Jared Padalecki is a high class business man, Jensen Ackles is a high class prostitute. But this is no Pretty Woman remake; when Jensen’s diagnosed with cancer, Jared decides he has to look after Jensen, even if Jensen doesn’t want to be looked after by his former client and it’s not long before their strictly business relationship becomes very complicated.
Jensen feels absolutely wretched. His whole body aches, his nose is stuffed up, and his head hurts like a motherfucker. In light of these facts, he has decided that it is Jared's job to fix it.
"M'cold and I want coffee." He demands when Jared picks him up.
"Well, good morning to you, too sweetheart." Jared replies in a high-pitched, ridiculously accurate impression of a Southern belle.
Jensen glares at him as Jared leans over to kiss him cheek. "Stop it, I'm sick."
Jared thumbs Jensen's cheekbone, humming a condescending "Poor baby." and Jensen tries to be mad, but the touch feels good.
His boyfriend laughs at the look on Jensen's face, but he softens when Jensen starts coughing and it sounds like he's trying to hack up a fucking lung. "Do you think you can go to school?" he asks, hand moving to Jensen's shoulder and massaging gently.
"I guess. Don't feel like being home alone all day."
Jared gives him an odd little half smile, but he nods, shifts the car into gear and heads toward the school. Jensen settles back into the seat, closing his eyes, but cracking a grin when he realizes that Jared turned on the seat heater for him. His head is pounding, but the smell of Jared's cologne and the sound of his atrocious, off-key humming along to the radio lulls him into a dose. He's so tired, kind of wishes that he'd decided to stay home, but he isn't about the spend the day in his apartment without Jared, and his boyfriend's got this annoying perfect attendance thing going on that he just can't bring himself to deliberately demolish.
So, dying of the plague in class it is.
"Is that my sweatshirt?"
Jensen cracks one eye open. "What's it to you, bitch?"
"Hey, be nice to me. No one around to put on a show for."
He actually sounds a little hurt and Jensen instantly feels bad, even though he didn't mean anything by it. He knows Jared hates that they have to hide their relationship, but not hiding it would be just shy of suicide in their small Alabama town. They've got to protect themselves, even when it means being a bit of a douche to Jared in public.
They've had too many close calls to act like good friends in public. Those Rose boys already seem suspicious enough, and Jensen's got to protect his boy until they can get out. It's just that sometimes he forgets and goes a little overboard.
He tugs Jared's hand away from where it's resting idly on the gearshift and brings it to his lips. "M'sorry. Didn't mean it."
"I know." Jared acknowledges quietly.
Jensen holds Jared's hand in both of his, running his fingers in between each of his boyfriend's. "Make it up to you later." He's going for seductive, but the monumental sneeze and snotty aftermath really ruins the moment.
Jared laughs, pelts Jensen with some napkins from the pocket in the driver's side door. "Gross, dude. I think I'll pass for now."
It hurts to blow his nose at this point, but a laughing Jared is so much better than a sad Jared, so he guesses he can handle a little mocking. He turns his most pitiful eyes on Jared, pulling the long sleeves of the sweatshirt over his hands. "Shut up, I can't help it."
"Yeah, baby, I got it, you're sick." Jared makes a right on Martin Lane, and Jensen admires the jump of the muscles in his arm as he turns the wheel. "Tell ya what: how 'bout we stop for coffee now, and we'll cut our last class and head back to my place. Think some Parks and Rec reruns will make you feel better?"
Jensen sniffles, partly for extra pity and partly because he can't help it. "Can we watch in bed 'til your parents get home?"
Jared grins indulgently, pulling up to the drive through and ordering Jensen a large coffee with two sugars without having to ask Jensen what he wanted first. "You got it."
By the time third period rolls around, Jensen is beyond done with this day. If he didn't think it would lead to a parking lot beating from the Rose brothers, he'd just walk straight into Jared's arms and demand to be taken to bed and held. As it stands, he settles for sitting next to his boyfriend in geometry and pillowing his head in his arms. The sweatshirt smells like Jared, and he can relax for a moment before class starts.
"Hey, man." Jared says casually, clapping Jensen on the back. "You look like shit."
One of Jared's friends-- Chad, Jensen thinks his name is --snickers, piles on. "Gonna buy the farm, Jensen?"
Jensen gives them both the finger and closes his eyes again. He must truly look terrible, because he can practically feel the concern rolling off Jared in waves. He wants to put him at ease, so he looks up at him and nods It's okay. Not gonna die today.
Jared swallows, eyes still soft with sympathy, but he turns back to Chad and jumps into a conversation about college basketball. Jensen finds himself drifting off again, but at this point he doesn't care. It's possible he may be sicker than he thought.
The aches are getting worse, and the congestion in his head is literally making his face hurt. He hears faint voices, thinks one of them may be Mr. Collins's but he isn't positive. He figures his teacher will yell at him if he comes in and finds him asleep. Sometime later-- a few minutes, an hour, Jensen can't say for sure --Jensen slowly swims out of his haze into consciousness at the touch of a palm on his cheek. "Jensen, c'mon, buddy, wake up."
It's Jared, thankfully, not Mr. Collins. He's helping Jensen stand up, big hands supporting him by the elbows."W-what's going on?" He slurs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
God, how long has he been out? He feels so hazy.
"Mr. Collins was yellin' at you, but you weren't waking up. I'm gonna drive you home, alright?"
Oh. Well that doesn't sound like a good thing. He hopes he's not going to get reamed for that tomorrow. "Okay." He yawns.
He leans heavily into Jared even though he doesn't actually need the support, enjoying the opportunity to touch him in public without being afraid. They pause so he can reach under the desk and grab his backpack and then they're out. "Shit, babe, are you okay? That was kinda freaky." Jared asks when they're out of the classroom's earshot.
Jensen yawns. "M'fine. Just tired." He bats at Jared's hand when he tries to open the car door for him. "I'm sick, not an invalid."
Jared ignores the jibe and gets in on his side. "Mr. Collins was calling your name pretty loudly, but you didn't even budge. Scared me for a minute."
"Not gonna die from a cold, Jay." Jensen says softly. "No worries, okay? Just take me to bed."
Jared grins salaciously. "I'm gonna let that one slide since you're sick, but I want you to recognize the extreme restraint I'm showing here."
Jensen gives him a smile for his trouble, leaning into him when he reaches over to run his fingers through Jensen's hair. Jensen slides across the seat and grabs Jared's hand to pull his arm around Jensen's shoulders. He lays his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Such a gentleman." He mutters.
"You know it." Jared runs his hand up and down Jensen's arm, and Jensen can feel the muscles in his thigh tense and relax as he breaks before a turn. "My place okay?"
"Sure." Jared's bed is way more comfortable than Jensen's anyway.
When they get to Jared's, Jensen makes a beeline for the bedroom while Jared says he's gonna make him some tea. Mrs. Padalecki is obsessed with all that holistic medicine crap at the moment; she's got Jared into it now, too. He turns on the TV and makes Jensen drink half the tea while telling him how the herbs and vitamin C are going to make him feel better.
Jensen glares and grumbles, but takes it anyway because it makes Jared smile and his eyes go all dopey. It's stupidly cute. "My insides are going to be a fucking botanical garden by the time you're done with me." He complains good-naturedly.
"But you'll be a healthier botanical garden."
They're curled up in Jared's bed, Parks and Recreation playing but neither is paying attention to the storyline. Mostly, they're just enjoying the closeness. It's not often that they get opportunities like this just handed to them. It'd be considerably more fun if Jensen didn't feel like complete shit, but lying in Jared's arms is nice anyway. His warmth and roaming hands are slowly easing the ache in Jensen's body.
They talk about college, about getting out and finally being able to act like boyfriends. They talk about the application essays they're in the middle of what which college they're hoping for. In the end, it won't really matter as long as it's far, far away from Alabama.
Jensen's dozing pleasantly to the chaste kisses Jared is peppering over his temple, his neck, his collarbone. The afternoon sunlight is shining through the window and bathing them in light. Jensen feels warm and cared for and happy despite the pain in his head and his very unfortunate inability to breathe through his nose.
"Hey, Jen?"
Jensen turns in Jared's arms, resting his forehead against his boyfriend's chest. He hums an inquisitive noise while he plays with the hem of Jared's t-shirt.
"I, uh. I love you."
Jensen freezes, unable to stop the smile from spreading across his face. "That so?"
Jared reaches around him and smacks at his ass. "Don't be a dick." He admonishes, but there's no heat behind it.
A few minutes of silence pass, Jensen's fingers play on the cut of Jared's abs, wishing he had the energy to make the most of a day in bed with Jared. "I love you, too, ya know."
Jared huffs a laugh. "Oh good. I was getting a little worried there for a second."
Jensen gives in to sleep then, content with the love and the warmth. Jared just tugs him closer and lets him rest.
