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“I said no, Gen.” Jared groans, looking skyward as if he was asking for some sort of help from the heavens. He’d need it, if he was going to hold firm to his answer against her.
All around the two friends, the school’s fundraising fair continued, loud noises and the smell of fair food and the screams of people coming from the rides. Jared hated all of it. “And I meant it.”
“But it’s a chance to kiss Jensen Ackles.” Gen says, clearly exasperated with Jared’s lack of enthusiasm, her dark eyes wide and pleading with him. “And I know you think he’s cute.”
Well, duh. Everyone thought that.
“He’s not just cute.” Jared defends, folding his arms over his chest, eyeing Gen. “He’s perfect.”
There was a difference. Because Jensen Ackles does not only have a sunshine sort of smile and the most lovely shade of green in his eyes that it’s probably not even green but another color entirely that scientists don’t even have a name for yet because it’s so damn rare and beautiful…Jensen is smart, he’s funny, and although Jared has never actually had a conversation with him, he’s pretty sure Jensen is just about the sweetest guy to grace William G Davis high school. Or maybe the entire world. Ever.
So yeah. Jensen’s perfect.
But Jared’s not crushing or anything.
“Then kiss him!” She cries, gesturing wildly towards the kissing booth, which was lined up with probably 20 students, and growing steadily.
Jared wrinkles his nose and kind of feels bad for Jensen. Some of the people in the line look like they’re just about ready to jump across the table and ask Jensen to take them then and there.
Also. The chances of getting mono seemed disgustingly high.
“I want to,” Jared admits, admiring Jensen’s profile as he accepts the money and grins at the next customer, starting to explain whatever rules he has to them. “But I’m a freshman, and--”
“And he’s a senior, blah, blah, blah—it’s all been said before, Jay, you’re going to have to come up with some new excuses if you want to fool me. I have as much sympathy for you now as I did then—which is none, in case you were wondering.” Gen tells him cheerily, bouncing on her toes like she’s about to take flight towards the booth if Jared was in tow or not.
He couldn’t blame her, Jensen had that sort of effect on people. “Jared, come on. You can’t let an opportunity like this pass!”
Jared groans internally, shooting her a look that could definitely turn birds into stone midflight. “I don’t want my first kiss to be at a kissing booth for a school fundraiser.” He says stubbornly. Call him a romantic, but Jared has always pictured his first kiss something a little more meaningful, like something out of The Notebook or the Titanic.
“But what if it was with Jensen?” She questions, starting to walk circles around him like a predator around its prey. “What if this kiss is like, magic? I can see it now, Jay! Jensen expects you to be just like any other customer—just a quick kiss, and then onto the next. Only, you’re not. You’re his soulmate! And he realizes this just as your lips touch and he slips you his number and winks at you and tells you to call him and now everyone who comes to the booth for a kiss after that is not even going to register in his memory because he won’t be able to stop thinking about you! Oh, swoon,” Gen sways dramatically, and then goes limp, expecting Jared to catch her.
He does of course, only considering letting her drop for a brief second, righting her and casting her a cryptic glare to which she replies with a cheeky smile.
Jared lets out a long breath, his shoulders hunching over, feeling small under the watchfulness of Genevieve’s gaze.
“My life isn’t some romcom movie,” Jared mutters. “It’ll just be a kiss like everyone else got, and that’s not special to me. That’s not enough for me. I want my first kiss to be something special.”
“And it will be!” Gen cries, sounding completely confident. “You’re cute, Jared, like it or not, and Jensen will definitely realize that. You’ve just never put yourself on his radar before. You’re exactly his type.”
Jared thinks of Jensen’s ex-boyfriend, and grimaces. Cute? Jared? He was nothing compared to the past guys and girls Jensen has dated. Jensen wouldn’t look twice at him, would probably dread having to kiss him as soon as he sees Jared step into line.
He shudders. Making Jensen uncomfortable was the last thing Jared wanted.
“His type?” Jared chokes in disbelief. “Oh, please, Gen.” He rolls his eyes, gesturing down at himself. “Look at me. I can’t even walk down the hallways without blushing the minute someone makes eye contact with me. Does that sound anything like Chris was to you? Or how about Lyla?” He brings two of Jensen’s overly confident ex’s into this and refuses to feel bad about it.
“That’s just it, though! You’re shyness is endearing, Jay! It’s exactly the change he’ll realize he needs.” Gen stops in front of Jared, and grabs his hand. “C’mon. We’re doing this now. I mean it, no more backing out. High school is about making memories, right? Well. Let’s make a memory.”
“Gen,” Jared protests, but his whines are getting weaker and weaker until Genevieve has managed to march him all the way up into line. The line has lessened considerably, as Jensen works through the crowd.
“Live dangerously,” Gen orders, her hands on her hips.
Jared swallows and gathers up his courage, looking at the booth, where Jensen was apparently going through some rules with another customer.
“What if I don’t do it right?” Jared whispers nervously to Gen, finally coming to terms with the fact that this was happening, and if he was going to have a first kiss with anyone…Jensen Ackles would definitely be his first choice.
There was no avoiding it now—only 5 more people in front of him.
Jared watches, mesmerized, as Jensen presses a chaste (but sweet) kiss to girls lips, before pulling away. It didn’t seem like much, but then again…this was a kissing booth, not a make out booth. Jared was pretty sure kissing and making out were different.
“You’ll be fine,” Gen soothes, rubbing Jared’s arm. “Kissing is instinct, it will come naturally. I’m sure he’ll lead.” She giggles then, covering her mouth just like girls do in movies. “D’you think he’ll like, totally dominate you? Because you are definitely the kind of dude guys itch to man handle.”
Jared sighs at her. How his friend knows this, Jared isn’t really sure, but he does know he has a soft face and round eyes. Genevieve calls him a twink.
“I don’t know, Gen. I think it will just be a normal kiss…you know, like he’s been giving everyone else?” Jared says, starting to get irritated with her. She kept making it seem like the kiss would be some magical moment, and Jared was afraid that if she kept going, he’d actually be stupid enough to get his hopes up, and he’d be disappointed when the kiss turned out to be just that…just another kiss Jensen won’t even remember at the end of the day, after kissing so many sets of hungry lips.
“Jared, stop being such a pessimist.” Gen scolds, nudging him forward as more people leave the line licking their lips. Jared wonders if they’re tasting Jensen, if Jensen even kissed them long enough to really leave his taste there. It seems like the line had been moving faster than before, like Jensen was eager to be done or to get this over with as soon as possible.
Jared doesn’t know how enjoyable it would really be, kissing so many people. Kissing is supposed to be special, shared between people who love each other.
“I’m not a pessimist,” Jared replies, his answer too delayed and not nearly as snarky as it’d been in his head. “I’m a realist.”
He waits a beat for Gen’s retort, but halts when it never comes. Frowning, Jared lifts his head from where he was staring at the ground, and realizes he is eye to eye with Jensen freaking Ackles.
“Um.” Jared squeaks. “Hi.”
Jensen smiles. “Hey. Jared, right?”
Jared knows that he knows how to breathe, he’s been doing it for his entire life, but he’s forgotten at the moment. Jensen knows his name.
“Breathe,” Jensen says suddenly, his eyes widening and oh god is that concern? Is Jensen worried about him?
Probably because he doesn’t want to have to perform CPR. Right, understandable.
Jared’s head understands, anyways. Jared’s heart is thumping to the rhythm of ohmygod he cares he cares he totally cares and doesn’t give a damn about the truth.
“Um, yeah. Good idea, sorry. So, 5 dollars, right?” Jared tries to smile, but he kind of forgets how to do that, too. He must look so stupid right now.
Jensen watches him for a long time, looking like he’s trying to understand everything about Jared all at once and Jared wonders if Jensen looks at everybody like this, or if he thinks Jared is some sort of freak.
Jared is expecting Jensen to say something else, to start listing off rules and regulations or something—after all, Jensen took his time explaining something to every other person at the booth, why would Jared be any different?
But now, Jensen was silent, and he didn’t even confirm the price, just raises his hand to cup Jared’s cheek, and without really even being aware of it, Jared leans into the touch, sighing softly. Jensen’s hands were big and warm and welcoming. They felt safe.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” Jensen warns softly, before leaning in and keeping good on his promise.
It’s not chaste, like Jared had seen with everyone else—it’s nothing like Jared expected.
Jensen kissed Jared like he was hungry, like he was dying for it, and as soon as their lips touched and Jensen grabbed Jared’s shirt front to pull him closer, Jared let out a little whimper of surprise, which Jensen swallowed up, like he loved it, using his other hand’s grip on Jared’s cheek to tilt his face to an angle he liked better.
Jared doesn’t know what to do with his hands with the table between them, so he leans on it, palms flat against the wood and his fingers splayed out, pressing into the kiss as much as possible because Gen was right, and he is never going to get this chance again. Jensen Ackles was kissing him like he meant it, and that’s the stuff dreams are made of.
Jensen’s tongue darted out to lick at Jared’s lips like he was asking something, and before Jared even registered what was happening, his mouth fell open, and he took Jensen’s tongue into his mouth and sucked on it like his life depended on it.
Jensen didn’t taste like lip gloss or spice or even mint—he tasted like himself, and how Jared knew that he isn’t sure, just that Jensen tasted like he looked and how he smelled and that means that he hadn’t made out with anyone all day, and it made Jared’s heart race impossibly faster.
Jensen’s hands rake up through Jared’s hair and pull just gently, but it’s hard enough to make Jared whimper in response, and he feels Jensen laugh, catching Jared’s bottom lip in his teeth and nibbling, and Jared is going to die.
Too soon, much too soon, Jensen is pulling away, and his thumb traces where his lips had been on Jared’s, and Jared can do nothing but hold as still as a statue, his heart racing.
Jensen leans in, and Jared is sure he’s going to get kissed again and he wants it, and behind him Genevieve is saying something along the lines of oh sweet baby Jesus.
Jensen doesn’t kiss him again, and Jared has to admit he’s a little disappointed. Instead, Jensen’s breath washes over Jared’s exposed neck, making him shiver. “You’re cute,” Jensen whispers. “Meet me here after the fundraiser is over.”
And then Jensen is writing down his number and winking and Jared thinks that maybe he’s dead.
He accepts the piece of paper, and gives Jensen a nervous little wave as he stumbles off to where Gen is waiting.
He makes the mistake of looking of his shoulder.
Jensen is watching him go, and when he catches Jared catching him, he gives Jared a cocky little grin and a wink.
Jensen winked at him.
“Ohmygod.” Gen squeaks, slapping Jared in the arm, albeit not hard enough to hurt, it did wake him from his trance. “Was that not everything I told you it would be, or what?”
“It was not everything you told me it would be,” Jared accuses, his tongue licking over his lips to taste what traces Jensen left there. “It was, like, a million times better.”
“Wow.” Gen said, grinning hugely at him. “So, does that mean you’re going to meet him after school?”
“Yeah.” Jared surprises himself by saying. “I mean, he might forget or whatever, but I’ll be there.” Because he missed Jensen’s smile already, and they weren’t even halfway across the fairgrounds yet. Was this a dream? It felt like a dream. Jared’s not sure all of that really happened. Then again…his imagination wouldn’t have imagined a scenario that perfect.
“Maybe you’ll fall in love.” Gen said, and Jared is surprised by how serious her tone is—an odd thing, for his eccentric friend.
Jared smiles at her, pays attention to the way his heart is racing and how his breathing hitches when he thinks about Jensen. “Yeah,” He agrees, staring at the little piece of paper with Jensen’s phone number. “Maybe.”