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raeschaeTitle: The Future Has Arrived (A Disclaimer OneShot)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
raeschae
Pairing: J2
Rating: PG
Word Count 3400
Summary: Jared and Brayden are deadlocked over Brayden's future plans, and Jensen is stuck playing referee.
Part of the Disclaimer Verse.
Thanks tokiwiana for the super-quick beta. ♥
Fortaintedlove, who once upon a time asked me where Brayden was going to go to college. I told her that she would find out soon enough, and then I waited for six months to write the damn thing. Sorry, sweetie. Hope it was worth the wait.
It started innocently enough: Jared asked Brayden where he was thinking about going to school, and Brayden said he wasn't. Jensen shrugged it off because it was the start of Brayden's junior year, and he figured the kid didn't need to be worrying about college just yet. Occasionally, Jared would mention the subject, Brayden would deflect, and the conversation would just swing off in another direction. There was nothing uncomfortable about it.
By the beginning of his senior year, Brayden was adamant that he wasn't going to college, and Jared started demanding that he was. They've never outright fought about it, but the tension keeps growing and Jensen's pretty sure it's going to break soon enough. He's used to calming Jared when his temper flares – likes to think he's pretty good at it – but this is one of those things that he doesn't even pretend to know how to handle. What the hell do either of them know about this shit, anyway?
Both Jared and Brayden have moved into the 'unsubtle hint-dropping' stage of their disagreement now. It's awesome. Sometimes Jared prints statistics off websites, highlighting how much more money college graduates make or how much more confident they are when they enter the workplace. Brochures for schools with strong art and business programs start showing up on the island in the kitchen. Jensen doesn't bother pointing out that it's a little late to start applying to most of the schools Jared's choosing.
In retaliation, Brayden leaves books like Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work and The Craftsman around for Jared to trip over in the theater or the living room. Stumbling Jared is always in a good mood, so that's working out really fucking well for Brayden. When he tires of the obstacle course, he tapes promo ads for Jared's show on the refrigerator to cover the statistics. That's not so much appreciated either.
So it surprises absolutely no one when everything kind of comes to a head after dinner one night in early February.
Jensen is dropping take-out containers into the trash, and Jared is lazily rolling his head along the cabinet from his place atop the counter. Brayden is in his usual place, Jordan at his side.
“Movie or pool house?” Brayden asks.
Jordan shakes his head and stands, stretching his arms over his head. “Both are better than this damn essay I gotta write.” Cracking his neck from side to side, he smiles over at Jensen and says, “Thanks for dinner, though.”
Jensen wants to remind Jordan that he's eaten dinner here way too many times to keep thanking them for feeding him, but whatever. It's cool that he's got some manners. Fuck knows none of Brayden's other friends do. “What's your essay for?” he asks instead.
With a groan, Brayden drops his forehead onto his folded arms and Jensen knows that he shouldn't have asked. He's sure of it when Jordan answers, “Scholarship. Only way my broke ass is goin' to USC, man.” He smacks the palm of his hand to his forehead immediately. “Sorry.”
Risking a look in Jared's direction, Jensen braces himself for whatever might come next.
The fact that Jared's totally chill is only more disturbing. “Nah, it's fine, guys. Go ahead and talk about it. Ain't nothin' you say gonna change his damn mind, so you might as well talk about it all you fuckin' want to.” With that, he slides off of the counter and out of the kitchen without so much as a backwards glance.
Brayden at least waits until Jared is gone to throw his arm into the air. “Jesus, man, what the fuck am I supposed to do with that?”
“He just wants what's best for you, man.” Jensen hates those words as soon as they fly out of his mouth. Never has he sounded more like his father.
“And he thinks what? That I just wanna fuck my life down the toilet? Cause that's not part of my plan,” Brayden argues back.
Before Jensen can say anything else, Jordan shifts from one foot to the other and pulls his keys out of his pocket. “I'm gonna go,” he announces. Nobody tries to stop him.
“So, come on.” Jensen leans back against the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. “You got a plan? I wanna hear it.” The only reason he's ever been able to straddle the line between both sides of this argument is because he believes that Brayden knows what he wants. Hearing it directly from Brayden might make him feel a little bit better.
Leaning forward, Brayden taps the counter with his index finger and keeps his eyes trained there, like he can see everything mapped out or something. “I talked to Z, the guy who owns the bike shop on the end of the pier, and he's willing to let me apprentice with him when I graduate. Full time, paid. Won't be a huge check or anything at first, so I'm thinkin' I'll just live at home for awhile.”
He looks up like he's expecting Jensen to argue, but Jensen doesn't. As much as they tease him about paying the bills and owning the place, this is Brayden's home, too. Jensen couldn't wait to get out of his parents' house and strike out on his own, but he's kind of glad that Brayden doesn't feel the same way.
When Jensen doesn't say anything, Brayden continues. “You know Z's daughter, right?” He winks and Jensen just rolls his eyes. “He really wants to manage her crew full-time, but he can't do that and keep the shop open, so once I've got some experience, he's talkin' about semi-retirin' and leavin' me in charge.” With a shrug, he smiles like it's the coolest idea in the world. “It'll still be his place or whatever, but I'll take over operations. Thinkin' I'll save up the cash and buy him out when he's ready to sell.”
Just like his dads. Brayden doesn't say it, but Jensen can see the intention all over his face. He's planning on working his way up to owning his own place, and dammit if Jensen doesn't think it just might work. Zastrow's daughter, April, has been a competitive Supercross racer for a couple of years now and he's been talking about hanging up his wrench and traveling with her for as long as Jensen has known him. There's no doubt that Brayden's passion for motorcycles rivals Jensen's for skating, and he'll throw himself into it, full throttle.
“You do this,” Jensen starts, running his tongue over his lower lip as he considers the plan, “there are gonna be some conditions.” Fuck, he hates rules. “I'll talk it over with Jay, but you're not getting a free ride to sit around on your ass, alright?”
Brayden throws his hands up in defense. “I'm not askin' for one. All I'm askin' is that you guys trust me. I've thought about this a lot, and I really do think it's the best way for me.”
“Just lay low for a little while, alright?” Jensen casts a glance toward the stairs and then back at Brayden. “Give me a chance to talk to him first.”
Without so much as a grunt of a disagreement, Brayden heads out of the kitchen and down the hall, leaving Jensen to stare at the island and wonder how in the hell he's supposed to get Jared on board with this master plan.
*
Jared stares at the bedroom wall, letting Jensen's words flow in one ear and straight out the other. He doesn't care how well thought out Brayden's awesome master plan is, the kid is going to college. He can major in underwater basket weaving for all Jared cares, but he's going to get a fucking diploma.
“What happened to bein' in this together, huh?” he asks when Jensen finally stops talking.
“What happened to not being a giant asshole, huh?”
He should probably feel guilty, but Jared is so sure that he's right, he can't muster the energy to feel bad about it. “He has opportunities most kids would kill for. He can do anything he fucking wants to, and I'm not gonna let him throw that away.”
“So he can do whatever the fuck he wants as long as it's what you want him to do?”
It's a fair question, but Jared doesn't have to like it. “Nobody fucking told me that life could be easier than I made it back then. Nobody made me do anything I didn't want to do.” He shakes his head and runs his fingers through his hair. “Somebody fucking should have.”
A couple of times, Jensen opens his mouth like he's going to say something, but then shuts it again immediately. Jared knows that they don't agree on this subject, but he's not willing to give. Jensen's always been a little more willing to live and let live. He can compromise on this one.
“I'm not gonna let him sit around the house and waste his life because we can afford to support his lazy ass,” he adds to the argument. If he's learned anything from living with Jensen, it's that he can never provide too much evidence in a debate. He's better at admitting defeat than Jared is, but that doesn't make him any less stubborn.
When Jensen finally speaks, his voice is confident, but quiet. “Everything he has seen, from the day he moved into this fucking house, defies convention. The life we've given him isn't fucking normal, man. You can't expect him to follow the fucking road most traveled when everything he has ever fucking seen says to go the other way.” He stands, hands loose on his waist. “He has the opportunity to try something that he really loves, Jay. How in the fuck are we gonna stand by and tell him that he can't do that?”
Jensen's side of the story makes sense, but Jared isn't in the mood to hear sense. “He needs a fall back.”
It's the only thing Jared doesn't like about this life that he has, the fact that he doesn't have anything to fall back on if business takes a turn for the worse. Chad always rolls his eyes and assures Jared that he's kind of set for life now, but it doesn't change the fact that Jared is doing the only thing he can do. Dropping out of high school was stupid - it limited his options - and he wants more than that for Brayden.
“He has one,” Jensen counters, shoulders shrugging easily. When Jared just raises his eyebrow in response, he laughs with no humor. “He has us, man. We are his fall back. And I know that you don't want to coddle him, but dammit, Jared! What the fuck is the point of all this shit,” he spreads his arms wide to infer the life they have built together, “if we can't make our own kid's life better?”
There's nothing that Jared hates more than the moment he can no longer deny that Jensen is right, at least in his own mind.
But Jensen isn't done. “Dude, Chad and Sophia needed help on the down payment for their house, and we didn't so much as blink. Chris and Steve wanted a new tour bus, we coughed up what they were short without hesitation. The only fucking thing Brayden has asked for is support. I know you didn't have that, man. Hell, I didn't have that either – not really. But we can give that to him.” Dropping his head back, he blinks toward the ceiling and runs a hand over his cobalt hair. “I wanna give that to him, Jay.”
Jared isn't known as one of the more talkative guys in their group of friends, but he's not often speechless. Right now, he doesn't know what to say and it pisses him off more than it probably should. Rolling off of the bed, he shovels one hand through his hair and walks from the room without a glance back. Jensen's probably frustrated, but Jared needs to get out.
His first thought is to head down in his art studio, crank the music and lose himself in his own thoughts. A light in the theater distracts him, though, and when he rounds the corner he knows what he has to do. “Come on.”
Brayden lifts his head lazily and rolls his eyes. “Now?”
Jared's patience is running thin, but he nods and tucks his hands into his pockets anyway. “Meet me in the garage.”
It's not that late, barely nine o'clock, so the city is still alive as Jared drives through Santa Monica and toward Hollywood and then beyond. It takes nearly an hour to get through traffic to his intended destination, but Jared could find this place in his sleep. Chad is the only other person on the planet he's ever brought here, and not even Jensen knows just how often he still returns.
“Are you gonna kill me?” Brayden's voice is tentative as Jared pulls the truck off the road and into a secluded place beneath an old viaduct in what appears to be the middle of nowhere.
“What?”
“Dude, I've seen enough of these movies to know this is where you bury the body so nobody ever finds it.” He's kidding, but his face doesn't seem completely convinced as Jared rolls his eyes and hops out of the truck. Brayden's slow to follow.
Jared is studying the faded, cracking mural on the concrete wall when Brayden finally steps up to his side. “See that?” He points to a place near the bottom.
Brayden squints in the dimming light. “CJ? Yeah. So?” he asks with a shrug.
“Chad. Jared.” His lip twitches just a little, turning up at the corner in a fond smile. “This was our fuckin' masterpiece, man.” It's not the greatest art ever, but they were so fucking proud of it. More than that, they were proud of the mark they thought they were making on the world. “Thirteen years ago, dude. Fuck.” It feels like yesterday.
With a sigh, Brayden turns with his hands low on his hips. “There somethin' you want me to see here? Other than how old you are?” When Jared rolls his eyes and leans back against the wall, he adds, “Dude, I was five when you painted this.”
Jesus. “I was eighteen,” Jared says. He has to remind himself that there's a reason he brought Brayden here. “Just moved out here. Head fulla dreams and no fucking sense of what it took to make 'em happen.” Pointing to the truck, he shakes his head. “My truck was more rust than paint back then, but we parked it right there. Chad slept in the cab and I took the bed.”
“Wait a second,” Brayden holds up a hand to interrupt. “You fucking lived here?”
With a nod, Jared pulls his bottom lip between his teeth and chuckles. “Not long, but yeah. For like a week. Then Chad met some girl that let us crash at her place.” Letting out a long breath, he turns and runs his fingers through his hair. “This is everything I don't want for you, kid.”
Brayden is quiet for a long time, far longer than Jared has ever seen him keep his mouth shut. When he does speak, his words are careful and measured. “If shit hadn't turned out like it did, I don't know where I would be, Jay. Who the fuck knows what I'd be into now, ya know?” He doesn't elaborate but he doesn't really have to. “Look, I know what I want and I'm willing to bust my ass for it, but if this whole college thing is what you really want me to do, man.”
When the sentence trails, it hits Jared a little harder than he thinks it probably should. They've been at odds over this one issue for more than a year and now Brayden is ready to compromise his dreams if that's what makes Jared happy. He won't say that he appreciates what Jared has given him in so many words, but this is Brayden's way of showing it. Brayden is a kid who learns best by example.
“You've got a year.” If Brayden's willing to give a little, Jared figures he can bring his own deal to the table. “Live at home, work for Z, figure out if this is everything you think it's gonna be. It doesn't work out, you start applying for schools in the spring.”
Brayden doesn't say anything, but the hand he extends is all the answer Jared needs.
*
It's been awhile since Jensen slept half the morning away, but it feels good to wake up slow and lie around until he feels like dragging his ass out of bed. Jared and Brayden came crashing up the stairs around two, and Jensen fucked Jared until nearly sunrise. They both agreed to sleep in and take the day off, but he's not surprised to find that Jared's not behind him. He's never been a fan of staying in bed when he's not sleeping or fucking.
By the time Jensen makes it down to the kitchen, Jared has the coffee ready and he's nearly done with his first cup. “Mornin',” Jared nods, smiling into his mug while his eyes track Jensen's every move.
Jensen grunts, but he can't really fight the smile when Jared hands him a huge mug of his own, already filled to the brim and steaming. “Thanks.” He half-raises it in a toast and then burns the roof of his mouth when he drinks too much. “Damn, that's good.”
They're spared any further conversation by Brayden entering through the garage and tossing his keys into the bowl by the door. “Thought you guys were never gonna get your asses up,” he smirks, dropping onto his stool at the island with a folder in his hand.
“The fuck are you doin' up?” Jensen asks. He never thought he would see the day someone rivaled him for the record of sleeping in, but Brayden is poised to take the prize. The fact that he seems alert and appears to have been up for more than an hour is disturbing at best.
Brayden just shrugs when he says, “Got a future to plan, dude.” Pushing the folder forward, he rests his elbows on the edge of the island and levels his gaze at Jared. “So, a proposition for ya, old man.”
Jared doesn't really answer, but he kind of mumbles something that Jensen thinks means, “Okay.”
“I talked to Z this morning, and he said he'll give me some time off during the week to take some business courses over at SMC. Says it'll be good for both of us, 'cause the quicker I learn both sides, the quicker he can get his ass outta there.” Jensen's a little dumbstruck, but he's not sure he's ever seen Jared fight so hard not to beam like a fucking lighthouse. “Thing is, I stopped by the school and picked up the application, right? And I saw this.”
He slides a brochure further along the top of the island and Jared leans forward to take it without looking like he's anxious to see what it is. “Cute,” he rolls his eyes when he reads the cover, and then tosses it onto the counter at his back.
But Brayden doesn't smile. “C'mon, man. You know it's a good deal. I'll get the degree you want me to have, and all you gotta do is get your GED.”
It's all Jensen can do to hang on to his coffee mug. In all of the time he's known Jared, he's always said he wished he finished high school, but he's always had too much pride to actually do something about it. Jensen's never really cared to push him on it because he doesn't really fucking care.
“Education's important, right?”
Just when Jensen thinks maybe Brayden's pushed a little too far, Jared shrugs his shoulders. “Alright.” Both guys blink at him in disbelief. “Yeah, I'll do it.”
Sliding easily off his stool, Brayden nods. “Cool. I'm goin' to Jordan's to mock his stressed ass.”
When he's gone, Jared finally risks a glance in Jensen's direction. “I don't wanna hear it.”
Jensen just drops his empty coffee mug into the sink and walks into Jared's personal space. “It's good, Jay.”
Jared's fingers find his hips and he leans his head back before huffing out a laugh. “What the fuck am I doing?”
It's pretty obvious, isn't it? “You're bein' a damn good dad.”
Author:
raeschaePairing: J2
Rating: PG
Word Count 3400
Summary: Jared and Brayden are deadlocked over Brayden's future plans, and Jensen is stuck playing referee.
Part of the Disclaimer Verse.
Thanks to
kiwiana for the super-quick beta. ♥For
taintedlove, who once upon a time asked me where Brayden was going to go to college. I told her that she would find out soon enough, and then I waited for six months to write the damn thing. Sorry, sweetie. Hope it was worth the wait.It started innocently enough: Jared asked Brayden where he was thinking about going to school, and Brayden said he wasn't. Jensen shrugged it off because it was the start of Brayden's junior year, and he figured the kid didn't need to be worrying about college just yet. Occasionally, Jared would mention the subject, Brayden would deflect, and the conversation would just swing off in another direction. There was nothing uncomfortable about it.
By the beginning of his senior year, Brayden was adamant that he wasn't going to college, and Jared started demanding that he was. They've never outright fought about it, but the tension keeps growing and Jensen's pretty sure it's going to break soon enough. He's used to calming Jared when his temper flares – likes to think he's pretty good at it – but this is one of those things that he doesn't even pretend to know how to handle. What the hell do either of them know about this shit, anyway?
Both Jared and Brayden have moved into the 'unsubtle hint-dropping' stage of their disagreement now. It's awesome. Sometimes Jared prints statistics off websites, highlighting how much more money college graduates make or how much more confident they are when they enter the workplace. Brochures for schools with strong art and business programs start showing up on the island in the kitchen. Jensen doesn't bother pointing out that it's a little late to start applying to most of the schools Jared's choosing.
In retaliation, Brayden leaves books like Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work and The Craftsman around for Jared to trip over in the theater or the living room. Stumbling Jared is always in a good mood, so that's working out really fucking well for Brayden. When he tires of the obstacle course, he tapes promo ads for Jared's show on the refrigerator to cover the statistics. That's not so much appreciated either.
So it surprises absolutely no one when everything kind of comes to a head after dinner one night in early February.
Jensen is dropping take-out containers into the trash, and Jared is lazily rolling his head along the cabinet from his place atop the counter. Brayden is in his usual place, Jordan at his side.
“Movie or pool house?” Brayden asks.
Jordan shakes his head and stands, stretching his arms over his head. “Both are better than this damn essay I gotta write.” Cracking his neck from side to side, he smiles over at Jensen and says, “Thanks for dinner, though.”
Jensen wants to remind Jordan that he's eaten dinner here way too many times to keep thanking them for feeding him, but whatever. It's cool that he's got some manners. Fuck knows none of Brayden's other friends do. “What's your essay for?” he asks instead.
With a groan, Brayden drops his forehead onto his folded arms and Jensen knows that he shouldn't have asked. He's sure of it when Jordan answers, “Scholarship. Only way my broke ass is goin' to USC, man.” He smacks the palm of his hand to his forehead immediately. “Sorry.”
Risking a look in Jared's direction, Jensen braces himself for whatever might come next.
The fact that Jared's totally chill is only more disturbing. “Nah, it's fine, guys. Go ahead and talk about it. Ain't nothin' you say gonna change his damn mind, so you might as well talk about it all you fuckin' want to.” With that, he slides off of the counter and out of the kitchen without so much as a backwards glance.
Brayden at least waits until Jared is gone to throw his arm into the air. “Jesus, man, what the fuck am I supposed to do with that?”
“He just wants what's best for you, man.” Jensen hates those words as soon as they fly out of his mouth. Never has he sounded more like his father.
“And he thinks what? That I just wanna fuck my life down the toilet? Cause that's not part of my plan,” Brayden argues back.
Before Jensen can say anything else, Jordan shifts from one foot to the other and pulls his keys out of his pocket. “I'm gonna go,” he announces. Nobody tries to stop him.
“So, come on.” Jensen leans back against the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. “You got a plan? I wanna hear it.” The only reason he's ever been able to straddle the line between both sides of this argument is because he believes that Brayden knows what he wants. Hearing it directly from Brayden might make him feel a little bit better.
Leaning forward, Brayden taps the counter with his index finger and keeps his eyes trained there, like he can see everything mapped out or something. “I talked to Z, the guy who owns the bike shop on the end of the pier, and he's willing to let me apprentice with him when I graduate. Full time, paid. Won't be a huge check or anything at first, so I'm thinkin' I'll just live at home for awhile.”
He looks up like he's expecting Jensen to argue, but Jensen doesn't. As much as they tease him about paying the bills and owning the place, this is Brayden's home, too. Jensen couldn't wait to get out of his parents' house and strike out on his own, but he's kind of glad that Brayden doesn't feel the same way.
When Jensen doesn't say anything, Brayden continues. “You know Z's daughter, right?” He winks and Jensen just rolls his eyes. “He really wants to manage her crew full-time, but he can't do that and keep the shop open, so once I've got some experience, he's talkin' about semi-retirin' and leavin' me in charge.” With a shrug, he smiles like it's the coolest idea in the world. “It'll still be his place or whatever, but I'll take over operations. Thinkin' I'll save up the cash and buy him out when he's ready to sell.”
Just like his dads. Brayden doesn't say it, but Jensen can see the intention all over his face. He's planning on working his way up to owning his own place, and dammit if Jensen doesn't think it just might work. Zastrow's daughter, April, has been a competitive Supercross racer for a couple of years now and he's been talking about hanging up his wrench and traveling with her for as long as Jensen has known him. There's no doubt that Brayden's passion for motorcycles rivals Jensen's for skating, and he'll throw himself into it, full throttle.
“You do this,” Jensen starts, running his tongue over his lower lip as he considers the plan, “there are gonna be some conditions.” Fuck, he hates rules. “I'll talk it over with Jay, but you're not getting a free ride to sit around on your ass, alright?”
Brayden throws his hands up in defense. “I'm not askin' for one. All I'm askin' is that you guys trust me. I've thought about this a lot, and I really do think it's the best way for me.”
“Just lay low for a little while, alright?” Jensen casts a glance toward the stairs and then back at Brayden. “Give me a chance to talk to him first.”
Without so much as a grunt of a disagreement, Brayden heads out of the kitchen and down the hall, leaving Jensen to stare at the island and wonder how in the hell he's supposed to get Jared on board with this master plan.
*
Jared stares at the bedroom wall, letting Jensen's words flow in one ear and straight out the other. He doesn't care how well thought out Brayden's awesome master plan is, the kid is going to college. He can major in underwater basket weaving for all Jared cares, but he's going to get a fucking diploma.
“What happened to bein' in this together, huh?” he asks when Jensen finally stops talking.
“What happened to not being a giant asshole, huh?”
He should probably feel guilty, but Jared is so sure that he's right, he can't muster the energy to feel bad about it. “He has opportunities most kids would kill for. He can do anything he fucking wants to, and I'm not gonna let him throw that away.”
“So he can do whatever the fuck he wants as long as it's what you want him to do?”
It's a fair question, but Jared doesn't have to like it. “Nobody fucking told me that life could be easier than I made it back then. Nobody made me do anything I didn't want to do.” He shakes his head and runs his fingers through his hair. “Somebody fucking should have.”
A couple of times, Jensen opens his mouth like he's going to say something, but then shuts it again immediately. Jared knows that they don't agree on this subject, but he's not willing to give. Jensen's always been a little more willing to live and let live. He can compromise on this one.
“I'm not gonna let him sit around the house and waste his life because we can afford to support his lazy ass,” he adds to the argument. If he's learned anything from living with Jensen, it's that he can never provide too much evidence in a debate. He's better at admitting defeat than Jared is, but that doesn't make him any less stubborn.
When Jensen finally speaks, his voice is confident, but quiet. “Everything he has seen, from the day he moved into this fucking house, defies convention. The life we've given him isn't fucking normal, man. You can't expect him to follow the fucking road most traveled when everything he has ever fucking seen says to go the other way.” He stands, hands loose on his waist. “He has the opportunity to try something that he really loves, Jay. How in the fuck are we gonna stand by and tell him that he can't do that?”
Jensen's side of the story makes sense, but Jared isn't in the mood to hear sense. “He needs a fall back.”
It's the only thing Jared doesn't like about this life that he has, the fact that he doesn't have anything to fall back on if business takes a turn for the worse. Chad always rolls his eyes and assures Jared that he's kind of set for life now, but it doesn't change the fact that Jared is doing the only thing he can do. Dropping out of high school was stupid - it limited his options - and he wants more than that for Brayden.
“He has one,” Jensen counters, shoulders shrugging easily. When Jared just raises his eyebrow in response, he laughs with no humor. “He has us, man. We are his fall back. And I know that you don't want to coddle him, but dammit, Jared! What the fuck is the point of all this shit,” he spreads his arms wide to infer the life they have built together, “if we can't make our own kid's life better?”
There's nothing that Jared hates more than the moment he can no longer deny that Jensen is right, at least in his own mind.
But Jensen isn't done. “Dude, Chad and Sophia needed help on the down payment for their house, and we didn't so much as blink. Chris and Steve wanted a new tour bus, we coughed up what they were short without hesitation. The only fucking thing Brayden has asked for is support. I know you didn't have that, man. Hell, I didn't have that either – not really. But we can give that to him.” Dropping his head back, he blinks toward the ceiling and runs a hand over his cobalt hair. “I wanna give that to him, Jay.”
Jared isn't known as one of the more talkative guys in their group of friends, but he's not often speechless. Right now, he doesn't know what to say and it pisses him off more than it probably should. Rolling off of the bed, he shovels one hand through his hair and walks from the room without a glance back. Jensen's probably frustrated, but Jared needs to get out.
His first thought is to head down in his art studio, crank the music and lose himself in his own thoughts. A light in the theater distracts him, though, and when he rounds the corner he knows what he has to do. “Come on.”
Brayden lifts his head lazily and rolls his eyes. “Now?”
Jared's patience is running thin, but he nods and tucks his hands into his pockets anyway. “Meet me in the garage.”
It's not that late, barely nine o'clock, so the city is still alive as Jared drives through Santa Monica and toward Hollywood and then beyond. It takes nearly an hour to get through traffic to his intended destination, but Jared could find this place in his sleep. Chad is the only other person on the planet he's ever brought here, and not even Jensen knows just how often he still returns.
“Are you gonna kill me?” Brayden's voice is tentative as Jared pulls the truck off the road and into a secluded place beneath an old viaduct in what appears to be the middle of nowhere.
“What?”
“Dude, I've seen enough of these movies to know this is where you bury the body so nobody ever finds it.” He's kidding, but his face doesn't seem completely convinced as Jared rolls his eyes and hops out of the truck. Brayden's slow to follow.
Jared is studying the faded, cracking mural on the concrete wall when Brayden finally steps up to his side. “See that?” He points to a place near the bottom.
Brayden squints in the dimming light. “CJ? Yeah. So?” he asks with a shrug.
“Chad. Jared.” His lip twitches just a little, turning up at the corner in a fond smile. “This was our fuckin' masterpiece, man.” It's not the greatest art ever, but they were so fucking proud of it. More than that, they were proud of the mark they thought they were making on the world. “Thirteen years ago, dude. Fuck.” It feels like yesterday.
With a sigh, Brayden turns with his hands low on his hips. “There somethin' you want me to see here? Other than how old you are?” When Jared rolls his eyes and leans back against the wall, he adds, “Dude, I was five when you painted this.”
Jesus. “I was eighteen,” Jared says. He has to remind himself that there's a reason he brought Brayden here. “Just moved out here. Head fulla dreams and no fucking sense of what it took to make 'em happen.” Pointing to the truck, he shakes his head. “My truck was more rust than paint back then, but we parked it right there. Chad slept in the cab and I took the bed.”
“Wait a second,” Brayden holds up a hand to interrupt. “You fucking lived here?”
With a nod, Jared pulls his bottom lip between his teeth and chuckles. “Not long, but yeah. For like a week. Then Chad met some girl that let us crash at her place.” Letting out a long breath, he turns and runs his fingers through his hair. “This is everything I don't want for you, kid.”
Brayden is quiet for a long time, far longer than Jared has ever seen him keep his mouth shut. When he does speak, his words are careful and measured. “If shit hadn't turned out like it did, I don't know where I would be, Jay. Who the fuck knows what I'd be into now, ya know?” He doesn't elaborate but he doesn't really have to. “Look, I know what I want and I'm willing to bust my ass for it, but if this whole college thing is what you really want me to do, man.”
When the sentence trails, it hits Jared a little harder than he thinks it probably should. They've been at odds over this one issue for more than a year and now Brayden is ready to compromise his dreams if that's what makes Jared happy. He won't say that he appreciates what Jared has given him in so many words, but this is Brayden's way of showing it. Brayden is a kid who learns best by example.
“You've got a year.” If Brayden's willing to give a little, Jared figures he can bring his own deal to the table. “Live at home, work for Z, figure out if this is everything you think it's gonna be. It doesn't work out, you start applying for schools in the spring.”
Brayden doesn't say anything, but the hand he extends is all the answer Jared needs.
*
It's been awhile since Jensen slept half the morning away, but it feels good to wake up slow and lie around until he feels like dragging his ass out of bed. Jared and Brayden came crashing up the stairs around two, and Jensen fucked Jared until nearly sunrise. They both agreed to sleep in and take the day off, but he's not surprised to find that Jared's not behind him. He's never been a fan of staying in bed when he's not sleeping or fucking.
By the time Jensen makes it down to the kitchen, Jared has the coffee ready and he's nearly done with his first cup. “Mornin',” Jared nods, smiling into his mug while his eyes track Jensen's every move.
Jensen grunts, but he can't really fight the smile when Jared hands him a huge mug of his own, already filled to the brim and steaming. “Thanks.” He half-raises it in a toast and then burns the roof of his mouth when he drinks too much. “Damn, that's good.”
They're spared any further conversation by Brayden entering through the garage and tossing his keys into the bowl by the door. “Thought you guys were never gonna get your asses up,” he smirks, dropping onto his stool at the island with a folder in his hand.
“The fuck are you doin' up?” Jensen asks. He never thought he would see the day someone rivaled him for the record of sleeping in, but Brayden is poised to take the prize. The fact that he seems alert and appears to have been up for more than an hour is disturbing at best.
Brayden just shrugs when he says, “Got a future to plan, dude.” Pushing the folder forward, he rests his elbows on the edge of the island and levels his gaze at Jared. “So, a proposition for ya, old man.”
Jared doesn't really answer, but he kind of mumbles something that Jensen thinks means, “Okay.”
“I talked to Z this morning, and he said he'll give me some time off during the week to take some business courses over at SMC. Says it'll be good for both of us, 'cause the quicker I learn both sides, the quicker he can get his ass outta there.” Jensen's a little dumbstruck, but he's not sure he's ever seen Jared fight so hard not to beam like a fucking lighthouse. “Thing is, I stopped by the school and picked up the application, right? And I saw this.”
He slides a brochure further along the top of the island and Jared leans forward to take it without looking like he's anxious to see what it is. “Cute,” he rolls his eyes when he reads the cover, and then tosses it onto the counter at his back.
But Brayden doesn't smile. “C'mon, man. You know it's a good deal. I'll get the degree you want me to have, and all you gotta do is get your GED.”
It's all Jensen can do to hang on to his coffee mug. In all of the time he's known Jared, he's always said he wished he finished high school, but he's always had too much pride to actually do something about it. Jensen's never really cared to push him on it because he doesn't really fucking care.
“Education's important, right?”
Just when Jensen thinks maybe Brayden's pushed a little too far, Jared shrugs his shoulders. “Alright.” Both guys blink at him in disbelief. “Yeah, I'll do it.”
Sliding easily off his stool, Brayden nods. “Cool. I'm goin' to Jordan's to mock his stressed ass.”
When he's gone, Jared finally risks a glance in Jensen's direction. “I don't wanna hear it.”
Jensen just drops his empty coffee mug into the sink and walks into Jared's personal space. “It's good, Jay.”
Jared's fingers find his hips and he leans his head back before huffing out a laugh. “What the fuck am I doing?”
It's pretty obvious, isn't it? “You're bein' a damn good dad.”
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Date: 2010-07-23 11:49 am (UTC)And I think you're right - I think Jared's going to breeze through his GED, and probably wonder why he didn't just man up and do it sooner. At this point, I think it's more about the principle of the thing anyway.
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Date: 2010-07-23 01:07 pm (UTC)(I swear to god on my GED, one of the questions was about the moon and why it appears to light up at night, and one of the multiple choice answer options was seriously either "the man in the moon turns on the lights" or "it's made of cheese" - I can't remember which because it was so long ago now. But I sat there and stared at that question for a good minute, and then went back and re-read it a couple of times, because I could not believe my eyes.) (For the record, I got a perfect score on my GED. Big surprise, I know, with those kinds of questions. :) )