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Jared’s on his way back to his desk when Adrianne grabs his arm and hands him a message slip, “Jensen called. He might not be able to make it tonight.” Her voice is full of concern, and he can tell she’s dying to say something more. His friends and colleagues don’t think much of the way that Jensen treats him. They mean well, and Jared loves that they care enough to get angry on his behalf. But he wishes more than anything that he could tell them the truth, that when Jensen blows him off for work, he isn’t taking meetings or caught up in the office. No, when Jensen’s late it’s because there are killer robots terrorising the shoppers downtown, or the latest super villain is threatening to turn the city into rubble.
He wants to hit his computer and check to see what’s happening, but he’s got to be careful, he doesn’t want anyone noticing that he checks on Dark Dynamo every time Jensen pulls his disappearing act. Sometimes he thinks his own secret identity is harder to manage than Jensen’s. Nobody ever suspects that Jensen is anything other than a workaholic accountant, but Jared has a hard time pulling off his long suffering boyfriend act.
Heading for the break room he keeps his head down, not wanting to talk to anyone. Needing a coffee is enough of an excuse to hang out there for a while, and hopefully he’ll be able to find out what’s going on from CNN. Sophia’s already there, her eyes fixed on the television, half a dozen empty candy wrappers littered on the table in front of her. She looks up and catches his eye for a second before turning back to the screen. Her being here is both good and bad news; good because it means Danneel is out there watching Jensen’s back, bad because whatever’s happening is serious enough to need Swiftlance and Dark Dynamo.
The reporter’s saying something about mutant animals, and when the camera pulls back Jared spots the battered sign of the Metropolitan Zoo lying on the ground. He can see trees burning behind the iron fence, and lightning flashes in the distance. The camera crew can’t get inside the fence, so all Jared and Sophia can do is watch the distant explosions and try to ignore the shrieking howls coming from the depths of the zoo.
Once they realise that there’s an emergency going on, the others drift into the break room to watch the show. Their chatter drives Jared crazy; the casual way they talk about the fight like it’s a just a game. Chad’s actually taking bets on how long it’ll last, and if the heroes will get hurt. Jared has to nod along, letting them all think he doesn’t care anymore than they do, that he isn't worried sick. Sophia’s better at hiding her emotions than he is, though when Chad makes a particularly sleazy comment about Swiftlance’s costume her face twists in fury, and her fingers clench around the candy she’s holding.
There’s one last big explosion, then everything goes quiet, the reporter’s voice the only thing they can hear. Two figures emerge slowly from the smoke, they’re battered and bruised, and Jared can see blood dripping down the edge of Jensen’s mask, but they’re on their feet, and that’s the most important thing. The reporter’s there in an instant, shoving the microphone in their faces and asking a string of questions. There’s a strange bulge in the front of Jensen’s costume, and he’s standing awkwardly, like he’s injured more seriously than Jared first thought.
Danneel ignores the reporter’s questions, just turns directly to the camera and says, “We’re done, the animals are all safe and we were able to use Chemobite’s machine to turn them back to normal. We left Chemobite chained up for the police, and it’d be nice if you could actually lock him up somewhere he can’t escape from this time. Seriously, we don’t want to be doing this again next month.” The reporter tries again, but Danneeel wraps her arms around Jensen and flies them both away, her super-speed too quick for the camera to catch.
Jared heads back into the office with everyone else, but doesn’t relax completely until his phone buzzes with a text letting him know they’re both back home safely. Sophia ditches her last half-eaten candy bar and they both get back to work.
When it’s finally time to clock off, Jared heads straight for the elevators, only to be waylaid by Adrianne once again, “What time do you want to meet at O’Halloran’s?”
“Sorry Ade, but I’m not going to be there tonight. You guys will have to party without me.”
“It’s your birthday Jared; you can’t just stay home by yourself. Jensen being too busy to show up is no reason for you to miss out.”
Jared tips his phone in her direction, “He texted that he managed to get off work after all, and he’s going to make a special dinner at home.”
“Dinner at home, you can do that any night. Come on Jared, don’t you want to celebrate with your friends?” Adrianne’s voice is getting increasingly strident, “Honestly, Jensen shouldn’t keep you from going out and having fun, just because he’s too...”
“Actually dinner for two sounds romantic,” Sophia cuts Adrianne off mid rant. “And if Jared was yours, don’t tell me you wouldn’t want him all to yourself.”
Adrianne glares at Sophia, but thankfully before a full blown row can break out, the elevator arrives and Jared and Sophia get straight on board. As the doors slide close Adrianne tries one last time, “If you change your mind Jared, we’ll be happy to see you.”
“Bitch.”
“Sophia! She means well, she doesn’t understand and it’s not like I can explain.”
“Sweetie, you’re too nice for your own good. She should try listening to you when you say you’re happy, instead of always thinking she knows what’s best for you.”
It’s an old argument, and one Jared doesn’t feel like repeating right now, so he doesn’t bother answering. When she realises he isn’t rising to her bait, Sophia says, “Just don’t let it get to you tonight. No worrying about all the secrets and lies, just take advantage of the down time.”
“Love you, Soph, you have a good night too.” He wraps his arms around her, holding tight until the elevator arrives in the garage, and they go their separate ways. He makes a quick stop at his favourite restaurant to pick up dinner, then drives straight home. When he gets inside their building he doesn’t head up to their apartment, instead he slides his passcard into the special panel, and heads down to the sublevel that doesn’t appear on any of the building’s plans.
After he enters his code, and waits for the heavy security doors to open, the first thing he hears is raised voices. Danneel and Jensen are in the back of the lab, bent low over a crate, arguing loudly. Danneel breaks off when she sees him, grabs her jacket from the table and walks over to the door. She leans up and presses a quick kiss to his cheek, “Your boy’s a sentimental asshole, tell him that going out’s a bad idea tonight.”
“Danni, I’m fine.”
Jared ignores Jensen’s obvious lie, “Don’t worry, I’ve no intention of letting him go anywhere.”
“And that darling is why you’re the brains of the operation, while sparky over there is strictly the brawn.”
“I thought he was the eye-candy, he does all the sparkling while you take out the bad guys.”
“I hate you both, and I don’t sparkle, I throw lightning,” Jensen interrupts. “And Danneel if you don’t go away right now, I swear I’ll follow you home and fry everything electrical in your apartment.”
“See, he only gets this grumpy when he’s not fine. Relax Jensen, I’m going, wouldn’t want to deprive Jared of the chance to spoil you rotten. Happy Birthday Jay, try and enjoy what’s left of it.”
As soon as the door slides shut behind Danneel, Jared dumps his bags on the table and walks closer to Jensen. He’s only wearing pants, and Jared can see a network of scratches and bruises all over his upper body. “Christ Jensen, listen to her for once, you’re in no fit state for a night on the town.”
“I promised Jay, and all your friends will be there. They already think I’m an ass, I don’t want to let you down again.”
“I don’t care what they think, and you’ll only be letting me down if you don’t take care of yourself. Besides, you’re cooking me a romantic dinner, can’t get better than that.”
“I am? And by cooking you mean?”
“Unpacking the order from Carlucci’s and remembering where we stashed the good booze.”
“That I can do, so long as I don’t have to actually touch the stove.”
“After the last time, I don’t think so. I don’t want you experimenting with lightning-fried steaks again. Trying to explain to the super why there were scorch marks on the ceiling was one of the most awkward conversations ever.”
“They tasted good, you admitted that.”
“They did, but I’m not up to re-decorating again this month.”
“So I’m not the world’s worst boyfriend, even though I’m making you miss dinner with your friends, and I didn’t have time to pick your real gift up.”
“Well you kind of have the world’s best excuse for bailing, and my present will still be awesome, even if I can’t open it today.”
“How do you know your present’s awesome?”
“It’s from you, and you love me. Beside you feel horribly guilty about neglecting me, so you overcompensated with fabulous presents.”
“Jay..”
“Joking you idiot, look you’re obviously cranky and delusional through lack of food, so I’ll grab the plates and you open the wine.”
“Down here, I thought you’d want to eat upstairs, you know in the apartment with the sofa and the bed.”
Jared looks around the lab that’s so central to their lives, “No, a picnic down here sounds perfect to me. It’ll be like when we pulled allnighters in the lab back in college.”
“If that’s what you want, I think Danni left some plates in that cabinet,” Jensen gestures towards the back of the lab. Jared starts rooting through the cabinet looking for the plates, until he’s distracted by an unexpected sound. Meow, meow Jared listens carefully, and realises the noise is coming from the crate Jensen and Danneel had been arguing over earlier.
He pulls back the blanket covering the top, and sees the cutest little ball of fluff tucked up tight in the corner. “Aw, aren’t you just the cutest...”
“Jared, no!” Jensen pulls his arm out of the crate just in time to stop his fingers being burned by the tiny ball of flame that erupts from the kitten’s mouth.
Jared sinks to the floor in shock, staring in horror at the kitten, as small leathery wings unfurl from its body. “What the hell?” The kitten flops back down in its corner, only now it’s moaning piteously, and Jared has to sit on his hands to stop himself from reaching out to comfort it. “Didn’t Danneel tell that reporter that you managed to de-mutate all the animals?”
“All the zoo animals, but the machine didn’t work on that little guy. The predators had him cornered up in the branches, and he was so tiny compared to them we couldn’t just let him get eaten.”
Jared’s mouth twitches as he realises just what it is Jensen’s just said, “So you got all banged up rescuing a kitten from a tree, does that make you Superman?” He’s laughing so hard he barely notices when Jensen shoves him.
“Asshole, it’s not that funny.”
“Oh it is that funny, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be bringing this up for years, and as for Danni and Soph.”
“Don’t put any ideas in their heads they give me enough shit already.”
“Aw baby, you know we only mock because we love you. Hang on, if the machine didn’t work on the kitten how did it end up that way?”
“Danni thinks it was made that way, that maybe it was there in the zoo but wasn’t changed at all.”
“So somebody just happened to leave a flying, fire-breathing kitten in the zoo the same day Chemobite attacked.”
“Um, well...” Jensen’s voice drifts off, but Jared recognises that look, he’s feeling guilty about something again. It only takes him a couple of seconds to put it together, a genetically altered supervillain with a weird animal fetish, and a super powered kitty.
“Jensen is that Chemobite’s pet kitten?”
“Err, probably, I mean we never actually saw him with it. But Danni’s tests say the formula is similar.”
“You can’t keep an evil kitten Jensen; it’ll probably try and take over the world the minute you turn your back.”
“You love animals, and you’re always saying we should get a pet.”
“I was thinking a puppy, something we could show people and play with. Not something that burps fireballs.”
“But he’s adorable, and you can have a puppy up in the apartment, but he’d be good company for me down here in the lab.” Jensen leans over and strokes the kitten’s soft fur, and Jared watches in amazement as it snuggles into the touch and starts purring.
“I can have a puppy? I thought you said we didn’t have the space when I suggested it last month.”
Jensen takes Jared’s hand, twining their fingers together, “I might have said that. I might also have lied, because I couldn’t let you buy more dogs after I’d already arranged to get two puppies for your birthday.”
“I told you my present would be awesome, but that doesn’t mean you can keep the kitten.”
“But what else can we do with him? I mean we can’t exactly send him to the pound, do you want Danni to put him down?”
Jensen and the kitten both turn mournful eyes on Jared, and he feels his resolve weakening, “He can stay, temporarily, but the first time he does something evil...” He’s rewarded by a beaming smile from Jensen, and the next thing he knows he’s being kissed within an inch of his life.
He lets himself relax into the embrace, his friends can worry all they like, but Jared knows that he’s loved. Jensen’s safely in his arms, his greatest birthday wish fulfilled; and for a bonus he’s got new puppies to pick up tomorrow. He watches the kitten out of the corner of his eye, but it just stares at him and keeps right on purring. It doesn’t look dangerous and he thinks that maybe Jensen’s right, after all how much trouble could one small kitten actually be?
.