Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Once upon a time, Briana had everything. A good job she enjoyed, a gorgeous husband she loved very much, two smart and beautiful kids, not to mention a nice house in the suburbs, good friends, a cool mother and a loving big sister. Life was pretty good. An embarrassment of riches, really.

That's when Briana got bored.

It was not that she didn't like those things she had anymore. Planning weddings was still fun, Jensen kept getting more handsome as the years passed, Dylan and Katie were not yet insufferable teenagers, the mortgage was paid, and Amber helped her anytime Briana needed something specific, thanks to all those years her sister had been studying and practicing psychoanalysis.

Troubles came in the form of a new friend.

Massi was not only new, he was foreign. His Italian accent made everything about him so very charming and Briana couldn't get enough of his gentle ways that made her feel so special, so desired. Between the kids and their respective jobs, it had been a while since Jensen had put on a suit and taken her anywhere to make it look like a date. She often felt like Jensen was more interested in his trees, their growth and potential illness, than he was in the well-being of his own wife of maybe too many years.

Jensen had found about her affair with Massi quickly enough. There was no scene, no drama. Jensen had nodded to himself, as if acknowledging a fact someone had warned him about, and then left the house. He had made himself at home in his nursery's shed, leaving the house to Briana and the kids.

Over the year during which they had been separated, finalizing the divorce, Jensen had built a better place for himself on the nursery's ground, a place where he was able to have the kids with him on the regular basis they had worked out as responsible adults. As parents, they were as civil to each other as when they lived together, as if Briana's romance and newfound happiness had changed nothing in their lives.

Only the new romance hadn't lasted that long. Massi was great, a really loving man, but he wasn't the father of her children. Past the appeal of novelty and the charm of his foreign customs, Briana had begun to feel a deep need to get back to the basics. To Jensen and their family life she had started to yearn for. Massi had quickly realized he wasn't welcome anymore and offered to leave. Briana had said yes.

She wanted Jensen back. Amber was pushing her to try at least, to confront herself with reality, but Briana couldn't do it for a while. She felt guilty and stupid and did everything she could to not see Jensen for more than five months. It was easy enough : Jensen picked up the kids at the end of a school day, spent a week or a weekend with them in keeping with their schedule, and then Briana picked them back up after school on the expected day. It worked like a charm. No argument, no messy conflict. No seeing Jensen and his stupidly beautiful face, and his eyes that had conveyed so much pain when he had realized their marriage was over.

Even the divorce could be arranged through lawyers and emails.

But she didn't want a divorce anymore, so she left the last mail lingering on her desk at work, opened but not read, until she realized it could be a credible excuse to go see Jensen at the nursery.

She told Amber she had finally found the courage to do it.

"The kids told me Jensen's not seeing any woman. I think I still stand a fair chance. I need to give it a try."

"Good," her big sis replied, "but first let's go make sure you're fit to be seen. This is like a first date, you must make a good impression on him."

Briana wholeheartedly approved. Wearing something new, going for a new hairdo, Briana was ready for anything. Even the barbaric waxing. She was not about to show herself with hairy legs or a moustache, as blond and light as it might be.

Amber agreed to watch the kids after school while Briana got into her car and left for the nursery. By the end of the afternoon, she was pretty sure she'd find Jensen there, managing the store after his employees had left and doing his accounting. She would just have to wait for the last potential clients to leave and she could go in, offer to share the takeout she had bought at the Indian restaurant in town – no Italian, it would have been in poor taste – and then proceed to seduce her husband again.

There were just two trucks left in the nursery's parking lot when she arrived. One was Jensen's, and the other she didn't recognize. Probably a client's then, she thought, watching a very tall guy who was looking over different kinds of shrubs and taking notes. It was okay, she could wait and pass the time watching Jensen through the glass walls.

He was sitting at his desk, and she couldn't get enough of the way his hair had grown since she had last seen him, a strand falling over his forehead as he worked on something, or the beard that was cut as perfectly as any of the bushes he grew in his nursery.

Maybe Jensen had been bored, too, and he just didn't realize it.

She loved that new look very much. The beard and the longer hair made Jensen look a little less proper, a little more dangerous. Kind of a really gentle bad boy, if such a thing existed.

Briana watched as the client she had seen outside finally entered the store and headed straight for Jensen, who stood up and came to greet the newcomer. She didn't know the man but Jensen's smile told her it was somebody who had become close to him in the year Jensen and Briana had been mostly apart.

And then Briana's world came crumbling down at her feet when the two men didn't just hug. Instead, their lips met and they shared a kiss so hot Briana wished for a minute that it hadn't been her husband kissing another guy so that she could properly enjoy the hotness of the moment.

But it was Jensen alright, kissing this stranger with all he had, hands roaming across his back, and Briana couldn't remember the last time he had kissed her that way.

Indeed, it looked like Jensen had been really bored with her too.

And the kiss went on and on, as if the two lovers hadn't seen each other in a while. It kept on going for so long that Briana left before it ever stopped, traumatized and disheartened.

She vaguely heard her name as Jensen ran out of his shop to stop her. She saw him in the rear-view mirror but she kept on driving.

She never wanted to see him again and feel so stupid. So betrayed.

Jensen stopped running after the car, watching the brake lights flaring as Brianna rounded the corner and then disappeared on the road back to the city. Soon, he felt Jared’s arms loop around his waist to hold him and he sighed with relief, settling in the comfort of his lover’s embrace.

"This is not the way I wanted her to learn about us," he reflected.

"She’s been ghosting you for months. She can’t expect much when she finally decides to show a sign of life," Jared responded, his voice hard and unforgiving.

"Play nice," Jensen gently chided him, "she’s still the mother of my children."

"I know, I’m sorry. And I have to admit I’m glad she wasn’t in the way all those past months while I was doing my best to seduce you. But still, she better not try to make you feel guilty."

"Even if she tries, I won’t. She was the one who had an affair and it’s on her that we broke up. She can’t make me feel bad for falling in love again."

Jared turned Jensen around in his arms as if he was done talking about Jensen’s wife and wanted his focus all on himself.

"I like the sound of that," he said, leaning down to kiss Jensen lightly. "Falling in love, huh ? Someone I know ?"

"Don’t think so. There’s this guy I met last night at a bar. Short and pretty..."

"You love that I tower over you, and you think I’m beautiful !"

"He doesn’t throw his arms around me at all time like an octopus…"

"Who clings to me at night and always ends up sleeping all over me, Mr. Big Spoon ?!"

"Doesn’t lose his hair all over the bathroom sink..."

"You love my hair !"

"I love you," Jensen settled, warm and at peace between Jared’s arms.

Jared who was staring at him, agape, still unused to Jensen’s easiness when it came to feelings.

It was a surprise to Jensen, too, in the beginning. Falling in love again so soon after the heartbreak of his failing marriage. Falling in love with a man. Falling in love with a man like Jared, vibrant and so proud of being gay, self-professed butterfly when it came to his love life. Until he met Jensen and set out to make him fall for his youthful charm and liveliness.

"I love you too," Jared answered.

Jensen looked at him fondly. Jared always seemed kind of startled when he said those words, the proof he still couldn't quite believe it was happening to him. And truthfully, Jensen didn't know what he had done to make a younger man who could have anyone become exclusive for an older guy like him, and quite jealous whenever Briana's name came up. But he didn't question his luck much. He had done everything right with Briana, loved her and their kids, worked hard to keep a roof over their heads and give them the easy life they deserved, and yet it hadn't been enough. So this thing with Jared would work or it wouldn't. Only time would tell. Jensen only knew he was all in and he loved what they had right now.

"Come on," he said with a last kiss, looking forward to a night spent with Jared. "Let's close the shop and go home."

Briana hadn't slept at all, dealing again and again with the same images showing her husband in another man's arms, kissing him for all he was worth.

She couldn't believe this was happening to her. She kept repeating those words too, while she prepared the kids for school, as she went to work, and she finally got to say them aloud to her best friend once she made a pause for lunch and joined her in her own shop right across the street.

"How can this be happening to me ? My husband is gay."

It still felt so strange to associate Jensen with being gay. She was in the best place to testify about Jensen liking women. She had often bragged about how they still made love quite regularly for an old-ish couple. How Jensen made her feel beautiful and desired in these moments, loving her curves and her smile, laughing together, sharing so many private jokes. No, she couldn't imagine that Jensen went through more than a phase, a reaction to being dumped that had pushed him right into the other team's open arms. Maybe she shouldn't have waxed her moustache away after all.

"I thought you were committed to the gay cause," Kim facetiously reminded her.

"Absolutely ! When we're talking about you, or any other gay people who are not my husband. This is no theory, or open-mindedness speech. We're talking about the man I spent twelve years of my life with, the man I made a commitment to and had kids with. The man I want to be with again."

"Seems to me that ship has sailed, Bri. And you were the one who deserted the sinking ship first."

"You can't understand, you were never married. I made a mistake, but now it's time for us to get back together."

"If you say so…"

Kim clearly wasn't convinced. It was annoying but it didn't change the fact that Brianna knew what she wanted.

"I'm telling you, this guy is just Jensen's way to pass time before we find our way back to each other."

Briana was proud of the certainty in her voice. But still the image of Jensen kissing the tall man with the long hair kept on flashing behind her eyelids every time she closed them.

It was downright crazy how a few months apart could have the sight of Jensen, up close and personal, make her feel once more like the young woman in love Briana had been when they first started dating, some twelve years ago.

She had tried to kiss him when she arrived at the nursery, rising onto her tiptoes, caressing with her fingertips the new beard she loved so much, but then Jensen had offered his cheek and she hadn't been brave enough to push for more.

He had known she was coming. Her chat with Kim had helped her find the courage to finally answer his message, asking for a meeting that he had agreed on as long as it took place here, because his trees needed him and he had too much to do to leave even for an hour. She knew he was not making excuse, remembering well how spring was always such a busy time for him.

So maybe it was still a bit disappointing that Jensen didn't stop working as they were talking, or that he obviously didn't make an effort to look nicer for her than the jeans, boots and Henley he was usually wearing to work, but at least there was no tall, long-haired man hanging around to take Jensen's attention away from her.

"I'm sorry you had to learn about Jared and me that way," was one of the first things Jensen told her. "I wanted to tell you, but at first I was afraid of your reaction – or anyone's, really – and after that you never seemed to find time to meet, so I didn't push it."

"That's okay," she said, not willing to talk about that time she had made sure not to see him, making it so easy for this Jared to swoop in and steal her husband. "But what about the kids ?"

"They know Jared, they've met and even seen him quite a few times, but they don't know we're together. At least I don't think so. Dyl's getting old enough to wonder about those things."

"Well, it's not good. They need stability in their life, and they're too young to understand about homosexuality."

"Really ? That's your take on the situation ? Homosexuality is only complicated if you make it so. And let me remind you who got us asking for a divorce."

"I know, and I'm sorry. But we don't have to go all the way. I know I made a mistake, but I had time to think about it, and to realize I'm still in love with you."

She gripped her arm and waited for him to turn to her.

"Jensen, come back home. Let's get together again. We were so good, we can make it work again."

Jensen gently smiled at her and she knew his answer already.

"I'm sorry too, Bri. But it's too late. I'm in love with Jared and my life is with him now."

Ever since he had heard about Briana asking to meet Jensen, Jared had felt anxious. And even though he had expedited any work he had to do, the day had seemed to crawl slowly until the moment he had been able to leave it all behind and drive to Jensen's.

His lover welcomed him with a big smile and a lingering kiss, making him feel definitely better and pushing Jared to stupidly ask for an update.

"What did Briana want ?"

"Me," Jensen quietly admitted as he sat back on the couch.

"What ?!"

"Don't worry. She just wants me back because of the competition. She made it clear months ago that I wasn't what she wanted anymore."

Jared bit his lip.

"You think that's because I'm a guy ? That she can't stand losing you to a man ?"

"Does it look so farfetched to you ?"

"What looks farfetched to me is the possibility of ever letting you go for someone else. If she wants you back, I'm ready to tell her she made her decision a year ago and she can't change her mind now."

There was a familiar smile on Jensen's face, happy and satisfied. Jared couldn't help sitting next to him and taking him in his arms once again.

"It's rather nice to feel wanted, you know that ?"

"I know. And I know I'll never be as stupid as your ex and let you go."

Jensen kept watching him with a fondness that had Jared melting inside. He had never felt so precious to anyone before meeting Jensen. His friendship had been kind of a beacon at first, and Jared could remember every single evening spent together shooting the breeze, watching games, talking shop and crazy or demanding clients. All those wonderful times when Jensen had felt so alone and welcomed Jared in his life without questions, leading to that second when Jared had leaned down and kissed him. There was no plan, just the certainty that they'd be good together. That they'd be great.

And they were.

So much so that they had decided to live together. Jared would soon be joining Jensen here on the nursery's ground, spending all his nights with his lover, waking up with him every morning. Jensen had done this already, the life together with someone you want to keep forever by your side. But it was a new, terrifying experience for Jared.

And yet he couldn't wait till the day they were all done with his moving and they could celebrate with all their friends. Maybe seeing them together would help Briana to take the hint and give up on her hopes of ever settling with Jensen again.

"I want you to invite Bri to our housewarming party."

Her very own family seemed to take the news rather well. No matter how betrayed Briana felt, they all had a good laugh over it.

Her mother had always been very fond of Jensen. Sam was a new-agey, tree-hugging, gently libertarian widow who loved trees on principle and loved even more to be able to brag about her son-in-law, the tree maker. And now Jensen had managed to become even better, throwing away the demands of their society by shacking up with a man.

Briana had hardly left her house before she heard her congratulating Jensen on the phone for being so open-minded, and when would she get to meet his boy toy ?

Amber was barely more supportive. She snorted when Bri told her, accusation clear in her tone, that she should have kept her moustache. And she seemed to take sides with Jensen too when she argued the best way to tell the children was the simple one.

"Why don't you go with something like "after we split up, your father fell in love with someone else, he's called Jared and they make each other very happy" ?"

"I can't do that !" she hissed. "First of all, it's not my place to tell them. It's Jensen's responsibility. And what if they break up after ?"

Amber's pitying look was enough to prevent her from seeing Dylan walking away, back to his room.

The dreaded conversation occurred anyway. Dylan was moody for a few days but he didn't say anything until the day he and Katie were to head back to their father's for the upcoming week.

"Is Dad living with a man ?" he asked point-blank.

Briana looked at him with a gaping mouth, wondering where that came from and not prepared at all. In front of her children, this situation couldn't be boiled down to a question of pride anymore ; Briana faced the fear that she had let them down more than she had ever thought possible.

"Not really," she tried.

"What does it mean ?" he insisted.

Briana really looked at Dylan. He was 10 now, old enough to understand that two people could love each other enough to want to live together, whatever the circumstances. But what about two men ? Jensen and her, they had tried to raise their kids right, respectful of everyone, regardless of gender, color, religion, or sexual orientation.

But as Briana knew by now, things looked a lot different once they happened to you. Dylan might be okay with his friends' parents living a different lifestyle, and not open at all to the possibility of the father he worshiped suddenly turning gay.

And what about Katie, sweet, young Katie, who had always been so close to Jensen that Briana couldn't imagine her accepting easily someone new in her father's life. Would a man be easier to tolerate for her, rather than another woman ?

This questioning didn't help any. Briana wasn't closer to feeling like she had answers to Dylan's questions.

"It means they're not living in the same place," she finally offered, "but yes, your dad has met someone he likes very much, who is a man."

She couldn't bring herself to use his name, but she had to. And once again, Dylan beat her to it.

"Is it Jared ?"

Briana stared at him. Her kid was far too smart for his own good.

"I like Jared," Katie intervened. "He's always fun."

"Shut up !" Dyl cut off his little sister, angry with her for some reason. "So Mom, is it him ?"

"Okay, yes, it is Jared. But you'll need to talk to your father if you have any more questions. Unlike you, I don't know Jared at all."

Briana was obviously pissed when she arrived unannounced at the nursery.

"I had to tell the kids about you and Jared !" she yelled at Jensen. "It should have been you."

Jensen wasn't ready for a conversation of that kind with his kids, but he wasn't any more with his ex-wife. And certainly not in front of the guys working for him who had stopped plowing to listen to the argument. So he took her hands and led her further down the alley between two rows of emerald green arborvitae tall enough to give them the illusion of privacy.

"I'm sorry, Bri," Jensen tried to appease her. "You're right, I should have done it, but I didn't know how, so I kept pushing it to another day."

"That's because you're too good a father to shove your fling in your children's faces."

And just like that, Jensen was pissed too.

"It's not a fling, stop making like you don't get it. Jared and I, we're gonna live together. This is as real as it gets."

Jensen turned back, dismissing her entirely to get back to work, but then thought better of it.

"I almost forgot : you're invited to the housewarming party. You can thank Jared when you meet him."

Jensen watched as Jared threw more of his clothes inside the nearest box, unbothered by the fact that they were going to get all creased.

They had spent a few evenings already stripping Jared's apartment of his belongings to carry them back to Jensen's house and they were down to the last few trips they would need to do to get it all empty. It had been Jensen's idea, upon learning that Jared's lease would soon be up, that they move in together. Jared had been surprised by the offer, but happily so, and there was no doubt in his voice when he said yes.

Maybe it was weird to feel so much confidence in them as a couple when it had been only a few short months since they met, and even less since they were together. But for some reason, Jensen felt secure in his decision. Everything they had gone through, the hurt they had experienced in their respective lives, but also the great joys they both had known, it had brought them here together, folding socks and wrapping glasses to mix their lives more than ever.

And maybe it was because he had gotten older, but Jensen felt ready to tackle this new development and make sure both Jared and himself were happy together.

"You're slacking," Jared told him without looking up.

"I'm not."

"You so are."

"It's not slacking if I'm admiring you."

Jared looked at him this time, and his smile made Jensen's heart beat faster as usual.

"So you still haven't changed your mind ?"

"After all the work we've done here ? Not a chance !"

Jared let go of the few shirts he had taken out of the closet, all of them still clinging to their hangers, to come and take Jensen in his arms. He leaned down and brought his lips to Jensen's, sharing a light, feel-good kiss.

"You sure ?" Jared insisted. "No misgivings ? No second thoughts ?"

"Not that I can think of. But can you imagine that ? I'm gonna live with a man !"

"That's the easy part, love."

"Really ? What's easy about it ?" Jensen laughed.

"Me," Jared winked at him. "But think about what it means for me, preparing to live with a family man ! Hell might be freezing over as we speak."

Jensen laughed again and leaned up to steal another kiss from his lover.

"Don't worry," he said, "I'll keep you warm."

"You already do."

Closing his eyes, Jared gave himself to the kiss. Considering the things this man was able to make him feel with a simple mouth to mouth touching, Jared thought a lifetime next to him would never be enough to understand what it meant and he couldn't wait to begin their shared life.

It was Kim who referred her to the group, the "Gay Men’s Wives". Retrospectively, it might have been a joke, but Briana was too happy to realize she didn’t have it as bad as some of them. She also felt she had a lot more to offer to her husband, charm and liveliness, fun and resourcefulness, patience and understanding.

Jensen had a gay phase, so what ? It didn't make him less of a hunk, less desirable, less of a catch. If anything, she had to be honest there, Briana only wanted him more now. To show Jared that it was one thing to steal her husband while she wasn't looking, but another thing altogether to keep him against her will.

Maybe Jensen didn't know it yet, but really, compared to those women, he had it good with her !

They all looked like they had something stuck where the sun doesn't shine, whereas Briana was open and loving. Kim really had a brilliant idea, sending her there. Now Briana felt empowered again, ready to take on the world, and most of all Jared.

Before she was shown how much she still had to offer to Jensen, Briana had thought long and hard about going to the housewarming party or not. The whole thing stung, for Bri had never seen Jensen's new home and she was only doing so now because someone else was officially taking her place tonight. Someone who would do so in front of friends who had been Jensen and Briana's guests only a year prior to this, in their true home.

She couldn't help thinking how stupid it was to have a housewarming party for a house already well lived in. It would have made sense back when Jensen had first settled here, but not to mark the day his fling crashed into his life for good. It felt like Jensen was trying to make a point, to show everyone that Briana's affair didn't matter in the end because he had found someone else, and maybe Briana had never been what he really wanted, hence Jared's appearance.

Or maybe not. Maybe, as Kim had said, Jensen needed to live the real thing to take stock of the reality of a life with his new lover. Maybe Briana should wait and see. Beginning with tonight, meeting Jared and seeing what all the fuss was about.

And see she did.

Jared was tall. Like, really stupidly tall. She hadn’t realized how much when she first saw him wrapped around her husband.

His grin also felt quite obnoxious when he opened Jensen’s door, as if to prove to her once and for all that he was now at home.

Briana had gotten Kim to come with her as a show of support for and from the gay department. Never let it be said that she was not okay with gayness at large. It was just Jared she had a problem with.

Turned out Kim knew Jared and she didn't offer the kind of support Briana was hoping for.

"Hey, man, fancy meeting you here," Kim exclaimed as she squeezed Jared tight in her arms.

"You don't say," Jared replied with a smile that had Briana hard-pressed to keep disliking him. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"Way to make me feel old, kiddo !"

"You're so not old. You're a sight for sore eyes, really."

Kim gently tapped his shoulder in thanks.

"So you're Jensen's Jared ?" she finally got out loud.

"The one and only," he replied, sending a pointed look towards Briana.

So that was how he wanted to play this ? War had been declared and Briana would see to it that she won, fair and square. She had been ambushed, thinking the invitation came as a peace offering, fueled by Jensen's genuine pleasure to see her again, when really it all appeared now for what it was : a cunning, devious way for Jared to show off his grip all over Briana's husband. There was a plot at play, a deceitful will to push her into giving up.

She wouldn't, because she knew Jensen better than anyone, and her man couldn't feel at ease for long amongst the kind of crowd that had gathered here tonight at Jared's invitation.

Jensen joined them at last, welcoming her with a warm hug that left both her and Jared unhappy : too much display of affection for him, too little for her. But it was impossible to stay mad at Jensen when he looked so gorgeous. He and Jared wore somewhat matching clothes, Jensen's deep burgundy pants and black shirt recalling Jared's wine-red shirt and black pants. Jared looked wild, long hair in disarray, sweaty as if he had danced long and hard, taller than Jensen but not overbearing, just complementary. Jensen was more of a walking fashion plate tonight. They were stunning, standing close as they smiled at each other, as if Jared's impatience with Briana touching his boyfriend – who happened to be her husband – was already forgotten and dismissed.

"Look, babe," Jared said, and Briana cringed at the term of endearment, "Briana brought the most wonderful gift. This is my friend Kim."

"Kim ?" Jensen repeated. "You know Kim ?"

"I sure do. She was one of the first friends I made in this city. How come you know her ?"

Jensen and Kim hugged before they both turned towards Jared to explain.

"My shop's just next to Briana's. I became fast friends with her, and then with Jensen."

Briana put on a smile and seethed inside as she was forgotten again while Kim and Jensen reunited. Kim might be amused to realize she had known both men for many years but not for one second imagined ever being invited one day to their shared housewarming party, Briana now felt like Jared had robbed her of her best friend too.

Damn this man and his good looks, his friendly smile and sweet nature. How was a simple woman like her supposed to compete ?!

They parted after a few more pleasantries, Jared leading Kim towards the dance floor while Jensen took care of the women's coats and purses. He disappeared upstairs after pushing Briana in the direction of a table heavily laden with bottles, of alcohol mostly, and all kinds of crackers, as well as finger food and mixed salads.

In this too, Briana saw Jared's influence, for Jensen was the traditional type who thought a meal should always happen sitting in front of a table. Paper plates and plastic cutlery were not an option to welcome guests properly in their old house. Clearly, Jared had thrown this tradition away too and it wouldn't take long for Jensen to get tired of the novelty.

She watched as Jared left Kim to dance, with other people she also seemed to know, so that he could get to the door and welcome more guests. A man made his entrance, looking like some sort of royalty who deigned to dip a toe in the mundane, very plebeian territory of his adoring subjects. Jared looked tense, almost skittish. But after a few words on both sides, Jared threw his arms around New Guy's neck who laughed with a booming sound and returned the embrace.

Interesting, Briana thought. She should try and get to know who the man was, see if there was any chance Jared might be given a little push to fall into his very friendly arms for a lot longer.

Even more interesting, Jensen suddenly appearing next to his lover to be introduced to their latest guest, and then dragging Jared himself to the dance floor, far away from Tall-Dark-and-Handsome.

The music playing was nothing like what Jensen generally enjoyed, deep beat made for dancing, and Jensen hated dancing. It was easy to guess the two men's tastes in this area were vastly different and Jensen had indulged his young lover. But it would only last for so long, until Jensen had enough of this ruckus and looked for the calm and serenity of his beloved trees.

Of that, Briana was certain and she could already feel the sweet, sweet taste of victory. Jared wasn't cut out to keep such a man and the sooner he realized it the better. Still, if he was indeed one of Kim's friends, she would try and spare him too much heartache.

Decision made, Briana abandoned her glass of Chardonnay and joined Jensen, Jared, Kim and New Guy. She had a few moves that had been known to please her husband on the rare occasions they had danced together and she intended to put them to good use.

Kim welcomed her by shouting her name and grabbing her hands, and just like that they were dancing, Briana forgetting for a minute why she was here and all her plans. She laughed when Kim took her in her arms and made her swirl, and even more when she dipped her, sure arms preventing her from falling when she caught, out of the corner of her eyes, Jensen and Jared in their own bubble.

Jensen looked so different from most people here tonight. Not only because he was so handsome, but because he also looked generally older than the rest of them, or maybe not older but more poised, more serene. And yet it didn't seem to have a deterrent effect on Jared. The more Briana watched him, the more she could see that the man's eyes were constantly drawn again to her husband. And the reverse was just as true.

To the point that they could hardly go five minutes without kissing each other again. Jared would go to dance with his friends for a few minutes, and then, as if he was tethered to Jensen by some invisible bond, he'd make his way back to his lover to cuddle and share a few amorous minutes. And the more she watched them do it, the more annoyed she became.

She finally reached her breaking point when she found Kim up close and personal with a woman. Clearly, love was in the air, just not as far as she was concerned. So maybe it was time for a tactical retreat.

She was quite curious about this house Jensen had built for himself and was now sharing with a man. It had nothing to do with her, unless she considered the heartbreak she had inflicted on Jensen that had led to him needing the house in the first place. But she wanted to take a look around, to be able to imagine Jensen at home.

It was big, bigger than their old house. Briana was pretty sure that Ted, Jensen's older brother, had a hand in building it, providing workforce and material at cost. And while Ted was never unpleasant to Briana, she always had a feeling he thought she wasn't good enough for his little brother ; he probably encouraged Jensen to build the house he deserved after he got rid of her.

He was here tonight, along with Jensen's other siblings who fortunately had given her a warmer welcome and looked happy to see they were back to being friends. She had a feeling they didn't know Jared that well and that they knew even less what to make of him.

She left the dance floor while Jensen and Jared were going at it again. She made for the table and grabbed another drink as well as a few snacks. When she was sure no one was watching her, she made a beeline for the next room.

It happened to be the kitchen, roomy and probably very sunny in broad daylight. It looked nothing like the kitchen at their house, different colors and layout, and Briana unconsciously clenched her fists. She quickly walked away but each new room she discovered seemed to chase her away, for everything was so different. So unlike the place they had shared for more than ten years. And if his house was so different, it meant Jensen was not really the man she had always thought him to be. That this gay phase was maybe more than a phase and that Jared hadn't so much imposed his new ways but rather had allowed Jensen to unearth many treasures hidden inside himself, a process he had already begun right after leaving Briana.

She took the stairs to the second floor and went through the bedrooms. There was one for Dylan and one for Katie, both very lived in, another one so pristine that it had to be a guest room, and at the end of the corridor, Briana found Jensen and Jared's bedroom, already visited by New Guy.

They stared at each other until a new voice sounded from behind her and had her jump at being discovered snooping around.

"Briana, this is Christian, my ex. Christian, this is Briana, Jensen's ex-wife."

She felt so enraged with this description – she was no ex ! – that she almost missed Christian's calculating eyes taking her in. From her perfect make-up and alluring dress, to the wedding band she refused to take off.

She was also wearing Jensen's last Valentine gift, hoping he would recognize the bracelet he had offered to her, the one with the magnetic fastener that closed automatically around her wrist when the two end pieces were brought close to one another ; in her heart, it symbolized the way they had to find each other again, their fierce attraction acting like a magnet, making them unable to resist. She found courage in this idea. She was no ex, she repeated for herself. She couldn't let go of all her dreams, and she had to think of their children too, who needed a normal family to grow up in, the way they had always been used to.

Judging by his expression, Christian didn't like being called an ex any more than she did. Briana felt that the tip of his head acknowledged that fact before being a way to say hello and all she could do was answer in the same fashion.

"Can I help you with something in particular ?" Jared asked, his tone more than a little bit sarcastic. "In case you were both looking for the bathroom, you probably realized by now that this isn't it."

"Indeed we did," Christian said, not the slightest bit awkward for having been made. "So lead the way."

Briana didn't even really know how she found herself walking with Christian after they left the house together and offering to drive him back. She had found Kim totally wasted, laughing her ass off at some cute brunette's jokes – that didn't seem that funny, but who was Briana to judge – and told her she was going home. The joint in Kim's hand probably explained why her words made her laugh even harder. Not the fact that home hadn't felt like home lately, or that even her best friend would let her go without a fight.

Christian was a comforting presence next to her, tall and handsome, a little bit drunk but not so much that he didn't make sense when he began rambling about Jared and Jensen's love affair.

"You know, Jared was a bit wild before he took a fancy to your hubby. Me and him, we had something for a long while, sure, but never exclusive. We knew we could take time for someone else and come back to each other when it was over, no hard feelings. But then Jared met Jensen, and he kicked my ass to the curb as fast as he could. Jensen was it for him, that's what he said to me, that he knew it on the very first day. The rest is history."

Briana frowned, trying to understand where this was going.

"But you think it's just a whim ?"

"Based on Jared's previous love life, I can't imagine them lasting for much longer. Jared is more in love with the idea of being in love than settling down and raising your kids. Your man makes him feel important, that's all there is to it. Find someone else to make him feel the same way, or better yet, a real stud, younger and hornier than your husband, preferably exotic enough to comply with Jared's kink, and believe me, he'll forget about Jensen in less time than it takes to say 'divorce' !"

Briana smiled. Her first real smile tonight. Jared had indeed looked a bit wild while he was dancing with all those guys until he forced Jensen to the dance floor. The man couldn't even see how hopeless Jensen was, how much he hated being in the spotlight like that. Sure, Jensen had stayed and given Jared what he wanted, but he wouldn't always do it, and what would happen the day he'd say no ? Would Jared love him as much when Jensen turned into a pumpkin instead of being the prince charming that looked so good on Jared's arm ?

Briana thought not. If what Christian said was true, Jared would get bored and look elsewhere.

So where did that leave Briana ? She didn't want Jensen to get hurt, so it was in his best interest to show him right now the depth, or lack thereof, of Jared's feelings for him. But she needed to try her own way first, and that's what she told Christian. She wanted to get her husband back because he still wanted her, not because Jared had left him.

They exchanged phone numbers and Christian reminded her they had options to make sure to get their lovers back before he got out of the car.

She arrived home to find that her mother was still up, watching some telenovelas with rapt attention. After taking her shoes off, Briana fell into the sofa and her mom's waiting arms, watching with her the end of the episode though she was hardly able to follow the flow of rapid-fire Spanish.

"So, how did it go ?" Sam asked as the credits rolled up and the network announced another episode coming right up.

"Well, I guess. Jensen sends his love, he was bummed you couldn't be there."

"Did you tell him I expect an invitation for lunch at the earliest opportunity ?"

"I did, he said he'll call you soon."

"Good."

Sam's right hand had found her hair and caressed it the way she used to do when Briana was a child and she needed a hug.

"The kids had a good evening ?" Briana wondered.

"I think so. We played a game of Monopoly, which I won of course, and then Katie went to bed. Dylan stayed up a little longer, I left him to his own device while I read. He was looking at photos on your computer."

"What photos ?"

Sam applied a lingering kiss to Briana's brow.

"Of his last birthday when you and Jensen were still together. Or the last trip the whole family took to ski. Also that time when Jensen came to talk about his work at Dylan's school."

There was a pattern to Dylan's search, maybe a fear that nothing would ever be the same, that he would lose his father in the same way Briana had lost her husband. She would have to make sure he understood that Jensen loved him too much for that to be even a possibility.

"Do you think he and Katie understand why they weren't invited tonight ?"

"I think so, and I explained to them again that it was an adult party, that they will have their own party soon with the other kids in the family. Don't worry too much, sweetheart. You and Jensen, you've done a wonderful job raising those wonderful kids. But you can't protect them from everything, it's not healthy. They have to realize life is not always hearts and flowers. Watching their parents split up and find their places in this new life might be one of the most secure ways to ease them into the beginning of this realization."

"They're too young, Mom, I don't want them to go through all that already."

"Baby, you know I've never judged you for your affair with that Italian guy, and that I never will, but you brought all those changes into gear, and now you have to deal with the mess. If you want to help your children, you gotta look at the big picture. Decide where you want to go from here and stick with it. This is the only way for your kids to know where they're going too."

Jensen had been looking at Jared for at least ten minutes when the phone rang.

The landline, not one of their mobile phones. Which now officially meant that the call could be either for Jensen or Jared. And that thought thrilled him to no end. Just like the possibility to watch Jared sleeping, however creepy some might think it was, every day for the rest of their lives, not just now and then, when work didn't get too much in the way, or meetings with friends, anything that would lead them to go to bed too late, or to wake up too early.

There was no such consideration when you lived in the same place and slept in the same bed.

"Phone," Jared mumbled to get Jensen's attention.

Jensen smiled and leaned down to kiss his cheek.

"Could be for you."

"Don't care. Answer."

"Yes, master."

With another kiss, Jensen turned around and grabbed the phone. He recognized the number immediately.

"That's my parents," he said.

He thought his words would allow Jared to fall back asleep but his boyfriend's eyes fully opened at the news.

"Well, what are you waiting for ? Answer the damn phone !"

Jensen laughed. He knew Jared had wondered if his parents' absence at last night's party had to do with him, if they refused to accept Jensen's new life and new partner. To be honest, Jensen had wondered too when they had told him they were already booked that night and wouldn't be able to make it. And they had yet to meet Jared because it seemed they always had something else to do that was more important than meeting the man Jensen loved.

"Jensen, baby, we're not waking you up ?" his mother asked.

Jensen put the phone on speaker before he answered.

"No, Mom, no worries. I was already awake, though Jared's still getting his beauty sleep."

Jared lightly hit his shoulder to make him pay for that.

"We went to bed at four in the morning," he reminded Jensen.

"I know, babe, I was there. And I'm supposedly the oldest one in this relationship."

Jensen heard his mother's chuckle.

"So I take it the party went well ?" Amanda guessed.

"It was great, fun and friendly. I think you'd have enjoyed it."

"I'm sure. Look, your father and I, we want to make up for our absence and have lunch with you two and the kids, and we thought maybe that would be a great opportunity to meet Jared's parents. Would that be possible sometime soon ?"

"Sure, the kids will like that. What about your parents, Jared ?"

The thing was, Jensen had never met Jared's parents either. He just knew Jared's father was some kind of evangelist and that his mother worked with him.

"Ah, sorry, no, they're not around right now. They're doing… they went down to South America for some charity mission. They won't be back for a while."

"I feel like we can't complain, not when they're doing something so charitable. We'll take a rain check. But we can see each other anyway…"

"What about next Sunday ?" the voice of Jensen's father took over. "The kids will be with you, right ?"

"They will," Jared answered without checking with Jensen, and it warmed his heart to see his boyfriend's newfound confidence in this matter.

"Then it's a date," Mitch concluded.

They didn't talk for much longer, Mitch and Amanda eager to leave for the market they visited every Sunday morning. Jensen hung up and put the phone back on the base with a smile before he turned back to slide between the sheets once more and take Jared in his arms.

"See, what did I tell you ? They want to meet you, and they're gonna love you."

Jared didn't answer, choosing to hide his face in Jensen's neck to sleep a little longer.

The couple Briana was planning a wedding for felt eerily reminiscent of Jensen and her. Same demographic, same type of people, but most of all, divorced once before and ready to tie the knot again with a much more fancy wedding than the first time around.

It pushed Briana's dream of marrying Jensen again to the forefront, the desire to tell everyone in the world that they needed each other, to usher their new life in with words of love and belonging told in front of a rapt audience of friends and family. She could imagine Dylan and Katie taking pride of place in this ceremony as the proof that anything they did together was perfect and…

"What about the flowers ?" Kathleen interrupted her daydream. "You said you knew someone ? Because I have firmly fixed ideas on this subject."

"I do, and you won't be disappointed. My best friend owns the flower shop two doors down on the other side of the street. Let's go visit her, she'll be happy to hear your ideas and make your dreams a reality."

Or to steer her in a better direction, if Kathleen's ideas happened to be too ugly for this world.

As usual, Kim managed to seduce Gil and Kathleen in a matter of minutes, showing them around her wonderful shop before taking them to her office to show the photos of previous weddings they had worked on.

It was a good thing Briana had total confidence in Kim's abilities and taste because she soon found herself shutting out Kathleen's anxious demands and Gil's soothing words in favor of texting Jensen about some parent-teacher meeting to come soon.

That's how she learned that Jensen and Jared had planned a trip to Los Angeles and that the kids would be going with them.

Briana might have told Jensen it was a downright stupid idea to be leaving at this time of year, when his business needed him more than ever. She might even have overplayed her incredulity when he answered that it was all taken care of. She hardly refrained to say he had never tried to take time for her back when they were together and spring was in full bloom.

It seemed that if Jared could do it, then so could Jensen too. Jared had won this trip, all expanses paid for a family, and they weren't about to lose this opportunity to take a vacation all together.

Because they were family now, and Briana felt more excluded than ever. She could just imagine the four of them basking in the sun on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and then at night, after the kids were asleep, the men making love with the sound of the waves in the background drowning Jared's groans of pleasure with Jensen going down on him…

She was downright miserable, but she couldn't let it show in front of the kids.

"You're so lucky !" she forced herself to say while they were packing Dylan's bag. "Not only because of the ocean and the sun, but you'll be able to visit LA, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills and Malibu, the Griffith Observatory and Santa Monica Pier, and so many other great places. You might even spot some celebrities, think about it. You're going to have such a blast !"

"That's what Jared told us already," Dylan said, not looking her in the eyes.

"You know everything," Katie gushed at her. "Have you been there ?"

"No, baby, just seen it all in movies and series. Maybe someday…"

It had been one of their shared dreams. They had almost gone for their honeymoon, but Briana was pregnant, and money was tight enough that they had decided to save it and push the trip back to another time. A time that had never come as they let their jobs and various occupations take priority. Not that Briana regretted anything but she couldn't help being jealous now.

"Do you mind if we go ?" Dylan asked out of the blue.

"Of course I don't mind !" she quickly denied. "I'm happy for you that you get this chance."

"But you'll be alone."

Briana was floored by her kid's thoughtfulness, and a little misty-eyed. She abandoned the suitcase in favor of taking him in her arms, and Katie soon joined the group hug.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to worry about me. I'm gonna have a lot of fun too. Kim and I, we've already planned many girls' outings, and I have to work every day. I will hardly see the days pass before you'll be back, and it's my chance for a little bit of me time, you little time-hogging monsters."

The day the kids left with Jensen and Jared was just as gloomy and dull as Briana's mood. It felt like everything she had worked for those past ten years or so was slipping through her hands like the sand of those beaches she wouldn't get to see with her family. Like everything she had patiently built was handed overnight to a man who didn't deserve any of it.

Jared didn't deserve the way Katie launched herself at him, or the way she laughed or the trust she put in him when he swirled her in the air, higher than ever because he was just so tall.

Jared didn't deserve the fist bump and high five he shared with Dylan, nor the bear hug the kid not so grudgingly tolerated.

It was all so tiring, wanting her children happy and loved, and Jared miserable at the same time.

She could still hear the sound of the Uber taking them to the airport when she set the calendar in the middle of the dining table, already counting the days till they were back.

She wasn't lying when she said to Dylan that she had planned on spending time with her best friend. Kim had been dragging her to all kinds of places for the last few days with the promise that she wouldn't hook up with someone else and dump her like she had done at the housewarming party. Reminding her at the same time that Briana had done essentially the same when she left her behind to drive back home with Christian.

There was no such risk tonight as they were having dinner and a movie at Kim's. Her friend was a great cook any day of the week but she had gone the extra mile this time to lift Briana's mood.

"You sounded really down on the phone, so I thought I would make you feel better. What about this ? Banana flambé, pecan pie with whipped cream and rum raisin ice cream. I figured there's no time like a kid-free evening to go with a sugar-only meal. And the bottle of rum is still half full !"

Kim knew her well and Briana laughed at seeing her serving the bananas as if they were in some awfully posh restaurant, lighting up the fruit in front of her rich patron before dividing the dessert between two plates.

Briana applauded before she took a bite and hummed in pleasure. She hadn't had one of those bananas for so long.

"You know, Jensen and I, we had this for dessert on our wedding menu. Yours are almost as good, but maybe my memory made the old ones better, we'll never know."

"Memories tend to do that. Were you already a wedding planner back then ? Did you plan your own wedding ?"

"Not exactly. I was working for this older lady, who offered to do the planning for me for free. I couldn't exactly refuse her ideas. But Jensen put his foot down when it came to the food. He said he didn't really care about the venue, or the color of the flowers, but he wanted to eat something we both loved on that day. I think I loved him even more after that."

"So how did you become your own boss ?"

Maybe it was strange that they had never talked about this before. Maybe it was another sign that she had taken Jensen for granted for a long time.

"I was chomping at the bit but too afraid to quit, and then money was also an issue. We were young, we just had a baby, but Jensen encouraged me, he found the shop for me, and talked to the bank. He was there all along the way."

"And now he's working closely with Jared, more closely than you ever did, and you resent it."

"I do. I get it, Jared's a landscaper, Jensen owns a thriving nursery, it's a given that they need each other, but why did they have to get past that ?! I'm not sleeping with you, and we work pretty closely too."

Kim laughed so freely it hurt.

"Hey, anytime and any way you need me, I'm your woman !"

Briana felt herself blushing hard and did her best to hide it by grabbing the ice cream carton and taking scoops out for Kim's and her own plate. She had wondered, once or thrice, how it felt to be loved by a woman, especially one like Kim who was effortlessly gentle and loving. But now was not the time to think about it, not when Kim was so close and Briana so lost.

They finished dinner then retreated to the couch, eating popcorn and candies. It was all so decadent, and so good for the soul.

"Have you decided where you're going this year for your annual trip ?" Briana asked.

This was a safe topic, one that wouldn't make her think of her husband.

"Yeah, I thought maybe it was time to finally gift myself with that trip to Hawaii I've always wished for."

Or maybe not.

"You know we went there, Jensen and I ?"

"How could I forget ?! It was a gift from his parents, if I remember correctly."

"Yes, for our fifth anniversary."

"I wish I'd seen what they would have offered you, had you made it to ten years."

Briana cleared her throat and banished the thought.

"You're in for a treat. You're gonna love it !"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I will. The sun, the beach, the beautiful women in bikinis…"

"Sure, but not just that. Don't forget your phone because you'll be taking pictures all the time. The flowers out there are just incredible, you'll want to sell them all in your shop after you're back. Jensen wondered at some point if there was a way to grow some of them here but he abandoned the idea. Not that he couldn't do it, but he wasn't sure the market was there, and I admit I wasn't …"

"Bri, I love Jensen like a brother, really, but could we stop talking about him ? Not to mention I feel bad blabbing behind his back, but frankly, forever rehashing your greatest hits and dwelling on your losses is not going to accomplish anything. You need to look ahead, not backwards."

Briana felt the tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I know, I'm an awful friend, but I can't think of anything else. I feel so lonely."

"You're not, babe. Come here."

Kim's arms closed around Briana's shoulders when Briana hid her face in her neck to keep crying.

The next day, nursing a headache and waiting for her first clients, Briana took her phone out of her purse and dialed a number she had thought she would never use.

"Christian ? Hi, it's me, Briana. Yeah, sorry, you can see that. Well, I was wondering… how long till you can find that exotic hunk of yours ?"

The kids came back with stars in their eyes and so many stories of sunshine and ocean, cool places and fun times, that Briana almost felt like she had been part of the trip.

But it wasn't her name that the children kept coming up with while they explained what they had seen, when they told her each and every detail of what they had done. It was Jared's, mostly next to Jensen's, but also sometimes alone, as if they were already to that stage where Jensen felt he could leave his children with this man and trust him with their safety.

It was disheartening, and yet Briana couldn't help being happy that Jared loved her kids and did everything he could to make sure they had a great time and wonderful memories.

The longer this affair of Jensen's kept going, the more dissociated she felt.

Christian thought long and hard over a bottle of tequila about the best way to bring Jared to stop focusing on his old… what was the reverse of an old lady anyway ?

His conversation with Briana had helped to put his thoughts in order as well as to conclude that Jared and Jensen were definitely better off getting back to their previous lovers. It appeared that someone had to do something about it, and Christian was up to do the dirty job.

In the end, he went about it in a far more subtle manner than even he would have credited himself for, if asked about his intentions.

He did choose a hunk, a beautiful, young Latino man, but one with soulful eyes as well as biceps and abs to kill for – Christian had seen it all when he had witnessed the boy cleaning his friends' pool, one of the many day jobs he was ready to do to make ends meet.

One who was already in a committed relationship, who would not come on too strong to Jared and would become instead the forbidden fruit Jared couldn't stop thinking about.

Christian had met Rafael through friends, just like he had met Jared, back in the days when Jared was wild and free and spent many hours a week dancing the night away, sowing his wild oats with gorgeous lads just as eager to know him. Christian and Jared had hooked up easily to become an on-again off-again item, the one guy they knew would always be there for the other. The fallback plan. The future plan, for the day they'd decide they were ready to give up on other men and try to make a go of it together, exclusive, or close enough.

And then Jared had decided the time had come for him to do just that, but he had chosen another man, telling Christian he couldn't have his cake and eat it too. That Jared needed something else now and he had found it with Jensen.

Anyway, the thing about Jared was that his job was very important to him and he was in constant need of workers for the hard work implied by the redesigning of gardens and remodeling of lands. Strong guys who would be okay with low wages and hard work. Rafael had just arrived in town, following his boyfriend, and he was ready to work hard. And even though Christian and Jared were not really on speaking terms anymore, Christian had once or twice referred guys like him to Jared. Hence the subtle part of his plan.

Instead of referring Rafael to Jared, Christian called Jensen. Now that they had been properly introduced, it was easy to say he had a friend looking for a job, and while he knew Jared's team was full right now, maybe Jensen would find himself in need of a few more workers with spring exploding around them. And sure enough, Jensen had called Rafael two days later to offer him a temporary place in his crew while his usual worker was down for the count with some mysterious illness. Jensen didn't need to know that Christian had paid the guy to stay at home, at least until the day Jared met Rafael by chance.

Rafael was the kind of wet dream Jared wouldn't be able to resist and this would illustrate for him, better than any speech, that Jensen couldn't be anything more than a temporary fling.

And even if Jensen was the one to take a bite of this very appetizing apple, Christian's goal would be achieved. They all should look at this as a truth test. The way to know for sure if Jared loved that man enough to tolerate his infidelity, or the other way around. If not, better to realize it now, before a life, or worse, a marriage, that was doomed from the beginning.

It was not that Christian hated Ackles. Strong dislike would be more like it. Sure, he could see now, after meeting him, why Jared was so enthralled with him, but still, the man had stolen Christian's lover and there was no way Christian would make it easy for him.

It was a slow day for Jared, the perfect opportunity to come back home early and be with Jensen. And it felt like even more of a good idea when Jared took in the gorgeous, shirtless guy working next to his boyfriend.

Jared was no slouch when it came to working out and Jensen seemed to like his muscles quite a bit, thank you very much. But this guy was at least five years younger and a show off. And he was standing far too close to Jensen for Jared's peace of mind.

Still, he waited for the moment Jensen was done showing the man what he wanted him to do with the shrubs they were working on and then joined his boyfriend where he began to do the same on another row. Jensen's new worker offered him a nice smile when he passed him by, a smile that coupled with a six-pack to die for would have sent Jared in hunting mode not that long ago. His friendly 'Hi !' only drove him to share one of his own as he kept walking, not even trying to make small talk and learn who the handsome stranger was.

Jensen welcomed him with a surprised and happy grin, and if the kiss they shared was long and more sensual than usual in front of Jensen's workers, it was not at all to show a certain someone that Jensen was taken and off limits. Nor was the fact that Jared settled next to Jensen and watched him work, helping here and there.

"Who's the new guy ?" Jared asked nonchalantly after a few minutes.

Fortunately, Jensen was hard at work and didn't seem to remark on Jared's falsely casual attitude.

"Rafael," he answered while keeping with the trimming. "Christian gave me his number a few days ago, so I hired him yesterday when Pete called in sick."

The deep gut feeling that had twisted Jared's inside at the view of such a beautiful man standing so close to Jensen only grew at the mention of Christian's name. Jared had been known to hire exes of Christian for a few days, as a way for him to make the end of their relationship less jarring. He was not particularly proud of himself, but he had often been curious, and mostly disappointed, in the kind of guy Christian would go for when they were not together.

He was not about to make the same mistake here again, not when his relationship with Jensen was on the line.

"I'm not sure giving a job to an ex-boyfriend of Christian's is really reasonable."

Jensen looked up then, as if he was in fact quite aware of Jared's feelings.

"I don't think they ever were together. I saw Rafael's boyfriend when he dropped him off this morning and we chatted for a bit. They come straight from Montana and they haven't been here long. And by the way, if I was going to cheat on you, Ronen's the one you should be scared about. Wait until you see that boy's smile !"

Jensen topped the last words with a wink and a quick kiss.

Okay, maybe he was a bit ridiculous, and Jensen was far too busy these days to sneak around behind Jared's back. Still, something didn't sit right with him. Christian's involvement, mostly. He was not one to let it go without a fight, and Jared's choice to end it for good with him when he had fallen in love with Jensen was not one Christian would accept so easily. Not after they had danced around each other for so many years, expecting to get back together right after one's love affair was over, free to enjoy what they shared once more.

It looked like Christian was getting impatient and trying to force the process this time, as if Jared just needed the impulse to get back to him. An impulse named Rafael, a weapon that could work as well on Jensen as it could on Jared.

Jared had hesitated before inviting his ex to the housewarming party, finally deciding that since Briana would be there too, maybe they could kill two birds with one stone and that seeing Jensen and Jared happy together would mark the end of any hope Christian or Briana may still harbor. Evidently, it was another mistake Jared had made, rekindling instead whatever feeling Christian still had for him and leading him to think that pushing Jensen into someone else's arms was the key to get Jared back.

Or better yet. Pushing Jared into the arms of the kind of guy he would have gone for before Jensen. Showing him, without looking like he did, and with Jensen none the wiser, that Jared was still the same guy who didn't think twice about having a one-night stand or a short, torrid affair with a guy who was basically sex on legs.

Except he was wrong. Jared had changed, or maybe he had just found something much better than the endless line-up of pretty boys he had slept with that kind of blurred by now into Jared's brain, just like the line of shrubs Jensen was growing that all looked the same if you didn't look closer in search of details.

Christian answered on the third ring and Jared didn't bother with introduction and pleasantries.

"I know what you're trying to do and I can already tell you it won't work. So stop it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, man. And hello to you too."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, but I'm telling you, your plan will fail, because Jensen and I, we're the real thing. So call off your pretty boy and forget about me."

Jared didn't bother with goodbyes either before he hung up.

Jared discovered the very same day that Jensen sure hadn't lied, Rafael's boyfriend had a gorgeous smile, and a sweet nature to go with it.

And he was easily swayed into staying with Rafael for dinner.

"People here are so nice and welcoming," Ronen said. "I often wonder if they want more than help from him when they see Rafa, but so far it seems we've been very lucky and the offers to help were genuine."

The words were on Jared's tongue to ask for the same honesty when Jensen cut him off.

"Rafael has been a great help, I'm glad to get to know you both a bit more. Come on, Jared and me, we're decent cooks, I promise we won't poison you."

If they had any fear on this account, Ronen and Rafael assuaged them by helping all along as they prepared a light meal, thick and warm soup with a seasonal salad from Jensen's personal garden. And it was delicious as usual, good company and nice supper made to encourage a friendly conversation Jared didn't contribute much to.

He was too troubled, unsure he could trust Rafael and his friendly demeanor, not willing to let down his guard before he was sure that the man wouldn't try and seduce Jensen as soon as Jared had left. He listened to every word as if they were hiding the truth, a pleasant tale created to drive a wedge between him and Jensen.

He hated this. It was so far from his true personality, the happy guy who had wooed Jensen with laughter and joy. And Jensen could tell something was amiss, for soon he took Jared's hand in his and didn't let go. Jared squeezed his hand in return and tried to be more present as Ronen was explaining why they had left Montana to come here.

"I restore old houses for a living, and we wanted to discover a new state, a whole new area, so I found this old place about thirty miles from the city. Rafa helps where he can, but he also looks for any job he can apply to. It's a good life, meeting all kinds of people on the way."

"I guess everybody asks you this, but you never miss your family ?" Jensen wondered. "Your friends ?"

"Sometimes, sure, but we Skype, we call, we send texts and emails… there are so many ways to stay in touch nowadays, and we get back from time to time. The most important thing is that we're together, and we enjoy the life we made together."

Ronen took Rafael's hand in his in a way very reminiscent of how Jensen was holding Jared's, a small gesture that soothed something deep inside of Jared, speaking of love and commitment.

"And we always said," Rafael added, "that if we ever find some place we'd like to put down roots, we'd talk about it to see if the other one would like that too."

"Considering my job," Jensen chuckled, 'I'm all about putting down roots. This life you lead, it's both fascinating and scary to me. I need to know where I belong, to be with my children and the rest of my family. Especially after the end of my marriage, I needed to take root again. Finding Jared and starting a new life with him was just like putting down more roots. Next to my kids, he was the strength and the basis upon which I was able to rebuild myself when it felt like I had lost everything else."

Jared brought Jensen's hand to his lips to kiss his rough knuckles, because Jensen was his strength too, and because he felt a little more like himself with the reminder that they made each other feel loved and safe.

"We do share that, too," Rafael nodded, "but I guess we only need each other to feel tethered enough. Maybe, in case we have kids someday, we'll need to put down roots like you, but until that day, we're happy with our life the way it is."

"And we never feel like we need vacation, you know," Ronen said, "because we already go where we want, and do what we want all year long."

"Did you ever feel like going abroad ?"

"Not really, not yet anyway. There's so much to sample here already, so much to enjoy."

The conversation soon veered towards more practical aspects of Ronen's work, and then to questions about Jared's own job which turned out to be of great interest to Ronen.

"You know, this house I'm refurbishing is flanked by an actually pretty big garden that needs just as much remodeling as the interior. Would you have time for another project ?"

"I'm not sure. I'd need to see for myself how much work it means, and we'd have to talk about delays and costs."

"It's okay. Maybe you can come over someday, and I'll show you around. You can even visit together with Jensen, and we'll accommodate you in one of the bedrooms I've already redecorated, so that you can soak up the atmosphere of the place and get a feel for the new garden. With two professionals like you, I have no doubt the result will match what I'm trying to achieve inside."

Jared made no promise but the idea was appealing. He always loved new challenges, and he needed to see for himself if the invitation was genuine or just another step in Christian's plan to reel him back in.

Dinner over, Jensen sent Jared to breathe outside with a light kiss on his lips, saying he would bring him a beer or anything else after finishing up with the dishes. Ronen offered his help and sent Rafael outside too, raising once again all kinds of alarm in Jared's head.

Jared sat down on the porch swing to stare into the night that had completely darkened the sky by now. He loved this place, but Rafael's presence, as tranquil and silent as he was, brought dissatisfaction and unrest with the spiraling thoughts brought by his association with Christian.

"I'm sorry we stayed for dinner," Rafael said after a while. "I should have guessed you were tired and wanted a nice evening alone with Jensen."

Jared turned his head and studied Rafael for a while. His face was dark on one side and illuminated on the other one by the light coming from the house. Jared wondered if it was an accurate symbol of his soul, nice and open on the outside, dark and cunning on the inside.

"Don't worry about it," he finally answered. "Jensen needed the distraction, he works too hard at the moment and he doesn't have time to go out. And it was good to get to know you."

"Really ? Because excuse me if I'm being too forward but I got the distinct impression that either you regretted the invite, or you were more than a little bit wary of me."

It wasn't a question, Rafael had seen right through Jared's attempt at keeping his doubts to himself.

"I… Jensen told me Christian gave him your number."

"He did, yes. Is that a problem ?"

"Only in the sense that Christian sent you to work for Jensen."

"I don't understand. Didn't you want me to work for Jensen ? I don't think we knew each other before but is it personal ? "

"Yes and no. Look, Christian's a nice guy, who cares for people, but in this case, there's more to his help than simply finding you a job."

"Are you two… having an affair or something ?"

There was a sudden stiffening of Rafael's whole attitude, as if the very idea of cheating on Jensen had him on edge.

"No," Jared denied, amused despite himself, "you got it backwards. I was once with Christian, but then I met Jensen and fell in love with him, and Christian seems to have a hard time accepting my decision of breaking up with him."

It was Rafael's turn to study Jared closely.

"So you think… what ? That he sent me here to stir up trouble in paradise just by showing up ? It seems a little far-fetched."

"Not if you know that I used to have a busy love life before Jensen, and that I would have probably tried my best back then to get you into my bed. But I'm definitely not interested anymore, not since Jensen came into my life. No offense."

"None taken, I'm not interested either."

"Okay, that's good."

It was even a relief, to be honest, the guarantee that nothing would ever happen on this front to jeopardize his relationship with Jensen.

"Not really what I'd call a love life anyway. Sex life at most, to be nice, but it doesn't seem like it's got anything to do with love."

If Jared didn't know better, he would have thought that Rafael was kind of taunting him, trying to gauge him by pushing him into a reaction that would show his true colors.

"You're right," he approved. "I know that since I met Jensen. I won't do anything to put my relationship with him in danger."

Famous last words, right ?

It wasn't such a surprise when Christian suddenly appeared in Jared's office at a time he knew he was almost sure to find him.

"Jensen keeps telling me to come work at his place," Jared not quite welcomed his ex-lover. "I should have listened to him."

"I need to talk to you," Christian answered, unfazed as usual.

"Really ? Now you need to talk ? Could have been a good idea before you sent your pretty boy to Jensen. I would have warned you it would fail."

"It never hurts to confront yourself with the truth. Nothing's sure until you put it to the test. If your Jensen passed with flying colors, you should be thanking me, because now you know."

"Right. Or maybe it was me you were testing ? I admit I'm not quite sure about that part of your stupid plan."

Christian's slow approach ended when he was close enough to sit on Jared's desk, as close as possible to Jared who reclined in his chair to avoid direct touch.

"Didn't you wonder why it was so easy for you to understand what purpose Rafael was serving ? It means you watched him, and you enjoyed the scenery, enough that you thought about it long and hard."

"What are you implying ?" Jared frowned.

"That my plan did work, or you wouldn't be so pissed at me."

Jared sighed.

"You don't get it, do you ? Rafael is a beautiful man, sure, but so is Jensen, or you for that matter. There was a time when I didn't look much past the physical attraction, I'll give you that, a flirty smile or a round ass was enough to get my attention. But what I have with Jensen now, it's so much more than that. All I cared when I saw your guy next to Jensen was to let him know Jensen is spoken for. That he belongs to me."

Jared stood up to walk to the entrance of his office, standing at the door.

"As for understanding quickly this was indeed a plan of yours, I know you well. So intelligent, so confident, and yet so dumb and scared when it comes to your feelings."

Christian walked up to Jared and took a good look at him, trying probably to gauge his willingness to listen to more. But Jared was having none of it, still pissed.

"We've been together for seven years, on and off," he continued. "Believe me when I say I can recognize one of your ideas from a long distance. The only thing I don't know is how much Rafael knew going in. Did he have any inkling about his purpose ? Was he trying to play us too ?"

Christian snorted.

"The guy's a goody two shoes. He had no idea I was throwing him to the wolves. He just thought I was nice and helpful."

"I guess you can say you were really helpful, but I can't promise Jensen will still have a job for him if I ever explain to him why he was there at all. That's too bad, because Rafa and his boyfriend seem like really nice guys, we could have been friends with them."

He opened the door, signaling to Christian he had outstayed his welcome and it was time to go. Christian took a step up but thought better of it, turning back towards Jared. But before he could say anything, Jared's cell began to ring with the tone reserved for work.

"Speaking of the devil," he muttered upon seeing Ronen's name written over the screen.

"Rafael's calling you ?" Christian exclaimed, delighted.

Instead of replying to the provocation, Jared answered the phone.

"Hey, Ronen, what can I do for you ?"

"Hey, listen man, Rafael told me about your conversation, and I wanted to know if you were still okay to come and take a look at the garden here ?"

He so didn't want to have this conversation in front of Christian, and to make the situation more complicated, he still wasn't sure if he wanted to work with Ronen, but the easiest way was to actually go for it, take a look, as Ronen had said, and make a decision later on, when the dust had settled over the Rafael crisis. Plus the location of the house being renovated by Ronen had given him an idea he was really tempted to put in motion.

"Sure," he finally replied. "I can make it Saturday afternoon, if it's okay for you."

"That's fine, and you're welcome to stay the night so that we can keep planning on Sunday. Jensen will be there too ?"

"No, Jensen won't be able to come, he's kind of tied up at the nursery at the moment."

"Okay, raincheck. You got something to write the address ?"

"I'm listening."

He was very aware of Christian's eyes reading his scribble over the white board by the door but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Good, I'll be there around 3 PM, and I'll come back home on Sunday," he added as he put the cap back on the blue marker.

They hung up in a proper, polite way, and then Jared turned back to Christian to show him the way out for the second time.

"I don't know why you're still here but I've got work to do. Please leave now."

Once again, Christian stopped at the door.

"You remember that man I had an affair with before I met you ? Stuart ?"

"The doctor at your hospital ? What about him ?"

"He was married with two kids, like Jensen. Got a male lover on the side, like Jensen."

"Stuart didn't love you, Christian."

"I realized that a long time ago. Have you ?"

"Have I what ?"

"Realized that Jensen still hasn't divorced his wife ?"

Jared felt a pang in his chest but he wasn't about to let Christian see it.

"Jensen loves me."

"Keep telling yourself that. I'll be there when Jensen goes back to her and you need a shoulder to cry on."

Jensen arrived a few minutes after Kim who had already put her feet on the coffee table, nursing a beer she had fetched for herself from the fridge while Briana was making sure the kids were getting ready.

Jensen was taking them both to the movies, a feat nowadays as finding a film that would please a boy and a girl, one ten and the other six years old, was increasingly difficult. But Jensen had succeeded, and the reward was a night out for the three of them. The kids were excited and Jensen looked happy despite his tiredness.

Briana couldn't stop staring at him, the strand of hair falling over his forehead, the weary smile that turned happy as soon as he saw the children. It was a fight not to take him in her arms and kiss him until he remembered why he had chosen her once.

Oblivious to her struggle, Jensen took over getting Dyl and Katie ready when Briana's iPhone literally mooed, announcing a call from Christian. Startled and not just a little bit guilty, she grabbed the phone and ran to her bedroom to talk in private.

"What ?" she snarked.

"Hey, beautiful. Seems like you got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"Jensen's here, my kids and a friend too. Now's not a good time, so I repeat, what do you want ?"

"I tell you, people nowadays have no manners anymore. But anyway, I was calling to tell you that Operation Exotic Hunk had officially fizzled out. But if your hubby's with you now, maybe it did work after all."

Briana sat down heavily on her bed.

"No, he's just here to take the kids out."

"Maybe it's up to you to make it count then. Show your cleavage, give him your most sexy smile, do whatever you did to seduce him all those years ago and made him want to keep you by his side. I'm sure you still have it in you, woman. What are you doing on the phone with me ?! Go get your man, now !"

Christian hung up on her and Briana could only stare at her phone incredulously. This guy was something else.

But he had a point. Jensen was here, and he looked to be in a good, receptive mood.

And Kim was here too. So maybe tempting Jensen or Jared with a handsome and sexy guy hadn't worked, but what of the other way around ? What if Briana seemed interested in playing for her own team this time ? Would Jensen be okay with it ? It was worth a shot anyway.

Before she left the bedroom, she passed by the big mirror and looked at her reflection. She looked nice enough if she could say so herself, but Christian really had a point. She needed to do more than nice, she needed to seduce. So she unfastened the first button of her shirt, the lace of her bra subtly showing up.

She took another look, thinking that subtle was for the faint of heart, and decided to undo the next button too. There, much better.

Satisfied, she left the bedroom and went back to the living room. Jensen was helping Katie put her coat on and Kim was nowhere to be seen. Briana could take an educated guess though, she had probably taken command of her kitchen to prepare dinner with whatever she'd found in Briana's fridge. Far enough that she wouldn't hear what Briana was about to imply.

She waited for the kids to run out of the house to the waiting car before she stopped Jensen following them, planting herself in front of him in the best position to show off her cleavage. Jensen smiled, as if quite aware of her game.

"Listen," she said, "I'm not sure what time you'll be back, but if we're already in bed, please get the kids to hush. You know how light a sleeper I can be."

To his credit, Jensen didn't show any surprise at her words. Or maybe he had missed the important point and she needed to drive it home more efficiently. To hell with subtle once again !

"Or better yet," she added, "why don't you take them with you at the nursery after the movie, and I'll come get them tomorrow afternoon. That way, Kim and I, we can make it a nice night together."

She was probably going to regret it later, once Kim had gone home and she was left alone, but she had to be brave and fight this war with the weapons at her disposal. And Jensen still didn't look bothered by any of it.

He left without a look at her cleavage but the view wasn't lost for everyone. Kim's generally unruffled attitude took a dent when she tripped over her own feet and almost let go of the plates she was bringing to the table.

"Wow, girl !" she exclaimed. "Is that for me ?"

Briana sighed as she buttoned her shirt back, the lowest button at least.

It was gonna be a long night.

The kids were running around, waiting for Briana to come pick them up, watched over by everyone working on the grounds. Jensen glanced at them now and then, making sure they didn't hurt themselves or wreak havoc with his carefully grown plants. Neither of them seemed inclined so far to follow in his footsteps, utterly indifferent to anything growing from the soil, but Jensen hadn't thrown in the towel yet.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jared walking out of the house and placing a travelling bag in the back of his truck. He looked troubled, just like his usually peaceful sleep pattern had been over the last few nights.

Jensen thought he knew what was still troubling him, even though Rafael's stint had ended yesterday with Pete officially on the mend after his strange and sudden illness had come and gone, and it was unsure as of right now if Jensen would need Rafa again. He kind of hoped to be able to call on him again if need be, Rafael was a hard worker and a nice guy to have around. But he would dump him in a heartbeat if it meant making sure Jared was feeling good at home, not threatened in the least where he should feel secure and loved.

He let go of his gloves and clippers and made his way towards the house. Jared didn't see him coming until he was already almost on him but he turned immediately to face him.

"Hey, before you go…" Jensen began, closing his hand around Jared's bicep to get his full attention, "I wanted to ask you, since you're going to see him, do you still feel threatened by Rafael, and the reason for his presence here ? I didn't want to force you into talking to me the other night, but you were awfully quiet and I feel like I forced you into this situation instead…"

"Don't worry," Jared cut him off with a small, gentle smile, "I settled the matter."

"How ? And which one ?"

"Both. I talked to Christian, asked him to stop scheming."

"So he was really going somewhere when he asked me to hire Rafael ?"

"Rather putting out feelers, testing my interest, or yours."

"That's why you were so guarded in front of Rafael ?"

"Yeah, I had to know if he was aware of the… function Christian wanted him to fulfill, or if he had been played too."

"I guess you going to see him and Ronen today means the answer was to your liking ?"

"It was, though I'm still pissed with Christian. He's so much better than that, I don't understand what's going on with him."

That was painfully obvious to Jensen.

"He's in love with you, that's what. He probably thinks it should be him you're settling down with, not me."

"Doesn't give him the right to meddle. Anyway, it's hopefully over so, as I say, don't worry. Don't work yourself too hard either. I'll be back tomorrow by the end of the afternoon. Be good in my absence."

Jared leaned down to kiss him and Jensen promptly closed his arms around him, effectively stopping him from leaving.

"I wish I could come with you," he said between two kisses, "a lovers' vacation this time, no kids to stop us from having sex whenever we want."

Jared chuckled and squeezed him tighter, losing at last his wary expression.

"You know I didn't mind having the kids with us in LA, but I wouldn't mind a weekend getaway for just the two of us, either. I'm sure we can arrange something, at Ronen's or somewhere else, doesn't matter as long as we're together."

They kissed for a while, neither of them ready to let go of the other until Jensen's phone chimed with an incoming text.

"I need to go, and you too," he resigned himself. "Call me when you get there ?"

"I will, and also later tonight, unless you call me first."

"Probably. I'm gonna nod off right after dinner since I'll be alone, and maybe that's a good thing, it's gonna feel strange not having you by my side in bed. It will be the first time since you moved in."

"It'll feel strange to me too."

Another kiss had them losing sight of time and space for a little while, until Katie let out of piercing shriek in the course of her game with her brother. Licking his lips, Jensen forced himself to let go of Jared and take a step back.

"Okay, drive safe."

He watched Jared get in the truck and quickly drive away.

He couldn't help wondering if he was showing trust or just plain stupidity to let his younger and beautiful lover leave for a weekend spent with two gorgeous men, when one of them had already been singled out to seduce him.

Christian was about to do something stupid.

Well, stupider. It seemed he was in no short supply of dumb ideas these days. And he had the will to put them all to the test.

He couldn't even say he understood himself, he just knew he had to do something to get Jared back.

So driving to Rafael and Ronen's place on the weekend Jared was invited was not that much of a stretch, even if he knew he wouldn't be welcomed out there.

And for sure he wasn't.

"What are you doing here ?" Rafael asked in way of greeting, all cloudy face and bulging muscles.

"I need to see Jared."

"Well, too bad, because he's not here."

"I heard him talking with your boyfriend, he said he'd be here this weekend."

"He didn't say Jared wasn't here," Ronen appeared next to Rafael, wrapping an arm around his waist and laying his chin on his shoulder, "but he left this morning. You missed him so you can go."

"Do you know where he went ?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but he went back home. To be with the man he loves and lives with. You know, Jensen."

Yeah, that still hurt.

"You gotta let it go, man," Rafael continued, and Christian noticed that he had taken Rafa's hand in his. "This stalking you're doing, it's not healthy."

Christian averted his eyes.

"Maybe," he said, "but that's all I have left."

Since Jared had come to live with him, Jensen generally made sure to work light days on Sunday, or not at all if possible. He didn't want to repeat his past errors and did his best to have time for his boyfriend that they could spend together to nurture their bond. Nurturing was definitely something he was good at.

He had changed his plans today, because Jared's absence had left a hole he didn't know how to fill but with work, spending time nurturing his trees instead.

When he heard the sound of a motor entering the grounds, he thought Jared had come back early and smiled to himself as he left work behind, only to find that the newcomer was Briana and not his boyfriend.

"Bri ? I don't remember you saying you were coming back today ?"

"Actually, it was a last minute decision. Jared's not here ?"

"No, he spent some time with friends. I expect him to be back later."

He didn't like one bit the satisfied expression on Briana's face but she spoke before he could call her on it.

"Can we go in ? I need to talk to you."

"Okay, lead the way."

He hoped it wasn't yet another attempt at changing his mind about his new life. He was done explaining his choice and how much he loved Jared.

"So, what brings you here ?" he asked once he had offered Briana a soda and got a coffee for himself.

"Right. Okay, I know what you're gonna think so please, promise you'll listen to me till the end."

"That's not alarming at all, but alright, say what you have to say."

"Good. So I had a phone call earlier, from Christian."

"Christian ?"

To the best of his knowledge, they didn't have a common friend called Christian.

"Yeah, Christian, Jared's ex."

Jensen's eyes widened.

"How come you're in contact with Jared's ex ?"

"We met at your housewarming party, and you know how it goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, or the ex of my husband's boyfriend is my ally, whatever… let's just say we kept in touch, for moral support."

"Moral support ? What does that mean exactly ?"

"Complaining about you both, agreeing that the way things were before was better, you with me and Jared with him, you know, stuff…"

"Stuff. And why was it so important to tell me about this today ?"

Briana winced unconsciously and Jensen braced for impact. Things tended to turn ugly when she did this.

"Christian knew Jared was going to your friends' house for the weekend, and he wanted to see him, so he showed up there. But Jared had already left hours before. And he told your friends he was going back home."

Jensen felt dread squeeze his heart, the same kind of feeling he had experienced the day he had found Briana was having an affair. A part of him couldn't believe it though, afraid that Jared had an accident, or that Christian was lying for no good reason.

"Well, thanks for the information," he replied, putting all his will into appearing unmoved, "I'll make sure Jared knows you were worried about him."

"Jensen…" Briana tried again, raising a hand to touch him but Jensen evaded her.

"No. I have a question of my own : how did Christian know where Jared would be ? Rafael's been playing us ?"

Briana put her hands back together, embarrassment tangible.

"No, he didn't know about Christian showing up. From what I gathered, they weren't very welcoming when he did."

"So I repeat, how did he know ?"

"I think Christian heard about it when he went to see Jared at his office the other day."

Right, he wasn't going to freak about that. Just because Jared hadn't precisely told him about this meeting didn't mean anything. He did say that he had settled the matter.

"Jared told him to call off his 'exotic hunk', or maybe it was 'erotic,' I'm not sure anymore, all I can tell…"

"Leave !"

"What ?"

"You heard me, leave ! I don't want to listen to you anymore."

"But why ?"

"You're not here for my sake, Briana. You make it look like you're here to warn me with unconfirmed hearsay just to put doubts in my mind about the man I love, and then you admit you knew about that shady plan of Christian's, his attempt to drive a wedge between us. You were part of that plan. My god, I can't look at you anymore !"

"Stop yelling at me ! It's not my fault your boy cheated on you !"

"Again, that's what you mean ? That he did just like you ? How could you ever imagine that even if it were true it would get us back together ?!"

"Because I love you, and he doesn't. And he's no better than me !"

"Fuck off ! You hear me ? Fuck off and don't come back !"

Jared was back later than he was supposed to be. A softer, darker light was beginning to embrace the vegetation as the night took over. Soon, summer would be here and Jared couldn't wait for the barbecues with friends and the more intimate nights spent stargazing with Jensen. He'd always had a special affinity for summer and knowing he would get to spend it this time with the man he loved made the prospect more appealing than ever.

He was surprised to find the house already dark, as if Jensen had gone to bed much earlier than ever. In doubt, he entered the house as silently as he was able – which was not saying much, his big frame didn't seem to allow for small, silent moves. But he tried, as disappointed as he was by the idea of not being able to cuddle with his lover as he longed to do since about five minutes after leaving him the previous day.

Still trying to get used to the black shadows of the house, he jumped and yelled in fright as he heard Jensen's voice from the corner the couch was set in.

"Where were you ?"

"Jensen ? Why are you in the dark ?"

"I asked you a question."

"You know where I was. Look, I'm sorry I'm late, I didn't want to scare you. I know I should have called but my phone's battery's been flat for most of the day. I guess I didn't plug it in right last night after we talked."

"Funny how those things always go flat at the worst moments."

Jared felt the awkwardness growing and wondered what was going on. He let his bag fall down on the floor and walked prudently towards the couch where he turned on the lamp he had brought from his place when he had moved in.

Jensen looked wrecked.

"Babe, what happened ?" Jared asked, sitting right next to his lover to take him in his arms.

But Jensen turned his head as Jared tried to kiss him and stood up in the same move.

"What's going on ?" he tried again, hurt beyond belief by Jensen's attitude.

"Where were you ?"

"Why do you keep asking me this when you know where I was ?"

Jensen looked at him then and Jared knew he didn't believe him. Probably had good reasons not to.

"Briana dropped by this afternoon. She had an interesting story to tell, about Christian looking for you at Ronen and Rafael's and finding out that you had left early in the morning."

Jared couldn't even think of any appropriate swear words as he realized Christian and Briana might have finally found the way to ruin his relationship with Jensen. So how could he find the words to explain where he had gone and what he had done. He felt dizzy, almost faint, knowing all too well what Jensen suspected, and his next words confirmed it.

"So do I have to believe her when she says that you found the first opportunity to go behind my back and fuck someone else ?"

He had to tell him everything if he hoped to make it right again. He had to, but there was still this freezing of his brain, this mental block he couldn't get past. And the more he waited, the more Jensen's faith in him failed. He saw it happening right in front of his eyes, the light dimming more and more as his lover thought it was happening all over again. That the one he loved had walked all over his feelings for a few moments of pleasure.

"Fucking Briana !" he finally spit out.

"That's all you have to say for yourself ?"

Jensen's tone was scathing as well as full of disbelief, and Jared couldn't take it anymore. He just ran away.

He didn't get that far, and made it to a place Jensen knew was kind of a safe haven for him, the one where Jensen had taken him for their first date, not long after Jared had kissed him for the first time. The view over the valley was breathtaking in daylight and even though there was more dark than light by now, it still had the power to make Jared feel that tiny bit better, to regain his breath before going back to Jensen once he had found the words he so desperately needed.

He didn't have to go back, for Jensen found him long before he even thought of going back in. He sat next to Jared, silent and guarded, and waited for him to explain himself.

Jared took a few deep breaths, glanced once or twice towards his lover, and finally opened his mouth.

"I didn't tell you the whole truth, but I didn't cheat on you. I swear, Jensen, I didn't. I couldn't, even if I didn't love you anymore, and I'm so fucking crazy about you."

"Where did you spend the day, Jared ? I want to believe you, but I'm not sure I can, not after…"

"I'm so sorry, babe. I know how much she hurt you, I shouldn't have done that. I should have told you, but I was so afraid to jinx it."

"What do you mean ?"

It was now or never.

"I went to see my parents."

He saw Jensen turn to him out of the corner of his eye.

"I thought they were in South America. Did they come back ?"

"They never left. That's the only lie I ever told you. Because I didn't want to admit to the truth in front of you or your family."

"What truth, babe ?"

The pet name was such a relief that Jared almost cried but he had to finish this first, lest he let his fears take over once again.

"That my father kind of disowned me when I came out. Imagine that, an evangelist with a gay son ! Unthinkable, and so gross ! He couldn't have the youth of the county believe that he supported in any way my filthy choices. So he told me to go away, that he would help me financially if I needed it but he didn't want to see me anymore."

"And your mother ?" Jensen asked, voice low and dangerous.

"I'm still in touch with her. I go to my sister's and we meet there. My father knows we're seeing each other, but as long as she doesn't bring it up, he doesn't say anything about it."

"I don't understand why you couldn't tell me this."

"Because when your parents asked about meeting mine, I felt so bad for lying, and I wanted my parents to see that I was building a good life, that being gay could also mean having a family, someone who loves me enough to want me to raise his kids with him. And there was this thought in me ever since, what if it's the way to convince my father he doesn't have to be ashamed of me ? So I went there today and I tried to talk to him."

Jensen found his hand in the dark of the night and Jared squeezed it tight.

"How did it go ?"

"Not well," he winced. "He told me that two wrongs don't make a right, and that finding a man living in the same sin as me didn't absolve me."

"Shit !"

"Yeah, I know. It was stupid of me to hope. I knew going in that his beliefs are very important to him, but I had to try. I shouldn't be so down that it didn't work out the way I wanted to."

"Jared, the way I see it, you've got nothing to be ashamed of. He does, and you might love him still and find him excuses, but I don't have to. If that man is stupid enough to pass on the opportunity to love a son like you, we don't need him in our lives. We're making our own family, that's all that matters."

Jared didn't wait for Jensen to take him in his arms before he launched himself at him for a feverish kiss.

"You have no idea how much I love you. The mere idea of ever losing you makes me sick and I can't breathe anymore."

"You're not going to lose me," Jensen answered with another kiss.

"No, I won't. Do you want to marry me ?"

Jensen laughed wetly.

"What ?" he sputtered.

"I know it's too soon, I just moved in and we haven't been together for so long, but I love you more than anything, Jensen. Please, tell me you'll marry me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I want that too," Jensen answered, and they sealed the deal with more kisses and a few tears of happiness.

Chapter Text

They had made love under the stars, just like any great romantic comedy Jared had ever secretly hoped to live in, and then again inside their bed.

They had kept on sharing words of love and forever, slept as little as possible in each other's arms.

Jared had never felt so secure and loved.

But as reality took over once more while Jared was driving to the city the next morning, the first thing he thought about was his need to rip off Briana's smile, the one she was certainly sporting today, thinking she had managed to drive them apart. Wiping the smugness off of her face with news of his own.

He had never gone to her shop, but he might have scouted the area a few times, just in case he needed to get a hold of her. The occasion was there and he was glad for his foresight that he didn't have to search for her a long while and get more agitated in the process. He was aware enough to realize he might already look a bit on edge.

The small bells at the door pealed pleasantly to announce his entry. Jared saw three heads raising from the magazines they had been checking out to look at him, but he only had eyes for one person.

Briana stopped smiling indeed, confronted with Jared's own smugness as he made his way to her.

"I wanted you to be the first to know," he maintained the suspense for as long as he was able to, dying to see in her eyes the hope of ever getting back with Jensen finally snuffed for good. "I asked Jensen to marry me, and guess what ? He said yes."

His triumph left Briana speechless, but the thirty-something couple she was working with beamed at him and offered their congratulations before they turned towards their wedding planner to do the same.

Jared left her to deal with the fallout of his big announcement.

Briana had never felt such fury begging to be let out as she drove to the nursery.

She had closed her store as soon as she was done with Kathleen and Gil and she might be losing jobs right now as well as collecting tickets for reckless driving, but she didn't care one bit. She wouldn't let Jared get away with the humiliation he had inflicted on her.

She found Jensen working among his usual crew but he dragged her far away when she began to yell at him like the worse termagant wife ever to express the kind of feelings she was actually harboring regarding Jared.

"You can't do this !" she yelled some more. "You've known him for what ? Six months at best ?"

"Ten months," Jensen patiently answered. "And we've been together for about six of them."

"Right, and now you want to marry him ?! Bummer ! Because we aren't divorced, so good luck tying the knot with your boy toy !"

"I called my lawyer, he's going to make sure the divorce gets finalized within a month."

"You can't do that," she repeated as if on autopilot.

Everything was crumbling around her and she had no idea how to make it stop.

"Yes, I can. For fuck's sake, Briana, you're the one who ended it, exactly one year ago. You need to own up to what you've done and let me go."

"I can't," she replied as the tears finally sprang from her eyes. "Why are you in such a hurry anyway ? Is he that good in bed ? Did you get him pregnant like you did with me ?"

She added the last insane bit in a laugh that sounded crazy even to her own ears.

"You know what ? That's enough. Where's the woman I married once, who had convictions and an open mind ? I don't know you anymore, and right now I don't even want to. We're going to stay apart and we'll revert to using mail if we need something from each other."

"You don't want to see me anymore ?"

"Not until the day you act like a decent woman again."

"But what about the kids ?"

"As long as we keep to our schedule, they'll be fine. Now excuse me but I've got work to do and no time to lose over this madness."

Jensen kept to his word and avoided her at all costs, using his horn to let her know he was waiting outside for the children whenever the schedule changed.

Katie didn't seem to have picked up on the new status quo but Dylan was older and more attuned to their parents' moods.

"Dad doesn't come in anymore," he placidly remarked on this Sunday morning as they heard honking from outside.

Jensen's parents were coming for lunch, probably so that the happy couple could announce their big news, and they had requested to see their grandchildren. The kids would spend the next week at their father's anyway, so they were leaving a day early. No big deal.

"Makes it easier and faster for all of us," Briana answered with a bright smile.

"I thought he might come and set up the swing set for Katie and the bars for me. You still haven't done it since Grandma Sam gave it to us for Christmas."

"I said I will, Dyl, so I will. We don't need your father to do it. You know what, I'll call Kim. She's good with that kind of thing."

Dylan sighed. Obviously, it was not the answer he was waiting for, but she had nothing else to offer. Jensen would come and do it if she asked him, but she didn't want him to resent her even more, thinking she was using the kids to go against his will.

And Kim was good at that kind of thing.

Turned out Kim was available immediately and looking for something to do on a long, boring Sunday at home.

The two of them began with the monkey bars. Briana had to admit she was rather inept at that kind of job but working under Kim's supervision was always fun so they made good progress until Briana's phone called her away.

Upon seeing it was her son calling, Briana answered in video mode.

"Hey baby, look who's here," she said, turning the camera towards her friend. "Kim, say hi to Dylan."

"Hi, Dylan," Kim said with a grin and a wave from her position on top of the ladder. "We're working for you, boy. You better show me soon how you use this."

"I will, promise," the boy answered. "Mom, can I talk to you ?"

She turned the camera back on herself.

"Sure, baby. What is it ?"

"I forgot my schoolbag this morning, can you bring it to me ?"

Briana bit her lip to buy time and think of a plausible excuse.

"Can't your father swing by here tomorrow before he drives you to school ?"

"He could, but I have some readings to do before class, and I can only do it this afternoon. Grandpa said he would read with me and they're not staying all day long."

"Very well," she sighed. "Give me half an hour and I'll be there."

True to his words, Dylan's schoolbag was lying forgotten at the foot of his bed. Briana picked it up and went back downstairs after she got dressed well enough to be potentially facing Jensen and Jared, not to mention her soon-to-be ex-in-laws.

Kim had already agreed to keep working while she dropped by Jensen's. She knew the house well enough to feel at home in her absence and they would eat lunch when she returned.

Maybe Jensen had wanted to offer Jared another set of parents to tide him over after the fiasco of his attempt at reaching his own father. Maybe learning about the way Jared had been treated after his coming out had overwhelmed him enough that he wanted to make sure Mitch and Amanda were still onboard with their relationship.

Whatever the reason, Jensen had invited his parents for lunch on another Sunday. And he wanted to tell them their big news.

The kids were there too, which made it a good moment on the sole virtue of their presence.

Meeting Jensen's parents for the first time had been a strange affair, full of sentences cut off before the end and stares that would promptly turn away as soon as Jared met the curious eyes. Jensen's father observed and didn't share much. Amanda made most of the conversation, sharing news of the whole family, distant cousins included, in a well-meaning effort to make sure Jared was feeling included. It was rather amusing to see how she got into more details every time Jared put his arms around Jensen' shoulders, or how she jumped to get the next plate or the coffee – "brewed at last !" – every time they shared a kiss.

As far as first meetings went, Jared had had worse. Mitch had shaken his hands to say goodbye, with a smile that didn't completely reach his eyes, but then the man had been quietly aloof through the whole meal.

"My father was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's about five years ago."

"But… why didn't you tell me ?"

Jensen shrugged, not meeting his eyes.

"I think I wanted you to meet him without this particular information to cloud your perception."

Jared took Jensen's face in his hands.

"Jensen, there's no shame in your father's illness," he said, delivering his message with a gentle swipe of his thumbs over Jensen's cheekbones.

"I know," Jensen answered, bringing one of his hands over Jared's, "and I don't think that's why I kept it from you until now. But I know him, he's a proud man and he deserved to meet you on equal footing."

Jared snorted.

"I don't think meeting your father as your lover, when your folks never imagined you as potentially interested in another guy, can make us equal in any way."

"Okay, maybe you have a point."

Jared kissed him before he sat down next to him.

"So what does that mean for him, and for his family ?"

"Right now, he forgets, especially new information. At times, he will ask you the same thing over and over again. Or he won't remember getting somewhere and how he did it – it took us two days to find his car this one time, because he couldn't remember where he had parked it. After that, Mom began to hide his keys. He's always been the silent type, but it's much more pronounced nowadays. And it will all get worse with time."

"How so ?"

"The confusion will worsen, the mood swings and the memory loss. Doctors said he might even have trouble speaking or walking or sleeping, get badly depressed or agitated. It feels like a losing battle."

"Did they say when, or if they can do something about it ?"

"I guess each patient is different, but they did say that good sleeping patterns and a healthy lifestyle may help slow down the process, as well as taking meds like antidepressants. Mom takes really good care of him, she follows every bit of advice to the letter, and most of the time, if you didn't know him before, it's hard to notice anything."

But today, armed with the knowledge of Mitch's illness, it looked pretty obvious that Jensen's father was feeling under the weather.

He kept forgetting parts of the conversation, had already asked three times where Briana was, and what was Jared's name again. Amanda had reassured her son and the children by telling them that Mitch had slept in and thus taken his meds later than usual and they needed time to kick in.

But Jared could see the toll it was taking on Jensen, the naked fear of the day his own father wouldn't recognize him anymore. Jared couldn't decide what was worse, being deliberately dismissed by one's father, or just simply erased from another's memories ?

Dylan and, even more, Katie were the only saving grace, laughing at what they thought to be jokes from their grandfather.

And then, in the middle of this quiet misery, Briana showed up and made herself at home.

The closer she got, the more certain Briana was that Dylan had in fact orchestrated everything in order to get his parents face to face and talking. And even if a small part of her questioned whether seeing Jensen again so soon after their last row was really a smart move, the biggest one was happy for the stratagem.

Maybe it was a sign : she was offered another chance to cancel this marriage.

Still, she found herself hesitating in front of the door. Should she ring or just go in ? What would be less likely to annoy Jensen and push him to throw her out ? Ringing probably, showing she respected his boundaries.

The door opened, and behind it stood Jensen's father, tall and proud as usual, and a smile lighting up his face as he recognized her.

"Briana ! My favorite daughter-in-law !" Mitch greeted her. "Here you are at last !"

"Hello, Big Daddy," she answered in a laugh, delighted to see him again, and she threw herself in his arms.

Mitch had always been very partial to Briana, in a way time and a divorce couldn't change. He didn't seem to find it strange to see her and brought her in with him.

As she appeared at the entrance of the dining room, Amanda welcomed her with something that sounded a lot like a squeal.

"Bri ?" Jensen let his surprise show. "What are you doing here ? Now ?"

She put on her most innocent smile but didn't have to explain as Dylan left the table to take his schoolbag from her.

"I called her, Dad. I needed my stuff for tomorrow."

"Briana," Mitch took her arm and led her to the table, "come sit next to me."

"Dad," Jensen tried, "I don't think Briana has time to stay."

"Nonsense ! Where else would she go ? This is her house, with her husband and children."

Briana waited for Jared's outraged outburst, or Jensen's snarky rebuff, but the two men remained silent. She got it then. It was one of those days when Mitch got confused, and no one wanted to distress him any more by telling him the truth. It was such a sad situation. And at the same time, one that worked to her advantage and she knew Mitch well enough to be sure he'd want her to use the opportunity.

She could see Jared fuming and Jensen trying to placate him with a kiss. It worked for a second but at some point Jared decided the room was too small for the both of them and he left towards the kitchen.

Score one for Briana.

"Don't get all worked up, Dad," she patted his hand to calm him down as he took back his seat at the table.

She loved the man. He had opened his heart up to her when she had married Jensen, and whatever would happen between her husband and her, she'd never abandon Mitch and she'd do right by him.

"Yeah, Dad," Jensen squatted in front of his father and took over the conversation as if he suspected foul play from her any moment now, "remember, this is my new house, the one I live in with Jared."

Mitch raised his head and looked at his son, long and hard, and then something seemed to pass over his face, like a house suddenly lighting up from the inside, through its windows. Somewhere in the depth of Mitch's brain, a connection had been restored, and it was plain to see for all of them. They chose to rejoice now and be scared later that whatever fugue state Mitch had been in for a while would probably be back sooner or later. Maybe permanently.

"The house," Mitch said. "I remember."

"That's good, Mitch, that's wonderful," Amanda gushed. "We've been here already, do you remember that too ?"

"I think so. Yeah, I do."

There was more staring, Mitch's eyes going from face to face, as if committing to memory every beloved person in the room. Briana thought of Jared as an outsider, but she knew that, because Jensen believed he was in love with the man, and because he meant a lot to his kids already, he would come to mean a lot to Mitch too. Providing of course that Mitch's brain would be able to retain enough of his memories to build feelings upon them.

"Yes, you did, Dad," Jensen said. "You came here for lunch with Mom, and Dylan and Katie, and Jared was here too. Remember you chatted about rose bushes ? You prefer them peach-colored, and he likes them blue."

"And purple," Jared added, suddenly back to slide his hand in the open one Jensen was offering him, an invitation to come closer.

Jared sat down on his knees next to Jensen, his other arm twining around Jensen's waist.

"Dad, we have some great news to share with you. Jared and I, we're getting married."

This was not any easier to hear the second time around. And this time, she had to deal with Jensen's delighted tone and his head-over-heels expression. Not to mention that everyone else was screaming and yelling.

Amanda tried not to cry and asked "why didn't you warn me ?!" as she also tried to salvage her make-up.

Dylan high-fived Jared and said "cool !" before briefly hugging Jensen – he was too old and too cool already for more.

Katie launched herself at her father's neck for a jealous cuddle only mitigated by a possibility she had just glimpsed, "can I be the flower girl ?" to which Jared replied "I'll accept no one else !"

Briana stayed put.

She thought it was rather amusing to see the two fiancés on their knees in front of one of the future grooms' father, as if asking for each other's hands. And Mitch was smiling at them, unperturbed by the fact that his son wanted to marry a man while the woman who was still legally his wife was only a few feet away.

And then Mitch extended both his hands, one he placed on Jensen's face and the other on Jared's, leaving the men speechless.

"I hope to see that day, and I'll do my best to be there," he vowed, "but know that whatever happens, you have my blessing. I want you to remember that for me."

This was blessing and legacy all in the same few words and despite herself, Briana still loved Jensen enough to be happy that he got this moment to share with his father and Jared.

They finally got back to their lunch, Amanda inviting Briana to share with them as if she was at home and had a say in that kind of decision. Briana looked at Jensen but it was Jared who nodded and went to fetch her a plate. She almost felt bad for thinking he could afford to act like a prince among men after being accepted into the family through something that reminded her of an induction of sorts.

The kids began to show restlessness as soon as they finished inhaling the dessert and Amanda suggested they all go for a walk. The idea was sound, the capricious weather seemed to relent for now.

Dylan and Katie took the lead, running as usual to follow their own games and fantasies at play while the adults trailed behind at a more sedate pace. The men somehow ended up together, and Amanda brought up the rear with Briana. It was evidently very deliberate on her part as she caught up with Briana and gently got her to walk arm in arm.

"You seem to be taking this new development rather well," Amanda said.

"This was nothing new, Jared had already told me."

"Really ? So the two of you are on speaking terms ?"

"Hardly ! I'd call it taunting terms at best."

Amanda squeezed her arm.

"You should let it go, Briana. You're a good mother, and a great woman. Find yourself someone else, because I can assure you, Jensen's not going to come back to you. Like it or not, Jared fills his world now."

"Easy for you to say ! You've been married to the same man more than three times longer than I was and Mitch didn't leave you for another guy, wondering if it was all a lie, if all he ever wanted was to fit the mold and have children."

"Come on, Briana ! Jensen might be gay nowadays, he's still the same loving man he always was. As for leaving you, I think you got your wires crossed as I remember very well Jensen being utterly distraught after you cheated on him."

"Okay," she admitted, properly chastised, "but don't try to make me believe that you're just happy your son 'might be gay nowadays'."

"I'm happy if my son is happy. I know you understand that feeling."

"Low blow, Amanda," she exclaimed.

Jensen turning around to watch them had the two women walking even slower. When they felt they were once more out of earshot, Amanda resumed the conversation.

"Listen, let's be honest here. Am I happy my son is gay ? I wouldn't care one bit if it wasn't for the fact that at some point someone is going to want to belittle him for it, and possibly hurt him, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. Do I like you more than Jared ? I don’t know Jared enough to give you a real, definitive answer. All I can say is that I was happy with Jensen's choice when he married you and I always gave you the benefit of the doubt that you had my son's best interests at heart, so I'll show Jared the same courtesy for the time being. And I'm also going to enjoy the wedding, if only because it will bring the whole family together and this will be a time of joy and celebration."

So much for hoping for support from the in-laws ! Jared showed up twice and they wanted him in the family, to celebrate even !

Well, they were going to get what they wished for.

"You know what, Amanda ? They will have the best wedding ever, and if you wonder how I can be so sure of it, that's because I'm going to plan it for them !"

Kim was so pissed when Briana arrived home three hours later than anticipated.

"What the hell, Bri ! If you wanted me to do all the work, there are more honest ways to ask for it. I even had to make myself lunch."

"Jensen and Jared are getting married," she replied, eyes swimming with tears, "and Katie wants to be the flower girl."

Kim looked at her with uncertainty. Briana could tell she was still pissed and she couldn't take that on top of everything else today.

"And I'm going to plan them the most beautiful wedding I've ever done," she claimed, defiant. "It will be my wedding gift."

"Oh, Bri."

Kim hooked her arms around Briana and let her weep on her shoulder for as long as she needed.

They were preparing dinner when Jared learned that Jensen's ex-wife had launched her next battle.

"Briana offered to plan our wedding," Jensen announced while passing him the plate to put on the dining table.

"She offered to what ?!!!"

Surely, Jared had heard wrong.

"I know," Jensen soothed him with a kiss. "I know it's not ideal, but she'll be there anyway…"

"What do you mean, she'll be there ?"

"Jared, she's the mother of my children. I can't get married again without inviting her. It would feel wrong to Dylan and Katie."

Really, what could Jared say ? He truly liked the kids and wanted them to be happy, to feel welcome in their new home, to feel it was their home just as much as their mother's house was, even with a new addition to the family.

"Okay, I get that. But how do you go from 'my single ex-wife is gonna mess up my table plan' to 'my jealous ex-wife is gonna plan my wedding to the man she hates ?'"

Jensen's expression turned pinched, sure sign that he was getting pissed with this conversation, or rather the spin Jared was very willing to put on it. But there was no doubt in Jared's mind that Briana only wanted to mess it all up for them (for him especially), make sure they had the worst wedding day to surpass all bad wedding days.

"Look," Jensen forced himself to patience, "she's a professional. And whatever you might think of her, she's not a bad person. She might not do it for you, but she won't want me to be disappointed or unhappy on the day I vow to spend the rest of my life with you. I gotta trust her on that."

Maybe he had to, but Jared was under no such obligation.

"She offered," Jensen went on, "so we'll get a professionally planned wedding for free. And you know it will be better than anything we could come up with, because neither of us has time to deal with all this in the way we deserve. So I figured accepting her offer would not only appease her but it will also be the way to ensure we have the best day we can. I don't know about you, but that's the only thing I care about here, making memories with you that last a lifetime and help me remember our commitment to each other, and how much I love you."

Jensen could be so trusting, so naïve one might say, and yet Jared loved him for that too.

He still had so many misgivings, but he guessed Briana would be their wedding planner, for better or for worse.

Jared hadn't found a way yet to say no to Jensen, it seemed.

Maybe it was a good thing to keep Briana close in the end. If Jared had to deal with her at all, he was definitely going to use it to make sure she wouldn't sway Jensen's will. Keep his enemy close, or close enough, because he wasn't fooled by her act. She wanted Jensen still. Planning their wedding was just a way to insert herself in their lives and look for the weakness in their relationship she could exploit, the leverage to break them up.

Jared wasn't about to let her do that.

As for planning their wedding… indeed, why not ? She certainly knew her job, but Jared had very firmly fixed ideas about the way it was going to happen and he let her find out at the very first meeting scheduled for Jensen and him to discuss what they wished for.

"I had a really good idea about the venue…" Briana tried, only to find herself cut off by Jared.

"I guess Jensen didn't tell you, but we already found the place where we want to get married."

Jared took his phone out and looked for the many photos he had taken on his visit.

"This is the old manor our friends Ronen and Rafael are renovating and I'm working with them on restoring the garden back to its former glory."

"I'm sure it's a great idea, but it looks a bit bare at the moment."

"It's a work in progress, but the place will be ready to host us in July."

"How many people are you counting on ?"

"Anywhere between 50 and 70, we're still waiting for a few RSVPs. Especially from his big-ass family," he added, pointing to Jensen.

"Stop criticizing, man. That family's gonna be yours too, soon."

"I didn't think about it that way, but you're right. Okay, we're still waiting for a few RSVPs from our beautiful family."

Jared could see Briana grinding her teeth and he felt like a winner.

"Knowing quite well what kind of flowers Jensen grows," she offered next, "I also put a bit of thought into the theme we could go for…"

"I'm stopping you right there. Jensen's not going to work for his own wedding, or it will be only to tell you who to contact to buy our flowers from. I want rainbow roses and blue delphiniums. A table runner made of Hydrangea quercifolia – oakleaf hydrangea in case you didn't know – a mix of white and red ruby slippers cultivar. Bouquets of blue, purple, pink and white Lupinus polyphyllus – garden lupin - all around the place…"

"All very subtle, Jared. And phallic," Jensen interrupted in mid-voice.

"Well, the ceremony is about two guys knotting, sorry, tying the knot, so something has to remind us of that fact."

"You don't think two tall guys in tuxes, one of them a giant, would be enough for that purpose ?"

"And where would be the fun in that ?"

"In that case, maybe we could use cockscomb flowers," Jensen deadpanned, putting the emphasis on cock.

Jared cracked up and leaned to kiss his gorgeous and smart fiancé.

"Alright," Briana stopped them too soon, "you guys know your flowers, I get that, but I'm sure there are a few fields where my own expertise can be of service. What about the food ? Or the wine ? I'm in touch with this incredible winemaker in California and I know Jensen loves his wine."

"Sure, we can look into it. But there has to be beer too."

"Beer ?!"

"Most of my buddies drink beer and I want them to enjoy the meal."

"Maybe you also want burgers and fries for them ?" Briana snarked.

Ha ! He was finally getting a rise out of her.

"That's actually a very good idea. What do you think, Jensen ?"

Jensen looked like a deer caught in the headlights. A deer who was trying to fish his phone out of his jeans' front pocket.

"Sorry, need to take this call," he said, standing up.

Before anyone could stop him, Jensen walked out of the shop to answer his call. Funny, Jared hadn't heard any buzzing or ringing. He hadn’t even seen Jensen pushing the button to connect with the caller. The traitor ! Jensen had abandoned him to deal with Briana alone ! He narrowed his eyes at his lover's retreating back.

"I see he's still using that old trick," Briana said, following Jensen with her eyes too. "And you've already learned to not fall for it."

Jared sighed and hung his head. He didn't want to acknowledge they had anything in common.

He raised his head back up, pushing his hair back at the same time.

"I admit neither of us is making it easy for him. So let's keep at it and give him a bit of time to regroup."

Briana studied him before she nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Right. Let's get back to the wine. Jensen likes it white."

And it was going wrong already.

"Really ? Are you sure he does, or did he tell you so because he knew you loved it white and he wanted you to be happy ?"

Briana bit her lip to refrain from answering Jared's nagging but he wasn't done with her anyway.

"I think he likes it better red, so red it will be !"

"Because you're such a giver!" she spat out.

He gave her his most genuine smile.

"In fact, that's exactly who I am. That's why I have prepared a menu for you with everything Jensen and I would like on it for the reception."

Briana took the list he gave her and read it over, and it seems he had finally rendered her speechless.

"I'll leave you to study that. I need to get back to work too and I imagine Jensen is getting impatient. You have my number, you can text me for details."

He stood up to leave but remembered a detail that had been grating on him for a while.

"By the way, considering you're planning my wedding to Jensen, it would be in very good taste for you to stop wearing the ring he gave you in another lifetime. It's been a year already. It's time to move on."

Although she had retired a couple of years ago, putting an end to a long and fulfilling career as a teacher, Briana's mother had never really stopped working. She was still teaching, albeit for free, working for an association that helped single mothers who had difficulties keeping a job and taking care of their children at the same time. Sam came in as a homework tutor and quickly expanded the extent of her involvement when she realized many of those kids lacked the basic teaching to understand and enjoy learning, when they were already missing standard amenities and materials to work with.

So Sam taught remediation classes at the after-school center, but she was not happy doing just that. She had petitioned the city council for subsidies, and also made a round of the richer parts of town to encourage people to donate. Money or gift, she'd take it all, and she had organized enough like-minded friends that she was always storing all sorts of things to redistribute as need came up or to celebrate a kid's birthday. She had this Facebook page Amber had set up for her and that anyone could see where she listed everything delivered to her, and everything leaving for a new, good home – without names and addresses, sure, so it all relied on the trust the donors put in Sam, but she believed it helped people feel more generous if they were made to feel good about their donation.

She went at this like a general organizing her next campaign, enlisting her two daughters' services to list the new items, take pictures for the website, and finally wrap them up in case they were deemed good enough to become someone's next birthday gift.

Today just like once every month, Amber and Briana had been requested to come help. Briana's somber mood had ensured there was far less chitchat than usual and they were making good progress. Until Sam decided to stir up the hornet's nest.

"Will Jensen invite me to his wedding ?" she asked Briana.

"Why would he ? And why would you want to be ? You two are no longer family. Or you won't be soon enough."

"Nonsense. I've always loved him like a son, and I know the feeling is mutual. Besides, at the rate you and Amber are going, he's likely to be the only son-in-law I'll ever have."

"Mom," Amber chided her, not even looking up from her laptop, "stop toying with Briana's insecurities. And you know full well Jensen will invite you, and probably me too."

"I know no such thing. But Dylan and Katie will be there as well as Briana, so I want to go too."

"It's not like I've ever wanted to go to Jensen's wedding to someone else, Mom," Briana reminded her, righteously pissed. "In fact, it's taking all of my self-control not to smash something right into his and Jared's faces to show them how it feels."

Sam considered her with a gentle smile.

"There, you said it. Feeling better now ?"

"No. No, I don't, because you know, I'm still the one left behind while Jensen is getting a new life and a new love. And I hate it. I hate them at times."

"Baby, I raised you better than that."

"Sure, you made such an excellent job of fucking us up. Amber's been on one psychoanalyst's couch or another for the better part of fifteen years, and I'm divorcing my husband because it turns out he's gay. Not so much to brag about, is there ?"

It was too late to take back the words when she realized how hurtful she had tried to be.

"I'm sorry," she whined, "I don't know why I'm like that. I hate myself too, sometimes."

"Don't," her mother simply said. "It's okay to feel hurt and to want to get it out. You have to if you want to get over it someday."

"But it's not okay to hurt you, my family. It doesn't help anything. I need to get ahold of myself."

Amber finally raised her head.

"Want the address for a good psychoanalyst's couch ?" she offered in the most innocent tone.

"Bite me," she replied.

Back at home at the end of their respective work days, Jared had made him pay for the way he had disappeared from that first meeting, when all Jensen had wanted was to avoid standing between past and new lovers and add fuel to the simmering fire by saying the wrong thing.

For a few hours only – but it had been a few very long and deadly boring ones to Jensen – Jared had sat in front of him instead of next to him. He had entirely stopped cuddling, and kissing was out of fashion. Jared hadn't bothered answering any question or opened up to any offer of discussion.

On the other hand, he had scoffed at Jensen's suggestion that he act like an adult. Not long after that, standing up to go to bed, he had begun a slow retreat that looked suspiciously like a striptease.

His shirt had gone first, soon followed by his undershirt, both lying forgotten on the hardwood flooring. By the time Jared passed the living room entrance, his belt was opened and his jeans had been unbuttoned, sliding over Jared's ass to give the most enticing glimpse of his boxers to push Jensen to follow, at the risk of being rebuffed.

By the time Jensen caught up with his lover, Jared was in the bathroom already, jeans at his feet and pulling down his underwear. Naked at last, he stepped away from his clothes and opened the door to the shower stall. Jensen had had a mighty fine idea to install such a big thing where the both of them could fit together.

Which was sadly not the plan tonight. Jared closed the door behind himself, and if he was still naked in plain sight for Jensen to see, the glass walls felt too heavy between them, almost unbreakable.

Jensen stayed there, watching Jared touch himself openly, pleasure written all over his face. It certainly wasn't the first time he got to admire Jared in one of these moments, big hands roaming over the most sensitive parts of his body, and all Jensen wanted was to be able to touch too. To caress and to suck, to nip and to lick, to fall on his knees to worship Jared's hard cock the way it deserved.

It was a strange feeling, knowing his stare, his frustration and his desire were all a huge part of Jared's quick escalation towards climax, and yet they were totally apart at this instant. The symbol wasn’t lost on him, or the lesson Jared was just imparting to him, but it was mixed signals at best, the erotic show far too sensual and pleasurable to rebuke Jensen or stop him from dropping his own pants and assorted clothes to take himself in hand, mirroring Jared's every move to make sure his lover got his own message, that they were together, always.

And like a magical sesame, or maybe it was just Jared's own lust forcing him into a more open attitude, the door to the shower stall opened up to invite him in, and Jensen didn't give him time to change his mind.

They kissed after that, and touched and made love, before sliding between the bed sheets still naked to feel each other without any barrier this time, same symbol in reverse, and the gratification of contact and warmth to make sure the lesson stuck.

All those memories flooded his awareness as he woke up the next morning. The sun was hardly up but he could make out the contour of Jared's body as he lay asleep on his belly, glorious ass close to Jensen's face thanks to the way he had once again slept all over Jared.

At times, Jensen couldn't believe his luck that this man, this incredibly beautiful man, inside and out, had chosen him. That he was going to get to enjoy him and their relationship for the rest of his life, provided he didn't let anyone fuck it up for him, himself included.

He bent a little to get closer to Jared's nearest ass cheek and let his mouth wander, feasting on supple skin and the moans of pleasure Jared soon couldn't keep inside.

"I can't even be mad at you for waking me up," Jared mumbled in his pillow between two of those moans.

"Do you want me to stop ?"

Jensen felt sure enough of the answer that he kept on kissing every inch of Jared's ass. He was in no way prepared for Jared suddenly moving, pushing him back to lie down and then sitting on his thighs to take control momentarily.

"My turn to play," he announced, eyes still full of sleep but gleaming in the early morning light with all his body's need.

Jared was hard and he wanted Jensen to do something about it, obviously. Now.

"Kiss me," Jensen demanded.

Jared obeyed despite his previous words, bending down to press his lips against Jensen's, again and again. Jensen's hands found themselves mapping Jared's ass just like they always did if it was at all possible. It didn't surprise Jared anymore, who loved it and encouraged him to play anytime he wished.

Not that Jensen needed the encouragement, really.

"You're still all lubed up," he discovered with delight, a remnant of their earlier activities, when Jensen had taken Jared right before they slept.

"Not enough," Jared refuted his assumption. "Get to work, old man, if you want to get inside me."

Jensen loved heavy foreplay, as much as he loved Jared's body. He would never pass on any opportunity to do more of both. So he applied himself to prepare Jared for penetration as thoroughly as he could, once again rewarded with moans that were getting louder and louder.

Jared's hands were all over Jensen's body at the same time and it was becoming really hard to focus on anything else than the need to be inside Jared. But it was just as hard on Jared who finally raised himself, lifting his ass over Jensen's fully erect dick and using gravity to join them to the point where they felt they could never be separated anymore.

"Want to stay like this forever," Jared said as he made a slow rolling move with his hips, looking for the best angle for Jensen's cock to tantalize his prostate.

Another moan escaped the confines of his throat and Jensen bent his knees, ready to support Jared for as long as he wished in that same position. He too wanted to be there forever.

Briana kept rereading the same page when she heard the sound of little feet running down the stairs. An educated guess had her figuring Katie would soon appear and she was right.

As soon as Katie spotted her sitting on the couch, she threw herself in her mommy's arms and hid her face in her neck. Briana held her and smiled, comforted by her warmth and the pleasant clinging, for a change, of someone she loved.

It was a fairly addictive feeling, being needed by someone else.

Still, it was late and Katie should really be in bed.

"What are you doing up, missy ?"

"I had a bad dream."

"A bad dream, really ? What kind of bad dream ?"

"I was in the shop with Daddy and Jared and we were looking for my dress and they disappeared and I was all alone."

Even without her glasses, Katie always looked serious and thoughtful. So cute, and so endearing.

"You said it, it was just a bad dream. It's not possible in real life, your Daddy would never leave you alone. He loves you too much for that."

It might have been enough reassurance for Katie who let go of the topic and chose to discuss something far more critical.

"Mommy, I want to wear a fairy's dress to the wedding, to be just like Daddy."

"You what ? Why do you think your dad will wear that ?"

"I heard Ralph talk about it at school."

Ralph was Dylan's best friend. Or rather former best friend, as the boys had a falling out not that long ago, and now the reasons had become painfully clear for Briana.

She thought back of the day Dylan had learned about the wedding to come and hoped his aloofness wasn't a sign that he was distancing himself from his father to make sure no one would ever think he could be like him. She would need to sit him down and get down to the roots of any potential problem.

"Sweetheart," she said to Katie, "I don't think Ralph meant what you think."

"So what ?"

"Err, let's say he was having fun at your daddy's expense, in a not very nice way."

"I don't understand."

How do you explain to a six-year-old several thousand years of prejudice based on – in no particular order – religion, species reproduction necessities and outdated societal expectations ?

"Well, some people think that two men, or two women, shouldn't be together. So when they see your daddy and Jared living in the same house, sleeping in the same bed, it looks wrong to them."

"Why ?"

"That's a good question, and I don't think there's only one answer, you'll have to ask those people. But the bad part, the one that hurts the most, is that when people don't like what someone else does, they tend to give them bad names. And fairy is one of those names."

"But I like fairies !"

"That's okay, sweetheart, and I'm very proud of you, because you love people and you don't judge them."

"That's why you're so angry with Daddy ?"

"No! No, baby, never ! I was angry because he's found someone other than me, not because of Jared."

Katie thought about it all for a while, playing with the ears of the stuffed rabbit she had dragged downstairs with her.

"That's why Dylan doesn't see Ralph anymore ?" she wondered next.

"I guess, but you'll have to ask your brother."

"I liked him, he never pushed me away when I wanted to play with him and Dylan."

"I know you liked him. People are not all bad, you know, and sometimes they are nice to someone and cruel to others. You have to help them understand they're hurting people with their attitude."

"Can I wear a fairy dress anyway ?"

Briana laughed and kissed Katie's hair. She had such a wonderful daughter !

"I don't see why not, but why don't you talk about it with your dad, hm ? And Jared too, I'm sure they'll have good ideas for you. Now back to bed with you !"

Jensen spent most of his days standing, walking around the nursery's grounds and doing hard work. He considered himself in pretty good shape and had the stamina to prove his love to Jared as often as the younger man wanted to.

But he was discovering that walking around a wedding trade fair like the one Briana had dragged him to, so they could sample ideas and further their planning, involved the use of muscles he didn't stretch enough on a regular basis. Or maybe it was the bore of it all, trying to match Briana's enthusiasm for details that would never come to his attention if left to his own devices.

Why should he care about the size and color of the wedding cake as long as it was good and Jared loved it ? What would the color of the napkins change as long as the man he loved stood by his side and said yes ?

Every time one of those questions popped up in his mind, he thought of the love and attention he brought to his plants, how each detail was important when it was about them. Or about Jared. If something made Jared happy, then Jensen was happy, it was just as easy as that.

So he did his best not to drag his feet too much and followed Briana's whims as they arose, along the colorful and varied exhibitor's stands they were passing by.

The only item Jensen felt interested in was the wedding cake figures designed and sold by an artist who loathed the bland figures generally used and had it as her mission to create personalized dolls to symbolize the new couple. You needed only to provide a picture of yourself and your intended – she loved the old word, saying it trampled over the gender problem and already showed your faith in each other – and to choose a style among the displayed examples, and then she'd come up with very personal figures, truly artistic representations of the lovers on the day they celebrated their commitment to each other.

Jensen had been attracted by the small figures showing two men kissing deeply, passionately even, and all he wanted was to make it about Jared and himself in the same kind of fashion. Luckily, he had tons of pictures of them together on his phone, and quite a few showed them kissing. There was even one where Jensen tipped Jared back, in a mock reenacting of some more traditional man-woman feverish kissing movie scene. Jared's leg was up, and he was holding on for dear life with his arms around Jensen's neck, but still all you felt looking at this pic taken by a friend on the night of the housewarming party was that they had been lost inside the kiss and the feelings they shared.

Once he was done arranging details with her and leaving a deposit, he found Briana gazing at the figures that had inspired him.

"Do you have any idea when we stopped loving each other ?" she asked, never taking her eyes off of the two male figures kissing for dear life.

"Not really. I guess it happened bit by bit. Just the normal erosion of any regular relationship. And then you met Massi."

Briana tensed. She never liked being reminded how she was the one who put them in the situation they had to deal with now, and while he had found the best reason to be happy with the circumstances, he could understand why she might be feeling bitter.

A newfound resolution appeared on Briana's face as she linked their arms together and got them walking down the fair's aisles once again.

"Come back home," she said.

"What are you going on about ? I'm marrying Jared, that's precisely the reason why we're in this particular place today."

"That's okay. But you can live with us, with your family. We miss you so much, Katie and Dylan need their daddy home. I promise I will adapt, I won't stand between you and Jared. Just come back home."

"That's such a crappy idea, I don't know how you could think for even a second that it has any chance to work, or for me to say yes."

"Modern couples do that, for the sake of their children."

"And what about Jared's sake ?"

"He will understand if he really loves you."

"Oh, cool, as long as Jared understands. So what's the deal ? I live with you, Dylan and Katie, share my meals and my free time with you, go to work, and spend what ? one or two hours with my husband after the kids have fallen asleep, make love to him and ask if he had a good day before coming back to my bed in the old house just to be close to the kids. Because that's definitely what modern couples do !"

Briana winced but didn't let go of her idea.

"There has to be a way to make it work."

"No, there's no way it could ever work, not if Jared was living with us or we were living in close quarters in separate buildings. Would you even be asking me this if Jared was a woman ?"

"It's so easy for you, meeting the new love of your life and leaving me in the dust. Everyone is blaming me and so happy for you !"

"You really think it was easy for me, meeting a gay man at 35 and finding myself falling in love with him ?! Being seen suddenly as a fag by you, my children, my family and my friends, and dealing as graciously as I can with the fact that everyone has something to say about it ?"

"Because you think I had it so easy when it became clear I had lived for twelve years with a… a fairy," she spat back.

Jensen recoiled as if Briana had chosen the word on purpose, and maybe she had, because the possibility was very real that Dylan had talked with her about the way some of his friends had let him down when they discovered that his father now batted for the other team.

It was painful to admit that they had lost everything he and Briana had ever shared, but he had to accept this new truth and protect himself, and most of all protect Jared from this despicable venom that kept on being spewed at them. If Jensen wanted his new life happy and successful, with solid roots and a healthy growth, if he had to cut the rotten older parts, then so be it.

"We're done here," he said with finality. "You're not planning our wedding anymore. See you in court."

There was a new spring in his step as he left her and their old life behind.

The universe had conspired against her. First Jensen tossed her aside without a second thought, and now she was getting an email from the court clerk with the date and hour she was to be at the hearing to finalize the divorce.

She looked at her maiden name featuring right next to the one she had taken when she married Jensen, and a sense of complete dread took her. As if the last ten years were about to be erased, her sense of self dissolved along her memories.

She couldn't stay here alone, she had to be with someone or she would do something stupid like begging Jensen once again to take her back.

Kim ! Kim would be there, in her flower shop, where Briana always felt at home surrounded by prettiness and friendship.

Kim was there, but she already had company. And not just any client.

Oh no, Briana easily recognized the brunette who had seduced Kim at Jensen and Jared's party. The very sexy brunette, now that she wasn't wasted, charming as she leaned down on the counter to let her cleavage do its job. She also had a fantastic ass, long wavy hair, and Kim was smiling back at her like they hadn't already hooked up.

"Kim !" Briana said, putting on her most winning smile.

She had lost her husband, she wasn't about to lose her best friend too, not to that woman !

And yet, when Kim raised her head, it seemed for a second that she didn't recognize her, still lost in the fantasies the other woman reminded her of.

"Oh, hey, Bri ! Sorry, I was talking with Anabelle. You remember her ?"

"No, should I ?"

"I do remember you," Anabelle said. "You're Jared's boyfriend's ex-wife."

"Not yet," Briana replied just to contradict her, "still married to Jensen. Actually, that's what's bringing me here. Kim, can I talk to you ?"

"Bri, I was working here…"

"Please, it's really important."

She saw the struggle between wanting to be there for her and the need to think of herself, have a little fun with the pretty woman who had tracked her down to her business just for a chance to see her again. It was pretty clear Briana had to get rid of that woman right now.

"I'm sorry, Anabelle. I hate to ask, but could you give us a moment, please ? I need Kim. We're so close, we have been for years, together against the world. She's my shoulder to lean on, my harbor in any tempest."

Anabelle quicky took the bait. Her smile disappeared before she gathered her purse and cardigan.

"I don't want to impose or get in the way and I know where I'm not wanted. I'll leave you two to chat."

Kim followed her, trying to tell her she didn't have to go, but Anabelle was in a snit and left in a hurry.

"What was that ?" Kim asked, beyond perplexed, when she was back next to Briana.

Briana didn't really know what took her then but the impulse was too strong to be denied. She took just one step and leaned to kiss Kim, right on the lips.

Then they stared at each other for a very long moment, thoughts disintegrated by the significance and range of the move Briana had just made.

"What was that ?" Kim repeated, but this time her voice seemed strangled somewhere down in her throat. "Tell me you're not using me to reassure yourself that you're still capable of winning some contest that exists only in your head ?"

"I'm not using you."

"Okay. So once again, what was that ?"

"Not using you. I'm just…"

She was lost for words. Kim raised an eyebrow at her, waiting until Briana was literally saved by the bell signaling a new client entering the shop.

Time to flee.

But Kim knew her too well and she stopped any motion before Briana had time to do it with a hand squeezing her wrist.

"Until you know," she said, and her voice was hard and cutting in a way Briana had never heard before, "you never do this again, and you never try to use me either. Now shoo !"

Kim let go of her arm and Briana ran away, still shocked with herself.

Briana had recently found in the garage a few six-packs, probably bought by Jensen before their split-up.

Today, having lunch on her lonesome and on the occasion of the court hearing three hours later, she had decided to open a bottle and toast it to the dreams she had made one day that were all going down the drain with the formalization of her divorce. She wouldn't get Jensen back, so Jensen wouldn't get his beers back.

One bottle had turned into two, and then three, and soon the whole pack was gone. She was debating tearing through the next one when Amber arrived. Taking in the empty bottles and the five other six-packs waiting on the lunch table to be consumed, she was quick to assess Briana's state and realize the problem they were facing.

In true big sis fashion, she didn't ask any questions before she dragged Briana in front of the kitchen sink to put her head under the faucet and drench her in cold water.

Sputtering and furious, Briana didn't manage to escape Amber's hold before a long moment, ensuring that the cold had set her straight, or close enough.

"Go change," Amber ordered, "and I'll have something ready for your headache."

Briana did as she was told, letting Amber boss her around and finding herself soothed for the time being by the numbness that had taken hold of her, as well as the fact that she didn't have to make life-altering decisions at this very moment.

"You can still change your mind," Amber softly suggested as Briana was taking her ibuprofen.

"The papers are signed already," she murmured.

She didn't want to talk about it.

When it was time, Amber took her to the car, told her to buckle up and got into the driver's seat. Briana closed her eyes and attempted to sleep, to no avail. It took them less than half an hour to stop in front of the courthouse, the place where all would be over soon.

"Listen to me !" Amber snapped her fingers repeatedly in front of Briana's face to get her attention, only to get them swatted away by Briana's own hand. "I'll be back to take you home but I can't wait with you, I have an appointment. Call me when you're done, okay ? I'll be back as soon as possible."

Jensen was already there. He took in Briana's appearance but didn't comment, keeping his greeting to a simple hello that Briana answered with a nod.

She didn't feel quite up to speech yet. It might be a good thing, not being able to beg Jensen to keep her or spew more venomous words at him and Jared, but on the other hand, keeping her head down allowed her to listen to Jensen talking with his lawyer who was present for some reason.

"They have a great relationship," Jensen was saying. "Jared's taking them to practice or to the movies alone now. I think he was a bit reluctant at first because he was afraid I wouldn't like it, or that I thought he was trying to steal my thunder, but I reassured him and it's been going really well since then. He was made to have children."

Briana almost snarked then that Katie and Dylan would never be Jared's children. But the lawyer whispered something else that Briana couldn't decipher.

"We've talked about adoption," Jensen answered, "someday, eventually. We even broached the subject, very cautiously, with Dylan and Katie, to tell them it was a possibility."

Wait ! Was that why the lawyer was here ? To take her children away too and give them to Jared ? Was that even a possibility ?

Before she had time to ask what the fuck they thought they were doing, a clerk opened the door to the courtroom and ushered them in.

Judge Daniel Henney was presiding over the hearing. A tall man in his early forties, he looked focused but not quite interested as he discussed details of the separation with Jensen's lawyer – the house to Briana, the nursery to Jensen, alimony and such – until he turned his eyes on her.

And Briana couldn't lie anymore.

"You don't look well," the judge declared.

"I don't want to divorce," she said in utmost misery.

"You don't ?" he repeated, offering her a chance to go on.

"No, all I ever wanted was to be with Jensen again and be happy. But Jared stole him from me, and now he wants to steal my children too, and I can't…"

A sob escaped her.

"Who's this Jared ?" Judge Henney turned to Jensen for an answer.

"His lover," Briana beat him to it. "My husband left me for a man !"

"Is this relationship serious ?" the judge asked Jensen again.

Briana didn't give him the opportunity to answer any more than the first time.

"That's what we're all wondering, your honor."

"Your honor," Jensen's lawyer took back control of the conversation, "what my client's soon-to-be former wife is trying to say, through the fumes of the alcohol she visibly ingested before this hearing, is that after she cheated on him, Mr. Ackles met someone who became a friend first, who helped him cope with being single again and not seeing his children all the time as he was used to. That's how the two men fell in love and they are now living together, ready to get married once Mr. Ackles' former ties are severed. It's quite certainly the most serious relationship, even though Ms. Buckmaster seems to be experiencing some trouble with facing the truth."

"It may be so, Mr. Rennie, but I think I need to know a bit more about the situation. This hearing is over, we'll reconvene at a later time to see if an agreement has been reached at last. The case remains pending."

Judge Henney banged his gavel.

Briana didn't wait for Amber to pick her up.

She felt terrible, and the look Jensen had sent her before he left the courthouse, full of hurt and anger, had made her feel even worse. Like the scum of this Earth, something rotten to its core that had no right contaminating the lives of the people she professed to love.

She didn't want to be like that, but every time she saw Jensen, something deep inside of her awoke and she couldn't help wanting him back. Whatever the consequences.

A quiet park, not far from the courthouse, offered long sidewalks and soothing shadows to give her time to lick her wounds before she had to face the music. She wandered aimlessly, trying to find peace again only to be met head on by the harshest criticism, that which she directed at herself. No comprehension, no excuses. She had acted like a bitch, a drunk one at that, and maybe she would be forgiven someday, but she could never forget she had done that to Jensen and their family.

She had time to repeat those words many times to herself as the sky opened up and poured gallons of water right over her head, or so it seemed. For the second time today, she was drenched, but this time she had no way to dry her hair or clothes. Maybe it was time to call Amber.

As she began to make her way out of the park, her finger passed over Jensen's name and she couldn't resist calling him.

"What do you want now ?" he asked with a sigh, but she was too relieved to see he still answered to take it badly.

"To say I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me, I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay," Jensen sighed again.

"Really ?"

It was that easy ?"

"If you're seriously sorry, and you intend to go to the judge and tell him you agree to divorce, I'll forget about the rest."

"I… I'll send an email tonight to offer my apologies, explain the situation and ask for a new hearing date. I just need you to promise you won't take the children away from me."

"Why would I do that ?!"

"I heard what you said to your lawyer, about Jared adopting the kids."

"Bri, I was talking about having another child someday. A child Jared and I will raise together. If it comes to that, maybe we'll adopt, that's all there is to it."

This pill wasn't any easier to swallow. She had never even imagined Jensen having kids with someone other than her but now she had to and…

She hardly heard the kick scooter as she exited the park, nor did she really feel the collision, and she lost consciousness to the sound of Jensen yelling her name.

When she had woken up in Christian's hospital, Briana had asked a nurse to give Dr. Keyes the heads-up about her presence and see if he could come and see her. Her phone was dead for good after the shock and the fall, but she knew he would be able to get her in touch with Jensen or Jared.

Christian had visited her, as soon as he was able to leave his office and patients, and called her ex, who he found in a frenzied worry after hearing the accident and not being able to get in touch with Briana again.

Now Christian was standing at the door, hidden in shadows, as Jensen and Briana reunited. She was sitting in her hospital bed, neck supported with a collar, and she was lapping up Jensen's attentions like a starved woman presented with an all-you-can-eat buffet. And Jensen had been so scared, he was ready to promise anything.

Christian took his phone and dialed Jared's number. It took five good rings before Jared answered.

"What do you want ?"

"To reassure you about Briana."

"What about Briana ?

"Jensen didn't tell you ? She was in an accident this afternoon."

"What happened ? Was Jensen with her ?"

"No, it was after the hearing. She felt bad about her behavior so she called him. She was distracted and got in the path of a scooter."

"She's in your hospital ?" Jared guessed.

"Yes, and she asked me to call Jensen since her phone was dead."

"Of course she did. Jensen's here now ?"

"He is, want to see him ? Hold on !"

He didn't wait for Jared's answer before switching to FaceTime and pointing the device at the devoted couple Jensen and Briana formed right now, the husband holding his wife's hand in his and then soon bringing it to his lips.

"I'm sorry," Jensen said, "I've been so selfish. I'll… I'll do as you asked, I'll come back to the house and take care of you. And forget about the divorce right now."

Of course, Christian knew he was just talking about the time Briana needed to heal, and to forget about scheduling the new hearing today when it was too late to do something about it. But Jared didn't and there was no reason to bring him up to speed at this very moment.

Her whole body was hurting, but nothing was broken, and Jensen had said he would come back home !

He would be back tomorrow to talk with the doctors in case Briana wasn't released in the morning, and in the meanwhile had arranged for Kim to visit her.

She told her about the hearing, and the way she had frozen and just couldn't do it.

"At least you apologized, and you're ready to make things better."

"I was, but listen, it gets better already. Jensen was so scared by my accident that he decided to come back home to me !"

The triumph in her voice didn't match the grim look on Kim's face.

"And you accepted his offer ?"

"Or course I did ! That's all I ever wanted for months !"

Briana took another good look at Kim, suddenly not so sure of herself.

"You know what ?" Kim finally said. "You've gone too far this time. You can lose my number. And forget my name. Find another florist for your weddings, too."

"Kim, what are you saying…"

"I'm saying if you're capable of doing this to a man you pretend to love, then I don't want to be friends with you. I thought you were different, that you had too much self-respect and love for people to ever act in such a way. Jensen loves Jared, it's mutual and they want to live their lives together. They wanna get married, for fuck's sake ! You don't get to destroy them and be happy about it without me telling you you're making the biggest mistake of your life and I won't let you think it's a good thing or that I have your back on this. So goodbye !"

Kim stood up, gathered her jacket and purse and walked to the door under Briana's incredulous stare.

"Kim, wait ! You can't do this."

"Watch me !"

Briana cried a lot at first, and then spent a lot of time thinking, and thus didn't get much sleep, but as the night went on, she managed to take a good, hard look at herself and the way she had sort of lost her mind these past months.

She found herself in need of making amends, to Jensen and Jared first and foremost, but also to Kim, and her whole family, and even to Christian who she had encouraged when she should have recognized in him the same fears she had allowed to control her for a while.

When Amber arrived to check her out, bringing with her a new phone, Briana didn't lose time before reaching out to her best friend. Of course, the call went straight to voicemail.

"Kim, it's me, Bri. I'm not going to lose your number, so you can forget about it right now. I'll call you until you answer, just get used to it. What I wanna say today is that I heard you. I heard everything you said about me, and how I handled losing Jensen. You were right, this is not who I am, I respect people, and I respect him, and myself too, and I need to make it right by him now. So I'm going to see him and Jared too, and I'll apologize. And I'm really going to help them from now on, with the wedding and everything else. I'll get Christian to move on too. To support them, make sure they know we'll be there for them, as friends, for as long as they need us. And I hope that you'll find it in yourself to be my friend again after that. Love you."

"I'm glad to see you change your mind," Amber said when she hung up.

"Yeah, well, even an old dog can learn new tricks. I was bound to realize my mistake sooner or later. Now I just need to make sure the boys know I'm really sorry, and the best way to prove it is to get the judge to finalize the divorce."

"About that…" Amber began, "after you called this morning from the hospital and told me you wanted me to drive you to Jensen and Jared's to apologize, I might have passed in front of the courthouse before I came here, and bumped by chance into your judge."

"You did what now ?" Briana panicked.

She didn't need Judge Henney to think both sisters were just as crazy.

"I explained to him that you were feeling really bad yesterday, and the proof is that you had an accident, but you really needed to make it better as soon as possible, if only for your children's sake, so I asked for a quick hearing. Seems I have an unmatched ability to persuade handsome judges, because he agreed. He'll be waiting for you and Jensen again in three days !"

Amber waited outside happily, saying she would go for a walk in Jensen's nursery while Briana talked with him, and to just call her once she was done and ready to go back home.

The guys who were working close-by surprised Briana when they told her the boss was in the house and hadn't been seen for a while. It was a complete one-eighty compared to Jensen's usual days at work.

She found him sitting at the kitchen island, shoulders down, nursing a beer in much the same way she had been doing just the previous day, trying to fortify herself for the hearing.

"What's going on ?" she gently asked.

Instead of answering, Jensen took a sheet of paper out of one of his pockets and handed it to her.

The letter was signed by Jared, and it wasn't a declaration of love.

"Jensen,

I get it, you want to go back to your wife, and after seeing the way Briana's actions affected you, I always promised myself, in case our parts were reversed someday, that I wouldn’t stand in your way. That's why I'm leaving, and don’t try to tell me you don't want that, Christian filmed you while Briana and you were talking at the hospital. I saw you, and I heard everything. I love you too much to make it harder for you than it has to be. I don't want us to fight, that's why I don't want you to come after me. Just be happy.

Jared"

"Why are you still here instead of looking for him ?" Briana asked, choosing to ignore how Jared's attitude hurt in comparison to hers through all those recent months.

Especially knowing she was the reason why he had decided against fighting for the man he loved, the one example he didn't want to follow.

"Because I've called everyone we know and begged them to tell me if they knew something. But no one had any idea where Jared's hiding, providing they were telling the truth."

She put a hand on his shoulder and gently rubbed, hoping to soothe him a bit.

"That man is crazy in love with you. He won't be able to stay away for long, and then I'll explain that what he thinks he saw and heard has nothing to do with the truth. You two can't be separated, I've learned that the hard way."

Her joke fell flat, so she pushed harder.

"Jensen, you and Jared made it through all my crap, the way I tried to seduce you again, and how I used Kim to make you jealous…"

"It's more than you trying to make me jealous, Bri. I saw you and Kim at the housewarming party. Dancing."

"What do you mean ? Of course you saw us dancing. You were there. Even you were dancing."

"Play dumb all you want, but I know what I saw."

She wasn't playing dumb, she didn't understand at all where Jensen was going with that. Until she got it.

"But Kim's my friend !" she exclaimed, banning from her own mind the kiss she had stolen once.

If anything, Jensen looked even more certain, almost smug.

"So was Jared. Just a close friend, until he kissed me."

Briana frowned.

"You know I don't like you to talk about this."

"This what ? Jared kissing me ? My relationship with him ?"

"All of it."

"Well, tough, but you gotta get used to it if you think he'll come back. And you gotta be honest with yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean ?"

Jensen sighed before he got up and turned to put his hands on Briana's shoulders, demanding her full attention.

"You don't want me anymore, Bri. You just got cold feet, finding yourself alone so suddenly when you realized I had moved on. You thought I was there, secure and comfortable, until I wasn't and you panicked. That's all there is to you wanting me back. It's time you take a look around and see there's someone else waiting for you."

"You sure about that ?"

"Pretty much. Jared thinks so too."

"I don't know what to do with this."

"You don't have to do anything, not until you're ready."

"What if I'm never ready ?"

"Then nothing happens, and maybe you meet someone else and feel happiness again. Nothing is written in stone, and nothing has to happen right now. Just make peace with the fact that we're over and we're never getting back together. Whether Jared is back or not, we have no future together, and you know it."

She did. It still hurt a little bit, but she did.

"Will you ever forgive me ? I kept telling myself I was in the right, that nobody would have said anything about my attitude if Jared had been a woman, but the fact that he wasn't turned me into a hateful, prejudiced bitch to the people who judged me. I thought it was so unfair, and that I didn't deserve any of it. I'm so sorry."

"We'll get over it, with time and understanding, we'll be a family again, and all I hope is that Jared will be there, next to me, as my husband, to tell you he's forgiven you too."

And suddenly she had an idea about Jared's hiding place. Not a certainty, but she was pretty sure anyway, and she needed to find out for herself and make amends.

So she called Amber and left Jensen, telling him to stay hopeful and that she would find his man and tell him the truth he needed to hear from her and no one else.

It seemed Jared had finally found a way to say no to Jensen. And the line was drawn at sharing Jensen with his wife.

It was just his luck anyway, falling in love with a married man, and one who loved women. His love life had always been complicated and fraught with tension, but living with Jensen and getting saddled with an ex-wife like Briana had pushed it all to a whole new level.

Jared had always dreamed of getting married in his father's holy house. Even as a kid, when he couldn't imagine the face of the person he would marry someday – nor their gender, as he realized much later – he was sure he would get married there someday, and that his father would be the one to officiate and give him away to his future lover.

The sheer happiness of marrying Jensen had made it easier to forget about this dream that would never come to pass. They would become husband and husband on a splendid property and Jared had to be honest and admit he'd be happy anywhere as long as he got to marry the man he had chosen.

Jared had lived alone for a long time. After his father threw him out, he had wandered aimlessly and had found in his numerous flirts and casual sex encounters a way to compensate for his loneliness.

Meeting Christian had helped, too. The man was so fucking sexy, and just incredibly good in bed. But he had so many issues of his own, and a sad story to rival Jared's. Instead of going forward together, they had spent seven years nursing each other's fears and stopping themselves from growing up.

By that time, Jared was beginning to make a real break into the competitive world of landscaping and he used to work exclusively with Sal's nursery, down by the river. Sal had been around forever and he had been good to him, especially at the time Jared was struggling to make ends meet, offering prices that couldn't be beaten in order to help him be competitive.

But then Sal had a stroke, something bad that left him with a major speech impediment and a stare that seemed to look at nothing and no one. His son Davy had locked him up into some institution and quickly took command of Sal's nursery, downgrading his work ethic as much as his prices soared.

Last Jared had heard of him, most of his clients had run the other way. But contrary to many, Jared wasn't mad at Davy, for he wouldn't have met Jensen if not for his incompetence and greediness.

Jared had tried a few other nurseries, none of them filling him with the same sense of righteousness as Sal's had done for years, before he showed up at Jensen's. There, he had felt the same kind of vibe at last, able to breathe deeply amongst the trees, shrubs and flowers growing in this place.

The day he stood in front of Jensen, something let loose in Jared's chest. It was not just the sheer beauty of the guy – though Jensen definitely was the most beautiful man he had ever seen, and then some, one he would have tried to sleep with even if he proved to be arrogant and stupid – but also this feeling of being seen, and understood, that had flowed between them from the first moments they had shared. Feeling recognized as a friend, appreciated for who he was.

That was why they worked so well together, because they were friends first, and the mutual attraction they felt came from it just as much as from the way their bodies always seemed to find a very personal rhythm to heighten the pleasure of making love together.

Jared knew Jensen never wanted to hurt him, but he also knew he was a family man, who had felt bad for the way Briana had reacted to what she viewed as a repudiation of sorts. Also for the hard times his children were going through and that he couldn't protect them from, Dylan especially as a boy, almost a teenager.

Maybe he should have seen coming the moment when Jensen would crumble under the weight of his responsibilities. Maybe he should have given up earlier and let Jensen go back to his family, instead of holding on with all his might and power, because he loved Jensen too much to imagine ever letting him go.

Turned out a few simple words from Jensen to Briana were enough to make him get at last that he needed to clear the field and let the family be one again.

But it hurt ! It hurt so bad, and Jensen wasn't there anymore to make it better.

Amber wasn't happy about driving her another thirty miles away instead of taking her back home to her bed. But Briana insisted, saying she would take her own car if she didn't want to help, and of course Amber caved.

She had gotten the address she needed from Christian without explaining why she wanted it, for fear he would show up and make a nuisance of himself. She needed Jared and Jensen back together, strong and happy, before she began to work on Christian to make sure he was able to move on and find someone else to be happy with.

Once again, Amber chose to wait for her outside, squeezing her hand in support after helping her out of the car.

A man was waiting for her at the door, wiping with a rag a paintbrush that smell awfully of some chemical product.

"Hi," she said with a smile, hoping her brace collar would make her more sympathetic, "I'm Briana."

Of course he knew who she was, the frown gave it away.

"I'm here to see Jared," she added when he didn't offer any reply, "to apologize and tell him Jensen needs him."

There was the tiniest bit of surprise in the man's eyes now.

"I'm Ronen," he said. "Jared and Rafael are working in the garden, they should be back soon. You can wait for them inside, if you need to sit down."

She nodded gratefully and followed Ronen inside.

The place was exquisite, a terrific mix of ancient and new, wooden walls and metallic appliances. Ronen had an incredible eye for beauty and he was making this house into a place where anyone would feel at home, warm and colorful. She could imagine more than Jensen and Jared's wedding taking place here, be it inside or in the garden Jared had already worked on more than quite a bit, she could tell. It was still a little bare right now, but she knew enough to realize that come July the whole grounds would be gorgeous and full of flowers.

She felt ashamed once again to think she had almost ruined it all for them.

"Tell me," she asked after taking a seat in a fluffy couch she wondered how she would manage to leave, "how is Jared ?"

"How do you figure ?" he answered to spite her. "The love of his life just abandoned him to go back to his nagging wife, so he's not doing good. At all."

"Are you two good friends ?"

"I like to think we're becoming friends, yes, but it doesn't mean we're sleeping together, if that's what you're asking."

"No, I got to know Jared, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't do that."

Ronen observed her silently for a while and she let him look his fill in silence.

"You know that cliché about gay men being wild partygoers ? Or the one about how we sleep with anyone making a pass at us ? That is not necessarily untrue, but not everyone is like that, and it's also such a small part of our lives. We're more than two-dimensional people, you know ?"

"I know," she replied. "Believe me, I know. It's been brought to my attention that I'm not the best person out there, not even the person I thought I was, but I don't judge Jared or anyone for their sexual orientation. The problem was never Jared. The problem was that he chose my husband, and that my husband chose him back."

Jared's voice sounded then on her side by the room's entrance.

"What are you doing here, Briana ?"

She turned, slowly, to make sure she wouldn't hurt herself, and took a good look at him.

He hadn't slept much in the last twenty-four hours or so, that was clear as day. He was depressed and hurt, ready to bite her head off, but she wouldn't budge until he had heard her.

"I'm here to take you back to Jensen."

Jared didn't answer. The man next to him, who had to be Rafael, signaled to Ronen to join him.

"We're going to leave you two to talk," he added, taking Ronen by the hand to lead him away.

As soon as the sound of their shoes on the corridor's floor seemed far enough away, Briana patted the couch next to her for Jared to sit down.

"What you heard yesterday, what Christian showed you, it was all out of context," she said to convince him and it worked.

Jared sat not that close, but she could work with that too.

"Jensen thought I was suicidal, that's why he said he would come home, to keep an eye on me. I was drunk yesterday at the hearing, and I told the judge I didn't want a divorce, which stopped the process and Jensen was so pissed at me for it. When I called him to apologize, he heard the accident, but my phone broke, he was scared for a long while before Christian got a hold of him."

"I know, parts of it anyway. I found Jensen's message later, telling me he was going to the hospital to see you, but we never managed to talk directly before Christian called me."

"So you know he wasn't trying to keep it from you. He was just angry, and scared, and reacting to the moment in the only way he knew how to make sure I wouldn't do anything stupid. The thing is, I never wanted to take my own life, but I took advantage of him, because he has a big heart and I could pretend for a while that I had finally won him over. But it’s not true. You see, you can come back, it's not me he wants, it's always been you."

"And what about the next time you decide you want him back ? What is it gonna be that time ? You're going to send me a sex tape, real or forged ? Or you're gonna petition the president to ban gay men from the country ?"

Briana snorted.

"I'll bring out the sex tapes if you show me yours. We can take notes and compare."

She didn't think it was possible to make this giant man blush, but he did and she laughed heartily.

"Jared,' she continued, "Jensen is miserable without you and I promised him I would make sure you go back to him. Please, don't make me be a liar on top of everything else."

It was Jared's turn to snort.

"I used to call you the wicked witch to myself. And to imagine I could be Jensen's prince, taking him away from your bad influence to make him happy."

"Not sure I'm happy with the title, but you definitely are Jensen's prince, and you make him happy. You can't leave him now, or he's gonna turn back into a toad."

They laughed at the image, as no one was farther from looking like a toad than Jensen.

"You've been so good for him. You managed to make him go away from his trees in full spring, you make him dance to the beat of music he dislikes just because he knows you enjoy it. He looks more and more like a prince too, because you gave him the feeling it was okay, he could let go with you, be the person he is deep inside, and not just the one he thought we wanted him to be. Even his clothes are much cooler now thanks to you."

Jared didn't need much more convincing, and soon he was pushed towards his bedroom by Rafael and Ronen who told him to go back home or he would forever regret it.

And then, as Jared was folding his clothes back into his bag, they heard another car roll in. Briana looked at the garden from the window only to see Jensen, appearing out of nowhere, jumping out of his truck almost before it had stopped. Jared let the clothes fall on the bed and he ran to his man.

For the first time, Briana watched them embrace and kiss with a true smile, satisfied she had done right by them at last.

Amber had definitively secured an invite to the wedding and she announced it to Briana while they were driving back home.

"Really ?" Briana asked. "How did you do that ?"

"As simply as possible : I'm the one who called Jensen and told him to come ASAP to Ronen and Rafael's place."

Briana was so grateful for her big sister, and for all the good people who surrounded her and never gave up on her while she was getting a little lost.

Amber would probably tie all her problems to the lack of a father during their formative years. Or maybe the negative image of herself she was carrying within her, a basic lack of self-confidence that had her acting up to keep what she thought was hers.

Whatever the reason, she had overcome it and she was proud of herself. It was true what people say : sometimes, you needed to hit rock bottom before you could get a grip and move on.

But she still had a few missions to see through before she could forgive herself. As soon as she was back home, she used her new phone to call Kim again.

"Hey, girl. I really hope you're listening to my messages because I have great news : Jared and Jensen are back together ! I told you I would make sure of it, and it's a done deal. I don't want you to feel bad for what you said to me, and I know you might, so let's be clear : you helped me, so much !

"I spent the night thinking hard after you left, trying to look at myself through somebody else's eyes, and I didn't like what I saw. I need to thank you for this, 'cause I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have done it without you. I can't be sure Jensen and Jared wouldn’t have made their way to each other without my intervention, I feel they love each other too much to stay apart for long, but I'm so glad I helped, that I was there and I made it happen quickly.

"And I want to do the same thing for you. Because you're my best friend, and maybe there's more there, something I don't know how to put into words, not even how to look at it. And I think it's better if I take a bit of time before I tell you about it anyway. Or maybe I'm totally out of my mind once again, and you just want me to let you live in peace what you have with Annabelle, the way I need to give Jensen and Jared room to breathe. I just need you to tell me what you want, and I'll do everything I can to be the best friend I can be to you. Love you."

A few days later, after the dust had settled and Jared was feeling secure once again in his place next to Jensen – in his arms, in his bed, in his heart – Jared decided it was time to end the war with Christian once and for all, or to sever their ties just as permanently. They had meant too much to each other, and for too long, for Jared to let it go without a last try, but he wouldn't let anything come again between Jensen and himself, now or ever.

He told Jensen where he was going and with his approval rang at Christian's door one night after work.

Christian was surprised but he let him in without a word.

"Can I get you something ? Coffee ? Scotch ?"

"Nothing, thanks. I'm just here to talk."

"Okay, let's hear it."

"Whatever you might think, I'm not here to yell at you. I'm here to understand where we went wrong."

That got Christian's attention.

"What do you mean, wrong ? I'd say we were pretty good together. And I wasn't the one who ended it."

"I ended it because at some point you just have to accept that nothing will ever come out of it. Not what you really want anyway."

"You ended it because you had met Jensen."

"True, and I found that I wanted to live with him what we had never been able to have together."

"Okay, and what is this mysterious goal you pursued all along ?"

"Love. I found love with him, and he's never hesitated to tell me how much he loves me. That he doesn't want to ever live without me, and that every time he does something with me, it feels better, more fun. He's happier with me than he's ever been before, and it shows. And you know what ? I feel exactly the same."

Christian thought it was time to treat himself with a glass of scotch.

"Why are you telling me all this ? You've been very clear, more than once, about the fact that I have no business in your relationship with Jensen, so what is all this to me ?"

"It just made me think about our relationship. How you never told me how you felt about me. Or that being with me made it all better. So I asked myself, maybe he thought he didn't mean that much to me either ? Because I tended to take my cue from you, and I never told you how I felt back then. I believed you'd mock me. And because of that fear, you really thought I was with you all those years because you're what ? Exotic ? You think I'm that shallow ?"

Christian looked away. He knew where that came from. He remembered just fine what he had said to Briana the night of the housewarming party, so full of anger at seeing Jared and Jensen happy together, embarking on this new life Christian wanted for himself so badly but never had the courage to ask for.

He had tried to belittle Jared's feelings, his taste in men, in love, in everything. Tried to make him unimportant. Shallow, exactly. He hadn't realized then that he was belittling what they had at the same time. That he was belittling himself.

The fact was, Jared was anything but shallow. He had deep friendships that lasted forever, and you could always count on him in times of need. He let people in, in every way, and demanded nothing much in return. Christian had loved that, able to share at his own pace, only when he wanted to, because love was scary and hurtful. Many times, he had backed away and found someone else he could have fun with, someone shallow enough who didn't want more from him than a few good fucks, sure that Jared would wait for him and that they'd be great together again after a little sanitary break.

"No, I don't," he finally answered. "I think you're the exact opposite of shallow, and that might have been the problem. But we were good, you and me, right ?"

"We were good, but we were not enough. Or maybe I wasn't enough. You always needed something else to make it work. You can't build a life like that. I can't. I need more."

Jared took his hand between both of his.

"I loved you, man, a lot."

"But not as much as you love Jensen, right ?"

"No, not as much. But my feelings for him take nothing away from what we had, what we shared for years. You'll always be a part of me, a memory that I'll forever cherish."

"But nothing more than a memory."

"Nothing more, and nothing less."

Warily, Christian sat down on the sofa and rubbed his face with both hands to make up for the loss of heat from Jared's hands.

This was the truth he had to accept. The fact that whatever had existed between them was now in the past and would never be in the present again. Not even in a potential future.

"This is closure, I guess," Christian said to acknowledge Jared's effort.

"Yes," Jared approved as he sat next to him, "and this is also us trying to remain friends."

Christian nodded, even though he didn't know exactly what part he was agreeing with. Being friends would hurt right now, but he didn't want to close that door forever.

"And if you find it in you to be there," Jared suddenly added, "I'd like you to be a guest at my wedding."

The day had been good so far, full of patients not so sick that Christian had to worry for their lives in the short or medium term. In his line of work, it was indeed a good day.

And yet that feeling of contentment came crashing down at the sight of the blond, pretty woman sitting in the chair closest to the door to his office.

"Briana ? What are you doing here ?"

He doubted she had made an appointment, and even more that she needed him as a doctor.

"Sorry to ambush you at work but I needed to talk to you."

The other patients were watching and Christian had no doubt Briana would talk in front of them, should he try to get her to leave. The best thing was to give in, listen to the woman and get her on her way out as soon as possible.

"Alright, come on in. I can give you five minutes."

Briana sprung from her seat with a huge grin and walked right past him into the office. For a second, Christian had a feeling he could see what in her had seduced Jensen a long time ago. She had pep and a bright smile, her energy was contagious but not aggressive.

"I didn’t think I'd see you again after your change of heart," he launched the conversation, curious about the reasons leading to her presence.

"On the contrary, I need your help more than ever."

"If you're planning to create a Broken Hearts Group, I'm not interested to join."

"I don't see why not. You could braid my hair, and I'd be your fag hag."

"You're trying to rile me up but it won't work. Tell me what you want."

"I want you to come with me to meet Jared's father."

Surely he had heard wrong. Or she was downright crazy.

"I'm not going to see the father of my old boyfriend. We were together for seven years and I never met him. Why would I go now ?"

"Because you love Jared, the way I still love Jensen. We're not together anymore, but we still love each other very much, and we'll always be there for one another."

"Cool, I'm glad for you that you're taking it so well, but don't you think we've meddled enough as it is ? That it's time to let go ?"

"Christian, I know it's scary being alone…"

"Wow, lady, speak for yourself !"

Briana gave him a look his old teacher back in 4th grade, who liked so much to call him on what she called his childish behavior, would have approved of.

"Christian, trust me, I know it's scary, but we have to do this for them."

"We don't have to do anything."

"Okay, let's say we owe it to them, after all we put them through, to try and make them as happy as possible."

Christian sighed, knowing full well by now that he wouldn’t get her to leave before she had said her piece.

"What do you want to do ?"

"We need to go and talk to Jared's father so that he changes his mind and marries them. Jared told me he hasn't really spoken with his father for years, because he can't accept his son as gay, but Jared used to dream of being married by him. I want to make that dream a reality."

"Say what ?! And what makes you think Jared's old man would be happy to see me ? If he's already prejudiced against gay people, chances are he might also be against people of color, don't you think ? The idea of his precious little boy being dicked for years by a black man will not sit right if that is the case, we might make it even worse for Jared."

Briana bit her bottom lip.

"I know, it's a risk, but it's one we have to take. We put them through the wringer, Christian. We need to try."

They really made their lives hell for a while, and Christian was tired of living in fear of what could happen. Maybe this once he could do something about it and show Jared how highly he thought of him.

"Alright," he sighed. "I guess nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Briana clapped her hands in delight and he forced himself not to smile at her antics.

"When do you want to go ?" he asked instead.

"When are you free ?"

"I don't work tomorrow," he shrugged.

"Okay then. I'll clear my appointments and we'll hit the road as soon as my kids are at school. Now I'll let you go back to your patients, Dr. Keyes."

She gave him a smart salute he returned lazily but with a smile, and followed her to the door.

"And please, don't say 'being dicked' in front of me ever again. I don't need that kind of picture in my mind."

Christian snorted and promised.

Until the moment he realized the patients waiting for him had heard her last words and looked at him with expressions varying from amused surprise to utter shock.

Jared's mother was unbelievably short.

"Are you… Jared's mother ?" Briana heard herself ask.

That got her a genuine smile.

"That I am. Are you two Jared's friends ?"

She may be short, but she was as lively as her son, and her smile was just as big.

"Yeah, yes, we're Jared's friends. Would it be possible to talk with you for a minute ?"

"Sure, come on in !"

Briana assumed this was Jared's childhood home, roomy and quite a bit banged up, but warm and peaceful. Jared's mother walked them to the living room and offered them tea, which Christian declined but Briana accepted with pleasure.

"So, what can I do for you ?" the woman asked once they were settled.

"Mrs. Padalecki, we came to..."

"Not Mrs. Padalecki, that was my mother-in-law and you really don't want to be mistaken for her, take my word on that. Please call me Teryl."

"Okay, Teryl, as you wish," Briana laughed. "I'm Briana, Jensen's ex-wife, and this is Christian, Jared's ex-boyfriend. We try to show them the support they deserve."

"You two must love them very much to support them even after you split up."

"That's because they're pretty special people. That's why we're here, to talk about Jared and Jensen's wedding. I'm sure you know it's coming up soon ?"

"Jared told me about it, but I'm still not sure I can go."

This was worse than she had thought.

"You're not going to your own son's wedding ?" Christian asked in disbelief.

"That's not as easy as you think. If I choose to go against my husband's will, it's like a slap in the face for him, the denial of all his principles. I could make his apostolate very difficult."

"How come disowning his own son doesn't make it difficult, then ? Teaching the love of God should be teaching the love of one's family, no matter the gender, color, or religion. And certainly no matter their sexual orientation."

Briana closed her hand on Christian's to help him refocus. She understood his anger but they needed the woman on their side.

"Teryl, from what I understand, you've already gone against his will since Jared left. You're meeting him regularly, and your husband knows it."

"He does know, and he lets it go as long as I don't talk about it. We have this… code, I guess, where he asks if all went well, I say yes, and he knows I mean Jared is good and doing well."

"He never asks about him ?"

"No. But I once found him asleep in his office, his computer was still turned on, and he had been looking at Jared's website : the page with the photo of him and his crew was up. He has such a beautiful smile in that photo, I could look at it for hours."

"I took that photo," Christian intervened.

She shot him a fond smile.

"You did a great job, he looks so happy !"

"He was, and he still is. And he makes people happy around him, he deserves people to make him happy in return, especially his folks."

"I'll leave you the venue's address," Briana added, "so that you can take more time to decide. It's going to be a beautiful day, full of friends and family. You'll be able to meet my children, and they're about to become your grandchildren, more or less. They'll want to know you."

"Dylan and Katie, right ? Jared told me about them, that they're all getting along rather well."

"Yes, they love him. He's been a great stepmother to them ! They're doing all kind of stuff together."

As Teryl laughed at the title given to her son, Briana hoped that the possibility of more family would help her make the difficult choice. But they couldn't get an answer before it was time to go.

She was hopeful, though. Teryl obviously loved and missed her son.

She didn't have the same feeling about Jared's father.

"Can I help you ?"

Briana turned around to find a young man waiting for an answer and she flashed him her biggest smile. He was dressed with the same sense of fashion as a church lady, one from two centuries ago, which probably made him the right fit for the old-fashioned chapel they were in. He was also on the skinny side, but healthy enough, and his smile felt truly welcoming.

"Sure," she said. "We're looking for Reverend Kurt."

"I'm very sorry, he's not available today. Are you in need of spiritual advice ? If so, it would my pleasure to help you. I'm DJ, by the way."

"Sorry, boy," Christian dismissed him, "but we need Jared's father so you won't do."

"Jared ! Who's Jared ?"

Christian narrowed his eyes at him.

"Okay, this is going to be fun."

"Please," Briana said, "just show us the way to the reverend and we'll take it from there."

DJ's smile felt a lot less welcoming this time.

"Like I told you, it's not possible today."

"Look, we know he's here, and we don't need much of his time, but it's imperative we meet him."

"And as I said twice already, it's not an option. Please, leave now and come back tomorrow."

Christian shared a look with Briana. It was obvious he was trying to tell her something but the message was lost on her until she saw him grabbing DJ by the arm to walk away with him at the same time as he shooed her discreetly, signaling toward a double door that had to lead to some offices, and maybe the reverend.

The ruse almost worked, but then DJ realized Briana was not following, choosing instead to walk down another aisle, and that she was fast approaching the doors.

"Ma'am !" he shouted. "You can't go in there, it's private."

"Just looking for the bathroom, I'll be back in no time at all."

Briana was about to yank the door open when the handle escaped her grasp, opening the other way to reveal a tall and impressive man who had to be Jared's father.

"What's going on here ?" the man's voice boomed.

"Are you Reverend Kurt ? Your wife sent us to you."

The hard expression directed at Briana thawed a bit.

"My wife ? What for ?"

"Could we go somewhere more private. My friend and I need to talk with you."

"I'm sure DJ already told you I'm not available today. Make an appointment and I'll be happy to meet you on that day to talk about any spiritual advice you're feeling a need for."

Christian appeared at Briana's side.

"We're not here to chat about our immortal soul, Reverend. We want to talk about Jared, and the wedding you won't celebrate."

The reverend took a step back.

"This is none of your business. I insist that you leave."

"Reverend," Briana tried again, "Jared is getting married to the man he loves, with the family and friends who have been with him all these years, in mutual love and respect. The only thing that could make him more happy is having you and his mother standing by his side, showing that you love and respect him just as much. Your wife already told us she wants to go, you need to see you're hurting more than Jared and yourself with your attitude."

"I fail to see how this is your business, ma'am. But if you must know, my principles won't tolerate any exception. My son chose a life he knew would lead him far from his family. I can't show him any leniency and in the same breath ask the believers of this church to remain pure and untouched by a sin like his."

"What you see as a sin is simply love, sir," Christian said. "We don't choose who we love, but we can make sure they know how proud we are to love them. That was my mistake, not being able to show how much I loved him. Please, don't do it too."

The reverend seemed to think for a while, giving Briana hope, but then he looked around, searching for his young assistant.

"I'm glad to see Jared made some good friends who are willing to fight for him, but we have nothing more to say. Please, follow DJ or I'll have to call the police."

The reverend let the door go and retreated to his office. After a second of hesitation, Briana and Christian left the chapel, followed by DJ's pained expression.

There were tux fittings and fairy dresses to sew, cake tasting and music to choose, rehearsal dinner and bachelor party to attend.

The weeks leading to a wedding, even one as little conventional as Jensen and Jared's, were downright crazy. And the fact that Briana wanted everything to be perfect, as a way to atone for all she had put them through, made it in fact all the more stressful.

And Kim still hadn't called her back.

She knew from Jared that her friend would be at the wedding, and she hadn't mentioned a plus one, which was the best news she could live with before the day they would see each other again. In the meanwhile, she kept respecting Kim's boundaries, leaving messages on her phone, telling her about her life and the progress she was making on the path to self-awareness. Hoping Kim listened to her and was simply trying to give her time and space to find her truth.

All her messages ended with a 'Love you' Briana could feel was becoming less and less of a friendly sign-off, but more and more of a lover's confession.

"So you're going ?" Kurt asked as he found his wife in front of the mirror, putting the last touch to her make-up. She was wearing a dress he had never seen on her, all dolled up, still the prettiest thing he had ever seen.

"I am. I want Jared to know I don't care who's making him happy, I just care that he is in fact happy."

"Being happy doesn't excuse living in sin."

Teryl let go of her brush and looked at him in the mirror.

"Kurt, my love, you're such a shitty excuse for a father, and I wish I had told you that long ago."

"Teryl !"

"Oh no, don't you Teryl me !"

She stood up then to tell him face-to-face what she thought of his attitude, and hers as well. And though she was tiny next to him, she had never felt so powerful because after days and weeks of painful consideration, she was now so sure of herself.

"I let you cloud my judgement for too many years but it's time for me to make it right. I want Jared happy, but I want to be, too. And seeing my son in secret is never going to achieve that. I want to know the man Jared loves, and the children he lives with now, who are going to become our grandchildren too. I want to know the other children they might have someday. So yes, I'm going to the wedding, and I'd love for you to come with me, to show Jared that you still love him like a father should love his son."

Kurt looked stricken with anguish.

"I can't, Teryl, you know I can't. My principles…"

"… won't keep you warm at night when you end up old and alone because you didn't know how to love your children. You remind me of my own father, who didn't want me to marry you. And yet I did. I didn't care that you had no money, that you didn't belong to one of the old families. I loved you enough to brave his anger, and I didn't regret it. If Jared loves his fiancé half as much as I loved you, he will never regret marrying him either."

"He's marrying a man, Teryl. A man !"

"Big deal ! I did too, and it was a good choice, if you ask me."

Kurt spluttered, unable to understand what was happening. Teryl had always respected his calling and values, but she was putting it all under a new light, one he feared was the easy path, the path to sin and moral downfall.

"Love," Teryl said, placing a hand on his cheek, "I don't want to make you do something that goes against your beliefs, but I'm done going against my own feelings in some misguided attempt to protect you. I should have protected my son first and foremost. So I'm going. Lila is driving me and the kids, we're all going."

His own daughter was turning her back on him too.

"I left the address of the venue on my nightstand. I hope you'll change your mind and join us."

The theme had finally been chosen to be a mix of greens and blues, after Jensen admitted to prefer green over anything else. Yeah, shocker ! Jensen liked best the color of his trees.

Briana had surprised them with green cockscomb flowers that had them cracking up immediately, as well as all the different kinds of flowers Jared had insisted on during that first stormy meeting.

Everything looked perfect. All men wore black tux pants lit up by light vests over white shirts – Jensen's vest was of course a green and blue mix, while Jared's was a blue and green one. Of course, they wanted to show how much they match, but also how much they were okay with the way they had changed each other for the best. Of course they each wanted to please the other, look nice and attractive, make memories they'd be proud to see again in twenty years with the same adoration.

And to make it even better, the people they loved were there to celebrate with them. Almost everyone, or at least those who had supported them, all the way or later on.

Mitch was in a good place today, lively and proud to be the one who would walk both Jensen and Jared to the dais that had been set in the garden for the men to be married on. He had chosen a charcoal vest with flecks of gold and he looked regal.

Next to him in her sunny yellow and black dress, Amanda stood ready to take over in case her husband zoned out for a while, but she didn't let herself get stressed over the situation. Whatever might happen would happen, this illness had taught her that at least. All they cared about right now was to see Jensen happy.

Ronen and Rafael had gone for warm colors but they too matched with each other, and with the looks they were giving each other, Briana regretted not having brought any professional card to slip somewhere in the house for them to find later. Whether she would be the one planning their wedding or not, she had no doubt theirs would be the next one they would attend.

Jared had loved Katie's fairy dress idea and encouraged his nieces to do the same. Thus three little fairies were running around the garden, casting silly spells upon the guests with the glowing wands Jensen had made them. It warmed Jensen and Jared's hearts to see their respective families meshing so easily together.

The young boys were running too, after each other and the dogs. Dylan and Lila's sons had gotten along just as simply as the girls, and it was easy following them with their similar, light and dark blue vests.

Splendid in his deep burgundy vest perfectly matched by the man following him, Christian looked sheepish as he came around Jensen and Jared, only to get a hug from both of them at the same time. Briana had told them how he had tried to sway Jared's father into changing his mind.

"Yeah, well, it didn't work, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, man, you did your best. The rest's on my father, not on you."

"Jared's right. Now will you introduce us to your friend ?"

"Alright. This is La Monde, he's another doctor at the hospital. He offered to keep me company today."

"He did, did he ?" Jensen winked at Christian.

"Yes, I did," La Monde laughed. "Thanks for having me, guys. I love this place, and people are very friendly."

"They have to be, they haven't been fed yet."

Briana did a double take as she recognized the tall man offering his arm to her sister.

"Judge Henney ?" she exclaimed.

"Please, I'm Daniel here and now."

"Well, Daniel, welcome to my ex-husband's wedding. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, and it's not fawning to tell you that. It's the literal truth."

"And it seems that ruling was for the best."

"Wait until you see Jensen and Jared together, you'll be sure of it."

"I'll be happy to meet them, and to thank them for the opportunity to be here."

"Which was a well-kept secret. Amber didn't think it relevant to tell me who she was bringing as her plus one."

She turned to her sister who definitely deserved to be ragged on about it.

"How did you do it ? This man is so out of your league !"

Amber scoffed.

"Please, I could teach you stuff you don't even dream about. And I told you my ability to persuade handsome judges is unmatched."

"I thought you used your ability for good, to help Jensen."

"That too. I can multitask."

Daniel cracked up. Briana thought he looked much younger like this, with his purple vest and carefree smile.

Handsome, too, which explained why Amber looked so taken with him.

A judge in the family ? Why not, if he made Amber happy.

Dylan held the basket as Katie tossed petals on her way to the dais where groomswomen and groomsmen were already situated, waiting for the couple to be married.

It didn't take long before Jensen and Jared appeared, one hanging on Mitch's right arm and the other on his left. But it was difficult to decide who had the biggest smile as they slowly made their way to the man who was going to get them married.

They took place on the dais, facing each other. Jared's hands were itching to grip Jensen's and never let go, but he had already been warned that he needed to wait.

They didn't know DJ only a month before. The man had knocked on their door one evening, asking to speak to them both. He had explained meeting a man and a woman a few days before, who had advocated in favor of their friends to get a father to simply love his son instead of judging him.

DJ didn't really know about Jared before this visit, only that the reverend had a son that no one talked about. And suddenly he wanted to understand, to know why a loving man, who had spent his existence helping others, could justify to himself cutting his own flesh and blood from his life.

He had prayed for advice, and in the end came to Jared and his fiancé to offer to marry them. He said that nothing in his faith had ever pushed him to hate or segregate and he wasn't about to start now.

So they had talked long and hard, and they had come to an agreement, and an even stronger certainty that they wanted to get married. After that, choosing DJ to celebrate their union was the only logical possibility.

As Jensen and him welcomed their guests earlier, Jared hadn't been able to help the tiny bit of disappointment he had felt taking in his mother walking towards him with his sister, but no father to be seen. And as the ceremony was about to begin, he turned to her one last time before committing his life to Jensen.

His eyes opened wide when he saw a man sitting next to his mother. The more he looked, the more he got misty-eyed.

His father had come, even though he disapproved of this wedding. He had decided to be there for Jared in the end, and to patch the rift in their family. His mother looked all proud, and he was sure she was the reason why the reverend was wearing one of the vests every other man in attendance had agreed to wear. His was green, the color of hope and life. She couldn't have known it, but it was also Jensen's color in Jared's mind. It was the best omen to receive on such a day.

Jared turned back to Jensen who saw what had distracted his groom and grinned at him with so much love. Jared had to take a second to compose himself and he couldn't be blamed for missing a few words of DJ's speech.

"So we're here today to celebrate two lives becoming one. Two hearts who have been beating separately but then decided to do it together from now on. To do it in front of their families, their friends, and their God.

"My friends, we all know life does not run smoothly, nor is it easy going. It's not always happy or rewarding. But meeting the one who makes it all better, who sustains you, helps you see past the hurdles, envelops you in the cocoon of their love, is the most beautiful gift God has ever offered to the men and women of this world since the dawn of humanity.

"The part of us that he made in his image, this love so transcendent that we want to share if for the rest of our lives with the person we choose.

"Jensen and Jared have experienced this love so encompassing, this connection that goes so deep, and today, they want to share it with us. I personally feel blessed to bask in their loving relationship and to be the one to give them God's blessing."

It wasn't important if Jared didn't remember each and every word because many friends were busy filming. He would get to hear the words again, see other people's expressions, hear their gentle laugh. But he would never need any camera or film to remember the feeling he got when Jensen said 'I do' or when he said it back.

Nothing would ever feel as binding as the ring sliding over his finger to symbolize the commitment they made to each other. Or the long kiss they shared.

Not even the assembly's applause and cheers could come anywhere close to the knowledge that they were now a family of their own.

Kim had opted for wearing one of the men's vests with a beautiful, short black skirt. Her dark hair was gleaming with fake multicolored jewels, attracting everyone's eyes as she walked in the sun towards her seat not long before the wedding was to begin.

She was radiant and Briana couldn't stop watching her, even though she didn't dare to approach.

She was still doing it after the ceremony, as most people were chatting around the first-course buffet, waiting for a chance to be served by one of the waiters Briana often worked with.

Kim had to be the one coming over.

"It's good to see you," Briana told her. "I was wondering if you'd want to talk to me."

"I was waiting for your cue. It was your time to heal, and to learn to trust yourself again."

"Do you mean I could have gone to you anytime and you wouldn't have thrown me out of your shop or your house ?"

"That's exactly what I mean."

"Oh, you !"

Briana grabbed Kim for a bear hug. She had missed her friend so much, the way Kim always made her feel good and worthy, funny and pretty. She wanted it all back, and more.

"Are we friends again ?" she asked when they let go after a long, long while.

"Sure."

"And are we also more than friends now ?"

"We can be."

"Do you want to ?" she insisted, gripping Kim's hands.

"I think we already are. We've been for a while, and maybe that's one of the reasons why you gave Jensen such a hard chase.

She had never thought about it in this light, but yes, Kim made a very valid point. Fear of change, or fear of the unknown, both could explain why she wanted her husband back so bad.

"So, no more Annabelle clinging to you ?"

"No more Annabelle, for all that there ever was an Anabelle to talk about."

"Can I kiss you ?"

"You should definitely kiss me, if you're not trying to make Jensen jealous."

"I don't make the same mistakes twice."

"Good. So kiss me now."

And she did. She heard people cheer and laugh around them, loud and happy, but she paid them no heed.

Sitting apart in the garden, with a good view over the party still going strong but far enough that no one was joining them, Ronen felt more than proud of the job he had accomplished here. This wedding felt like the culmination of his hard work on the house and its surroundings, the recognition he had done more than good.

"I could be persuaded to enjoy this life a lot longer," he said as he settled against Rafa and took a sip of his lukewarm beer. "Taking care of the manor, organizing events…"

"Yeah, me too," Rafael answered, stroking his arm.

They hadn't really talked about it, but Ronen knew his boyfriend liked it too here.

Rafael nuzzled his temple and then kissed his head.

"I could be persuaded to enjoy this life with you forever," he added.

Ronen turned his head to look at him directly, seeing something in Rafael's eyes that made him pause.

"Is that… ?" he asked with a smile both hesitant and hopeful.

Rafael leaned down to land a sweet kiss on Ronen's lips.

"Not yet. This day belongs to Jensen and Jared. But soon, I'll ask, or you will, and we'll make our own bright future."

Jared made his way to his father when he saw that the man was alone for a moment.

"Dad, thank you for coming. I know you had reservations, and you can't imagine how much it meant to me to see you there today while I was getting married."

"I figured you had gone halfway already and it was my turn to make a move and meet you in the middle."

Jared hesitated, but he had to know.

"What made you change your mind ?"

"Pretty much everyone. You first, when you came a few months ago to tell me about Jensen and how much you loved him, so much that you wanted me to meet him. Then your friends who drove all the way and took the time to explain how my absence made you feel. Your mother of course, who didn't pull her punches, and Lila. Watching our family split in two and fearing the rift would only get bigger if I didn't find a way to bring us all together again. And finally DJ, who was very candid about his reflection and his genuine desire to celebrate your wedding. Can you believe I was jealous for a minute ?"

"I'm not sure I can. I'm just happy you're here. And still incredulous."

"I may never get it, son, but your mom is right. I love you and I should have proved it to you long ago by standing by your side. I'm sorry it took me so long to see reason."

The reverend opened his arms to his son and they embraced and held on for dear life, relieved beyond words to find that they had managed to make their way back to each other even after so many years.

Jared was a crying mess for a few moments, and it didn't get much better when Jensen sought him out to make sure he was alright.

Jensen remained guarded, and Jared knew his husband would need time before he let go of his natural wariness towards his father, but it was nice to feel protected, to know that even if The Rev – as Lila and him loved to call their father when he used to pontificate during their teenage years – changed his mind again, Jensen would probably tear him a new one for hurting Jared once again.

When his mother joined them, and Lila soon after, Jared looked at his family, at Jensen's children playing with the other kids, including his nieces and nephews, at all the people who had decided to celebrate this day with them, and he knew his life was on the right track.

He kissed Jensen gently, repeatedly, and enjoyed more of the same in return from his husband.