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It was two years later and time for a wedding. Jensen, in his new suit, checked himself out in the mirror. He looked fine, if he said so himself! Suave, slick, sexy. Just what he was going for, right? He ducked back into the bathroom, neatly slipping around Jared who was busy adjusting his own tie and looking a little nervous.
“You look great, Jared, don’t worry!”
“But everyone’s going to be staring at us!”
Jensen laughed. “Were you this nervous back on the wedding show?” It had taken a while, but they could now joke about how they met, because things were a thousand times better.
“Nah, I had Misha and Megan running circles around me and keeping me far too busy to think!”
“And this time, you just have me.” Jensen gave him a quick side hug before ducking back out into the hotel bedroom. “My cufflinks are around here somewhere; have you seen them?”
“No!” came the muffled answer, and Jensen kept looking. Their clothing was strewn from one end of the suite to the other; they’d arrived late the previous night and Jared had been feeling a little, well, energetic was the best way to put it. Jensen had long got past blushing when it came to Jared, but he still flushed at the memory, of Jared’s powerful thighs clenching as….
“Found them!” The man in question interrupted his reverie with a kiss, which led to another, and despite the distraction, they managed to get themselves dressed and down to the venue on time.
Dell was officiating this time. “Dearly beloved,” she said, offering them all a genuine and heartfelt smile, “We are gathered here today….”
Jensen took Jared’s hand, squeezing it tight. The gardens were beautiful, the guests resplendent, and the two grooms were totally in love.
“…To join Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski in holy matrimony.”
The ceremony was simple and short. The vows were made, and for the kiss, Derek captured Stiles in his arms and swept him off his feet. It was a surprisingly romantic gesture from a man that Jensen had only seen smile genuinely a few times in his life. But it was clear how happy the pair were.
Just like him and Jared.
Every day, Jensen found it hard to believe how lucky he was. A few days after the wrap party, he and Jared had gone out for a beer. That was all it was, a simple beer, and it had been wonderful. By mutual agreement they hadn’t spoken about the past or the future. They’d just taken the time to get to know each other, like two strangers who were learning to be friends.
And that was all there was, for the first few months. Friendship. (Okay, friendship with underlying sexual tension but neither of them were admitting that to themselves.) It turned out Jared had been right – the friendship between them was real, completely natural, and it was so much easier to be honest and open the second time around. Even if there was no hope of romance again, Jensen could have been happy with that, because he’d found a best friend and been given a second chance.
They kept the friendship platonic while they sorted out their lives; Jared was busy in Hollywood once his TV pilot got picked up, and as for Jensen? He felt that he could finally start living his own life again. He took the advice that had been given to him and recorded a few songs and before he knew it, the demo had garnered the attention of an LA-based producer (thanks, he knew, to his fans) and he was being offered an album deal.
Since his mom was doing so well, he felt okay about moving away from Texas. For now, at least.
He hadn’t intended to move in with Jared, but things just kind of worked out that way, and he smiled as he remembered his first night in the city that never slept. Jared had cooked him pizza (without burning himself this time!) and they’d sat on the small balcony, overlooking the lights (and smog) of LA with a couple of beers.
“To your new life,” Jared toasted, clinking the cans together.
“To my new life,” Jensen echoed. “And to the greatest friend a man could have.” He met Jared’s eyes before chugging his beer.
“To second chances!” Jared wasn’t done with toasting yet. “And many years of fame and fortune for us both!”
Jensen grinned at him. Second chances indeed. He watched Jared tipping his head back to drink, seeing the long line of exposed throat, and he wanted. “To second chances.”
Apparently Jared heard the lust in his voice, because he put his beer down a mere half second before Jensen launched himself forward and their lips met in a messy, frantic kiss. There was no finesse here; just months of built up tension piled on top of the memory of how good it had been, and the knowledge that they still hadn’t done everything, and hell, Jensen wanted to experience the full spectrum of sex with Jared.
Sex with Jared.
Which was apparently happening right now.
They’d stumbled into the bedroom, tearing off clothing as fast as they could. And when Jared was thrusting above him, interspersed with deep kisses and hands everywhere, Jensen felt like they were finally where they were meant to be. (And yeah, Jared had blown his mind.)
From that night on, they hadn’t looked back.
After Stiles and Derek’s wedding ceremony, they ate canapes and mingled with the other guests. Almost everyone from the show had been invited back; it was strange how the friendships had lasted. They all shared a unique bond of being “locked up in a house of crazy together!” as Blair had put it, and it was something that would probably keep pulling them back together for the rest of their lives. “A bit like summer camp,” quipped Jared, earning him a punch in the arm.
“I don’t remember that much sex at summer camp,” Jensen said.
“That’s because you went to the wrong summer camp!”
A kid ran across the courtyard, laughing wildly as his father John chased him. He and Dell had started their family pretty much the moment the show ended. Jared smiled as the giggling boy hid behind a plant and the sight warmed Jensen's heart. "Do you ever think about having a family of your own?" he asked. He knew that Jared loved kids but they hadn't really discussed it. But it was a question that had been brewing in the back of Jensen's mind over the last few months as they grew closer and closer.
Making crazy faces at the boy in attempt to make him laugh, Jared said, "Yeah, I always wanted to! I figured after my career has settled down and I've done all the travel that I wanted to, that would be the right time to start a family." He glanced at Jensen, a touch of apprehension on his face. "You?"
Smiling broadly back at him, Jensen said, "I feel the same way." The idea of a child of his own, maybe even two or three, was definitely something that his future-self wanted and he was relieved to hear that Jared was on the same page as him. It gave him even more confidence about their future together; they might not be quite there yet, but they were on the right road.
After John collected his son, Jensen took Jared's hand and pulled him along a garden path. His heart was beating faster and faster even though he told himself to be calm. Jared, of course, noticed.
"What's up, Jen?"
He didn't answer just yet, but squeezed Jared's hand tight as they walked further from the voices and music. Part of him still couldn't believe that Jared was here with him, but every day he was filled with more and more joy.
He was so very grateful that they'd had a second chance. Imagine if he'd lived his life without knowing what it was to be in love with, and be loved by, Jared Padalecki? "You know I love you, right?" he said softly.
"I do," answered Jared, giving him a soft kiss. "So what's going on?"
As a response, Jensen dropped to one knee. Took a deep breath. Knew that this time around, things were right. There was no pressure to perform, no expectation, no cameras and no confusion. Just Jensen and the man he loved with all his heart. The man he wanted to love for the rest of his life.
"Jared Padalecki, will you marry me?"
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End.