afterward. He tipped his head back and tried to calm his breathing now that his airway was clearing.
“Shaky,” he croaked in a warning tone.
“I know you will be. I’ve got you,” Danneel said sympathetically. “You always are after taking it. You do know epinephrine is adrenaline, right?” she teased lightly as she checked to be sure the orange needle cover was in place then tucked it back in its case to be disposed of later. She pulled out his second EpiPen just in case. Jensen never had a second anaphylactic episode, but he always had the second dose with him and Danneel always had it ready just in case.
He gave her a small smile at her snarky reaction and coughed slightly.
“You asked to see the chef?” a male voice with an Australian accent said. They turned to see a man in a chef’s jacket and a name tag that said “Leo” standing nearby.
“What was in that?” Danneel growled, pointing an accusing finger at Jensen’s pasta.
“Ah, that’s my new recipe,” he said. “It is made with tomatoes, soy sauce, maple syrup, lemon juice, and a few tablespoons of peanut butter.”
“Peanut butter?” Danneel snarled. “The hell is peanut butter doing in a tomato sauce?! The waitress said it was just tomato sauce. He’s allergic to peanuts which he very clearly stated to her! This could have been avoided!”
Leo frowned in confusion, shaking his head. “I promise I explained the recipe to everyone for just this reason,” he said, nodding at Jensen.
“Yeah, well, one of your waitresses wasn’t paying attention,” she muttered testily.
Jensen whimpered in discomfort, and Danneel’s eyes jerked back to him, softening when she saw the trembling begin.
“It’s okay, Jen,” she soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Just try to breathe evenly. There’s nothing we can do for the shaking.”
They only needed to wait a few more minutes before an ambulance pulled into the parking lot, sirens blaring and lights flashing, visible through the front window. The manager, who had been standing nearby to keep watch, immediately started directing nearby tables to move to give the paramedics clear access.
Jensen shuddered as a tall man with shoulder-length brown hair and a short brunette woman in black paramedic uniforms hurried toward them. His eyes remained locked on the man and he felt himself relaxing despite the shaking when the man smiled calmly at him, making dimples appear in his cheeks. Jensen liked those dimples.
“Hi, I’m Jared,” the male paramedic said calmly, opening a bag he’d had with him and pulling out a few items, jerking his head toward the woman behind him. “That’s Genevieve, my partner. Can you tell me your name?”
“Jen,” he croaked, grimacing in discomfort and coughing slightly before trying again. “Jensen.”
Jared glanced at the bracelet on Jensen’s wrist for confirmation and nodded when he saw the name there. “Good,” he said, wrapping a blood pressure cuff around his arm. “Dispatch said epinephrine has been administered. One dose or two?”
“Just the one,” Danneel said, stepping forward from her place on the side. “Didn’t need a second. Rarely does.” She’d already put away the second, unneeded EpiPen.
“He’s shaking,” Genevieve observed. “Side effect of the adrenaline?”
Danneel nodded. “Happens every time.”
Jensen wished the shaking would stop, but he knew from experience it would fade in a couple of hours.
Jared nodded, seeming pleased with the answer, but frowned and peered at Jensen’s eyes as he repeatedly squeezed the blood pressure pump. “Does anything hurt?”
Jensen shook his head then locked his eyes onto Jared’s. He had hazel eyes, flecks of green lighting up with the sunlight through the window beside them. “Just shaky and tired.”
“Do you feel sick or dizzy?” Jared released the cuff and gave his partner the numbers then pushed the earbuds of a stethoscope into his ears, slipping the other end under Jensen’s dress shirt to press into his chest.
Jensen flinched at the chill. “No.”
Jared huffed a small laugh that made Jensen relax a bit more. “Sorry about that,” he said then gave Genevieve the number. “Pulse is a little on the fast side and B.P.’s low.” He put the stethoscope away. “If nothing hurts and you’re not dizzy, I want you to try standing, okay? Even though you’re shaky, I think you could manage with some assistance. We won’t get a stretcher if you can walk with me without a problem, but the minute I don’t like your pulse or respiration, I’m stopping you, okay?”
Jensen nodded, unconsciously leaning into Jared’s side when the paramedic slipped one arm around his waist and grasped his wrist with the other hand, fingers pressed into the pulse point there. Jensen wanted to wrap his arm around Jared, too, but the arm closest to Jared was being held in the paramedic’s grasp. The taller man was warm and firm, and Jensen felt safe being held against him. Jared smelled like antiseptic – probably from the ambulance and medical equipment he worked with – with an undertone of something fruity. Shampoo maybe?
With Jared’s help, he slowly rose to his feet. Standing side-by-side, he noticed Jared was a few inches taller than himself. He felt his heart stutter at the line of Jared’s body heat pressed into his side.
“You doing okay?” Jared asked, having felt it through his grasp on Jensen’s wrist.
Jensen nodded.
“I need you to use words, okay? Need to make sure you’re still with me and can breathe okay,” Jared said.
“I’m okay,” Jensen rasped. Then he took a determined step forward followed by another.
Jared kept a firm grip on Jensen as they carefully closed the distance from their table in the corner to the front of the diner. The ambulance was parked right in front of the doors which Jensen realized he was grateful for. He hadn’t been lying when he said he was tired and the shakiness made him feel a little nauseous. And while the dose of epinephrine helped ease his breathing, the short distance they’d navigated had him panting like he’d run a marathon.
“You still doing okay?” Jared asked, fingers pressing more firmly into the pulse point at Jensen’s wrist. “Your pulse is picking up and you’re panting. You think you’re gonna make it the rest of the way?”
Jensen nodded. “I’m fine,” he breathed between pants.
“Hey, Gen!” Jared called, turning his head back toward the restaurant.
“Got it!” Genevieve called from where she’d been following behind them, dropping their equipment back onto the ground and stepping forward to stabilize Jensen from the other side the rest of the way to the ambulance.
Danneel, who had followed them outside, watched them get Jensen into the ambulance and saw Jared pressing a breathing mask over his nose and mouth. She watched Genevieve store their equipment then take over for Jared who hopped back down and shut the doors, obstructing her view of her friend.
“You can ride with us,” he said with a smile that made him seem younger than he looked. “You’d be in the cab with me where you’d be safely buckled in.”
“Our things-” she said lamely, gesturing to the restaurant only to find the manager standing beside her with their bags in her arms.
“I got them,” she said, offering them to her. “Go with your friend. And don’t worry about your bill. Your meal is paid for, and the waitress that served you will be fired.”
“Thank you,” Danneel said as she took their things then hopped up into the cab when Jared held the door open for her.