Archive of Our Own

One year ago

Jared sighed and lay back on his towel, resting on his elbows to still be able to watch the surfers glide gracefully through the waves. Ever since he had exchanged the stifling Texas heat against Hawaii’s tropical island charms he had wanted to be able to do this. Just grab a board and hit the water.

It was after the third surf instructor had judged him a hopeless case and too klutzy to live, let alone surf that his determination had irrevocably been dented and he had kind of given up on the whole thing, contenting himself with just watching others rise and fall with the current.

Currently his eyes were glued to one surfer in particular who seemed to be born on his board and sliced easily through the water. Jared couldn’t really see much of him, half the beach and a good chunk of ocean separating them, but he was pretty sure the guy was hot. Thus being mildly distracted, it took Jared a second to recognize the ringing in his ears as a cell-phone, more precisely his work line and he forced himself to get out of his contemplation and into work-mode.

“Aloha. 'Your Tropical Wedding', Jared speaking. How can I help you?”

He really still wasn’t entirely over the indignation he had felt when his friend Chad had reasoned that as a gay man with a sparkly personality and a penchant for wearing pink he was the ideal candidate for being a wedding coordinator on America`s most clichéd hitching spot. Jared himself was forced to admit that it was better than perpetually being broke and bumming it on the beach, though and was more than a little surprised that after partnering up with no-nonsense Sandy McCoy the whole thing actually paid a decent amount of money. And though he had to deal with cheesy set-ups, silly tourists and hysterical spouses on a regular basis he could still take his work calls on the beach. In Jared’s book it didn’t get much better than this.

“Uhm, hiya. Name’s Chris Kane and I’m thinking about getting married on Kauai.”

“That is an excellent idea and let me just say that you have called the right people to help you make your wedding day absolutely unforgettable for both you and your lovely bride.”

There was a reason he was handling the personal customer contact part of the whole outfit. He was smooth!

“Huh, I don’t think my fiancé Steve would appreciate bein’ called a lovely anything, dude.”

Okay, maybe not that smooth after all.

“Sorry. Well, let me just say that we at YTW don’t discriminate against spouses of any race, religion, color, or sexual orientation.”

Yeah, good save.

“Well.” Chris Kane sounded amused. “That is good to know, I guess. So, do you think you can set us up with the perfect wedding in a little under three weeks?”

Three Weeks? God, Sandy would go ballistic.

“That is a challenge we at YTW are most willing to take.”

“Really? Awesome. The last two places I called just laughed at me and hung up.”

“Well, we at YTW are no such … pussies, Sir. Do you have a general idea of what you want or do you want us to make the arrangements?”

“Nothing fancy or frilly and maybe on the beach would be nice. I thought I could send over my friend Jenny. Lives on Kauai while Steve and I are all the way over here in LA. I totally trust Jenny to make the right choices for us without totally bankrupting our asses.”

“Awesome. How about Jenny comes over to our office in Kapa'a tomorrow at ten and we get started asap?”

After rattling out their address and jotting down some info about Kane and his partner, Jared lay back on his towel and sighed. Three Weeks. Really, McCoy would have his ass over this.

The next morning found Jared behind his desk, wearing his best meeting-a-customer-clothes and waiting for Kane’s ominous friend Jenny to show up. A chick organizing a gay wedding. Probably a dream come true for that girl.

Sandy had treacherously left him alone to deal with this, grumbling a little about schedules and time restrictions and impossible co-workers who knew nothing about the difficulties of the legal side of getting married on Hawaii.

The door-bell chimed at ten sharp and Jared plastered his most charming smile into place that instantly faltered when he looked up and stared at hands-down the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Green eyes, high cheekbones and - oh god - freckles rendered Jared instantly speechless and sent him into moron-mode.

“Uhm, hi?”

The stranger smiled uncertainly in the face of Jared’s open-mouthed stare and rubbed his neck in a way that Jared found incredible adorable.

“Uhm, my name is Jensen Ackles and my friend Chris sent me here to discuss the details of the Kane-Carlson wedding.”

“You are not a girl.”

Oh god! Way to get back online, mouth.

“Yes, thank you. I’m aware.”

Internally face-palming himself Jared tried to regain some control over the connection between his brain and his mouth.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that Chris said his friend Jenny would come over to discuss the wedding and I kinda assumed…”

“What? Chris called me that again? The fucker! I told him not to use that fucking nickname. ‘Specially not in public. Just for that we should put him in one of those hula-skirts and make him look like a complete tool on his big day.”

“Well, he did kinda give you free reign for the whole thing.”

There was a wicked - sexy - gleam in Jensen’s green eyes, but he shook his head.

“Nah. Would just piss Steve off and he deserves at least a nice wedding if he’s going to put up with such a douche of a husband for the rest of his life.”

“Ok then. We are on a tight schedule here, so let’s get started right away. My name is Jared and I’m going to be your personal wedding coordinator while my partner Sandy McCoy - who isn’t here right now - is going to do all the behind the scene negotiations and boring administrative stuff. We will be just doing the fun stuff like tasting cake and choosing music.”

“Sounds good, although I have to say that Chris and Steve are musicians so naturally 86% of their friends are musicians as well. I don’t think we’ll have to concern ourselves with music. Or tuxes for that matter. They are taking care of that stuff back in LA.”

“Ok, so it’s just Location, Decoration and Food then? Well, we can totally do that in far less than three weeks. Piece of cake.”

Chris Kane had said beach, so the first thing, obviously, was to find the perfect spot on the perfect beach for the ceremony. Jared knew a couple of nice places, being a professional and all but wasn’t surprised when Jensen outright dismissed most of them at first glance. The guy was living here after all and wasn’t one of those gullible tourists who came to Hawaii for just a couple of days and would swoon at the cheesiest, most touristy spot on all the Islands. Jared wasn’t worried though. It was just time to bring out the big guns.

Mahulopo Beach was really one of the most beautiful spots Jared had ever seen. Far away from the crowded cliché that was Hanalei Bay or Tunnels Beach. And he knew that he had hit the jackpot when he saw the pleased smile on Jensen’s face when they drew near their destination.

“Hey, I know that place. It’s awesome. I didn’t know they did marriages here.”

Jared ginned as he pulled up by the side of the road.

“They don’t, but I know a couple of people who owe me a couple of favors.”

Following the winding path to the water, Jared mentally calculated the amount of wheedling he would have to do to make this happen while decidedly not staring at Jensen’s most appealing backside in low riding board-shorts.

After they had stepped onto the beach proper and Jared had managed to not stumble over his own feet and topple over due to severe lack of concentration on walking, they sat down on the sand for a while, officially getting a feel for the place, but really just taking a break and enjoying the sunshine.

Jared couldn’t help but use the opportunity to stare at Jensen’s profile, the sun bringing out the freckles that dusted across his nose and cheeks like constellations and Jesus, he really needed to get laid.

Since coming out to his parents and his subsequent leaving of Texas due to the fall-out after his declaration he hadn’t exactly been celibate but if you spent most of your time with soon to be married people your choices of partners were severely limited. In addition to that, most new people you tended to meet on an island state like Hawaii were tourists and therefore gone after a week or two. Not really long-term-commitment friendly. All this came down to Jared having to make do with occasional one-night-stands and short flings that were few and far between and having ice cream with Sandy on her comfy couch the rest of the time. And now he was presented with someone seemingly modeled after a wet dream, who actually lived round the corner and Jared was not supposed to drool? Well, he’d like to see anyone try. Unfortunately, said drooling got in the way of higher brain functions so when Jensen started talking of how these small, secluded spots were ideal for hitting the waves with a board, all Jared could think of to say was

“Huh?”

“Surfing.” Jensen supplied slowly as if talking to a retarded toddler “You know, you take that wooden thingy and paddle out into the water with it…”

“Yeah, thanks, man. I live on Kauai. I know what surfing is. At least theoretically.”

Some of his wistful longing must have shown in his voice, because Jensen cocked his head quite adorably.

“Don’t you surf yourself?”

“No, I… long story.”

“Well, since we are soaking up the atmosphere here and shit, why don’t you tell me?”

“Because when I say long story I really mean highly embarrassing and humiliating story.”

“Now I’m officially intrigued.”

“Ok, truth is: I fail. At surfing. Big time. I have been through three surf instructors and none of them could so much as teach me how to stand on that board without falling over like a beached frigate.”

“Really? Well, maybe you just didn’t have the right teacher.”

“Three, dude. I went through three! I don’t have money to burn, you know.”

“Well, I happen to currently earn my bread by acting as a surf instructor. And a damn good one at that. I am pretty sure I can teach you to handle a board just fine. In fact I am so sure that I am willing to make a deal with you. You knock a couple of bucks off of the wedding fee and I teach you how to stay upright on an easy wave in the less than three weeks before the ceremony. If I don’t succeed you don’t have to pay me at all but I won’t give up on you. We’ll see this through until you are a regular Duke Paoa Kahanamoku. No matter how long it takes."

Jared knew the hope in his voice made him sound like a little boy, eager for a cookie, but he couldn’t really bring himself to care.

"Really? You would do that?"

„Would I joke about something as serious as your surfing ambition? Scout’s honor, man."

Grinning, they shook hands mock seriously and Jared was probably holding on a tiny bit too long, bordering on inappropriate. But Jensen’s eyes were just so green and mesmerizing and…

“Well, okay. Decoration! I was thinking maybe a pavilion over there and chairs in a semi-circle around it. Maybe you should ask Chris and Steve how they feel about leis.”

“Huh, I guess they are all for it, but it could be considered a little daring for the wedding ceremony.”

They both snickered in understanding at this dear old running joke that natives had inflicted on unsuspecting tourists for ages.

When Jared had dropped Jensen off, he had worked out three things: They would meet the next day at 10 to go select a cake and talk to a celebrant who could perform the ceremony. They would start his surfing lessons on the late afternoon the next day, after Jen was done with his regular customers and Jared was completely, irrevocably screwed because on top of being absolutely gorgeous Jensen was also incredibly smart, hilariously funny and Jared was pretty much gone hook, line and sinker for the guy.

Well, at least it wasn’t the groom, right?

Sandy obviously wasn’t inclined to follow that line of thinking, though.

“No, Jared. You can’t hook up with a client even if it's not really the groom. It is just terribly unprofessional.”

“And what if I wait till after the wedding, would that be ok?”

“Well, I… You don’t even know if the guy’s gay, Jared. Just because his friends are doesn’t mean he is. You are just going to get your stupid heart broken again. And then what? Are you going to leave the state again and move to… to… Kansas or something just to get away?”

“Yes, yes. I have a lousy taste in men, but Jensen is not Milo and my parents can’t really disown me again, can they?”

“Wait, what’s the guy's name?”

“Uh, Jensen. Ackles, I think, why? Sandy you are being highly random again.”

“What? No way!”

Apparently Jared’s obvious imbecility when it came to hot guys and his potential heartache were lost in a severe squeeing attack while Sandy whipped out her laptop and furiously started typing.

Only seconds later she thrust the laptop at Jared, frantically pointing at the picture on the screen.

“Is that him?! Jared, is that the guy?”

All Jared could do was stare dumbly at a picture of a younger Jensen, wearing a white wife-beater and leaning against something that looked like a container of some kind or maybe agricultural machinery. He stared into the camera defiantly and looked so young and fresh-faced that Jared almost felt like a dirty old man just looking at him like that.

“Well, at least now we know that he’s gay.”

“Shut up Jay, he is not. This is Eric fucking Brady.”

“No, I’m pretty sure the name was Jensen Ackles. Not a likely mix-up.”

“No, dumbass. He played Eric Brady in “Days of our Lives”. Everyone and their Grandma were crushing on the guy. And then he disappeared and now apparently he is here! Oh god, I’ve got to meet him. Is he still this pretty?”

Her voice had gotten steadily more high-pitched during her little speech, any higher and bats would drop dead in a radius of several miles.

“Well, you could have met him yesterday if you hadn’t been such a crabass. Now I’m not so sure if I want to subject him to you. I don’t want you to scare the poor guy off. Besides, I think he is way hotter now that he is actually legal.”

The next morning Sandy was wearing her best slutty little dress and bustled around the office like a perky little doll with a bad case of the horny. It was driving Jared to distraction and he had to stop himself from strangling her or at least snapping: ‘Back off, I saw him first. He’s mine.’ Because, well, unfortunately not really the case.

When Jensen entered at 10 sharp however, Jared was close to just grabbing him and dragging him away out of Sandy’s reach and sight.

Fortunately, after Jared introduced her and Jensen politely shook her hand she just giggled and blushed and promptly fled the room, not even able to utter so much as a hello.

Jensen himself looked rather puzzled at that and blushed himself, the blush deepening rather bashfully when Jared grinned and explained:

“Well, that was Sandy, my friend and business-partner, who has a massive crush on one Eric Brady but is otherwise rather capable and sane, I swear.”

“Really? Jeez. I wasn’t aware that this show was watched by women who weren’t old enough to be my grandmother. Or actually were my grandmother for that matter.”

“Apparently Sandy’s dear old Gran wasn’t entirely unaffected either. I’m sorry but I had never heard of Eric Brady before yesterday.”

“No, man, I’m glad.  You weren’t exactly our target group. Besides, it weren’t the proudest ‘Days of my Life’ if you know what I mean.”

“We did google you, though. Extensively.”

God, blushing and neck-rubbing was such a good look on him. But then Jared had yet to find something that wasn’t. He even rocked skimpy wife-beaters.

The cake-tasting was one of Jared’s favorite work-related activities of all time.

Jared shipped Jensen to Morgan’s Bakery, a tiny and secret little shop in Lihue and took it upon himself to educate Jen in the art of choosing a cake.

“The trick is that you absolutely have to taste every kind of cake there is even if you know for a fact that Steve hates coconut and Chris is fatally allergic to pineapple. Everything else would be lazy and lax behavior and a total break of the trust the grooms bestowed upon you, Jensen.”

“But Jay, one more piece and I will most certainly throw-up and I think we are effectively bankrupting these poor people. Besides, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be the chocolate-caramel layer cake we tasted, like, two hours ago.”

“But how do you know this … banana-split double-vanilla dream isn’t even more perfect until you try it?”

“God, man. You gotta stop or I’m going to vomit all over your boat and sink like a dead duck as soon as I get my board off-shore today.”

Yeah, cake-tasting was awesome.

His first surf-lesson with Jen not so much.

They were at it for maybe an hour and Jared had swallowed so much salt-water that he felt like the big shark tank at SeaWorld when he was about ready to admit defeat. Just for today, though, Jen had stressed time and again while Jared had collapsed onto the sand and groaned softly.

“See? I told you I suck.”

Jensen just laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling. He flopped down next to Jared and smacked him hard on the belly with the flat of his hand.

“Maybe you should reconsider your intake of cake after all, dude.”

Jerking like a spazz and flailing a little to bat Jen’s hand away was probably not the most dignified reaction Jared could’ve come up with, but then again Jensen had seen him splash into the water like a pound of lead so there really wasn’t much hope of keeping up the appearance of poise and calm around that guy anyway.

They were lazing about on the beach after the lesson, watching the sun set and discussing everything but Jared’s pathetic failure at balance or grace.

“So, Jared, what part of Texas are you originally from?”

“How do you know that, man? Is my accent that obvious?”

“Well, takes one to know one, I guess. I grew up in Richardson. Near Dallas.”

“San Antone. But I could never tell with the way you talk.”

“First thing my manager got me was a speech coach. Wouldn’t want me to be stuck with being the perpetual red-neck, would we?”

“Well, I guess not, although I prefer to think of it as down-home, good ole boy-charm.”

“So, what caused your down-home self to leave the lone star state?”

“Another one of those long, awkward stories. Let’s just say being gay in Texas is not exactly fun, especially when your parents are conservative hypocrites.”

It had taken Jared a while to talk about it even in those vague terms but it felt only right to tell Jensen. Besides maybe admitting his own gayness might prompt Jensen to admit his and then they could make out and subsequently live happily ever after and adopt underprivileged children.

“Man, that sucks. But why Kauai of all places? I guess it’s safe to assume that it wasn’t because you wanted to take your brilliant surfing career to another level.”

“Ass. But no. It was actually more of a coincidence. When the shit hit the fan at home my friend Chad and his fiancé Sophia had just made this crazy plan of opening a surf shack and living the good life on Hawaii and they kinda let me tag along. They got married here and I organized the whole thing for them while they tried to build an existence on new-age philosophy. Their shop failed, as did their marriage but the whole marriage-coordination thing somehow stuck with me. Now, Sophia is back in Texas and last I heard from Chad he was in San Francisco, selling bad pot to unsuspecting tourists. I’m still here though and I found Sandy and somehow we made the whole thing work. What about you? Apparently you were a real celebrity and lusted after by the masses. What made you give it all up and move out here to give klutzy failures like me surf lessons?”

“Huh, well. It just turned out that being an actor in a second rate soap opera isn’t all that it is cut out to be. Especially if they drop you like yesterday’s news without so much as a two-weeks-notice.”

“Sorry, man. That must have been harsh.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I was pretty fed up by then anyway with people snobbing me because I was young and nothing but a moderately pretty face. Everyone knew I wouldn’t last long. And it wasn’t all that much fun, really.”

“Even with all the grandmas lusting for you?”

“Well, I never said it didn't have any perks.”

“So? Tell me everything.”

Jared didn’t even have time to get out of his jacket before Sandy literally cornered him.

“We found a cake. We booked someone to perform the ceremony. I still fail at surfing.”

“Jaared. Come on. How was Jensen? Did you find out if he’s gay after all?”

“Nah, I don’t think so. I practically told him my whole epic gay drama, minus the shitty non-boyfriend and if there ever was a time to say ‘Hey, you are gay? Awesome, so am I, wanna make out?’ it was there and then, watching the sun going down on the beach. And he didn’t so I guess it is safe to assume that Idiot-Jay went and fell for a straight guy. I can’t even decide if it is better or worse than falling for the guy who is so deep in the closet he has reached fucking Narnia and then kept walking.”

The next day Jared didn’t meet with Jensen until late afternoon for his next lesson because they had another wedding scheduled. Sandy had mostly handled this one because Jared had instantly hated the bride. In his opinion the chick was a bossy bitch with a massive mean streak who had ordered him around instead of working with him. Sandy had repeatedly told him to suck it up and grow a pair already but had finally relented to taking over when Jared had threatened to either strangle the bitch or start cutting himself to ease the pain.

He was however - on the threat of cruel and unusual punishment - expected to attend the fucking ceremony even if he couldn’t give a flying fuck if and in what fashion Genevieve Cortese got married. Still, he didn’t want Sandy to withhold couch and ice-cream privileges at such a crucial time, considering Jensen and all. So he’d donned his suit and was currently waiting behind the scenes for the bitch bride to be done with her hissy fit about the fact that the flowers in her bouquet weren’t in fact white, yellow and cream but rather white, yellow and egg-shell. And seriously, was that even a color? Jared didn’t know what the difference was, unless you were thinking about one of those brown eggs. He wouldn’t have cared if the damn flowers were actually the color of poop but Sandy was close to a nervous break-down at this point so he had decided to be a good friend and business-partner and let bitch bride rant at him.

And boy, did she do that! Calling him every name in every book about every tiny detail. Jared was sure that she made up half of it as she went along just for the sake of it (because who seriously would complain that the little Polynesian girls Sandy had had to hire to throw lotus flowers (not fresh enough to be trampled on) at Genevieve’s feet were actually too cute?).

When the whole thing was finally done and the poor fuck of a groom to Jared’s eternal surprise hadn’t bolted (probably knocked the bitch up and now had no choice, the moron), he was more than grateful when he could change back into shorts, a shirt and flip-flops and hop into his car to drive to the beach and meet with Jensen.

Due to his eagerness he arrived a little earlier than they had agreed, so he flopped down onto the sand and watched Jensen work.

He was currently wading in the shallow surf, trying to help a regular cougar in a tiny bikini to stay on her board. She giggled a lot and seemed to take great pleasure in losing her balance and landing directly on Jensen who seemed to have a hard time finding a non-X-rated spot to support her. When they were finally done, the Cougar took the opportunity to pinch Jensen’s ass while they were wading out of the water, before bounding over to her bald, helpless-looking husband.

When Jensen reached Jared, he was as red as a beetroot and tried to hide his face in his hands when he sat down in the sand beside him.

“How much did you see?”

“Why, you need me as key-witness for a sexual-harassment charge? I mean, I’m certainly no expert, but that really was a mother I would not like to fuck.”

“That was Mrs. Hannover. But I am supposed to call her Muffy. She and her husband come here every year for a couple of weeks and every year she takes surf lessons. And every year I have to avoid practically getting molested while ‘Harrykins’ sits on the beach and compliments her for her progress. It’s torture.”

“I hear you, man. We who live to serve others all have to deal with our fair share of horrible customers. But neither rain nor snow nor horny older ladies shall stay us in the execution of our duties.”

“Yeah? One might think that helping people getting married is a sure fire way to just deal with happy, friendly, cooperative people.”

“God, you have no idea. Just today, I had to deal with the bride out of hell who ordered everyone around so much I really wanted to take the groom aside and tell him to get out while he still could. Then there are the hysterical ones and the ridiculous ones you still have to take seriously… I mean, there once was this couple that thought that it would be a good idea to get married during wet season. On Mount Waiʻaleʻale which is only like the rainiest spot on earth. And although we told them that if they really wanted to go through with it they should pick a nice waterproof outfit with maybe a stylish rain cape for the bride, she insisted on this very flimsy white dress. Let’s just say even the priest had a hard time not having a hard time, if you know what I mean. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the vows. Nobody needs to know that Mervin was the first to ever pick the flower of her innocence and did so with his huge gardening tool. I mean, huh, oversharing, anyone?”

“Well, at least people usually don’t try to get it on with you right before they get married.”

Jensen was smiling now, that crinkly smile that had to be kept on his face at all costs. Even if said costs were Jared’s dignity.

“Man, I swear, you have no idea. There are the twentysomethings who never had sex with another man, the ones who are scared that they are seriously going to be missing out, the couples who want to have one last threesome or moresome before they settle down and - worst of all - the grooms who think that maybe they are gay after all. And that’s not considering the horny, drunk bridesmaids or unmarried older sisters.”

“Oh.” Jensen looked kinda crestfallen at that. “I guess you get around then, hmm?”

“What? No! Apart from the whole ewww-factor, Sandy would skin me alive if I so much as slow-danced with anyone involved in a wedding party.”

“Well, then, how would Sandy feel about getting drunk with someone involved with a wedding party? I mean, I don’t really feel like getting on a board anymore tonight and if you don’t mind and it would leave your skin intact I thought we could maybe go find some bar and you could watch me drown the memory of Mrs. Hannover, accidentally rubbing herself against me, because she just happened to fall off her board. 500 times. I mean, it’s totally ok if you don’t want to or if you’re not allowed to, but there is this little place not far from the beach where they serve a decent plate of wings and actual Corona.”

And if it weren’t so unlikely Jared would swear that he of all people could spot nervous rambling when he heard it.

“I’d love to. And Sandy really can’t judge me on this because she would totally try to get in your pants if she wouldn’t turn into a flailing fangirly mess every time you so much as breathe in her general direction.”

And maybe Jared really shouldn’t say inappropriate things like that but it made Jensen blush again and that was just, yeah, pretty much perfect.

Almost just as perfect was the bar that Jensen took him to. It was really just a hole in the wall, dimly lit and cozily decorated and as soon as Jared saw the huge plate full of fried chicken wings he was pretty sure he was in love.

They both demolished their food and then started to make a serious dent in the bar’s beer supply. They compared notes about growing up in Texas, about long hot summer nights and barbeque and about all the ways Hawaii was different. Not bad, just different.

They shared some more stories about their respective clients and before Jared knew it they were the last two people in the bar apart from the bartender and one disgruntled waitress that was repeatedly giving them the stink eye.

They both had probably had enough beer for one night and Jared had to go to work tomorrow morning, so they should have just called it a night, but the thing was … the thing was Jared really, really didn’t want to. He wanted to stay here, secreted away in this little booth, staring at Jensen’s beautiful expressive face for the rest of forever. He knew he couldn’t but he still felt a horrible pang of disappointment when Jensen grinned ruefully and nodded towards the exit.

“I guess we should get outa here and let them close up before they hate us even more.”

Jared reluctantly agreed and they soon found themselves outside in the still warm evening air that smelled vaguely of salty sea and flowers.

They stood opposite each other and it was the very first time that night that the silence felt awkward, that Jared didn’t know what to say or what to do short of reaching out and touching Jensen, wrapping him up in his arms and kissing him.

Instead he just tugged him closer for a hug, which he considered daring enough under the circumstances and smiled when he felt Jensen relax against him. He shouldn’t have been smelling this good after a night in a bar, but he did and Jared allowed himself a second to close his eyes and just enjoy before he let go and stepped back.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then and you can revel in my failure on the board once more, huh?”

Jensen smiled and nodded and then Jared actually managed to turn around and leave even though it might have been the hardest thing he ever had to do.

Sandy was asleep when he got home so he managed to sneak into his room without facing the Filipino/Irish Inquisition just yet.

He lay there in his bed; visions of green eyes and a crinkled smile dancing behind his closed eyelids even after he fell asleep.

The next day was off to a bad start, and not only because he had a slight hangover and was seriously sleep deprived but also and first and foremost because he got a call from a disgruntled Beav.

“Hello kiddo, word on the street is you are planning a wedding on my beach.”

“Hey, Beav, well, I wouldn’t exactly call it word on the street, but rather me repeatedly talking to your voicemail…”

“However you call it, kid, you can friggin’ forget it. I won’t let you use my property for the kind of carnival you set up. No way.”

“But Beav, please … this… this is kinda a special occasion. And anyway, it isn't really your beach per se, you know. You just happen to own the only way there that doesn't involve swimming.”

And maybe that wasn't the smartest thing he could have said right now.

"And how exactly is it relevant that the beach itself is public? Do you really think your entire funfair is ready to paddle through the current? I don't think so, sonny."

Almost half an hour later he was on the phone with Jensen feeling totally and utterly ridiculous.

“You want us to do what? Jared seriously.”

“No, listen. It’s the only way Beav is going to let us have the beach for the ceremony. We just have to drive out to his place, convince him we are totally in love with each other and really want to get married on his beach. It’ll be over in half an hour, tops.”

“But why? Why does he care who is getting married on his beach?”

“Look, Beav is a great guy, he really is, but he is kind of a loner and he doesn’t like people. He does kinda like me, though and for my wedding he would make an exception of his no-carnival-on-my-property rule.”

“So you want us to pretend to be engaged to fool this guy you claim to be friends with.”

Jared nodded brightly although Jensen couldn't see him over the phone.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

As soon as Jared pulled his four by four up next to Jensen’s place and Jensen hopped in, Jared immediately regretted ever coming up with this stupid stupid plan. What part of his treacherous brain had cooked up the idea of pretending to be Jensen’s boyfriend, who was just the most beautiful human being Jared had ever seen? God, and now he had to make moony eyes at him and be all touchy feely. Not that that was a particular hardship, but Jared was pretty sure walking around with a constant hard-on wouldn’t be appreciated. Neither by Jensen nor by Beav.

After vehemently fighting Jared’s plan from the get-go, Jensen seemed strangely unfazed by the whole thing now.

“Hey, Jay. How ya doin’.”

“Uhm, good, I guess. But, listen, I feel kinda bad that I pressured you into doing this. I mean we are on freaking Kauai, I’m sure we can find another beach.”

“No, you were right. This isn’t a bad idea. And we both know the place is perfect. Besides, when it comes to fake boyfriends I could do so much worse than you.”

Huh, okay.

“Thank you, I guess.”

“You’re welcome. Now let’s get this show on the road.”

After using the drive to Beav’s shack to drum out a loose back-story to their epic (fake) love affair, Jensen seemed to be literally vibrating with glee when he climbed out of Jared’s car and immediately attached himself to Jared’s side. It was probably nice to get the old acting skills back to work again, Jared figured and then practically swallowed his tongue when Jensen slid one arm around his waist and patted his chest with his free hand. Having Jensen pressing against him like this, being able to feel his warm, hard body so close and intimate had most of Jared's blood relocating south in a hurry. He tried to take a calming breath and failed miserably when Jensen leaned closer still to whisper in his ear.

“You ready to do this, honey?”

God, flirty Jensen? Not really helping Jared to keep his sanity. He barely managed a nod and it was actually Jensen who dragged him forward towards Beav’s hut.

Beav let them in with a string of muttered complaints about “friggin’ yahoos and their goddang carnival” and generally was his usual charming misanthropic self. It helped a little too calm Jared’s nerves that were still dealing with a clingy octopus-like Jensen, practically pressing against him on Beav’s narrow couch. Jensen was in the middle of an enthusiastic retelling of their first meeting (on the beach where Jared had apparently tried to stay upright on a board and Jensen had to save him from drowning after he fell and almost brained himself on it), his hand still firmly pressed to Jared’s chest as if it belonged there.

After a while Jared even started to enjoy the whole thing a little. It was just nice to have Jensen close like this and pretend he was allowed to chance an admiring sideways glance at him every now and then, or, honestly rather make full-on moony eyes at the guy complete with unabashed staring and drooling galore. He got away with sneaking an arm around Jensen’s shoulder to hug him closer to his side and even dared to add bits and pieces to their preconceived whirlwind romance. Like the story how Jared took Jensen on the Jurassic Park helicopter ride and then went down on one knee at the half-corroded concrete platform that had once supported a camera to shoot the famous valley. It was the perfect spot for proposing because Jensen obviously was such a big fan of that particular cinematic masterpiece. Jensen just slanted him a huffy look and retaliated by telling Beav how they watched ‘Up’ on their third date and Jared sobbed like a little girl every time the stupid house appeared on screen.

After the predicted half an hour visiting time was up, Beav watched them with a fond look in his eyes and a small smile only barely hidden behind his gruff beard. And Jared knew this expression all too well from all the times he had done something that Sandy deemed ‘adorkable’ which usually meant he had said something stupid or stumbled over his own two feet. It also meant they got this in the bag. He allowed himself a little mental high five.

He started to rise to his feet and make excuses why they had to actually leave already, but Beav stopped them with a raised hand and a stern look.

“Oh, no. You sit your boney ass back down right the fuck now. You really think I’m born yesterday, kiddo?”

“Uhm, Beav, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about the fact that if the two of you weren’t so freaking darling and shit I would kick your asses back to the mainland. Actually, I might still do it if you don’t explain yourself.”

“Beav, I…”

“No, Jared, save it. I might be out of the business, but I still know acting when it’s sitting in my living room, trying to bullshit me. If it wasn’t so pathetically obvious that you were both bullshitting yourselves even more, I would be really, really pissed.”

Jared would really like to know what he meant, but before he could so much as open his mouth to ask, Jensen was already talking. Real fast.

“Out of the business? Oh my god, I knew I recognized you face. You are Jim Beaver. You are a freaking legend, man, a real actor’s actor. Jeez, I almost cried when you announced your retirement from acting. I loved you in ‘Deadwood’, you were brilliant. You were practically my role model. Where have you been all this time? Why have you been hiding here?”

If Jared was perplexed, Beav looked positively petrified for a moment but he recovered fairly quickly. Probably all the acting ability the guy suddenly seemed to have.

“Well, son, that is all very flattering, but buttering me up isn’t going to get you outta this squeeze. And for the hiding part, I thought you of all people would know why someone might have the desire to escape the dream factory and hide out here in the tropical boonies.”

“Uhm.” was all Jensen seemed to be able to say to that, so Jared decided to take the lead on the whole train wreck.

“It was all my idea, Beav, really. See, Jensen’s best friend is going to get married here and we just wanted the perfect spot for him. I promised Jen we could use the beach and I didn’t want to disappoint him or the grooms. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Damn right you shouldn’t. It’s disrespectful, insulting and down-right stupid. Did you two knuckleheads really think you would get away with this?”

“Well, obviously I did. I mean, Jen is a really awesome actor and I thought I could at least weasel my way through it.”

“I’m not saying your boy isn’t talented as all hell, but you…”

“What!?”

The praise seemed to have roused Jensen from his stupor enough so that he was now staring at Beav with huge eyes.”

“You heard me, kid. I saw you in some of those god-awful horror flicks they made you play in and although the only thing horror-evoking about them was the script and maybe the screenplay and the special effects, you were doing a bang-up job every time. I’d really like to see you in something that actually means something to you other than food on the table. I bet you’d be pretty amazing. Jay here, on the other hand, obviously couldn’t act for shite even if his life depended on it, so, yeah, not the best thought-out plan ever to be made.”

“You… you saw me. In Devour?”

Jensen’s face was so bright red by now that Jared could swear he could feel the heat radiating from him in waves.

“I sure did, and it was an outright damn shame, is all I’m saying. If I had any say in this matter, I would drag your ass right back to LA and make you audition for real roles with real depth and real emotions and then I’d sit back and watch all those ijit producers and agents and casting directors swallow their own tongues and fall over themselves to get you to work for one of their projects.”

“You really think I could do that?”

“I know you could, kiddo, but unfortunately you decided against fighting and instead chose to hide out here in bumfuck paradise and there is nothing I can do about it. And now you two knuckleheads better get lost before I get really pissed off.”

“Does that mean we get the beach?”

“For fuck’s sake, Jared. I own a shot-gun and I swear I’m gonna use it if you are not outta here in three seconds.”

“Sure thing, Beav.” Was all Jared just about managed to get out before he grabbed a still shell-shocked Jensen by the arm and dragged him bodily back outside and into the truck.

He didn’t slow down until they were well away and off of Beav’s property before he cast a curious glance at Jensen’s pensive face.

“Ok, what the hell was that all about? I always thought Beav was just this grumpy old weirdo who lives on the beach and likes to piss off people and now he is fucking Sean Connery all of a sudden?”

“He is awesome. He was one of those actors that made you believe acting is actually an art. With him it didn’t matter what the role was like or if the script sucked all kinds of ass, he was always brilliant. I would give my own right arm to have even an iota of his talent.”

“Well, he seemed to think you talented enough.”

But Jensen just shook his head, his face passive and closed off and didn’t say another word until Jared dropped him off back at his place.

“So, we still on for lessons tonight?”

“Sure, Jay, unless of course you don’t feel like it anymore.”

“You kidding, right? I just reached the point where I can’t possibly humiliate myself even further. I’m not backing out now.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll see you later. I do have a good feeling about tonight’s lesson. Maybe it’s going to be the night I get you to actually stay on that board.”

“Oh, so tonight is the night pigs learn to fly and fairies walk the earth and giant klutzes actually acquire a sense of balance?”

That made Jensen smile softly and it was that smile that stayed with Jared for the rest of his working day and made him sigh wistfully over and over again until Sandy called him out on it. It took some fast talking to convince her that he wasn’t mooning over a certain gorgeous, green-eyed actor and he wasn’t entirely sure he managed at all because when he left to meet Jen at the beach, Sandy cast him a sad glance and a wistful smile of her own.

“Just don’t get you stupid big heart broken all over again, Jare-bear. That’s all I’m asking.”

Easy for her to say. She wasn’t constantly within touching distance of everything she had ever wanted in a guy. Like now for example when Jared actually managed to ride out a shallow wave onto the beach for the very first time. While he let out an exuberant whoop and threw his arms up into the air in giddy excitement, Jensen practically jumped him and tackle-hugged him so hard that they landed in a heap on the sand.

“You did it, Jay. I can’t believe you actually did it!”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? I thought you were so damn sure you could teach me.”

“I was, I mean I am. It’s just… You really are one giant klutz, man.”

Jared swatted at him indignantly, but Jensen just hugged him again and ruffled his hair.

“I’m just kidding. You did awesome.”

“I know! And now that I can actually stay on the board I can finally pull a Muffy and learn how to fall off strategically to cop a feel of my hot teacher.”

It was supposed to be a joke, but the way Jensen tensed and ducked his head to hide his flushed cheeks made Jared want to hit himself repeatedly upside the head.

Way to destroy a nice moment, asshat.

“Hey, Jen, it was supposed to be a joke. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

But Jensen had already struggled back to his feet and was hovering uncertainly above Jared before he stretched out a hesitant hand to help him up.

“No, it’s alright. It’s just… I don’t think you would have to resort to that.”

It was whispered in such a low voice that Jared would have been sure he had hallucinated the whole thing, if it hadn’t been for the deep flush on Jensen’s cheeks. And the way he nervously wiped his hands along the thighs of his tight wetsuit.

Ok, what the hell was that? Was that just some kind of off-handed compliment that was supposed to convey the fact that Jensen thought Jared was good-looking and could theoretically score with people who were teaching him without bordering on sexual harassment? In General. Or did he actually mean that he, Jared, could win him, Jensen, over, without stooping so low as to cop a feel? It was confusing. And maybe Jared should just let it go. Or maybe not?

What sealed the deal was the way Jensen pulled his full bottom lip between his teeth, a nervous gesture Jared had seen before and found torturously sexy. It made him want to do things to those lips and the rest of the guy. And he just couldn’t. Jared just couldn’t not move closer to Jensen. Couldn’t not frame his face with his hands. Couldn’t not lower his head and press his lips to Jensen’s in a gentle searching kiss.

For a heart-stopping second everything seemed frozen in time, hanging in a precarious balance that could tip either towards an incredibly hot make-out session or a really well-aimed punch to the face. Jared could feel his own heart thundering in his chest, could feel Jensen’s skin soft under his fingertips, and then Jensen’s plush lips parted on a sigh, welcoming Jared’s eager tongue into incredible wet heat. Jensen tasted of salt-water and perfection and Jared never ever wanted to stop kissing him. And then Jensen did some kind of rolling-licking-sucking maneuver with his tongue while his teeth scraped lightly over Jared’s lower lip and seriously who could blame Jared for bodily manhandling Jensen to the ground after that, pinning him with his body and kissing him breathless.

They only parted when oxygen became a serious issue but Jared kept their foreheads resting together even then, not willing to break contact more than absolutely necessary, pressing tiny little kisses to Jensen’s nose and cheeks and jaw.

Somehow along the line their bodies had slotted together and Jared thoroughly enjoyed the entire length of Jensen’s body pressed against him, strong thighs bracketing one of Jared’s legs so that even the slightest movement had his brain sizzling out of his ears in electric pleasure. Jensen seemed to be a little less fazed about the whole thing or he had a really impressive brain capacity because he was apparently still able to form words even if they were uttered on a broken sighmoangasp.

“Jesus, Jared. What took you so fucking long?”

“What? Me? I didn’t even know you were gay, man.”

And really no use in wasting precious kissing time with stupid talking.

Jensen seemed to agree, because he managed to flip them both over so that Jared was now blanketed by exactly the right amount of insanely gorgeous guy.

“I guess we can accept that one as a given by now.”

Jared couldn’t help but groan when Jensen ground his obvious erection against Jared's through a layer of neoprene and flimsy swim shorts. He retaliated by grabbing Jen’s ass and sucking a line of bruises along his neck until he shivered and writhed above him.

“Jared, god… we… we need to stop! We can’t just have sex on the beach.”

“But we can have sex somewhere else, right? Preferably right about now.”

They ended up at Jensen’s place, mainly because Jared really didn’t want to have Sandy around right then and also because Jared’s living quarters weren’t exactly squeaky clean at the moment. Before Jared had time to take a good look at the place, though, Jensen had practically dragged him into the bedroom and helped him out of the damp trunks he was still wearing.

It was a little weird to stand there in Jensen’s bedroom, already naked , hard and aching while Jensen was still essentially fully dressed - or at least covered - from knee to neck in black rubber. Jared didn’t feel much like complaining, because a) Jensen was looking at him with so much want and heat and possessiveness that Jared would basically be ok with standing in the middle of a crowded room, wearing nothing but a tiny top hat on his not so little Jared singing “America the Beautiful” at the top of his lungs if Jensen would just keep looking at him like that (which he probably wouldn’t under the aforementioned circumstances) and b) Jared’s dick would possibly kill him if he so much as breathed in a way that might get Jensen to reconsider this whole thing.

Small tremors zinged down Jared’s spine when Jensen slowly moved towards him, still staring like Jared was the only thing in the entire universe that was worth looking at. He let Jensen look his fill, let the other man’s hands roam over Jared’s body but there was no way Jared could keep still forever. With a soft groan that sounded desperate to his own ears Jared grasped Jensen’s questing hands and pulled him closer, fitting their mouths together again. He trailed his lips over Jensen’s cheekbones and down his neck to his collarbone drinking in the smell of sea and wind and Jensen that went directly to his dick and made it twitch in anticipation. He wanted to touch and taste and explore every inch of this man at once, wanted to never stop, wanted to loose himself in Jensen but there was one thing that he needed to do first.

Jared’s fingers fumbled a little when he pulled open the zipper at the back of the tight rubber sheath Jensen had molded himself into. For a second he was content to stroke and caress the newly exposed skin on Jensen’s back, but that wasn’t nearly enough to keep him from undressing him further.

Jared slowly started to peel of the wetsuit and felt very much like a kid at Christmas. He revealed broad shoulders and miles of smooth, freckled skin showering every new inch with kisses and kitten-licks until he was sure he was going to come just like that from the heady sensation of hot and smooth and now that was swirling through his entire nervous system like an incredibly potent drug.

And finally, finally, Jensen was standing there, naked and gorgeous, muscles toned and taunt, broad shoulders and chest dusted with myriads of tiny freckles, legs just slightly, enticingly bowed and Jared felt the insatiable urge to lick every fucking inch of him right the fuck now. Before he could really move, though, Jensen made a broken growly sound somewhere in the back of his throat and fell to his knees right in front of Jared and oh god! Those lips, those sinful, delicious lips wrapped tight around Jared’s cock and Jared’s entire being was reduced to wetheatsuctiontongue.

It took him a very long moment to wind his fingers into Jensen’s hair and tuck gently because holy shit! This would be over way way too soon if Jensen kept this up.

Jensen made an unwilling little sound and let Jared slide out of his mouth torturously slow with a little punishing curl of the tongue right under the head but got up and dragged Jared bodily to the bed.

As soon as Jared was laid out on the mattress, Jensen was on him, his knees on either side of Jared’s hips and his thick, leaking cock aligned perfectly with Jared’s own aching hard-on. When Jensen wrapped a hand around them both Jared was about ready to jump out of his skin and just float around on a cloud of arousal and Jensen himself didn’t seem to be entirely unfazed by the velvety drag of overheated skin on skin either. He was panting and moaning above Jared, words garbled and interspersed with broken little sounds that slammed into Jared like electricity.

“God, Jay… So good… Want you so bad. Wanted you all the time, wanted to just throw you down and lick you all over.”

Shuddering and unable to achieve even this level of coherency Jared answered by letting his hands trail over Jensen’s body, over the strong smooth expanse of his back, his chest and abs, returning to Jensen’s nipples and teasing them both into hard nubs with relentless fingers. He caught Jensen’s moans in a panting, open-mouthed kiss and sucked tiny marks into the sensitive skin of his neck, wanting nothing more than to drink in Jensen’s taste and smell, something he was becoming addicted to painfully fast.

Jensen twisted his wrist on the upstroke in a way that together with the wet glide of precome-slicked skin on skin almost slammed Jared over the edge. Frantically, he grabbed Jensen’s ass with both hands, trying to bring them even closer together, kneading the perfect muscle and finally letting the tips of his fingers dip into the cleft in-between, trailing down and down until he could press them behind Jensen’s heavy balls. Jensen retaliated with an especially vicious grind against Jared, finesse and technique abandoned for desperate rutting and growled Jared’s name like the filthiest dirty word ever and Jared, Jared came so hard and fast he had to dig his teeth into the column of Jensen’s neck to avoid screaming the house down.

This right there seemed to be enough to push Jensen over the edge as well, shuddering against Jared as more hot come gathered between them.

They lay there on the bed for a while, both still panting and slowly coming down and it took Jared embarrassingly long to regain the mental capacity to reach for a shirt and clean them both up, let alone for speech.

“So… would you, like, maybe, want to … catch a movie? This week? Or maybe … go have dinner… At one time? With me?”

“Jared, we just had sex.”

“Uhm, I’m aware.”

“No, I mean, we just had absolutely mind-blowing sex and even before that we were practically attached at the hip for over a week and I had the best time I can remember having, like ever. With you. And you ask me out as if there is even so much as a possibility I would turn you down.”

“So… Is that a yes?”

“Hell yeah, that’s a yes. It’s a yes to catching a movie, to grabbing dinner, to going to a bar or just hang out on the couch and relax. And it sure is a big, fat yes to more sex. Preferably very soon.”

Jared could really do nothing else than pounce on Jensen once more, this time to shower him with enthusiastic little kisses until they both collapsed into a chuckling heap of contentment.

Somehow they must have fallen asleep curled around each other, because that was how Jared was awoken by the angry and shrill buzzing of his cell-phone to be subsequently yelled at by an angry and shrill Sandy who told him in no uncertain terms that he better get his lazy ass over to the office or suffer the nasty consequences that would no doubt involve castration with a nail clipper among other creative threats.

As soon as he walked into their office, Sandy frowned at him and crinkled her nose adorably.

“You got laid.”

It sounded almost accusing but there was nothing on all the islands right now that could so much as dent Jared’s fantastic mood, so he just grinned at her.

“Maybe.”

“Pfft, don’t give me that shit. You’re practically wearing a sign that says ‘I got an assisted orgasm tonight. Watch me being a smug dick about it’.”

“Well, I guess that would have to be a rather big sign. Or the writing would have to be in a really small font…”

“Ja-red.”

“Ok, yes, I got laid tonight. One would think you would be happy for me.”

“Jare, please, don’t get me wrong. I’m happy that you are happy, but having some meaningless one-night-stand because you are crushing on a straight guy again… that’s just not you.”

“What? No, Sandy… I… I was with Jensen tonight. Turns out he is maybe not so straight after all.”

The noise she made could only ever correctly be described as a squeal. And it didn’t exactly get more bearable when she launched herself into his arms and kept on squealing right next to his ear.

“Oh, Jare, I’m so happy for you! I can’t believe it. You actually scored yourself a famous boyfriend. Can I arrange the wedding, pretty please?”

“Uhm, Sandy. Come on, not so fast. We only just met and spent one night together. I don’t think we are quite there yet.”

“But he is you boyfriend, now, right?”

“I… I guess? I mean, he said he wanted to see me again and uhm,… hang out. So there is that.”

Jared tried to ignore Sandy’s skeptical look but the nasty little wheels in his head had already started spinning. What if he and Jensen really didn’t want the same thing? Jared was very aware, that he was already more than halfway in love with the guy and he consequently wanted them to be a couple and together forever and other schmoopy crap, but Jensen... What did Jensen want, really? As far as Jared knew, Jensen wasn’t really out as such. He certainly hadn’t had any kind of long-lasting, serious relationship while he was still acting. Probably for all the wrong career-saving reasons. But did that mean now that he was out of Hollywood he would be ready to really openly have a relationship with another guy? Let alone with Jared. Would Jensen even want that?

Jared wasn’t really able to shake his worry the entire day until his phone rang in his pocket and he took it out to see Jensen’s name flash across the screen. The he just knew the silly grin was back.

“Hey, man, what’s up?”

“Hey, Jay. I just wanted to see if you got time tonight to have that dinner-and-a-movie date with me we’ve been talking about earlier.”

Jensen’s voice sounded adorably shy and nervous and it did wonders to Jared’s own frayed nerves. If Jensen was nervous it had to mean that this whole thing between them was more than a hook-up or maybe friends with benefits, right? It calmed him enough to at least decide that he would not stress out over this anymore. He would enjoy his time with Jensen and let the future sort itself out for a change.

It was incredible how fast a week could go by if you were amazingly, perfectly, blissfully happy. Jared had spent literally every free moment of the week with Jensen, surfing, lazing about on the beach, going to the movies or restaurants or the bar where they had what Jared now considered their first date. And after, well, they ended up in Jensen’s bed with a frequency that had Sandy complaining that she hardly ever saw Jared anymore.

Even work did feel even less like work than it already did anyways.

While poor Sandy was in positive histrionics about organizing both the Kane-Carlson wedding as well as another union they had scheduled this week Jared was on cloud freaking nine. To Sandy’s eternal grumbling he even invited Jensen to said wedding. Just so that he could take a look at what they did and to get an idea how Chris’ and Steve’s ceremony might look like, of course. In hindsight, that might not have been the smartest move ever.

“I mean fucking look at the guy, Jared! The suit is cream-colored and fuck-ugly to boot. And all of a sudden - after goddamn weeks of planning - they want me to coordinate the decoration with the fugly suit from hell. How is that even fair? No wonder the whole thing looks like an ad for the new average. The slogan would be ‘Let’s be as Bland as we Possibly Can’.”

Peering at the slightly unfortunate lanky groom in a grandpa-suit Jared had to admit that Sandy kind of had a point. Still, now that the wedding was already underway was not the right time to confirm her fears.

“Come on, Sandy. The decoration is totally fine and it is not your fault if those guys are just a bit… vanilla. And the suit is fuck-ugly and creamy, too. Maybe the poor sod wanted to blend in with the sand. Like mimesis, you know.”

He didn’t even really mind when Sandy swatted at him indignantly, because he could hear Jensen chuckle next to him.

“So you are saying this is not what Chris and Steve would have to expect for their ceremony? Because I have to tell you Chris would not appreciate Steve in cream. Apart from whipped cream maybe, but that is not something I need to think of, like ever.”

Jared laughed and pulled Jensen closer, even daring to steal a little peck on those invitingly lush lips, although Sandy had firmly declared that there was to be no sucking face on 'her' wedding. But what kind of sad rule was that anyway.

“So, you ready to head out or do you have to mop up after sobbing relatives?”

Jensen’s voice was just the right mixture of playful and suggestive and Jared would have really liked to get out of here and head to the beach for a little surfing/make-out session but Sandy would really have his balls if he did that.

“Sorry, man. I have to stick this out. But you can go ahead and leave if you want to.”

“Nah. Here is fine. Besides, I heard there are always desperate chicks at weddings. Maybe I can get lucky tonight.”

And leery waggling eyebrows should not be adorable. On nobody. But then again, Jared already knew that he was a goner.

It felt like absolutely no time had passed before the day that Chris and Steve were scheduled to fly in for the wedding.

Jared and Jensen had spent the bigger part of the day together on the beach, making out like teenagers before it had been time for Jen to pick his friends up at the airport. Then time seemed to slow to a crawl. It felt like an eternity instead of a couple of hours till Jensen’s number flashed on Jared’s phone.

“Hey, Jay.”

He sounded slightly slurred, possibly a little drunk. And absolutely adorable.

“Hey, Jen. Good to hear your voice.”

“Listen Jay. I been thinkin’. You listening? ‘Course this shit is important.”

“Yes, Jen. I’m listening, but are you sure it wouldn’t be better if we talked about this in the morning. When you are sober?”

Jared wasn’t entirely sure why there was this feeling of dread slowly filling his stomach. There wasn’t any indication that there was something else coming but some cute, drunken ramblings and still Jared couldn’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop. As always.

“No. When I’m sober I won’t have the courage to say. We need to talk now.”

“Ok.”

He sounded defeated even to his own ears.

“I’m an actor.”

“I know.”

“Yes, I know you know. And Jim Beaver knows. And he is right. I have to go back. I want to go back and try again. I left, because someone from ‘Days’ found out I was gay and they didn’t want me anymore but now I won’t make that mistake again. No more. Uh-uh. I will go back to LA with Chris and Steve and try again and play fabulous roles, like Beav said.”

See? The other shoe. Dropped right onto Jared’s head. And it was made of fucking concrete.

“That’s… that’s good for you, Jensen. Really. I’m sure you’re going to be awesome.”

“Awesome. And I… I like it here, but I can’t… no more mistakes. Right, Jay? You get it?”

“Yes, of course. Mistakes. I get it. Well, I wish you the best of luck, really and honestly it was pretty clear that you didn’t really belong here for good. Listen, Jen. I am going to be pretty busy the next couple of days. The wedding and all, so I guess I see you there, ok?”

“But Jay… I thought we could…”

“No! Jensen, just no. You made your choice and I made mine and all this ever was, was some kind of fling anyway, right? A one-night-stand, really, that already got dragged out beyond reason. And now it’s over. So no harm, no foul, no hurt feelings. I’ll see you at the wedding and if we don’t have time to talk then I wish you all the best in LA.”

Jared slammed his phone shut before Jensen could suggest one last goodbye or something else that would break his stupid heart even more and sank down onto the next horizontal surface that happened to be the kitchen floor.

He was still sitting there when Sandy found him about an hour later when she came home. She didn’t really say anything but cuddled up next to him and stroked his hair until Jared turned his head to rest on her shoulder.

“He wants to go back to LA and try to be an actor again. And he wants to leave all his past mistakes behind. He called it a mistake Sandy. I’m… I’m in love with him and he calls it as mistake.”

“Ssh, Jare-bear. I know. And if he really thinks that he is not worth it anyway.”

And sure, Jared knew that but it didn’t stop him from thinking about Jensen all the time, from missing him painfully and feeling constantly miserable.

He really really didn't want to go to the wedding at all, let alone suffer through the pre-ceremony meeting with the grooms, but while Sandy was all supportive and understanding and ice-cream providing she was also firm and unyielding when it came to acting professional.

“You took this job, you did all the work and therefore you are meeting with the customers. That is the least bit of professional behavior everyone involved can expect.”

And that was why he found himself in their office, wearing his responsible clothes and waiting for his ex-boyfriend’s best friends to take a look at the loser Jensen just about dumped.

Awesome.

What even Jared didn’t expect was a tiny irate red-neck with long hair and meaty fists to storm into the office like the wrath of Oklahoma.

“You Padalecki?”

“Uhm, yes. Aloha. Nice to meet …”

Blam. Jared felt as if his entire head just exploded when Christian Kane’s fist made a very spot-on connection with his cheekbone.

“Who the fuck do you think you are, treating Jenny like that? He moved out here all hermit-like and shit and the first person he actually opens up to does what? Screws him over good and proper. But I won’t have that.”

By now Sandy had come running out of the backroom and was staring in shock at what must have been fast becoming quite an impressive bruise. And there was also another guy, trying to get a hold of Chris that Jared recognized as Steve from the pictures Jensen had shown him.

So Jensen hadn't only told his friends about the hick he met in the boonies but had also made it look like he was the fucking victim? No fucking way!

“So he’s what? Upset that I didn’t want to be his fuck-buddy anymore after he tells me he is leaving me to go back to LA? What does he still want with a mistake like me anyway?”

“What the fuck are you talking about? Are you fucking special or what?”

Chris was still raging but Steve put a hand on his forearm that seemed to be calming him some. Enough at least for Steve to get some words in.

“You really think that’s what’s going on? You think Jen told you about LA the other night to dump you?”

“Well, if he really thinks that, his momma must have dropped him on the head once too often as a kid.”

“Chris, shut up. Jared… Can I call you Jared? I know we haven’t really met before, but this whole situation seems way too advanced for me to call you Mr. Padalecki. Good. So, what happened from our perspective is that Jen gets himself a little liquid courage and goes to his bedroom to call his boy he's been over the moon for and can't stop babbling on about since we freaking got here and 15 minutes later he comes back looking all defeated and shit, telling us the stupid fucker – no offense meant - just broke up with him. Or rather told him it was nothing but a couple-nights-stand anyway. So excuse Chris if he labored under the impression that you are the bad guy in this scenario."

"But… but he told me he wanted to go back to LA and be an actor and not make the same mistakes again. Mistakes like being outed to someone and then fired. Or worse being openly gay. How does this not read like that he is the one breaking up with me?"

"How could he break up with you if it was just a fling anyway?"

"So I may have gotten a little defensive. So what? Sue me. I just got freaking dumped. You think Jen was the only one being over the moon here?"

"So let me get this straight. Jen thought you dumped him but really you just lashed out because you thought he dumped you first and in the end no one has dumped anyone, really?"

Steve is looking totally incredulous.

"And all this freaking drama was for nothing? Chris, I am really really glad that you punched that stupid motherfucker. Now, why don't we go home and I let you punch the other one, too?"

"But Jen said he wants to go back to LA. What about that?"

"Well, Jared, maybe you should have listened when he tried to tell you all about that instead of acting out like a little brat. Then you would know."

With that Steve maneuvers a still glaring Chris towards the door.

"Miss Sandra, it was a pleasure meeting you. We will be in contact about the last details, but I think this wedding is going to go perfectly."

And with that they were gone and Jared felt more like a tool and more confused than ever before. It didn't even help that Sandy stacked fudge brownie ice-cream just for him.

It was supposed to be a sunset wedding so that meant that Jared had almost two more entire days to brood over the whole thing. If Jensen really wasn't planning on breaking things off between them, then what was he thinking. He was planning on going back to LA after all. Permanently, if possible. And that wasn't the kind of long distance thing Jared thought could be kept going especially if Jen got his well-deserved big break. So what were their options now, apart from maybe parting on somewhat more friendly terms? And even that was something Jared was doubtful he could manage with the amount of raw feeling that was swirling through him at the mere thought of never seeing Jensen ever again. It was insane. He didn't even know the guy that long and still it had felt as if they just belonged together forever. And realizing it wasn't going to happen hurt him more than Milo or even his parents rejection ever had.

So it was with utmost trepidation that he walked down the beach, Sandy beside him, ready to tweak and rearrange and perfect everything last minute.

Jared didn't think much tweaking would be necessary, though. Sandy had done an awesome job. The spot was just beautiful. Chairs forming a loose half circle around a chuppa-like thing that was pretty yet understated enough not to feel girly or overbearing. Everything was so perfectly put together that it created a pleasant, laid-back atmosphere that seemed to fit really well to what Jared knew about the grooms - apart from the penchant to punch people in the face that is.

There were no overbearing flowery ensembles or frilly accents. Sandy really managed to let the beach and the ocean speak for itself.

Jared spotted Beav, sitting a couple yards to their right, obviously checking if they had turned his beautiful place into a sleazy Mardi Gras float. In the golden afternoon light, there was a content smile on his face that vanished as soon as he saw Jared.

He couldn't help but nod and smile at the older guy and was rewarded with a frown and a grumbled complaint but it was a long while before Beav actually left his perch on a little dune and headed back in the direction of his cabin.

Shortly after the light began to wane and the first guests arrived. And Jared was busy welcoming people and directing them to their seats so it took him until the man was almost standing right in front of him before he realized Jensen had arrived. After he had though, there was nothing that could even so much as register beside sad green eyes and every doubt Jared ever had flew out of the metaphorical window because there was no way he would just let this man walk out of his life without a fight even if it meant he would have to bankrupt himself for plane tickets to LA every other day for the rest of his life. He could probably sell a kidney or something. He was tall so he should have big organs that would probably fetch a nice sum on any black market.

He was just about to say something - probably stupid - to that effect but Jensen seemed to have other ideas. He just looked at Jared a little while then turned around and marched towards his place as best man under the chuppa.

Jared was just about ready to follow him and maybe beg a little bit until Jensen took him back so that they could live happily ever after when he was stopped by a hand on his arm.

"Don't, please. I know you want to go after him and cause some kind of scene and under any other circumstances I would support any idea of you openly groveling to Jenny until he forgives you but this here is Steve's thing. And it is important to him. Symbolic and shit. So you don't get to steal his thunder."

Jared looked down at Chris a little astonished, but the man was right. This was not about him. And he had no right to disrupt this day for Chris and Steve. He was a professional after all so he would suck it up and do his job and Jensen was not going to LA right this minute. He could wait. Even though it felt a lot like having his heart squeezed tight in his chest.

Even Jared had to admit that the wedding went splendidly. The ceremony was short and fun and heartwarming and he even got to make a little fun of Sandy for crying like a girl all the way through the vows. After they brought out the buffet and the drinks, rearranged the chairs, watched as about half of the guests produced some kind of instrument seemingly out of nowhere the whole thing turned into a mixture of impromptu concert and jam-session. Chris sang until Steve cried and Steve sang until Chris very definitely didn't cry. Like at all. And one after the other the guests dedicated song after song to the newlyweds. It was romantic and fun and Jared really thought this was the most amazing wedding he ever saw. And then, then Jensen stepped up onto the little stage, looking shy and nervous and insanely gorgeous in his classic black tuxedo. He carried a guitar and Jared didn't know he played or that he could sing but boy did he do both.

The song was mostly sweet and funny and a little teasing and Jared was just so in love with this guy that he wanted to tackle him into the sand wrap him up in his arms like an octopus and never let go. But it still wasn't time for that. Besides, there was still so much sadness in those gorgeous green eyes behind the twinkle and before he did anything else Jared had to make the sad go away. Make everything right again.

In the end a blissed out Chris and Steve got sent off to their hotel with a lot of leering and suggestive comments and apart from a couple guys who decided to bum it on the beach tonight most of the guests had left, too.

Usually, Jared would have gone home long before this, just as Sandy had, sure in the knowledge of another job well done and leaving the clean-up for early the next morning, but today the emotional clean-up really couldn't wait.

He had feared Jensen would sneak away early or leave with Chris and Steve but he was still there talking to a group of guys who had been a part of the earlier jam-session.

Jared tried to sidle closer inconspicuously which wasn't exactly an easy feat for someone his size and general level of clumsy but apparently he needn't have bothered because as soon as he was in eavesdropping distance Jensen said goodnight to his friends and looked at Jared expectantly if a bit warily.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Jared?"

"I… uhm…"

Great, maybe he should have prepared a speech. Or a poem. Yes, that would have been a good idea. It would totally have convinced Jensen that he was worth staying with even in the face of possible fame and wealth. Something romantic about true love, maybe even a song.

It was Jensen's angry voice that pulled him out of his panicky internal rambling.

"Seriously, Jared? That's all? Some inane stammering and staring? If Chris and Steve hadn't convinced me that I should give you a chance to talk to me I would have gone home hours ago. And here I am – against my better judgment – willing to listen to you and all you can come up with is 'I… uhm'?"

"Sorry, ok. I'm a little overwhelmed and unprepared here. And honestly I'm still kinda caught between groveling and righteously pissed off, so back off for a second, will you?"

And that really wasn't what he would have prepared to say if he had indeed prepared anything.

"Pissed off? You are pissed off? In what reality do you have the right to be pissed off in this situation? You made me feel like the cheapest kind of summer-fling. The kind that doesn't understand the situation and gets clingy and has to be pitied and secretly mocked."

"Well, you are the one who dumped me and called me a mistake so sorry if I wasn't in a charitable mood that day."

"What? When the fuck did that happen? In your oversized head maybe but certainly not in reality."

"Come on, you can't have been this drunk. You called me and you told me you wanted to go back to LA and then you said…"

"I said that I didn't want to make the same mistakes I made the last time around. Namely hiding who I am and who I love for the sake of any director or any role or any studio. I want to try again for another chance to do what I love, but I don't want to be alone for it anymore. And what I really tried to tell you that night on the phone was that I love you and that I want to go back to LA but I don't want to lose you because of it. In fact I really needed some good old liquid courage to ask you if you would maybe consider going to LA, too. With me. But the way you reacted basically gave me my answer without even having to ask. And if that was all you had to tell me, than I'm really completely done with this and rather go home to catch some sleep. Have a nice life, Jared Padalecki."

Jensen was already half way up the beach when Jared's brain was jolted back online by what must have been one of the wedding guests. The guy was unexplainably wearing a trench coat despite the heat and was fixing Jared with both the bluest and most unnerving stare Jared had ever seen.

"I think you maybe should go after him right about now, don't you think, Jared?"

It was all he said before he turned round and wandered away down the beach but it was enough. Jared was up the beach in three long strides reaching for Jensen to stop him.

"You really wanted to ask me to come with you?"

"Stupid, I know."

"No! Nonononono. Not stupid at all. I'm the stupid one. I thought… I thought you wanted to dump me. That was the only reason I said what I said. This thing between us is way more than a one-night-stand. So much more. "

"And what exactly does that mean?"

"That means that I… that I want to go with you when you go to LA."

"What? Really? I mean I know that it's a lot to ask and you have your life here…"

"Come on, Jen. You are not backing out now are you? I know it's crazy and I know that we haven't known each other for long but I also know that I have never felt like this before and that I was miserable, no devastated, when I thought you wanted to break up with me and I don't ever want to feel like that again. Like ever."

"Are you sure? Jay, I really need you to be sure."

Instead of answering Jared just reached out and trailed his fingertips reverently over Jensen's face and into his hair, pulling him closer until he could press his mouth gently against Jensen's. The feeling of plush lips opening under his made Jared's heart beat double and the intoxicating taste shot straight to his brain, his heart and his dick at the same time. It was really quite unfathomable to think that he had almost lost this forever.

He drew Jensen even closer against him, lips at his jaw, breathing in his scent und trying to dial down the possessiveness that suddenly washed trough him.

"God, I love you so much."

It was uttered involuntarily but when he felt Jensen's smile against the skin of his throat he knew everything would be ok.

They stayed like this until Jared could feel Jensen shiver in the rapidly cooling night air. Then he drew back and instead stared a little at Jensen's green eyes like a complete tool and of course it had to be Jen who got his voice back first.

"So, what do we do now?"

Jared winced involuntarily.

"Now, I think I have to talk to Sandy."

Jared had anticipated that it would not exactly be fun to tell his best friend that he was leaving Kauai or a guy he had known less than a month but he hadn't anticipated the angry rant he was subjected to.

"You don't know what you are doing, Jared. This is completely crazy. Even for you. I mean you have a little crush on a pretty face and the next thing I hear is that you are planning on giving everything up you have built for yourself here to follow that guy to LA and be what? His kept man until he decides that he doesn’t want you anymore? Until he finds someone younger that is a little more of an arm candy. Or even better, until he decides that he would rather not be openly gay after all and dumps you faster than you can say 'bimbo'. Please, Jare-bear, stop and think about it for one minute."

"Sandy, please. I have thought about it and I know it sounds crazy. And I also know that it must look like I'm just giving everything up to be with him and I'd probably freak just as much if you wanted to do something even remotely like this. But I am sure. And I am not as stupid as you apparently think I am. And I am not giving anything up."

He holds up his hand to stop her when she opens her mouth with an indignant look and keeps going.

"Honestly, San. We both know I am only here because I am hiding. I came here after the whole shit back in Texas hit the fan and since then I have been licking my wounds and pitying myself and not moving on with my life at all. All this was ever supposed to be was a little respite until I could get my life back on track. But here I still am years later after even Chad as somehow managed to move on. In a very loose sense of the word, at least."

"Jared! How can you say something like that? This is my life, too. How can you talk like it means absolutely nothing?"

"Sandy, please don't cry. Really, I didn't mean it like that, but you are clearly happy here, doing what you always wanted to do while I… I had so many dreams. I mean I have a fucking master degree in English Literature and more than one half-finished screenplay lying around in my bedside drawer, so to speak. I am not just going to LA to be with Jen, although I do have to admit it is a major factor, but this whole thing has been like a freaking wake-up call. I can't keep living my life on hold any longer. I have to go back to the real world and take some chances. And one of those chances is trying to make it work with the man I am head over heels in love with. Is that so hard to understand? Besides if it all goes belly-up I can totally be your man in Hollywood, sending all the celeb couples ready to get hitched your way and you can sort them out the perfect sunset-on-a-lonely-beach wedding."

He could still see the tears glimmering in Sandy's eyes, but the small smile on her lips told him that she did indeed understand.

"Does he love you, too? Because you deserve to be so very happy."

Jared knew his smile was beaming.

"Yes, yes he does and I have never been happier in my life."

Today (possibly right the fuck now)

“Your Tropical Wedding, Riley speaking.”

“Hey, Riley. It’s Jared.”

“Hello boss-man. How is life treating you back on the mainland?”

“Real good. Listen, man, is Sandy around? I have another customer for you and it’s kind of a big deal, so maybe you could put me on speaker?”

“Sure thing, man. Hey, Sandy, I’ve got Jay on speaker and he’s got another one for us.”

“Awesome. Hey, Jay. Give me all the details.”

“Well, as I told Riley already it is kind of a big deal. Not some barely-recognized b-lister this time.”

“Oh god, Jay. Come on, tell me.”

“Ok, I know you know him. He is on TV on a regular basis and I know you’re watching his show.”

“Wait, is it those guys from Smallville? I knew they were totally gay for each other.”

“No, Riley, it’s not Tom and Mike. But you are not too far off. I happen to know that you watch his show every Friday.”

“Is that a trick Jay? You know that the only show I would ever watch on a Friday night is Jen's and… Oh my god! It is Jen! You and Jen are getting married. I can’t believe it!”

She squeaks so high-pitched that Jared has to hold the phone away from his ear to not suffer permanent damage to his acoustic nerve. Jensen looks up from the book he’s been reading and smiles fondly at him.

“Tell Sandy I said hi.”

“I will, when her brain is back online.”

“Jared, Jared. Are you listening? How do you want this to go down? On the beach?  What kind of cake? And how do you feel about getting lei'd?”

And they lived happily

 ever after

–

the end