Chapter Text
Growing up, Jensen Ackles had always been a little different. He didn’t fit the normal omega type at all. Actually, he could easily have been mistaken for an alpha. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and athletic, where most omegas; even males, were much more slightly built. In fact, the only sign that gave away his omega status was his distinctly sweet scent. Some of the other kids made fun of him for it, but for the most part he was able to shake off their schoolyard teasing. However, when he hit seventeen and finally started his first heat he noticed that something actually was wrong with him.
Unlike his friends at school, his heat was an incredibly mild one. So mild in fact that at first he almost hadn’t realized what was happening. He thought that the high fever was just the beginnings of the flu. It wasn’t until he started to feel an uncomfortable tingling and sensitivity in his groin that he recognized it as his long-awaited heat. His parents were immediately concerned. They made an appointment for him with the family doctor who soon confirmed their worst fears. Their son would most likely never be able to become a father. When Jensen heard that having children was no longer an option for him he was devastated. He told himself that he had to set aside those dreams of family and figure out how to find happiness without it. Unfortunately, that proved to be easier said than done.
Once Jensen entered college, he was presented with a whole new set of challenges. As an attractive unclaimed omega within the raucous meat market of campus life, Jensen garnered attention whether he wanted to or not. Keeping to himself like he had in high school was no longer much of an option. His sudden popularity was a little daunting for him to get used to. He was acutely aware that an omega of his size and build was something of an oddity. It made him stand out in the testosterone-clouded minds of many a young college guy. Getting a big strong omega like him submit for them presented a particularly appealing challenge. Whenever his dormmates tried to drag him out to one of the big campus ragers it was he like walking around with a target on his back. His scent alone drew alphas and the bolder betas to him like flies to honey.
That might have been all well and good on its own if a few one-nighters were all Jensen was looking for but that wasn’t the case. More than anything he wanted a real meaningful relationship. The problem was that not being able to have children proved to be a hell of a dealbreaker. Alphas could stay freewheeling bachelors forever if they wanted to and no one would think twice about it, but omegas on the other hand were expected to get married, have children, and settle down. Jensen knew that as soon as the guys who hit on him found out he couldn’t breed they’d think of him as just a no-strings fucktoy, a convenient hole to use how they wanted just like every demeaning omega stereotype that still plagued his kind. Not someone to have a relationship with or take seriously as a mate. He’d learned that lesson firsthand after his first college boyfriend turned out to be engaged to a pretty little beta female and his second boyfriend broke up with him via text after two months, saying simply “thanks, it was fun.” After that, Jensen had just stopped trying to meet anyone altogether. Instead, he retreated into his schoolwork where he found the great love of his life – books. Through his books he could escape to anywhere he wanted to go, be anyone that he wanted to be, and imagine a life for himself where love didn’t seem so far out of reach.
Barely a month after Jensen graduated college, he found his job at the Westbank Community Library in Austin and for once he felt like he was right at home. On the surface, being a librarian maybe wasn't the first thing that came to most peoples' minds as a dream job. The pay wasn’t spectacular and it wasn’t the most glamorous of career paths, but as far as Jensen was concerned the perks made it more than worthwhile. It made him feel good to know that he was guiding people to their next favorite book. Besides, not many other people he knew got paid basically just to hang out and read all day.
The biggest perk of his job however, the one that made him excited to come to work every day, was Afternoon Storytime. The library offered the program as an after school activity aimed at keeping the local children engaged in reading, and most importantly, out of trouble until their parents got out of work. Five days a week, the kids from nearby Cedar Creek Elementary could come to listen to one of the librarians read to them. Since Jensen had started working at the library he'd taken over the Storytime responsibilities and it had become their most popular attraction.
Spending time with the children was by far his favorite part of the day. For the most part, the group of kids who signed up kept coming back on a regular basis. Because of this, Jensen got to know them pretty well from school year to school year. He met all their parents and learned what kinds of stories or which authors in particular held their attention best. Roald Dahl was always a hit, as was Shel Silverstien, and E.B. White. Jensen got really into it when he was reading to them aloud, using funny voices and accents for all the different characters; even going so far as to jump out of his chair and act out some of the scenes. Making the kids laugh or gasp in surprise was more rewarding to him than getting a fat paycheck from any other job he might have taken.
Recently however, there was one thing about the Storytime group that kept him up at night. A coltish brown-haired third grader named Jason. Over the first two weeks since the school year had started, Jensen had noticed him showing up along with the usual kids. Jason stood out amongst the others at first primarily because he was new but soon it was for much more troubling reason. At four-thirty when the other kids’ parents, nannies, or older siblings came to collect them, Jason was usually left wandering around the library by himself for an extra two hours. He was particularly bright for a child his age judging from the books he checked out, and even though he was always friendly and polite he didn’t seem to have any friends. Jensen quickly found himself worrying about the kid.
It had become a daily pattern to see Jason sitting by his lonesome, either reading or staring out the window at the cars that pulled into the parking lot. Jensen knew that a lot of parents used the library essentially as a free babysitting service, knowing there were always people like him around to supervise their children, but this was taking it to the extreme. He was sure that there had to be some kind of child neglect or endangerment law that Jason's parents were violating by leaving him there unattended for so long. It just wasn't right. After about another week of watching Jason putter around the stacks by himself, Jensen couldn't take it anymore. He decided to try and make friends with the boy. Then hopefully he’d find out what was going on with him.
On the following Thursday, after the last kid from his Storytime group went home, Jensen found Jason sitting in his usual spot - a collection of beanbag chairs next to one of the big floor-length windows in the young adult section. That day he was nestled into a bright orange one with his backpack at his feet, quietly reading The Phantom Tollbooth. Jensen figured it was as good an opening as any other.
"Hi," Jensen said. He smiled down at the kid, gesturing to the navy blue bean bag opposite him. "Mind if I sit here?”
Jason shook his head, shaggy bangs falling across his wide brown eyes. He glanced up at Jensen shyly through the thick fringe of them. “No, sir. I don’t mind.”
Jensen flopped down into the lumpy shapeless chair in a clumsy sprawl of limbs like a giant ragdoll. He couldn’t hide his grin of triumph when it got a laugh out of the kid. “You don’t have to call me sir, you know. We see each other around here every day. I think by now you can just call me Jensen. Everyone else does. What do you think?”
“Really?” Jason smiled happily. “Okay.”
“Okay.” Jensen considered that a step in the right direction. He pointed at the book in Jason’s hands. “That's a good book, huh? It was one of my favorites when I was your age. I must have read it eight or nine times."
“I do that too!” Genuine interest sparked alive in Jason’s eyes. “I read Where The Wild Things Are so many times that my dad had to tape the pages back together ‘cause they started falling out.”
Jensen smiled. The kid certainly had good taste. Usually he could tell right away whether or not he was going to click with someone by what their favorite books were and so far Jason had passed the test with flying colors. “I can tell you about some other really good books I know if you want.”
Jason furrowed his little brow. “If you mean the ones on Mrs. Orleck’s reading list I already read them all. Most of them were the same as the ones I had to read at my old school anyway.”
Jensen knew exactly the list that the boy was talking about. The elementary school teachers supplied him with their chosen titles at the beginning of every term and he wasn’t surprised that for a bright kid like Jason it hadn't posed much of a challenge. From the books that Jensen had noticed tucked under his skinny little arm he looked to be reading around at around a fifth or even sixth grade level and Mrs. Orleck wasn’t the most imaginative teacher he’d ever encountered.
“Nah, I’ve got my own booklist,” Jensen told him. “Top secret. It’s just for the really advanced kids. I keep it locked away right up here,” he said, tapping the side of his head. “You want to give one of mine a shot?”
Jason brushed his hair out of his eyes and gave Jensen a smirk that told him he saw right through him and his so-called top secret list. Lucky for him, the kid seemed to be willing to play along with him anyway. “Yeah, okay.”
For the next hour and a half they talked about their favorite books, the ones that Jensen had grown up loving and the ones that Jason was just now discovering. In the process, he learned a few things about his new little friend. Jason was from San Antonio, he was an only child, his favorite color was green, and none of the other kids at his new school liked him. The way Jason had told him the last part so matter-of-factly nearly broke Jensen’s heart.
Hoping to cheer Jason up, Jensen put together a small stack of some books he thought that the boy might like. Together they starting reading the first one Jason had chosen, A Wrinkle In Time, with Jensen reading aloud from his seat in the beanbag chair while Jason sat cross-legged on the rug at his feet.
They were about half way through the second chapter when they were interrupted. “Jason?” a man’s voice called out.
They both looked up and Jensen saw a tall strikingly handsome man standing in the entryway. He had hazel-blue eyes and chestnut brown hair that hung down just past the collar of his shirt. The red tie slung around his neck hung in a loose loop and he carried a suit jacket over one shoulder like he’d just gotten out of a long day of work. His height and his muscular build broadcasted alpha with a capital A, but Jensen would have been able to tell what he was blindfolded just by the man’s scent. It was an intoxicatingly woodsy sort of musk that practically oozed raw masculine sex appeal. Jensen’s body reacted to it like a switch had suddenly been flipped, lighting him up inside like a big flashy carousel ride whirring to life.
“Hi, Dad,” Jason said cheerily. He swiveled around and looked up at Jensen with obvious pride in his eyes. “That’s my dad.”
Jensen nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from the handsome alpha who was staring back at him with an intense unflinching gaze. It gave him an excited little thrill but at the same time it made him nervous, like the man could see right through him. There was something about him. If Jensen didn’t know better he would have called it déjà vu but he was sure he would have remembered it if they had crossed paths before. No, this was something else. Sort of like seeing someone again after a long time apart. But that was just crazy, wasn’t it? How could he possibly have been missing a man he’d never met?
After a long moment Jensen finally snapped back to his senses, realizing that the guy was probably wondering who the hell he was to be hanging out with his kid.
“Um, hi,” he said. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jensen. I work here.” He made an awkward attempt to get up out of his beanbang chair and introduce himself properly. As he immediately found out, there’s just no graceful way for a grown man to get out of one of those things.
Suddenly there was a large hand being extended to him. He looked up and saw Jason’s dad standing over him. The guy could sure move fast.
“Need some help?” the alpha said.
“Thanks.” Embarrassment heated the sides of Jensen’s face but he took the man’s offered hand and used it to pull himself to his feet. When he straightened up he found himself right in the guy’s personal space.
The alpha’s nostrils flared, drawing in Jensen’s scent on his next breath. Surprise immediately registered on his face before he could mask it. “An omega?” he murmured to himself in disbelief. “I never would have thought…” He didn’t seem to want to release Jensen’s hand or even take a polite step back.
Jensen tried to remind himself that he was far too old to feel weak in the knees around handsome strangers but the electricity crackling in the air between them made a convincing argument for the contrary. The alpha was looming just the wrong side of too close for harmless friendly conversation.
“Ah y-yes. Yes, I am,” Jensen stammered nervously. He was used to people reacting with surprise when they realized that he was an omega. Most tried to pretend that they either hadn’t noticed or that they were open-minded enough not to care. Once in a while he encountered someone who would look at him like he was some kind of freak. Alphas on the other hand, approached him like he was a puzzle they wanted to solve. As annoying as it sometimes was for him to endure, Jensen had grown used to it that too. But this alpha was different. This one looked at him like he wanted to eat him alive and Jensen was actually tempted to let him.
The alpha’s smile was a broad flash of white, framed by dimples a person could get lost in. “I’m Jared by the way. Dr. Jared Padalecki. Very nice to meet you”
“Jensen. I’m Jensen.” Suddenly he was a little too lightheaded to come up with anything more than his own name.
“Yeah, I got that,” Jared chuckled. His eyes traveled over Jensen’s face. “Have we met before? I can’t place it exactly but I feel like we have.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Huh,” Jared said with a half-shrug. “I guess it’s just that you’re all Jason talks about these days. My son is a big fan of yours, you know.”
Up close and personal like this the scent of alpha was even stronger. It clouded Jensen’s mind, enveloping him in a haze of want like he’d never experienced before. It seeped down into his limbs, rolled thick into the pit of his stomach and pooled behind the base of his cock. It was a serious struggle to remind himself that up until that moment he’d been pretty damn annoyed at the guy on Jason’s behalf. He needed to get control of himself and the situation if he wanted to show how serious he was in his concern for the boy’s welfare.
“If you don’t mind, Dr. Padaleski,” Jensen told him, yanking his hand firmly out of Jared’s grasp. “I’d like to speak with you in private.”
“Padalecki,” Jared corrected. He stepped back, visibly confused by the abrupt change in Jensen’s attitude. “I’m sorry. Is there a problem here?”
Jensen ignored his question and turned to the boy. “Jason, I need to speak with your dad. How about you hang out here for a second?”
“Okay,” Jason replied simply. Within seconds he had his nose in his book again.
Jared narrowed his eyes at Jensen. Clearly he didn’t appreciate being caught off guard. “I’ll be right back, buddy,” He told his son. Then he calmly folded his suit jacket over his arm and regarded Jensen with a cool gaze. “Lead the way.”
Jensen led him a few steps out into the main section of the library where he was sure that Jason was out of earshot. The other two librarians, Misha and Julie, were sitting at the main circulation desk. They sent him and Jared duel sidelong stares which Jensen tried to ignore. He knew that later he’d have them both hounding him about the smoking hot alpha he was getting ready to have it out with.
“What’s this about?” Jared asked him.
“It’s about Jason. Nothing that he did,” Jensen clarified. “He’s a bright kid, very smart and very well behaved. You should be really proud of him.”
The tense set of Jared’s eyebrows smoothed a little. “Thank you. I am.”
“Frankly, this is about you,” Jensen continued briskly. It was his experience that that the best way to deal with alphas who smiled at him like Jared had been was to keep things as businesslike as possible. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been coming to pick him up much later than the other parents. Don’t get me wrong, I like having Jason around but I’m a little concerned about him hanging around the library unsupervised for so long after the Storytime group lets out.”
“I’m sorry.” Jared frowned. “Is he causing trouble?”
“No, not at all,” Jensen said. “But the other librarians and I can’t watch him all the time and I’m afraid that he’s going to wander out of the building or walk off with a stranger. Besides that, I don’t think it’s good for him to be spending so much time alone. Does your spouse work?” Jensen asked, thinking aloud more than waiting for an answer. “Is there no one else that can pick him up and watch him until you get home from work?”
Jared’s expression darkened. Suddenly the alpha looked a hell of a lot more intimidating than he had a few minutes ago. “How about you let me worry about what’s good for my own son and you stay the hell out of it?”
Jensen probably should have been more afraid, but he was too determined not to let the alpha think he was a pushover. “Hey, don’t get pissy with me. I’m just trying to look out for your kid.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Jared shot back. He was about to say something more but he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of his son from around the corner.
“Dad, can I stay a little longer?” Jason pleaded. He seemed completely unaware of the tension that was buzzing between the two adults. “Jensen and I were reading a really great book together.”
Jared looked down at him, his expression changing in the blink of an eye from volatile to utter calm. “Can’t do that, kiddo. It’s time for us to go home.” He glanced over at Jensen with an arch of his right eyebrow. “Besides, I’m sure Jensen here has got plenty of important library work that he needs to get back to. We wouldn’t want to keep him from it now would we?”
Jared’s snarky tone got under Jensen’s skin, making him seriously hate the fact that he still kinda wanted to tear the man’s clothes off. With his teeth.
“Aww, Dad,” Jason whined. “Please?”
“It’s alright, Jason,” Jensen jumped in, returning Jared’s cocky stare. “We can read some more tomorrow. I’ll be around for a while after Storytime is over.” Then, because he just couldn’t help himself, he added under his breath, “And judging from your father’s definition of punctuality this week I’m sure you will be too.”
Something flashed in Jared’s eyes, telling Jensen that he’d heard the snide comment loud and clear and wasn’t at all amused by it. “Come on, Jason,” he said through gritted teeth. “Say goodbye so we can go grab your backpack and go home.”
Jason pouted his bottom lip but obeyed. “Bye Jensen. Thanks for reading with me.”
“Anytime,” Jensen told him, his smile disappearing as soon as the boy walked away.
He watched as Jared stalked back into the children’s section with his son in tow. The conversation hadn’t gone like he’d wanted at all but he wasn’t going to apologize. He was 100% in the right for wanting to make sure that Jason was safe and well looked after. Maybe if Dr. Big Shot Padaleski took a second to think it through he’d realize that.
It wasn’t until later that night, when Jensen was lying in bed still fuming about asshole alphas, that he was able to admit to himself that he could have approached the confrontation a little more tactfully. He didn’t know what the Padalecki’s home situation was like. When it came down to it, he knew that he had no right to jump to any conclusions about the kid’s life from what little he knew about him. Still, he had only the best intentions at heart. Anyone could see that. There was no call for Jared to get so defensive so quickly. In the heat of the moment, Jensen had forgotten to keep things professional and let himself get carried away. It wasn’t his proudest moment. It’s just that the boy’s father had unnerved him so much, undressing him with his eyes one minute and then biting his head off the next.
The thought that kept worming itself into Jensen’s brain was that it was all just so incredibly unfair. Why should someone like Jared end up with such a great son? Why should that jerk get to have a kid like Jason when he would never get to have that chance? And most of all; why did the first alpha that he’d felt so intensely drawn to in such a long time have to end up being such a prick? Jensen eventually fell asleep but when he did it was with bitterness burning like acid in his stomach. No matter what, he wasn’t going to give up trying to be a friend to Jason. He just hoped that he’d never have to see that asshole Jared Padalecki ever again.