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Jensen stuffs two cupcakes in his mouth and dons overcoat haphazardly. He's late again. And slightly hungover too. It's not his fault that when it started snowing last night, the things he rather chose to warm him up were beer and a comforter.
Worst idea ever.
He glances at the watch and curses again. Why had he even decided to go to the office by the Metro was beyond him. Of course, he gets to spend extra 20 minutes with Jared, in a non-creepy way, but he's not sure it's working anyway.
The thing is, he fell head-over-heels in love with Jared the day they met. When he joined the company a year ago, it was actually Jared who was assigned to show him around. A quick hello, and Jensen started dreaming their "happily ever after" right away. And it could have been, them together, but the problem is Jared only dates Capricorn men.
According to Jared's mother, who's also a self-proclaimed astrologist, dating a Capricorn or a Leo would be beneficial to her Cancer son because it would "balance" their personality traits as the star alignment will be in their favor if one of them encounters the Gordian knot. What she explained to him was, he wouldn't want to deal with back to back birthday parties and once in a year would suffice. And if he chooses his boyfriend carefully, he can merge Capricorn’s birthday party with new year’s or Leo’s with himself. Jared had sworn off dating Leos long time ago as one of his ex-boyfriend had cheated on him, with his best friend, who was also a Leo. So, he started dating Capricorns exclusively. And Jensen had missed the mark by a mile as he was born in the month of Jared’s enemy zodiac sign, fucking Pisces, which is a big no-no.
Jensen jogs around the corner and sees Jared waiting patiently, holding one cup of coffee and sipping from the other. He runs a hand through his hair, trying to smooth out disheveled strands before walking towards Jared.
"Morning sunshine." Jared smiles and holds out the cup for him.
"You look awfully chipper this morning." Jensen replies accepting the cup as they start walking towards the Metro Station.
"Cause I had an awesome weekend." Jared says cheerily. "I went to get Amanda's gift and, guess what?" He gives him time to guess, but his blank stare must have spoken for itself because Jared continues, without further ado, "Bumped into a tarot card reader. Boom."
"At the City mall?" Jensen furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "I have never seen one there before."
"No. At the Central Mall."
"The one which is an hour and half drive from here?" He asks incredulously, stepping on the escalator.
Jared shrugs it off like it wasn't a big deal. "Yup. Mom’s crystal thing broke so she wanted me to fetch it from the antique shop".
Jensen rolls his eyes. "Well, that explains the 'bumped' part."
Jensen never understood the term 'hating someone passionately' until he met Jared's mother. It was Jared's birthday and some colleagues had decided to throw a surprise party at his apartment. Of course Jared’ mother happened to 'sprain' her ankle at the same day and managed to call down a doctor from her close circle to look at her hurt ankle. Jensen could have sworn she winked at him when she had asked Jared to show the doctor the door. So yeah, he is well aware of his mother's impromptu meetings.
"Aren't you gonna ask me what the reader said?" Jensen opens mouth to say something along the lines of how he has absolutely no interest in knowing the astrology bluff or how he is wasting precious moments of his life, but Jared beats him to it and instead starts babbling. "The reader said that I will find my ‘one' at the end of this month, who will change the way I look at love. Plus, I will get some sort of promotion." Jared punches a ticket, passes through the opened metal bar while Jensen just stands there, amused.
"Her words, not mine," he says defensively and motions him to come to the other side. "Besides, I don't even want a promotion cause then I would have to give up my cubicle."
Only Jared would have a problem with promotion.
Jensen sighs. "Please tell me you do realize that it's a conspicuous not-so-elaborative lie." Even though Jared himself came from a family of astrology believers, it’s about time he stopped believing in this crap. "How many times has it ever come true though?"
"One-time mom told me not to argue my then boyfriend or it would end in break-up, so I took the opportunity to tell him how I feel about ice hockey. He broke-up with me the very next day," he says nonchalantly.
"Let me guess, you wanted that break-up. But you weren’t ready to do the deed."
"That doesn't matter. The point is I believe in it and so should you." Jared replies in a very serious tone.
Jensen laughs incredulously. "You are something else."
Jared gives him mischievous smile and bump their shoulders while waiting for the train to arrive.
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On Tuesday night, Jensen finds himself at Amanda's house. He's not sure whether Amanda had invited him willingly or Jared had cajoled her into inviting him, but, Jared will get angry if he won’t see him there, Jensen guesses and goes to the party rather reluctantly.
He enters and scans around. All he could see in dim light is people dancing lazily. For a hot minute he thinks he has come to a wrong party, but notices his coworkers standing in a faraway corner and heads in their way.
Jensen tries to mingle with them for some time but soon notices that everyone is already drunk and clumsy enough to start a fight so he offers to go and get drinks for the next round. Suzie, one of the coworkers, offers to tag along with him to help carrying.
Kitchen is also a mess with few drunk people grabbing whatever food they can get. So, he waits outside the kitchen chitchatting, before he spots Jared talking to a guy - who looks slightly flustered even in bad lighting. Jensen excuses himself and makes his way to say hi to Jared when the guy grabs his hand and kisses it.
Jensen stops dead in tracks when realizes that the guy is goddamned flirting with Jared. He doesn't know whether to cry or laugh because he hasn't seen anyone flirting this bad since... forever. What the hell kind of dude still kisses a man’s hand? But it doesn't matter because Jared still be giving chances to dudes like these when Jensen could sweep him off his feet.
A sudden wave of desolation surges over Jensen and he just couldn't stand being in the same room so he heads out. He takes a deep breath and runs his hand over face when he suddenly feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns around and finds himself standing face-to-face with Suzie.
"Hey Suzie, sorry I forgot drinks. I'm not feeling good right now. I might head home." He attempts lying. He doesn't care if she knows the reason for his distress. Whatever the case may be, he refuses to go back in and face Jared with that guy again.
"Sure. I'll inform the others." She says. "But Jensen, don't do this to yourself. Either make a move or back off completely."
So apparently, she knows.
Jensen lets out a surprised laugh in an attempt to deny whatever she said but Suzie grabs his hand and pulls him closer. "You are a good guy Jensen, you deserve better," She whispers in his ear and plants a kiss on his cheek. She smiles softly at him when they break apart before disappearing into the room.
He looks at her retreating image and muses over the advice she gave.
His heart sinks further the next morning, when he doesn't see Jared at their usual meeting place besides the Metro Station.
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Jensen spends too many days reminiscing about Jared. He's always thought this day would come but had hoped that they would still be friends.
He never sees Jared at their usual spot after Amanda's party. Swallowing a bitter pill, he asks him about it one day and Jared bats him away saying something about Jeff calling him early to finish a project. He knows it's a lie but doesn't call him out on it. They still meet each other during lunch, with bunch of other people, but it lacks their usual coziness, so he starts sitting with Suzie. It's a little reassuring that he has a friend whom he can lean on but she doesn't hold a candle to Jared. No-one could ever.
He still misses Jared though. The sound of his laughter, his usual goofiness, even his astrological blabber. He misses everything. Sometimes he thinks how his life would be, had he mustered enough courage to tell Jared how he feels. Most days he doesn't come up with an answer. He just hopes that the love of his life is happy whomever he's with and tries to move on.
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After carefully avoiding each other, Jensen runs into Jared two weeks later at a restaurant. He's sitting by a large window, alone, stirring a drink absentmindedly, while looking at the phone. Jensen thinks of ignoring him and taking a sit far away from his object of affection, or better yet, coming back some other day. And the fact that this thought even came into is mind, saddens him.
So, he musters up enough courage and greets 'hi' nervously but realizes his mistake when their eyes make contact. He looks like a deer caught in headlights and if his heart hadn't been shattered into million pieces he would have laughed.
"What are... I'm going to kill Amanda." Jared grabs his phone and makes his way out of the restaurant as if it caught on fire. Jensen just stands there perplexed, unable to comprehend what just happened. A waiter comes to take his order but he lets him know that he will be leaving quickly. Looking at his sour mood, waiter doesn't dare say anything.
He glances at Jared - pacing, and talking animatedly on phone, supposedly to Amanda, and thinks of just bolting out of here but stays put. If he wants to move on, he needs to get full closure.
He cards hand through hair and checks phone for a millionth time when Jared comes and sits warily opposite to him. The way he is staring at the tablecloth like it holds magical powers makes Jensen realize that Jared is nervous.
"So, that was Amanda," Jared says finally, breaking the silence. "I thought she set us up."
"What?" Jensen sounds really stunned. "Why would she do that."
"I know. Right?" He lets out humorous laugh. He chews his lips, playing with loose thread of the tablecloth when a shadow of doubt passes over his face and he stutters, "Oh my God. You are here on a date, aren't you?"
"No. The sous chef is my cousin. He wanted me to visit this place."
"Oh," Jared sighs in relief and gives him wry smile. "There is something you should know." He looks everywhere but Jensen.
Jensen only gives a terse nod. If he's going to get an explanation this way then so be it. He's glad at least he doesn't deny the need to explain.
Jared closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "I sort of freaked out when you started dating Suzie."
Either Jensen got hurt on head and had amnesia or Jared is mistaking him for someone else, because this has never happened. His brows furrow with confused expression which Jared misunderstands for anger and suddenly gets defensive.
"I… I know I have no righ..."
"Jared, what are you talking about?" Jensen interjects suddenly. "I never dated Suzie, and why would I when I'm madly in love with you?"
Jensen’s heart starts beating loudly when he sees bewildered expressions on his friend’s face. He thought, after this night he will be able to leave behind his pining but here he is, wearing his heart on his sleeve.
Surprisingly its Jared who gathers himself first. Jensen can see that he's quite overwhelmed by his confession but he tries to school his expression. "I didn't know that."
He snorts, "How could you? Cause I never made a move."
" If you would .."
"Cancerboy893?" A guy standing near their table calls out loud. Jensen feels annoyed for someone interrupting their private moment when he sees the guy pointing out a black ribbon with polka dots tied to his wrist. He remembers seeing it somewhere before but doesn't exactly know from where. The dude looks at Jared and introduces himself, "It's Rickybow", expecting some answer, when it dawns on Jensen where he has seen the bow before.
Of course, Jared was here on a date with a guy, a Capricorn guy, and mistook Jensen as his date. That explains the frantic call to Amanda because he knows that Jensen's not a Capricorn. And here Jensen got his hopes up, confessing his feelings, thinking that it would lead him somewhere. It would be better if the ground opens up and swallows him, he thinks.
Jensen makes a move to leave when Jared holds his hand quickly, showing off the ribbon.
"Sorry. You got the wrong guy," Jared says giving Rickybow a small smile, "we are kinda on a date here so… " he trails off.
Rickybow gets the message and leaves, fuming, without uttering single word. Jared closes his eyes and sighs but doesn't remove his hand from Jensen’s, instead laces their fingers together and squeezes it. "I hope this is okay," he says giving him a shy smile.
Jensen almost gets a whiplash from sudden change in events. Did Jared just reject his potential 'the one' for Jensen? He thought he had made irreparable damage to his heart but now it's like being mended again by a simple touch.
Jensen brings back of Jared’s hand to his mouth and gently kisses it.
"More than."
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"So, how does it feel exiting the 'astrology club'?" Jensen can't help but tease him later when they sit on a park bench, just outside Jared’s apartment building, after leaving the restaurant. And nobody is willing to say goodbye after the eventful evening, even though they both are agreed on not rushing into things."
Jared lets out boisterous laugh and mockingly punches him on arm. "Oh god. I'm never going to hear the end of it, aren't I?"
Jensen’s heart does a little somersault hearing his laugh. He didn't know how much he was aching for it. Jared had filled him in about his freak-out part while they were having dinner. Apparently, Jared also had feelings for him all this time but couldn't bring himself to express it. So, he lost his mind when he saw Jensen kissing Suzie and started avoiding him. Plus, there was this whole ‘Capricorn’ factor to consider.
"Nope. Probably not," he shakes his head, "But I could cut you some slack if you agree to go on a date with me. For real."
"Yeah?" Jared says shyly, ducking his head.
And Jensen just couldn't resist. This is the side of Jared which he had never seen before and was dying to see. He cups his neck with one hand and places two fingers under his chin, gently moving his head up. "Yeah" he murmurs and brushes their lips together.
The touch is tentative and it gets over quickly, much to Jensen's dislike, but he feels little dizzy when they break apart. "Is Friday okay for you?" Jensen whispers, keeping their foreheads together. Jared only nods, unable to say anything.
Jensen tucks Jared’s head under his neck and throws one arm around him. They stay there like that for a moment, silent, basking into these newly found feelings, when Jared breaks the silence. "Well, it turned out the tarot card reader was actually right. I mean I met ‘the one’ after all."
"You could have found it sooner if you had seen all the signs."
"Was talking about Rickybow," Jared deadpans.
"Hilarious." Jared squirms free when Jensen lets the pad of his fingers brush against his neck in retaliation. "What about promotion? You certainly didn't get that one now, did you?" He asks pulling him closer again.
"Got to be your boyfriend. Earlier I was just a friend," Jared looks up at him and grins.
Jensen gives him a soft smile in return and leans down to kiss. Somehow he knew he would never want to stop kissing him.
After almost one year of pining, Jensen finally gets to have his happily ever after.
~fin~