Talking Through a Different Face: Prologue and Part One

[tebtosca]

Prologue


Jared raises his eyebrows slowly as he sits on the tan microfiber loveseat and takes in the row of people sitting on the matching sofa across from him.

The tiny brunette with the long straight hair who keeps absently dragging her tongue across her incisors.

The gorgeous redhead wearing a modified turban and a slight smirk that makes him think she knows something he most definitely does not.

The stocky guy with the face completely tattooed to look like some kind of large cat.

The guy with the freckles. And the expectant green eyes. And the plush mouth.

Holy fuck, plush mouth? Where did that come from?

Jared swallows.

Then suddenly there is a smiling, naked guy walking into the room and Jared is flying towards the door before Plush Mouth can finish hissing “Misha, goddammit!”

He has no idea how the fuck his life has led him to, well, here.


Part One


Jared Padalecki is having a really shitty year. In fact, “shitty” is probably the greatest understatement in the history of understatements, but thinking in emotional hyperbole is not going to help anyone.

He stares down at his phone and contemplates whether having someone to listen to him hyperventilate is worth listening to Chad’s latest get-rich scheme. He realizes that the fact that Chad Michael Murray is number one on his speed dial is making his overwhelmingly dramatic current depression (fuck it, hyperbole it is) even worse, but his finger is poised to press the call button anyway.

Jared’s life started out pretty boring. He lived in the suburbs of San Antonio, played baseball and then later basketball when he shot up five inches practically overnight, and knew that one day he would work with animals, preferably large dogs with floppy ears and big needy eyes. He minded his own business, kept his grades up, and had a small circle of good friends. Boring, typical, normal.

Then at the start of his senior year of high school he met Sandy, who changed his life and led him to where he is now.

Sandy McCoy was an enigma. One moment she would be sitting there under the big oak tree outside of the cafeteria, her smile as bright as the hot Texas sun. Her face would be open and beautiful and it made Jared kind of ache somewhere deep down inside of himself. Then the next day he would catch her staring off into the distance, dark eyes clouding over and looking like the weight of the world was on her slim shoulders. It was moments like that when Jared wished he was special enough to understand someone like her.

Her father’s company had transferred him to their San Antonio location but she was a native New Yorker (ok, Queens, but that totally counts). This somehow made her so much more worldly and elegant to a gawky Texas boy, and he was entranced before he could stop himself. It wasn’t the curvy little body or shiny brown hair that drew him in, since he never really thought that much about girls (and never bothered to figure out why that was). She had a gravitational pull to her and he was sucked into her orbit without demonstrating even token resistance.

They dated almost chastely for most of the year until, in the most clichéd way possible, they lost their virginity to each other on prom night. Jared can remember how her hair smelled like papaya when he pressed his face into her neck. Even her shampoo was exotic. It’s odd that it’s that small, insignificant fact that stands out so much in his mind, even beyond the feel of her hands clasping his biceps or the first surprised grunt she made when he first pushed into her. The scent of somewhere different in his nostrils as he closed his eyes and imagined a world just a little more magical than his own.

The night of their graduation, she sat him down on his extra long bed with the Dallas Cowboy sheets and kissed him lightly on the mouth before telling him that not only was she pregnant, but that her father was getting transferred back to the New York office and she was going with them to have the baby. He managed to mumble something about defective condoms as she smiled sadly and placed her tiny hand in his huge one. She told him that it was okay, that she would figure it out herself, and that she didn’t want to ruin his life with her “problem.” His nice, normal life.

She said “problem” like she was talking about getting a C on her math test, not about the mass of cells in her belly that was half of him. Half of his messy brown hair and dimples and height-induced clumsiness and the guffaw that came from deep inside his stomach. Half of his shyness and compassion and loyalty and newfound ability to love someone more than he thought possible. That last part wasn’t really about her, though she didn’t need to know that.

He asked her to marry him at the same moment he asked her to take him with her. His eyes added the “please” and she nodded silently before calling her parents to let them know.

Katherine Padalecki was born eight months later in a hospital in Forest Hills. Even papaya shampoo wasn’t as magical as that moment.

Sandy died six years later. They told Jared it was a brain aneurysm but it didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that he read Kat an extra story that night and tucked her into bed with a kiss on one dimpled cheek. She looked up at him and for one quickly flashing moment she looked at him with the same sad, knowing eyes that Sandy had when Jared was just another dumb seventeen-year-old looking to replace reality with a fantasy.

He had stopped looking for that a long time ago.

Now it’s six months after her death and everything is quickly falling apart. Without Sandy’s paralegal salary, his meager paycheck from the vet’s office barely covers their expenses. The McCoys had been helping a little but then that morning he received a call from the lawyer that Sandy had worked with who had been helping him out with his legal issues. In a complete about-face from their normal attitude, the McCoys decided to sue Jared for custody of his daughter, claiming he couldn’t support her properly. To top off the (second) worst day of his life, his landlord knocked on his door twelve minutes before his finger hovered over speed dial one and told him that he was two months past due and had two weeks to vacate the premises.

Jared presses the button and prepares himself mentally for his best friend.

“Dude!” Chad answers. Chad never says “hello” because he thinks it’s redundant.

“I’m so fucked,” Jared groans, even though Chad’s voice is somehow inexplicably soothing to him.

“Well if you wanted to be, there’s this chick….”

“Inappropriate segue, Chad.”

“C’mon, Jaybird, I kid, I kid.” His voice gets serious suddenly. “You okay, man?”

Jared closes his eyes and contemplates the question. “I don’t know what to do.”

Chad is silent a moment before launching back into his normal persona. “Dude, come on. It can’t possibly be as bad as what’s already happened, right? I mean, how much more could life suck, amirite?”

Jared wonders why the hell Chad is his best (only) friend. “The McCoys are suing me for custody of Kat and the landlord is kicking us out because I haven’t paid the rent in two months.”

“Oh. Yeah, that does suck.”

Jared rubs a hand over his face. He will not cry on the phone with Chad, of all people. “Yeah, it sure does.”

“You know I would let you move in with me…” Chad lives in his mom’s basement.

“I know, man, thanks. It’s just hitting me all at once. I mean, why would they do this to me? They’ve always been so great to us and now….I just don’t understand, that’s all.”

“Did they say why?” Chad asks lightly.

Jared pauses, the answer sticking in his throat. “They say I can’t support Kat. What… What if they’re right, Chad?”

“Stop that, Jay. Don’t even think that way. We’re gonna figure this shit out,” Chad insists firmly, and Jared suddenly remembers why Chad’s his best friend.

Jared exhales the breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Okay, let’s figure it out.”

“That’s the spirit, my man! First things first, you need a place to live.”

Jared groans again. “Oh god, how am I going to find a place that takes not only kids, but dogs too?”

Chad snorts. “Don’t you mean, big slobbering droolmeisters?”

“No, Chad, I mean dogs,” Jared laughs for the first time that day.

“HOLY SHIT DUDE, I’VE GOT IT!”

“Oh no, I don’t like that tone of voice. That is the ‘wouldn’t it be cool to make Kat sell lemonade on Queens Boulevard’ tone of voice. That voice scares me, Chad.”

Chad makes a rude, dismissive sound. “Kat would have sold so much lemonade on that corner.”

“Do you think they call it the ‘Boulevard of Death’ in a rhetorical manner?”

“Rhetorical, schmetorical, listen to my fantastic idea that is totally going to save your scrawny ass.”

“Why are you looking at my ass, Chad?”

“You wish I was looking at your ass, dude.”

“Yes, Chad, on top of everything else going on in my life I want my best friend to start lusting after me.”

“Damn right, I’m your best friend.”

Jared stops and smirks. Asshole.

Chad ignores his own tangent and barrels on. “So, anyway, back to important shit. I was in this tattoo shop…”

“Of course you were.”

“….and I was talking to the dude who owns it about investing in my new marketing venture: people tattooing ads on their faces. In fact, you’re desperate and could definitely fit something on your forehead—“

“If you finish that thought I might have to kill you.”

“Then they would send you to Rikers and I wouldn’t be the only one lusting after your ass.”

“Good point. What does the tattoo shop have to do with my current dire living situation?”

“I was getting to that, jeez, stop interrupting me!” Chad says with exasperation. “The owner dude, Chris, had this flyer up looking for a roommate. I mean, it was kinda crazy, the flyer I mean, not the dude, although the dude is a little, erm, well, he’s totally cool, trust me.”

“Oh god.”

“Hear me out, Jesus Christ on a cracker! Anyway, Chris says they are looking for someone ‘normal’ to live with them. I’m not sure what that means, but seriously, this guy is totally awesome and you are totally desperate.”

“What the hell does ‘normal’ mean?” Jared asks slowly.

“You. You are normal. Like, stupid normal. Like so normal that it makes my eyeballs hurt to stare at you too long. I mean you are fucking perfect for this shit, man,” Chad crows, and Jared can practically feel the triumph in his voice.

“Are you staring at my ass, or just in my general vicinity?”

“You are such a shithead. I swear, I’m handing you your golden ticket right here. And Kat will love this dude.”

Jared’s voice is suddenly wary. “Why do you say that?”

Chad starts laughing, and Jared joins in, a little hysterically, because his life is a fucking comedy of errors. “Because his entire face is tattooed like some wild jungle cat.”

Jared laughs so hard he starts choking.

“Jaybird, you okay? Don’t die on me here.”

Jared manages to get himself under control, but barely. “Chad, you want me to take my six-year-old daughter to live with a man who made himself look like a cat?”

“And his wacky roommates. Which includes his girlfriend, who I think is a voodoo priestess. So, yes.”

Jared is so flabbergasted that he can’t make his vocal cords vibrate enough to speak.

Chad’s voice is serious and soft again. “Jared, just talk to the guy, okay? He supposedly has some huge house out in the suburbs in Long Island. A huge backyard for the droolmeisters, good school district for Kat. I know it sounds kind of weird, but it can’t hurt to check it out.”

“Chad,” Jared starts. His voice aches with sadness. “I’m scared.”

Chad lets him have the moment. “It’s just a jungle cat and some voodoo dolls. Nothing to be scared of, Jay.”

Jared laughs again, breathes deep, decides. “Okay, give me his number.”

Jensen doesn’t know why he’s so nervous. When he talked to the possible roommate candidate the day before on the phone, the lazy drawl underneath the wariness reminded him of his childhood. The guy, Jared, seemed perfect, even when he was obviously trying to convince himself (and Jensen) that he wasn’t. When he said he had a kid and two huge dogs it almost made Jensen fistbump himself (awkward), instead of turning him off like Jared was intending.

What the hell is more ridiculously normal and domestic than some cute kid and a pair of dogs? Okay, maybe not enough to negate the rest of the…eccentricities of the house, but it would work for their purposes. Of course he is the only one that seems to care about their little group keeping a low profile and hiding behind a would-be spokesman.

Ok, not hiding. Chris would call it hiding, but what does he know? Hard to hide when your face is full of ink and metal. Jensen is a realist. He understands that the world is in black and white, even if he and his roommates know that they live in swirls of red and blue and orange. How wrong can it be to want to protect the people who have become his surrogate family? If it takes getting some nice boring guy and his cute kid to prop up like a cardboard cutout in front of them, then where is the harm? The guy gets a great house (and Danneel’s amazing gumbo) and they get some respectability. It’s just starting over again that sucks.

If only stupid Tom hadn’t bailed.

Jensen grits his teeth and pulls the fourth clean shirt out of his closet.

It’s Saturday afternoon and the guy is going to be there in less than twenty minutes, so Jensen goes into Misha’s room to attempt to intimidate him into getting ready for the interview. Misha owns the house they all live in and never actually leaves it. He owns the largest online holistic vitamin company in the northeast and is what can be termed “independently wealthy.” Not that he spends any of that money on clothing.

“Ah, Young Ackles,” Misha smiles in greeting, swiveling around in his desk chair and holding out his arms like he’s expecting a hug.

Jensen frowns at Misha’s penis. Not that Misha’s penis itself bothers him. Lord knows, he has seen Misha’s penis enough times by now that he barely notices that it’s attached. But Misha had promised him he would put away his penis for Jared.

“You’re still naked, Misha.”

Misha cocks an eyebrow and speaks slowly like Jensen is a deaf and ESL preschooler. “I’m a naturist, Jensen. My nudity is my power. My power is my nudity.”

“You’re a naked agoraphobic, Misha.”

Misha nods. “Your words are harsh yet your tone is loving. You confuse me, my dear warlock.”

“I’m not a warlock.”

“Perhaps not in this realm, Young Ackles.”

Jensen stares at him and Misha just leans in closer until his hairy knee is scratching Jensen’s denim clad one. He gives it four more seconds before giving up. He’s never won a staring contest with Misha Collins in the entire seven years he’s known him.

“Just put on something when Jared is here, okay? Your balls will not protest a half hour without oxygen.”

“Do your warlock powers talk about my balls often?”

“I’m leaving the room now.”

“My balls are powerful, I see.”

“I’m totally gone. Can’t see you anymore. Definitely can’t hear you.”

Jensen shuts Misha’s door with a sigh and heads downstairs to the kitchen, where Genevieve is standing at the fridge drinking something that is definitely not milk out of a plastic jug.

“You know our electricity bill goes way up when you leave the door open like that,” he says, hiding his grin as she rolls her eyes.

“I’ll let Misha have an extra turn on top this month to make it up to him,” Gen smirks, licking the red liquid off her fingers as she replaces the jug and shuts the door.

“The new guy will be here in a few minutes. No biting,” Jensen insists, dropping his voice an octave in an attempt at sternness.

“Oh come on, I only did that once. Not my fault Tom couldn’t take a joke.”

“Gen!”

“Yeah, yeah, no biting, got it. I’m gonna go carefully blow my boyfriend. Call me when he’s here.”

She waves her fingers at him primly and heads upstairs to the powerful ball-filled room he just vacated.

Long delicate arms squeeze him suddenly from behind and he twists to see Danneel.

“You’re going to be good, right?” he asks her, tone vaguely pitiful.

She smiles innocently and bats her eyelashes. “No pins in his face, then?”

“Not even one,” he answers, and can’t help but laugh. “Why are you wearing a turban at home? I thought that was just for your paying customers.”

“Bad hair day,” Danneel grins wide and releases him, sauntering out of the room as quietly as she entered it.

The doorbell rings then and Jensen takes a deep breath before heading to answer it.

The man on the other side of the door is so ridiculously gorgeous that Jensen has to stare at him for a moment. Okay, maybe many moments. A few too many moments.

“Hey, I’m Jared,” the ridiculous man says in that same drawl and looks a little confused at the staring. He hesitantly reaches out his hand.

Jensen shakes himself out of it and takes his hand firmly. “Jensen, pleased to meet you. Come on in.”

Jared smiles, and it’s all dimples and sunshine and rainbows and other shit that makes Jensen remember just how very gay he is. He turns away from the glare coming off of Jared’s face and hurriedly leads him to the living room.

Jared looks around in what Jensen assumes is supposed to be a subtle manner, but doesn’t seem overtly nervous any more once he sees how beige everything is. Jensen motions towards the love seat and Jared sinks his long, delicious body into it with only momentary hesitation.

Danneel is the first one to come in and Jensen is thankful, if only because she’s not naked, tattooed, or drinking blood. Yes, she’s wearing what looks like a metallic robe and a turban, but the smile on her beautiful face is bright and a few bouncy red curls are escaping to hang half way down her shoulders.

“You must be Jared!” she says, saying his name like they are old friends. He attempts to stand up to greet her, but she pushes him back down and rubs her knuckles against his cheeks in lieu of shaking his hand.

“That’s me. And you are?” Jensen notices Jared’s swallowing a lot. Hmmm, Jared swallowing…..

Jensen bites down on the inside of his cheek. “Jared, this is Danneel. Danni, where’s Chris?”

She points a thumb back towards the stairs as Chris Kane appears suddenly in the room. Jared’s eyes go comically wide as he takes in the sheer multitude of Chris’ tattoos and piercings. Jensen’s known him so long he doesn’t notice them anymore (like Misha’s penis) but he knows that to someone that doesn’t know him, Chris looks rather conspicuous.

Jared does stand up then and Jensen notices again that he’s quite possibly ten feet tall. He stifles a giggle as Chris looks up—way up—to shake his hand.

“You’re Chad’s friend, huh?” Chris grins, pulling Danneel down next to him on the couch and snuggling her into his side.

“Oh god, don’t hold that against me,” Jared chuckles, sitting back down and seeming to relax a bit.

Gen slinks in a minute later, full lips even more bee-stung than usual and, goddamn, Jensen wishes he didn’t know why they were like that. They curve up into a smirk as she glances at Jensen and hisses a bit. When he winces, she starts laughing and she turns to offer her hand to Jared.

“Why hello, Jared. I’m Genevieve. How lovely to make your acquaintance,” she says innocently and Jensen swears she curtsies just to piss him off. Reaction accomplished, she throws herself down on the couch next to Danneel and gives her a quick nibble on the neck just to make her giggle.

“Gen, is Misha coming down?” Jensen asks, not knowing if he really wants the answer.

“Well he was definitely coming,” she nods as Chris snorts and Danneel covers her mouth with her hand.

Jared is looking at them all blankly and Jensen feels his perfectly normal and epically hot hopefully future-roommate slipping through the cracks with their stupid-ass antics.

“So Jared, tell us a little about yourself,” Jensen throws out, sitting on the arm of the couch and attempting to look confident and inviting.

Jared swallows again (he really has to stop that because, come on) and shakes his head a little bit. “Well, like I told you on the phone, I have a six-year-old daughter named Kat. She’s a good kid though, doesn’t cause any trouble.”

Danneel squeals a bit and Chris cocks an eyebrow at her.

“I’m a vet tech and I really love it, although it doesn’t pay that much. I love animals, so it’s a great job for me. Helping them makes me feel good, you know,” Jared says and it’s almost shy. Jensen wants to leap onto his lap and lick the flush right off his face.

“My wife…” Jared pauses. “Well, my wife died about six months ago and it’s been difficult to manage some stuff financially. Our house is too expensive with just me working, so that’s why I’m looking for something else.”

Jensen notices that his friends are looking at Jared a little more softly. Even Gen stops smirking for a minute and Danneel looks like she’s ready to cook him soup and knit him socks. The moment is getting a little uncomfortable, so he fills the silence.

“Well, okay, I’m really sorry about your wife, Jared. It must be hard for your daughter, too. Maybe a house full of people will help her feel a little better, right?”

Jared looks wary but just shrugs. “What about you guys? What do you do?”

“I’m a vamp—“ Gen starts, grunting as Jensen leans over to elbow her in the ribs. “I mean I work in a blood bank.”

“Oh,” Jared says slowly, looking between the two of them with a perplexed expression.

“I own my own tattoo shop, as you probably know,” Chris breaks in, thankfully. “As for the“ --he waves at his face and torso-- “I’m a modern primitive.”

Danneel starts her own introduction before Jared can attempt to figure out what Chris is talking about. “I work with Chris in his shop, doing piercings and acupuncture.”

She smiles up at Jensen, knowing that sounded almost legitimate and would please him. She leaves out the part about pretending to conjure the spirits of her ancestors to read people's fortunes in the back room of the shop. Jensen returns her grin and then glares at Gen again, who just rolls her eyes.

This isn’t going too badly, Jensen thinks, and is about to launch into his own intro when Misha walks into the living room.

Completely naked.

“Misha, goddammit!” Jensen hisses and his face falls when he sees Jared running for the front door as fast as those beautiful long legs will take him.

The first reason that Jared stops right before opening the front door in a blind panic is the fact that he had called or visited seven different apartments the day before this one. Three of them didn’t take dogs, which was non-negotiable. Two of them ended up being brokers with fees higher than his monthly salary. One of them was next to a bodega where a man offered to sell him crack for a twenty. The last one was situated over a Chinese takeout joint and looked so sketchy that Roscoe the bedbug-sniffing dog would have run out of there with a “Hell, naw!” Jared made sure to keep his body parts from touching anything as he exited that one.

The second reason is the hand currently holding his forearm.

Jared looks at Jensen’s hand, wondering why it feels warm when the house itself is highly air-conditioned. Wonders why he feels what could be classified only as a “tingle” running up to his shoulder. Wonders why he suddenly feels utterly and completely calm.

“I’m sorry about Misha,” Jensen (Plush Mouth) says, his voice low and eyes vaguely pleading. “He’s a really great guy when you get to know him. We all are.”

Jared bites his lower lip and stares down at the hand again. “Why is he naked?”

Jensen rubs his thumb over Jared’s elbow and Jared can feel himself flushing. “He’s what’s called a ‘naturist.’ One with nature and his body and all that.”

Jared manages to bring himself back to something that is supposed to be more important than the way Jensen’s light touch is making him dizzy. “I have a six-year-old daughter, Jensen. I can’t live with some guy that’s going to be naked all the time.”

Jensen smiles encouragingly and keeps stroking. “I promise we can work something out if we decide that living together is the best option. Nothing is a deal breaker, okay?”

Jared nods against his better judgment and follows Jensen back into the living room. A still-naked Misha is sitting on a recliner next to the couch.

“That’s Misha’s chair. I suggest you stay off that one,” Jensen whispers with a chuckle and Jared sinks back into the loveseat before his mind can process that too fully.

“I’m Misha Collins. You must be the infamously normal Jared. I’m sorry if the sight of my penis scared you. It doesn’t know it’s own strength,” Misha says with a blissed out smile and a slight hand wave. Jared wonders if he’s stoned or just naturally like that.

Jared has no idea where he’s supposed to be looking, so he chooses the clock over the mantel. “I wouldn’t say scared so much as startled behind comprehension.”

Misha chuckles. “I like this one, Jensen. Can we keep him?”

Jared pulls his eyes away from the clock to look at Jensen, who is sighing unhappily. “Misha, would you mind covering up for a bit? So Jared doesn’t have to keep looking at that dumb clock.”

Damn, Jared thought he was being subtle.

“Cover up? Oh, of course. Gen?” Misha bats his big blue eyes at the girl with the teeth that keeps hissing at Jensen.

She smiles brightly and goes over to plop herself down on his lap.

“There, is that better? Gen’s wee body is completely covering my genitalia,” Misha grins, wrapping his arms around what Jared assumes is his girlfriend. Unless all the roommates do this. Jared’s pretty sure that “sitting on Misha’s naked lap” is going to be a deal breaker on his end, no matter how soothing Jensen’s hand is.

Jensen ignores him and turns back to Jared. “So, that’s Misha. He owns the house so we have to put up with him. But he’s super easy to ignore when you get the hang of it.”

“Like magic, huh Jensen?” Misha’s voice is suddenly low and sly.

Jensen looks at Misha and Jared can’t figure out the expression. It makes him a little uneasy and he figures he might as well start asking questions if he’s going to get through this. “So, Chad said you were looking for someone normal. I admit I’m a little confused at what that means.”

“Let’s just say that we like to have someone that can help be the liaison with the neighborhood. It’s a great place to live but the community board can be, well, a little conservative,” Jensen explains. His voice is steady but Jared notices his hand is drumming nervously against his thigh.

Jared’s confused. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, but you look pretty normal to me, Jensen. Why can’t you be the liaison or whatever?”

Chris snorts again and Jared wonders if that’s the only sound he’s capable of making.

“Jensen’s a witch,” Gen announces, hand caressing Misha’s neck.

Jared blinks.

“Not a witch, darling, Jensen’s a warlock,” Misha corrects, petting her back.

Jensen looks like fire is going to come out of his ears like the chick from “Clue.”

“I’m not a warlock, Misha.”

“He’s totally not a warlock,” Danneel throws in helpfully.

“Ok, then what exactly are you?” Jared asks slowly, completely flummoxed by the turn in the conversation.

“I’m, well.” Jensen pauses, like he’s trying to think of the least crazy thing he can think of. “I’m a pagan.”

Jared’s shoulders relax a bit more. Pagan. Okay. He can deal with that. I mean, it’s not like he’s going to offer Kat up as a human sacrifice, right?

“You’re not going to offer my daughter up as a human sacrifice, are you?”

The words are out of his mouth before he can contain them. Shit.

Jensen looks like he wants to sink into the floor and die and the other four roommates are clutching themselves in laughter.

“Human sacrifices are only on Wednesdays, Jared. Just send your daughter to a friend’s house on those days, “ Misha offers, grinning like the fucking Cheshire Cat.

“OK, I deserved that one. Sorry,” Jared huffs sheepishly. He looks up at Jensen, who is bright red. He didn’t mean to make him feel bad and, Jesus, he doesn’t even understand why he cares about the guy enough to worry about hurting his feelings. “I’m sorry, Jensen. That was very intolerant of me to say.”

Jensen’s still red, but Jared thinks it’s more out of embarrassment than mortification now so it’s not quite as bad. “It’s okay, Jared. I know we’re kind of a lot to take in all at one time.”

Jared sweeps his eyes across the others and laughs sharply. “You could say that. It still doesn’t mean I should be a dick about it.”

That answer seems to please Jensen and that makes Jared content deep down in a way that he definitely doesn’t want to acknowledge. “So, did you have someone, um, normal before this? Or is this a new development?”

“Tom,” Danneel says, shaking her head sadly.

“Tom was so normal,” Chris nods.

“Like, corn-fed,” Danneel adds.

“So much corn,” Gen agrees.

“To the point that he could sweeten the entire cereal industry all by himself for years to come,” Misha contributes wisely.

“What happened to Tom?” Jared inquires, strangely curious about this mysterious full-of-corn normal person that preceded him. And god, he’s already acting like he’s ready to move in and replace him and, no, he isn’t going to think about that right now.

“Tom didn’t want to be normal,” Danneel replies.

“Tom hated being normal,” Chris corrects.

“Tom convinced himself he was an alien,” Gen throws in.

“Tom was not an alien,” Misha adds, and he sounds sad about it.

“But we couldn’t convince Tom that not being an alien was okay,” Danneel says wistfully.

“So he decided to go look for where his pod landed,” Chris hugs her a bit in comfort.

“In Canada,” Gen rolls her eyes, like Tom’s an idiot for thinking pods land in Canada.

“He got mad at Jensen because he wouldn’t shave his head,” Misha throws out and Jared looks at Jensen, who is rubbing the back of his neck furiously.

Jensen sighs and answers the question Jared is asking without actually saying anything. “Tom said that all super- villains have shaved heads and that any good alien needs a super villain to play off of. I refused to be that super- villain because I actually really like my hair and he took off to find his destiny or pod or something. “

Jared takes in all of this information and then finally nods. “Hmmm.”

“Are you freaked out? You’re totally freaked out, aren’t you?” Jensen groans, and looks stricken.

Jared has to laugh. “No, actually, I was just going to comment that you people talk in one big, overlapping run-on sentence. Like we’re on the school bus singing a round of Row Row Row Your Boat.”

“I never had a school bus,” Gen sighs mournfully and Misha hugs her tight to his bare chest.

For some reason that makes Jared laugh even harder and before he knows it tears are streaming down his face. It becomes infectious and within seconds everyone else is laughing hysterically as well.

A few minutes later Jared takes a deep breath and stops laughing, the others following suit immediately. They sit and stare at each other in anticipatory silence.

“So,” Jared starts. The five roommates all look at him eagerly. “There would need to be a few ground rules for this to work. On both sides, of course.”

Jensen smiles at him, green eyes crinkling, and it makes Jared’s heart beat a little faster. He remembers the feel of those fingers on his arm and grows warmer.

“Ground rules, got it.”

“This involves my penis, doesn’t it?” Misha determines sadly, as Gen bounces a little bit in solidarity.

“I’m sorry, Misha. No penises around my kid is definitely a ground rule,” Jared nods, and for some reason he feels strangely apologetic.

“Think of how fun it’ll be to dress up for a change!” Danneel offers, winking at Misha, who is still sighing.

“Ok, another ground rule. No touching my milk jugs,” Gen warns.

Jared’s eyebrows shoot up. “Please tell me that’s not a euphemism for…”

Misha clutches her possessively. “Well yes, that too, but she means literally her milk jugs. In the fridge. Red liquid, please don’t ask.”

Jared nods. “Got it, don’t touch the red stuff. Anything else?”

“Stay out of the room with the swing,” Chris adds and Jared doesn’t even want to know.

“No touching my dolls,” Danneel throws out and Jared definitely doesn’t want to know.

Jensen gets up then before anyone can spill anything else, and shakes Jared’s hand firmly. He feels the tingle again and goddamn. “I think this is going to be perfect for all of us, Jared, I really do. How about you bring your daughter over tomorrow to see the house and meet everyone? “

Jared nods and says a silent prayer of forgiveness to Sandy for what he might be exposing their daughter to. “I’ll bring her by tomorrow, if that’s okay with y’all.”

Jensen bites his lip as Jared’s accent slips and Jared finds himself wanting to sing bad country western songs just to make him keep doing it.

Misha hops out of his chair then and pushes between them. He clasps Jared’s shoulder and Jared chants “Don’t look down, don’t look down,” as a silent mantra as he smiles back at the man. “If the little sprite is half as confused and adorable as her daddy I’m sure we’ll all get along fantastically.”

Jared barks out a laugh. “Nah, confused and adorable is my specialty. She’s more wise and adorable.”

“Sounds like my kind of kid then,” Misha grins and Jared returns it. He doesn’t know why but he’s not completely petrified anymore. He thinks that should scare him more than it does, but he’s just desperate enough to ignore the warning signs.

She’s just a child. How scary can she be? Jensen thinks to himself as he opens up the door and stares down at six-year-old Katherine Padalecki.

Big, dark brown eyes blink up at him inquisitively. She twirls one strand of chestnut hair around her finger and slowly starts gnawing on her lip. Jensen blinks back at her.

“Kat, this is Jensen. Say 'hi' sweetheart,” Jared nudges her gently.

“Hi Jensen,” the kid says to him, her voice soft and sweet and vaguely unsure. She pauses and Jensen waits for her to continue. “Can I call you Jenny?”

Jared flinches and looks at him apologetically but Jensen just smiles. “Only if I can call you Miss Kitty.”

Kat bursts into a full-fledged make-the-sun-look-like-a-60-watt-lightbulb dimpled Padalecki grin and Jensen breathes a little bit easier. He will not be defeated by a grade-schooler.

He ushers them quickly into the house but they don’t get more than ten feet before Chris appears in the hallway, his bright smile contrasting with the swirl of ink covering his entire face.

Kat is standing stock still, frozen tight with her back against Jared’s legs. Jensen gives a silent aww shit as he watches the flicker of emotions on Jared’s face. He knows this is the first test and if Kat is in any way terrified of the modern primitive standing in front of her Jared will be out of there faster than he can heave a “See ya!”

Chris’ face retains its serenity, however, and his voice is low when he speaks. “You must be Kat. I’m Chris. It’s really nice to finally meet you.”

Jensen can hear Jared swallowing again, and he watches the man put his big hand on his little girl’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. This is it, Jensen thinks. Everything is going to get fucked up and the kid is gonna run screaming away and that big beautiful hunk of normal is never going to be seen again.

Kat starts twitching then and Jared looks like a caged animal searching desperately for an escape route. Jensen gnaws on his lip and frantically tries to think of something to say. What’s a little terror, huh Jared? I mean, every kid needs a boogeyman, right? Good for the soul!

Okay, so that’s not really going to work. Fuck.

Suddenly Kat releases a high pitched squeal that could only come from the depths of a six-year-old girl’s soul and flings herself bodily at Chris. His reflexes are as good as a cat (ugh, I did not just think that, Jensen groans) and he has her up against his chest and snuggled in his arms before Jared can pull his mouth back up from where it dropped to the floor.

Kat is touching Chris’ face like she just found God, as reverent as a little kid can possibly be. Her eyes are wide in wonderment as Chris’ mouth curls up into a smile and makes the little metal spike implants that serve as whiskers poke her fingertips. She uses her thumbs to brush the transdermal implants that ridge above his brows, as gently as if she was caressing a newborn.

“Does it hurt?” she whispers, and it’s almost too low for Jensen to hear it.

“Nah. It feels like part of me,” Chris replies, voice soothing, still smiling. “Do you like it?”

Kat nods so forcefully she almost knocks herself out of his arms. Chris laughs and holds her tight.

“She loves cats,” Jared explains, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head helplessly. “She’s the only little girl I know who sleeps in Thundercats pajamas.”

“Hey, watch your tone! I sleep in Thundercats pajamas too,” Jensen grins and his entire body feels like it’s on fire when Jared grins back at him.

After a moment Jensen clears his throat. Kat is still clutching Chris like a symbiotic twin. “Uh, hey Kat, don’t you want to meet everyone else? See the rest of the house?”

Chris puts her down and she looks like she’s about to go into mourning. “Hey, Kat, you want to come meet my girlfriend, Danni? Maybe she’ll let you wear her turban.”

Kat looks interested, probably because it’s Chris who made the suggestion. “What’s a turban?”

“Something to put on when you don’t want to wash your hair,” Chris replies and Kat nods, completely content with that answer. With a dismissive wave back at her father, she takes off up the stairs with Chris.

“Well,” Jared says, a little stunned as he watches his kid being led off by a walking-talking-snorting jungle cat.

“Well,” Jensen echoes.

“That went well.”

“Yeah, that really did.”

They look at each other then and burst into laughter.

The easy, relaxed slope of Jared’s shoulders makes Jensen grin so hard his eye crinkles threaten to burst right off his face. He shakes his head a little to settle himself. He has no idea why Jared is affecting him so much. He’s obviously gorgeous and Jensen is sexually attracted to him like whoa, but there are lots of hot guys in the world. Tom, for example, was almost as tall as Jared with black hair and blue eyes and hey-ya-want-a-blowjob-lips but Jensen had never looked at him and felt like his skin was going to peel off. Jensen was born to feel things, in the most literal of ways. When his fingertips hit flesh it’s like a tiny slow burning current flickering through his skin and muscle and bone, going right through him to the center of his brain. He has known half his life that he was born with the power (curse?) to feel more than any person should and yet Jared is the first person in a long time (ever?) to make him want to feel even more.

Jensen’s mental soliloquy must have gone on longer than he thought because Jared is staring at him a little peculiarly. It looks like equal parts curiosity and interest, and Jensen tries to keep himself from acknowledging something slightly darker than what would usually be normal for two guys who barely know each other standing silently in the middle of a hallway.

“So!” Jared starts, and the look is gone. “She’s totally fine with Chris, right?”

Jensen touches Jared’s forearm and luxuriates in Jared’s minute but definitely there psychical reaction before pulling away. “Absolutely. Especially with Danni up there with them. She’ll probably try and buy Kat off of you within the month.”

Jared laughs and then looks at him strangely again. “It sounds like you think this roommate thing is going to work out. That we’ve already decided.”

Jensen feels his heartbeat speed up a bit. “Of course I do. You need a bit more awesomeness in your life, Jared. Kat too. And how are you ever going to top the sheer amount of awesome in this house?”

Jared lets out a low whistle. “I don’t know, man. I do have Chad Michael Murray in my life. It’s a little hard to beat that epic.”

Jensen laughs gleefully. “I don’t even know the guy yet but from what Chris tells me I don’t think I have anything to worry about in the epic department.”

“Don’t let The Chad hear you say that or he might try to squint you to death,” Jared attempts seriousness but makes it about three seconds before laughing as well.

“Hey, want to go check out the backyard? See if it’s good enough for the dogs?” Jensen offers, gesturing towards the back of the first floor.

“Yeah, man, that’s a great idea. Lead the way,” Jared nods.

It’s the end of August and the New York humidity rushes into the house as Jensen slides back the glass door leading to their large backyard. He sees Jared fanning himself with one giant hand in his peripheral vision and he can’t pretend to himself that half the reason to show Jared the backyard wasn’t to see the man sweat.

God holy shit fuck, Jensen curses with a swoon as he watches sweat start immediately beading on Jared’s collarbone. He’s wearing a V-neck t-shirt and there’s that tantalizing open stretch of skin right there that Jensen wants to lick and bite and mark. He imagines pressing his face right into the V, breathing in Jared’s scent, feeling his sweat drip against his tongue.

Jensen groans imperceptibly and wills himself to stop having fucking porno daydreams about his poor hopefully soon-to-be roommate. He’s going to have to start meditating with Misha if this shit doesn’t stop. Wait. Hmm. Thinking about Misha doing yoga naked immediately tampers down all sexual thoughts in his head. Who knew?

Jared, meanwhile, is staring out at the expanse of the yard. They have all the trappings of Long Island suburbia: swimming pool, barbeque area, small modified basketball court, lots of green grass and open air. The illusion of boring, simple normalcy. Jared looks impressed and Jensen finds himself pleased again, just from Jared being happy.

“Jensen, this is fantastic! We’ll have to keep Harley from jumping in the pool because he’s the dumb one, but both he and Sadie can swim so it’s no big deal. And a basketball court! Do you play? I used to play in high school but….”Jared trails off and his smiles quirks down into a frown. “Well, high school was a long time ago.”

Jensen feels a desperate need to see the dimples again and shoots for manly competitive spirit as a tactic. “That just means you’re rusty, man! You might be tall but I bet I’m quicker than you.”

“Oh you do, do you?” Jared cocks his head, eyebrow lifting in challenge. “I bet I can have you on your ass in three minutes.”

Jensen tries to stifle a moan at the mention of Jared doing anything to his ass, and takes off running towards the basketball court. “Put your ball where your mouth is, Padalecki!”

Oh, that wasn’t any better. Damn.

Jared just laughs and runs after him, grabbing the basketball that Jensen has retrieved and thrown at him. He’s pulling off his shirt and throwing it aside before Jensen can process that and uses it as a distraction to get off his first shot.

Cheater!

Twenty minutes later they are still playing and Jensen has somehow managed to keep up with the giant man-child. At the very least he’s only been dunked on twice, so that’s something to keep his manly ego from breaking too irrevocably.

“Jared! Jensen!” Danneel’s voice comes shouting over to them and they turn to see her and Chris waving them back inside. Jared throws down the basketball instantly and is pulling his shirt over his drenched chest as he runs back to them.

“What happened? Where’s Kat?” Jared demands, suddenly frantic.

“It’s okay, son, calm down,” Chris starts, holding out his hands in what Jensen guesses is supposed to be a soothing manner.

“Where’s my kid?” Jared grits his teeth, a vein straining in his neck, which is bright red from sun and exertion.

“She’s around here somewhere, I’m sure. The house isn’t that big,” Danneel insists, but her eyes flicker to Jensen and then Chris and back again, avoiding Jared.

“What happened?” Jensen asks calmly, trying to touch Jared to calm him down, but he flings Jensen’s hand off of him. Jensen admits somewhere deep down that it stings.

“Nothing happened. I told Kat to make herself at home and then we turned our backs for a second and she, well, she took off. Maybe she’s playing hide and seek or something, I don’t know, son. I don’t know anything about kids,” Chris sighs and Jared looks at Jensen with an incredulous expression. Jensen turns away from it quickly because he knows he was the one who vouched for Chris. Jared had trusted him and right now it’s looking like that trust was misplaced.

“We already searched a lot of the house. It looks like she got into the, uh, swing room,” Danneel says, eyes widening just enough for Jensen to notice.

Jared’s staring at Jensen, his eyes demanding an explanation.

“It’s the attic,” Jensen explains, and Jared looks mortified. Jensen turns back to Chris and Danneel. “Did anything look misplaced?”

“Well, there was definitely some touching of the swing,” Chris says and he doesn’t look entirely happy about it.

“And my dolls. The dolls were definitely moved,” Danneel adds, squeezing her hands and pressing them to her hips.

Jared looks torn now that the realization that Kat has been getting into exactly what the roommates warned him about seems to hit him. Flickers of guilt wash over his face and he looks suddenly unsure.

“I’m sorry about that,” he apologizes, but his voice still has the glint of steel in it that it had before. “But right now I just want my kid.”

The all nod and head back into the house. A noise coming from the kitchen startles them and they run into the spacious room. Sure enough, Kat is standing at the open refrigerator, one of Gen’s plastic milk jugs clutched in both her hands. She freezes when everyone rushes in, not knowing whether or not she’s in trouble.

“Can I have some Kool-Aid?” she asks, her voice whispery, as she holds up the jug.

“Katherine Padalecki!” Jared yells running over to her and grabbing the jug of red liquid. He sets it back on the counter with a thump and then bundles her into his sweaty grasp, squeezing her in a way that has to be moderately painful.

“I’m sorry, Daddy, I didn’t mean to run off! Chris said I should make myself at home and I wanted to see everything and there was this ladder and then this swing and these dolls and everything was so shiny but then I got really thirsty and Uncle Chad always goes right to the fridge to get a drink because he says that he’s making himself at home and that’s what Chris said so I didn’t think he would mind but now you’re mad at me and we won’t get to live in this wonderful house and Chris won’t be my best friend anymore and Harley and Sadie won’t have somewhere to run around and please Daddy don’t hate me!” Kat starts sobbing pitifully, her long-winded explanation draining her completely as she slumps in Jared’s arms.

“Oh god, Kit-Kat, I could never hate you, my baby girl, I love you so much! You just worried me, that’s all! You can’t run off like that without telling anyone, especially in a new place. What if you got hurt?” Jared tries his best to soothe her, but she’s shaking hard and suddenly Jensen is struck with the thought that this little girl just lost her mother six months ago. Her entire world is being flipped upside down and he has no idea how she hasn’t broken yet.

“Hey, Jared,” Jensen starts slowly, keeping his voice pitched low. “Do you mind if I talk to Kat for a minute?”

Jared turns to look at him, a confused look on his face. But then suddenly it smoothes out and he nods, putting Kat down and backing up a foot to let Jensen kneel down beside her.

“Hey Kat,” Jensen whispers, putting his hand gently against the side of her head. Her tears dissipate almost instantly and he hears Jared gasp.

Electricity flows through Jensen’s veins where he’s connected to the little girl and it startles him for a moment. Holy shit, he thinks before realizing why. She’s special. She’s one of us.

She blinks up at him with innocent eyes and Jensen knows instantly that she has no idea. She must not have manifested yet and it makes his heart ache with protectiveness towards her. There’s no way this is a coincidence. This little girl and her father are meant to be with him, with them. Jensen is going to take care of them both, if it’s the last thing he ever does.

He presses his other hand to the other side of her head and kisses her forehead. “You okay now, Miss Kitty?”

She bestows a shy smile on him and nods her head. “Yes, Jenny.”

Jensen looks up at Jared from his perch on the floor and smirks. “So when can you move in?”


PART TWO

Comments

[sadritsuka12.livejournal.com]

wow... .love it

[mena-tani.livejournal.com]

Hey, this fic is interesting and funny, I'm enjoying it.
thank you for post it!
: )

[hime2emeh.livejournal.com]

haha love the nod to clex :D

[tebtosca.livejournal.com]

I had to! I love me some Mike & Tom :P

[happysgolucky.livejournal.com]

I cannot, in good conscience, keep reading this story without telling you that Misha saying "My penis didn't realize its own strength" made me laugh until I cried. granted, I heard him saying it in Castiels monotone...but even so. So far, this story is one of the most unique I have read on LJ. I can't wait to read more!

[tebtosca.livejournal.com]

Haha so glad I made you laugh! And cry! :P

Hope you enjoy the rest of it <3

[aerynsun5.livejournal.com]

This is so awesome and so original! I love everyone in it.

[tebtosca.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you loved the craziness of the house :D

<3