Your Strength

Jared followed the odd grouping of costume-clad people that were Chad’s friends. He grinned as he watched Jensen struggle against Chris’s firm grip on his arm. He wondered what Jensen’s deal was, why Chris was so adamant about making him do this.

“You’re wondering why Chris is forcing Jensen into this, aren’t you?” Danny asked him, turning back to look at him. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and nodded. “Chris doesn’t think Jensen gets out enough, so he forces him into going to these parties, and into doing things at the parties. It’s kind of Chris’s way of forcing Jensen to socialize.”

“Is it really necessary?” Jared asked.

“To be fair, yeah, kind of. I mean, Jensen is kind of reclusive. He spends a lot of his time alone, but that doesn’t mean he needs to be forced into stuff. He comes down to this bar at least three to four times a week to hang with Chris while he works, and he hangs with me. I think what Chris is really trying to do is force him into meeting someone,” Danny confided.

Jared nodded. “Ah,” he said, not knowing what else to say. He didn’t know how a man who was as strikingly beautiful as Jensen would ever need to be forced into meeting someone. He was sure that he probably got a lot of attention; how could he not, he was gorgeous. God-like, even. And Danny was right earlier to say that the tux really did wonders for him.

Chris dragged Jensen onto the stage and called out, “Alright! We’re going to start bobbing for apples now! Anyone who isn’t too drunk to participate is encouraged to do so! We have a million apples in the back, so really, if you can, please do! First up, my best friend, Jensen Ackles!”

Danny cheered next to Jared and Chad clapped. Jared simply grinned and was pleased when, for just a moment, Jensen’s eyes grazed his in the crowd.

“Alright, kneel, arms behind your back,” Chris instructed. The violent eye roll Jensen offered as he did as he was told looked to Jared as if it had almost hurt. “Alright …three …two …one…dunk!”

Jensen slowly lowered his head with a grimace on his face; it took barely any time at all before he popped out of the water, bright green apple in mouth. Clapping rang out and Jensen slowly stood, his eyelashes dripping darkly from the water. Jensen ran a hand through his dripping hair, while the other removed the apple, a huge bite taken out of it. He chewed as he stepped down off the stage. He walked over to Danny who stole the apple to take a bite.

“I hate that he gets Granny Smiths,” Danny moaned, as she chewed with a grimace.

“Why not Red Delicious?” Jared asked. “Isn’t that traditional for bobbing?”

“There’s tradition behind bobbing for apples?” Jensen asked, frowning.

“Chris gets Granny Smiths because they’re Jensen’s favorites,” Danny told Jared.

“Aw, that’s nice,” Jared laughed.

“No, what would be nice was if he didn’t force me to do these stupid things in the first place,” Jensen complained.

“He loves you, dude,” Chad told him. “He doesn’t want you drinking yourself to death out of sight. He’d much rather you do it to yourself in front of him.”

Jensen gave him a fake smile and a genuine middle finger. Jared laughed but also wondered if there was any truth behind the statement. Since he’d come over to the group, he had seen Jensen throw back two martinis, and Jensen was seriously eyeing the bar where his newest one waited, abandoned. Not that three drinks at a party was a lot, Jared reminded himself.

“Hey, would it make you feel better if the new guy went up next to humiliate himself in front of everyone?” Jared offered. Jensen laughed and then nodded.

“Yes, that would definitely make me feel a lot better,” Jensen told him.

“Wow, I was really hoping that you would say no,” Jared said and Jensen laughed again.

“Hey, man, you offered…” Jensen winked at Jared and it was a done deal. He strode up to Chris who had just slapped the last guy on the back and dropped to his knees with a grin at Chris, who announced his name.

He dunked his head in the water and searched for an apple, finally securing one in his teeth. He flipped his head out of the water with a splash and everyone applauded. He stood, and walked back over to Jensen. He took the apple from his mouth and shook his head like a dog, splashing Jensen, Chad, and Danny.

“Aw, dude!” Chad exclaimed in protest.

“Man, I can’t even retaliate!” Jensen said angrily. “You have so much more hair than me.”

“Oh, I’ve got this!” Danny squealed, running over to the bucket and dipping her hair in. She ran back and shook her head violently at Jared, but ended up getting everyone again. They all laughed and Chad ran over to the bucket, and got a hand full of water that he attempted to carry over and throw on Jared, pretty unsuccessfully. After that, pretty much the entire room dissolved into a low key water fight. Whoever could reach the bucket of water was throwing it at their friends, whoever couldn’t was drinking and watching from the sidelines. Somehow, Jared and Jensen managed to escape back over to the bar, both laughing, having lost Chad and Danny in the chaos.

“Wow,” Jared was still laughing, a little out of breathe. Half of his shirt was soaked from a very enthusiastic girl who had used her glass to douse him. “I haven’t had a water fight since I was…I don’t even remember. Probably since high school, at least. Well, come to think of it, maybe in college.”

“Yeah, Chris’s parties somehow have the accumulative affect of turning everyone into kids. I don’t know what he puts in the drinks,” Jensen agreed. “You should see it on St. Patty’s Day. It’s legitimately like babysitting a bunch of drunken three-year-olds.”

Jared laughed for a moment and then they slowly fell into silence. Jensen was nursing another drink.

“So, what do you do, Jensen? Your name sounds familiar, do you act?” Jared asked as way of small talk.

“Uh, no, no acting. Not yet, at least, though maybe someday. I’m a screenwriter,” Jensen told him.

“Oh, that sounds interesting, have you written anything I’ve seen?” Jared asked.

“I guess that really depends on what you’ve seen,” Jensen replied stoically.

“Wait, no, I know I’ve heard your name…” Jared stared at him for a long moment before recognition snapped in his eyes. Jensen recognized it and downed the rest of his drink. “Oh my God,” Jared couldn’t help saying with a fair bit of reverence.

“Damn,” Jensen muttered. “I guess the secret’s out.”

“You won an Oscar for best screenplay for that movie about abuse last year! I remember now, you made that awesome speech! How did I not recognize you, you were in a tux and everything!” Jared laughed.

Jensen groaned. “Oh God, I was really hoping you didn’t remember the speech.”

“Dude, were you really drunk or something? Because, I mean…it was some seriously funny shit,” Jared laughed.

“Yeah, I’d say a little drunk is a fair statement,” Jensen admitted, slowly smiling at Jared.

“You thanked Jack Daniels,” Jared remembered, laughing harder. “That was the best moment of that entire awards show.”

“Yes, it was a mess,” Jensen laughed finally.

“What were your exact words? ‘I think I’m supposed to thank the Academy, but I don’t know the Academy. I’d much prefer thank Jack Daniels.’” Jared started chuckling again and Jensen rolled his eyes but was laughing too.

“Something along those lines,” Jensen agreed.

“Dude, that made my year,” Jared told him, quieting his laughter a little.

“Yeah…well, at least it made someone’s,” Jensen laughed as he said this, but Jared didn’t see the humor.

“You didn’t like winning an Oscar?” he asked, not unkindly, honestly curious.

“I liked the Oscar fine, I just…I don’t like speeches,” Jensen admitted. “I hate crowds, and addressing one is kind of a nightmare of mine.”

“Aw,” Jared said, understanding. “Hence the excessive drinking?”

“I didn’t think I was going to win, but I had planned that, on the off chance that I did, having a bit of a buzz would lessen the stress,” Jensen confided. “Obviously, that wasn’t my best idea ever.”

“No, no! It was a great idea,” Jared slapped him on the back. “That Oscars would’ve been completely uneventful had it not been for you, and therefore completely boring. I’m really glad you tried to drink your fear away.”

Jensen laughed and gave Jared a weird look for a moment before looking down into his glass. “Yeah, well, glad I made your Oscars exciting. Anyway, you’re an actor, right?”

“Yeah, I’m an actor,” Jared agreed.

“I think I might have seen you in something just the other day,” Jensen squinted like he was trying to remember. “It was a scary movie…”

“Oh, no!” Jared groaned, putting his head in his hands. “Friday the Thirteenth.”

“That’s it! Yeah,” Jensen said, laughing. “God, I loved it.”

Jared looked up in surprise. “Really?”

“Oh, yeah! Horror movies are kind of my comfort zone,” he told him.

“That’s a really weird comfort zone, dude,” Jared laughed. “I’m glad you liked it though. It was fun to make. I’m sort of embarrassed an Oscar winning screenwriter has seen it though. I feel like most wouldn’t pander to that sort of movie.”

Jensen rolled his eyes. “I hate that I can now be classified as ‘an Oscar winning’ writer, it just makes people think I’m a huge snob. But let me tell you a secret: I never watch ‘good’ movies. Like, sometimes, sure, but not as much as I probably should. I don’t even really read ‘good’ books. I find Wes Anderson too annoyingly and obviously obscure, and Dickens too dry.”

“Charles or Emily?” Jared inquired.

“Charles. Emily is Dickenson, and I’m not too fond of her work either,” Jensen admitted.

“Oh, right,” Jared nodded. “Well, that makes me feel a little more at ease then.”

Jensen laughed. “Please don’t be nervous around me.”

“It’s kind of hard,” Jared admitted quietly. “I mean, if it’s not the fact that you’ve won a fucking Oscar, than it’s the fact that you are so handsome it is intimidating.”

“You’re calling me intimidatingly handsome?” Jensen asked just as softly in disbelief. “Dude, look in a mirror.”

Jared huffed out another laugh and looked at Jensen, who was looking shyly up at him through his lashes.

“Hey, do you want to get—“ Jared began but was interrupted as a soaked Chad appeared behind them and threw his arms around their shoulders.

“Here are my boys,” he called out, kissing them both on the cheek.

“Oh my fucking God, Chad,” Jensen grumbled. “Seriously bad timing.”

Jared laughed but Chad either didn’t hear or was ignoring the comment because he looked at Jensen a little hazily, but with a little anger.

“That friend of yours pushed me in the bucket,” he told Jensen, which made him laugh for a long moment. He pretended to wipe tears from his eyes at the end and grinned at Chad.

“Finally! Where is she? I want to kiss her!” he exclaimed and Chad gave him a weird look.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked suddenly.

“What do you mean?” Jensen narrowed his eyes at Chad.

“I mean, you’re smiling,” Chad leaned in and seemingly examined Jensen’s mouth. Jensen blew a puff of air into his eyes, effectively making him back up.

“Good company,” Jensen murmured and Chad laughed.

“Oh, right!” Chad exclaimed, swinging his head to look at Jared. “Jared, right!”

“Good to know you forgot your oldest friend, there,” Jared said, pretending to frown at him.

“I didn’t forget…I just didn’t remember,” Chad said, then turned back to Jensen. “Yeah, Jared kind of has that happy vibe, you know?”

“God, did you chug a bottle of tequila?” Jensen asked, leaning away from Chad. “I mean, we haven’t been away from you for that long, how have you gotten this drunk this fast?”

“Cause he’s a lightweight,” Jared replied. “Always has been.”

“Am not!” Chad disagreed. “We did, like, five shots over by the apples, and maybe it’s gone to my head a little, but I’m still thinking clearly.”

“Wow, this bad after five shots,” Jensen smirked. “You are a lightweight.”

“Just because some of us don’t try to kill our liver every waking hour doesn’t make us lightweights,” Chad remarked and Jared noticed that Jensen’s smile slid off his face at these words. “Anyway, I’m thinking clearly enough to notice that Jared must be some miracle worker to make you smile at a party like this.”

Chad squinted at Jensen’s now frowning face. “Oh, wait. Now you’re frowning…wait…is it me?”

“Wow, you just might be catching on,” Jensen retorted.

“No, it can’t be me,” Chad giggled. “Because we’re in love. We’re gonna get married, remember? You proposed last week.”

Jared laughed as Jensen rolled his eyes. “It’s fantasies like this that make Danny think you’re gay.”

“I’m not gay! Just cause I felt bad turning down your proposal doesn’t make me gay,” Chad told him. “I mean…how could I say no to you? It’d just completely discourage you from love again.”

Jensen’s frown deepened and Jared noticed that he was no longer throwing glances his way.

“God, I hate when you’re drunk,” Jensen told him. As he said this, Danny comes sauntering over.

“You all are over here, leaving me to fend for myself? Jensen, what kind of gay best friend are you?” she tsked them all.

“The kind that knows you’re a grown ass woman and can take care of herself,” Jensen replied.

“Aw man! Chad scared away happy Jensen!” Danny whined.

“Danny, are you drunk too?” Jensen inquired. “What were in those shots? You’re not usually a light weight.”

“Absinthe, and I did three more than he did,” Danny slurred. “And I won the competition we were having too.”

“Okay, well, let’s get you guys to a booth,” Jensen said, sliding off the stool, Jared following after since Chad started tipping once his weight was off Jensen’s shoulder. “I don’t think Chad there can handle a stool right now.”

They all stumbled over to one of the empty booths in the back. The crowd was slowly thinning since the water fight was over, and it was after two in the morning. They slid in, Danny and Chad hunched against each other clumsily, and Jared and Jensen sitting a little closer than casual, but not close enough to suggest anything.

“How do I know you?” Danny mumbled, pointing at Jared.

“Friday the Thirteenth,” Jensen provided and she snapped her fingers.

“Yes, that’s it!” she cried out. “We saw that the other day.”

“She also likes horror movies,” Jensen told Jared and Jared nodded.

“Did Jensen tell you he’s won an Oscar?” Danny asked conspiratorially.

Jensen groaned. “No, I didn’t tell him because I don’t go around telling people, you do.”

“No, I recognized him. I remembered his speech,” Jared replied.

Chad and Danny both burst into fits of laughter. “That speech!” Danny choked out.

“Remember when he thanked his mom?” Chad chuckled.

“’Thank you mom for providing me with existence’,” Danny mimicked and they all dissolved into laughter, even Jensen.

“Didn’t she get angry with you?” Chad asked.

“Yeah,” Jensen chuckled. “She was super embarrassed because she held an Oscar viewing party at their house back in Texas.”

“I bet she didn’t expect such an insincere shout out,” Danny giggled.

“It wasn’t insincere,” Jensen defended. “I thought it sounded very sincere when I said it.”

They all laughed more and then it slowly died down.

“Man…” Danny breathed out, still giggling a little. “Too bad you hated it.”

“Yeah, Mr. I Hate Crowds and People and Noise,” Chad said blurrily and Jensen rolled his eyes. Jared looked between them all and wondered why they all seemed to fixate on Jensen so much.

“He didn’t always hate those things,” Danny said quietly and Jared felt Jensen stiffen next to him.

“Danny,” he said softly, like a warning.

“Back in college, he used to party with the frat brothers,” Danny reminisced. “Hmm…happy-go-lucky Jensen, remember that?”

“No,” Chad said. “I didn’t know him back then.”

“Oh, yeah,” Danny said. “Well, that was before we moved to L.A. and all that disgusting shit with—“

“Danny!” Jensen stopped her. “Please.”

He stood and walked through the crowd to the bar. Jared watched him go, and saw him order a drink, down it, and then refill it before walking back over. By the time he had maneuvered his way back, Danny was standing up.

“I’m going to go home,” Danny stated and Jensen groaned.

“You’re not driving,” he told her. “Let me get you a cab.”

“I hate cabs!” she whined. “They’re sticky and scary. Come with me!”

Jensen sighed deeply and then nodded, looking at Jared with an odd look in his eyes.

“Hey, well, I’m going to get Danny home,” he stated obviously. “Are you good to chaperone Chad?”

“Yeah,” Jared laughed. “I’ve been doing it for years. And if he proves too hard, I can always grab Chris.”

“Very true,” Jensen said slowly, then gave him a small smile. “Well…it was nice to meet you. I’m sure Chad will bring you around a lot…I guess I’ll see you then.”

He began to turn, letting Danny lean heavily on him. They had almost made it to the door when Jared cursed, and jumped up, running after them.

“Wait, Jensen,” he called and Jensen stopped in the door.

“Go get us a cab, Danny,” Jensen instructed. “They stop for you. I’ll be out in a sec.”

Danny nodded sleepily, and walked out rather steadily. Jensen turned to Jared, eyes big with uncertainty.

“You know, you’re right, I’m sure I’ll hang out with you guys again…but I was just wondering if maybe…I dunno, do you want to get dinner with me sometime?”

Jensen was slow to smile, cautious, but eventually he did. “Yeah,” he replied. “Definitely. Let me see your phone, I’ll give you my number.”

Jared grinned hugely at him and handed over his phone, where Jensen quickly tapped in his digits. Jensen turned and walked out the door, turning a second before it shut completely to glimpse Jared’s grin.