Your Strength

“Are you coming?” Danny called from a cab idling on the curb.

“Yeah,” Jensen replied, jumping in and pushing Danny over.

“What was that all about?” Danny asked, a knowing glint in her blurry eyes.

“We’re…uh…going to dinner sometime,” Jensen mumbled.

“Jensen Ackles! You’ve got a date!” she sang out, laughing hysterically. “God, finally.”

“Please don’t make this into a big deal, okay?” Jensen pleaded, turning to look Danny full in the face. “Seriously.”

“How can I not, Jensen?” she replied just as serious. “This is the first time you’ve even remotely allowed this since…well, you know.”

“Yes, of course I know,” Jensen replied bitterly. “But I just needed time. I told you guys that. I mean, I feel like even now, I could still use a little more time, but…well, Jared’s here now.”

“Wow,” Danny breathed out, leaning back against the seat. “Jared must have made a great first impression. What did you talk about?”

“Nothing important…it was just that, I didn’t feel…” Jensen let out a long sigh. He hated talking about his feelings, mostly because his communication was so much better brain to pencil than brain to mouth. But nonetheless, he tried to force himself into confiding certain things with Danny every once in a while, just so she didn’t start thinking he was losing it. “I didn’t feel pressured, or suspicious, or anything that I usually feel around people. Chad was right, the dude just seriously has this happy vibe.”

“Good,” Danny told him. “That’s good, you could seriously do with some happiness.”

“Danny, I’m not unhappy,” Jensen replied for the umpteenth time.

“Jen, not being unhappy and being happy are not even remotely similar.” Danny looked at him with her sincere eyes and finally he looked away, out the window.

“Yeah, okay,” he admitted. “But…just don’t push this, okay? And when you tell the guys, tell them not to push it. I’m really serious about this.”

“I know, sweetie,” Danny replied, patting his knee to get him to look at her. “We won’t. But hey, can I just crash on your couch? I don’t want to deal with trying to walk up ten flights of stairs.”

Danny lived on the tenth floor of her apartment building, and the elevator had been under repairs for the last week and a half.

“Yeah, fine,” Jensen allowed. “Just, seriously, don’t puke on any of my furniture.”

“Oh, c’mon, Jensen,” Danny chuckled. “You know I can hold my liquor. Just so long as you promise to have an extremely greasy burger waiting for me in the morning.”

“I’m not waking up to get you hangover food,” Jensen scoffed. “Get your own damn burger.”

“You suck,” Danny groaned.

“Love you too,” Jensen retorted.

The rest of the cab ride was spent in comfortable silence. When they reached Jensen’s house, Danny fell onto the couch and Jensen into his bed. It didn’t take long for Danny to stumble into his room, however.

“The couch is uncomfortable,” Danny stated and Jensen groaned.

“Fine, just don’t spoon me,” he relented and Danny crawled in, neither touching the other in his huge bed.

They were both awoken by the shrill ringing of Jensen’s cell phone.

“Oh my God, owww,” Danny groaned. “Please make it stop.”

Jensen groped around on the bedside table until he felt the large Smartphone. He sleepily swiped at it until it picked up.

“Hello?” he said, trying to sound awake.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I wake you?” a voice responded and Jensen knew that it was Jared immediately.

“Yes, but that’s okay,” Jensen responded, actually sounding more awake this time.

“This is Jared, by the way,” Jared said and Jensen managed a chuckle.

“Yeah, I know,” Jensen replied.

“Oh my God, stop talking,” Danny groaned from beside him.

“Shut up, Danny,” Jensen told her, holding the phone a little ways from his mouth.

“Danny’s with you?” Jared inquired.

Jensen sat up in his bed, stretched, and then left the room before continuing.

“Yeah, she didn’t want to try to go up stairs yesterday,” Jensen said.

“Her building doesn’t have an elevator?” Jared asked.

“In repairs,” Jensen provided.

“What floor is she on?” Jared sounded amused.

“Tenth.”

“Wow, I wouldn’t have let her try that with how unstable she was either,” Jared said, laughing. “Anyway…I hope you don’t think this is too early to call you.”

“It’s close to eleven in the morning, dude,” Jensen laughed. “Seriously, not too early.”

“No!” Jared laughed. “That’s not what I meant. I meant, I’m supposed to wait, like three days, or something before I call the guy who gave me his number, right?”

“Oh.” Jensen felt stupid. “Well, I mean, in theory yes, but in practice I think waiting a solid nine hours is okay.”

“Wow, nine hours,” Jared laughed again. “I guess I am eager after all. I talked myself out of calling you earlier.”

“I’m very glad you waited until now, because I’m not very vocal until after ten,” Jensen smiled into his phone as he walked into the kitchen and peered into the fridge. Nothing looked good, so he walked over to his coffee maker and began preparing his usual pot of coffee.

“Noted,” Jared replied. “Well, I was wondering what you thought about dinner now, in the harsh light of day. Still sound good?”

“Yes, but in hindsight, I’ve always had a thing for Paul Bunyon, so you might have to wear the costume,” Jensen joked, and was proud of himself. In this sort of situation for the past couple of years, he had been a complete wreck. But it was different with Jared, it felt…natural with Jared. They seemingly just got along.

“Also noted,” Jared said with a chuckle. “Well, I’m new to the area; I mean, I stayed a few months before when I’ve done movies in the past, but usually I was just on set, or at a hotel. So I don’t really know any good restaurants.”

“I know a great place to get steaks, if you want,” Jensen offered and his stomach rumbled. He walked back over to the fridge, and still, nothing appealed. Now he just wanted steak.

“That would actually be perfect,” Jared said enthusiastically. “But remember, I’m from Texas. It may not live up to my standards.”

Jensen laughed. “Oh, right! I forgot to tell you last night, me too. So when I say this is a good steak place, I mean a good Texan steak place.”

“Oh, that’s amazing! What part?” Jared asked animatedly.

“Richardson, just outside of Dallas,” Jensen replied amiably. “You?”

“San Antonio,” Jared replied, laughing. “Well, what night are you thinking?”

“I don’t know, I think the planning is up to you on this one,” Jensen told him, hoping that he wouldn’t mind taking the reins. If Jensen tried, he was afraid he might chicken out. Nervousness was slowly seeping into his mind, even though Jared seemingly put him at ease.

“Oh, because I’m the overall initiator?” Jared asked.

“Yeah, but I mean, hey! I’ll do the next one,” Jensen said and then immediately regretted it. Anxiety spiked in his stomach but he was happy to hear Jared laugh good naturedly on the other end.

“Already planning date number two, huh? I guess I’m not the only one who’s eager,” Jared replied amiably. Jensen let out a soft sigh of relief as Jared continued. “Alright, how about this Friday?”

“This Friday works fine,” Jensen agreed, although he truly wished that they could do it sooner. The anxiety would build up by then.

“Cool,” Jared said genuinely. “And I’ll probably even see you before that.”

“Yeah, very likely,” Jensen agreed.

“Alright. See you then. Bye Jensen,” Jared said after a long moment, like he was searching for something else to say.

“Bye Jared,” Jensen replied, smiling as he hung up.