Chapter Text
“Infinity fucking shit bomb!”
Jared looked up from the Encyclopedia of the Second Solar System Belt in the Andromeda Galaxy. Chad was sitting in front of the comm board, pressing buttons in rising agitation.
“Is everything okay?” Jensen’s voice came from the doorway.
He was holding a coffee pot and a cup, the delicious aroma of his special spice mix wafting over to Jared’s nose.
“I can’t get the fucking reception,” Chad yelled and hit another few buttons.
Jensen looked at Jared in utter confusion, but Jared just shrugged.
Behind Jensen, Dani appeared, staring angrily at Chad. “Fucking infinity. Murray, if you can’t get the fucking reception to work in the next three minutes, I’m gonna cut off your ears and feed them to the garbage worms! If I miss the premiere of the new Love Across The Universe season because you’re an incompetent fuckwit, there’s gonna be bloodshed.”
“Well, how about you get your fucking ass over here and help me, instead of hurling unfounded accusations at me?” Chad looked up to glare at her. “Oh wait, that’s because you’re too stupid to help. Fucking brawns, no brains.”
The continued to insult each other, but Jared didn’t pay them any attention. If there was one thing he’d gotten used to on their three months on the Charlie, it was Chad and Dani yelling at each other. Jensen said it was a good sign and that Dani only really cared for people she insulted on a regular basis. After Dani had dropped various degrees of condescending pretty boy remarks whenever Jared was around, he’d really been relieved.
And Chad… well, Chad was a tactile guy and he still hugged and touched the shit out of Jared, but Jared hadn’t gotten a single flash of blue flowers since their first week of travel.
“I don’t know what’s going to be worse,” Jensen said thoughtfully, sitting down next to Jared with two cups of coffee and handing him one. “Their arguing or their fucking.”
Jared took his coffee and leaned against Jensen’s shoulder. After all this time, he still couldn’t get enough of these undisturbed touches, the warmth of another body without insistent flashes of their mind.
Jensen put an arm around Jared’s shoulder and began to absently drag his fingers up and down Jared’s arm. It was heavenly. Jared took a sip from his coffee and closed his eyes.
There was a victorious hoot from Chad, and an enthusiastic “yes” from Dani and then the title melody for Love Across The Universe sounded through the common room of their compartment on the Charlie.
There were more voices and rustling when the rest of the crew and the other passengers appeared. Jared opened his eyes and saw that even Chris had taken a seat in front of the giant projection screen.
“Insane,” Jensen mumbled. “They’re all insane.”
Jared pinched his side and watched the screen. “It’s really compelling.”
Jensen just snorted, but he kept petting Jared, his fingers slowly wandering to the back of Jared’s head and scratching his scalp.
Never taking his eyes off the screen, Jared leaned over to press a kiss to Jensen’s cheek. The preview showed the events of the last season, Samwi getting kidnapped by Lez’Aza, Winde’s worm hole adventure, the big fight, and finally their reunification in the halls of the Wise One.
“It’s only an hour,” Jared said, letting his hand rest on Jensen’s knee and drawing small circles with his fingers. “Then everybody will clear out again.”
On the screen, Samwi and Winde were standing in front of the old woman who announced that they would receive answers to all their questions now. Her tone was ominous and Samwi and Winde took each other’s hands and looked at her in apprehension.
That concluded the review and the Love Across The Universe title card flashed across the scene, the lettering this time coated in spirals of blood.
For a moment, Jared was distracted, because Jensen turned his head to press a short, hot kiss to Jared’s mouth.
“One hour,” he said, his voice that low rumble that never failed to make Jared’s pulse speed up. “I’m taking you up on that.”
Just when the old woman was about to speak, Bra’aydy appeared. Jared couldn’t stop his eyes from rolling; the show had an unhealthy habit of bringing back characters believed to be dead.
In the ensuing mess — the screaming (Winde didn’t know Bra’aydy, an old friend from Samwi’s earlier days), the inevitable fight (because of course it was revealed Bra’aydy had an evil agenda all along, which Jared wasn’t sure about because he’d only seen a few of the old episodes, he wasn’t a binge watcher like Chad) — Jared could lean closer to Jensen, and enjoy his strong fingers still running through Jared’s hair.
He let his mind drift, run through what was waiting for them — unknown worlds, foreign customs, possible dangers — but it didn’t really worry him. Chad had kept his promise and would go wherever Jared would go, and now he had Jensen too.
It wasn’t the perfect romance you saw in the Starwood movies, not by a long shot. If Jared didn’t help with the sleeping, Jensen was still occasionally plagued by the nightmares and he hadn't talked to anyone about it since they’d left Wora. In his mind, it was punishment for his failures and there was nothing Dani or Jared could say to change his mind.
They had their fair share of arguments — Jensen could be withdrawn and there had been a few occasions where his sarcasm had bitten too deep — and Jared knew he was partly to blame. Something was up with Jensen, something Jared knew he had caused with something he’d said a few nights ago, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was.
This was the first time in two days they’d sat next to each other without either starting a make out session that would leave to some very intense sex or sitting in uncomfortable silence, not touching each other.
Jared turned away from the screen where Winde was dangling from some sort of stony cliff and Samwi was sure to save him any minute, and looked at Jensen.
“You have to tell me what’s up,” Jared said quietly.
Eyebrows raised in surprised Jensen looked at him. “What do you mean, what’s up?”
Jared huffed. “Ever since two nights ago, you’ve been off. I know it must have been something I said, but I have no clue what that is. So, tell me. We can’t go on this, this trip, adventure, whatever it is, with something between us.”
Jensen’s face hardened. “You want to do this now?”
“Yes,” Jared said emphatically and was immediately shushed by three people. “Yes,” he said more quietly. “Come on, Jensen, whatever it is—”
Jensen let out a hollow laugh. “Okay, fine. Chad did his usual fake drama ‘you’re abandoning him’ routine when you refused to rewatch that crap show with him and you told him, you’d rather spend the night with me, the only guy who ever really got you.”
Jared stared at Jensen, waiting for more, but he’d fallen silent. “I fail to see how that’s something bad,” Jared said dryly.
Jensen dragged a hand through his hair, a surefire sign he was exhausted. “Jared, I am the only guy who gets you, because I’m the only one you ever met who’s mind didn’t overwhelm you as soon as you touched them.”
“Yeah,” Jared agreed, “but that’s not—”
“You don’t really have a lot of options for relationships! As a matter of fact, apart from Dani, I’m currently the only one!”
More people turned around to shush them angrily, and Jensen got up and left the room. Jared sat in stunned silence for a moment, then he hurried after him.
“Wait,” he said when they’d left the room, grabbing Jensen's arm. “You think — you still fucking think I’m only with you because I can’t see into your mind?”
Jensen raised one eyebrow pointedly. “No. I’m not that stupid, I know you care for me.”
“Care for you?” Jared sputtered. “Sure, yeah, I care for you. Let’s go with that. So I still fail to see the fucking problem.”
“You didn’t have a choice!” It exploded out of Jensen. His green eyes were glinting angrily and his mouth was pulled into a thin, harsh line. “There was no selection. It was basically either me or no one. So you chose me, rather than being alone. I just—” Jensen broke off, and turned away. “You shouldn’t have to settle, just because you think you won’t find someone else. Who knows what will happen on the human colonies in Andromeda. They’ve been separate from the Old Galaxy long enough, maybe you’ll encounter more people whose minds you won’t be able to read. People who aren’t as dark and broken as I am.”
Jared watched Jensen’s shoulders slump, watched how he inhaled a deep breath and straightened himself up, bracing himself for whatever was to come.
“So, if you find someone else,” Jensen said hoarsely, never turning around, “I won’t hold it against you.”
“Oh my infinity, you idiot!” Jared gripped Jensen’s shoulder and pulled him around. “We’re not in a fucking space soap here. I love you, okay?”
Jensen opened his mouth to protest and Jared pressed a finger against his lips. “Don’t. If you tell me, I don’t know what love is, I’m gonna punch you in the face. If you tell me, I’m settling, I’m gonna cut your ears off and feed them to the garbage worms.”
The corners of Jensen’s mouth twitched.
“Or I’ll have Dani do it,” Jared acquiesced. “She’ll help me and you know it. Jensen, I am not settling and I’m not with you because you’re the next best thing. I’m with you because I fucking love you. You’re the strongest, most honorable and kindest person I’ve ever met. You’re caring and considerate, you always put other people first, you’d rip your arm off to give me the galaxy.”
Jensen’s expression softened and Jared pulled his finger back.
“Your sarcasm is awesome, you make the greatest coffee I’ve ever had, and you’re probably the most beautiful creation in the galaxy. I can’t believe how lucky I am I found you, okay?”
Jensen looked at him, like he was debating whether he should say something, then he just stepped forward and kissed Jared senseless.
When they came up for air again, Jared leaned against Jensen. “You know, if you wanted to make your own heartfelt love confession, now would be the time.”
There was a giant commotion from inside the common room, some people jubilating in glee and others groaning and booing. Over the noise, Jared could hear Dani scream, “I knew they were brothers! I knew it!” and in the stunned silence there was Chad’s pleased voice.
“Well, incest is best.”
More yelling broke out inside and Jensen laughed into Jared’s neck. “I put up with you having that as a best friend. I think that says it all.”
Jared snorted and buried his face further in the crook of Jensen’s neck, pressing his entire body against Jensen’s.
“You’re right,” he agreed quietly.
When people agitatedly left the common room, Jensen didn’t let go of Jared, and everybody had to walk past them. The people paid them no attention, they were too caught up in rehashing the episode. So Jared just leaned against Jensen, the quiet and dark center of his universe.
It was an indeterminable time later when Jensen spoke. “I love you.”
Jared smiled. “I know.”
The End