lucifersprize

Fic title: Past the Garden Shed and Straight Ahead
Artist name: amberdreams
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: past domestic abuse, sexual language, non explicit sex, cussing, Chad

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***

The next morning, Jensen’s commitment to being professional consisted of a five minute meeting, with instructions to concentrate on restoring the south terrace, south lawn and the orchard. He shot off an email address for Jared to contact him, and told him that he looked forward to seeing his designs for the gardens. He left in a plain black limousine, with a smart redhead who was very concerned about connecting flights and briefing documents. As the car turned in the uneven drive, his window slid open and he waved cheerfully at Jared, like a kid going on holiday, “A dream wish in Vegas,” he shouted, “I’ll be back in two weeks. Ask Christian if you need anything.” With that, he was gone.

It all left Jared with the slight feeling of being cheated. Jensen was the prettiest person he had set eyes on in a long time, and while he had been the one to insist on a business relationship, eye-candy is a welcome boost for any job. Also, who and where was Christian? The name had not cropped up in his discussion with Jensen the day before.

In the circumstances, his feelings were irrelevant, and within minutes a man strode from the house to enthusiastically introduce himself. Christian Kane was quite a sight at 5’7” with sparkling blue eyes, thick dark hair, and a ripped body which was showcased in tight jeans and plain tee, all topped off with a Texan hat. Jared would not go short of eye candy after all. Still, he had a job to do, and money to earn. He exchanged greetings, rolled up his metaphorical sleeves and got stuck into the project.

Hard physical work and long hours under a warm sun were tempered with cool evenings spent in design, costings and procurement. He had never been given a project like this and the responsibility was overwhelming at times. When it all seemed too much, he thumbed through garden magazines and plant catalogs to remind himself that this was everything he had wished for since he was twelve years old. Well, all except for one detail - a faerie trail which Jensen had requested. It represented everything which Jared feared, and as much as he reworked his designs, he could not bring himself to include it. Night after night, he stared at his laptop, willing himself to be a normal, reasonable person. Every day, he let the land and his plants ground him again. In the end, he decided that he had plenty of time before he needed to resolve his dilemma because gardens do not bloom overnight.

Nettles and brambles were cleared, grass was cut by a third on the south lawn, weeded and left to recover, then cut again the next week. A builder repaired the structure of the south terrace while Chad secured trellis for clematis and climbing roses. Between all that, and cleaning moss from paving, Jared searched the overgrown formal garden for some of the original stone planters to use.

By the Friday before Labor day, he had rescued several urns which were perfect to repair and repurpose, and he excitedly bought plants from his local nursery. The tumble of bright flowers made the newly renovated terrace really pop, so when Christian came out with a big jug of lemonade and some cupcakes he gave a whistle of approval. “Wow. Did Jensen ask for that?”

Jared blushed, “Not exactly. I just figured, that with all the work going on in his house, he should have somewhere pretty to kick back and relax. There’s a fantastic old stone table and bench in the undergrowth of the orchard. It looks like it came out of a Disney movie. I was considering cleaning it up and moving it here as a feature but Jensen is probably thinking of something minimalist.”

Christian’s bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle as he grinned at Jared, “Would a minimalist live in this house? Y’know, you have a good eye. I like you. I wasn’t sure I would, but I do. ”

Jared’s blush deepened as Christian tucked shiny brunette hair behind his ear and offered him a cake. He liked Chris too. It had been awkward initially, dropped in the deep end, the first day, trying to work out what this man’s involvement in the project was, and why did he keep offering them treats?

Luckily, Chris demonstrated no shyness. Between jugs of lemonade and offers of food, he chatted, sang and swore. Jared pieced together that Christian was Jensen’s stepbrother, and a chef. His last job had ended abruptly after a disagreement over the use of food processors and the baking time for a gugelhupf. So, between jobs, he had offered to help Jensen with “herding cats”, as he described the task of keeping contractors on task.

Jared didn’t see him making any real commitment to finding another job. Christian wheeled a pile of luxury brand kitchen equipment into the house, his first day, and stood over joiners and electricians until they were fitted, maintaining that Dream Fairies would need new creations for events. Since then, an assortment of fancy pastries and desserts had been offered on a daily basis, with Christian insisting that they describe the smell, taste and texture of each. Jared heard some of the builders grumble about him being a crazy hardass but, like Jensen, he was easy on the eye, and anyway, his baking rocked.

Chris knocked back a glass of lemonade, licked his lips slowly and grinned at Jared, “You know, we could kick back and relax together.”

Jared swallowed the piece of cake he had been chewing, too quickly, and coughed with a spray of crumbs into the air. He covered his mouth too late and apologized. “Sorry, I, em…”

“All work and no play makes Jared a dull boy. I think we’d play well together,” he interrupted suggestively.

“I can’t,” Jared replied quickly. Why, damnit, why?

“Ah, the elusive fiancee,” remarked Christian, with a sarcastic tone that took Jared by surprise. “You never seem to go home so I assumed you were avoiding her.”

“I don’t...it’s not like that...I’m not engaged..”

At that moment, Chad swaggered up, wiping sweat from his brow with the base of his shirt. He grabbed a lemonade, “Oh, boy! You’re having that conversation!” he remarked, before hot tailing it back to the mower, to pretend to check the aerator attachment.

“You told Jensen you were engaged.”

“Then why would you ask?” Jared was awkward and uncomfortable and could see no polite way out of the conversation. His mother might be in an asylum but he was raised right.

Christian shrugged and leaned to breathe hotly in Jared’s ear, “You’ve got a great mind and a greater body but I ain’t Jensen, I’m not looking for a relationship, only fun. Take it or leave it.”

Jensen was looking for a relationship? He chewed his lip, “It’s a family thing,” he explained, “An arrangement, not an engagement.”

Christian’s eyebrows raised, “Wow! That still happens? Did you meet them already? Are you okay with that?”

“No, I mean, I was a kid, I don’t know them.”

“Woah! That is some heavy commitment. All the more reason to have fun while you can.”

Fun. Nothing permanent, nothing to break the contract. It was a good offer.

He smiled at Christian, “I’m not a cheap date,” he teased.

Christian emptied the last of the jug of lemonade into Jared’s glass, quite a skill while his gaze swept his body. “I’ll call some contacts and ask them to chill champagne.”

“Tomorrow,” Jared agreed, “I have somewhere to be tonight and it will be a Saturday night, so I don’t have to work in the morning.”

Jared finished the day with a spring in his step and goofy grin on his face and Chad was predictably sceptical. A sense of disapproval permeated the silence of their ride home and when they came to a halt in traffic on the Williston Road he spoke up, “You refused the real deal but you’re gonna roll around with the stand in? What is wrong with you? Where did this come from?” he chastised.

“It’s nothing serious. Some fun. I’m allowed to have fun aren’t I?”

“I don’t know. I mean, what is in the small print, Jared? Why can you have fun with Christian but you deny yourself a piece of Ackles’ ass.”

“Because Jensen is our employer and anyway, he’s looking for a relationship.”

“Who told you that? ‘Cos both of you sure looked up for fun, that first day.”

“Chris told me. He knows him, Chad,”

“Uh-huh, and there wouldn’t be any ulterior motive there, hmm?”

“Of course not! It’s obvious that Jensen trusts him.”

“Mm. Look I’m not your mother but I am going to tell you to be careful. Don’t screw up anything you might really want.”

“You know I can’t have it.”

“Look, I’m gonna swing by McDonalds for snacks so you can drop me off here. You’re going to visit your real mother, right?”

“Sure. Yeah.”

“Give her my love, and then, for the love of all that is holy, do yourself a favor and find a therapist for yourself. I love you man but there are no faeries. Your mother’s delusions are ruining your life.”

Jared huffed, “You keep saying that…”

“Don’t say another word, Jared, or I swear I will scream. I will keep saying it until you believe me, because that is what a real friend does.” He jumped out into a lane of slow moving traffic, slammed the truck door and waved. “I’ll drop by the Ackles place for you, after Mr. Jones’ rockery. Make wise choices, man.” Then he was gone in a blare of horns, leaving Jared regretting his friendship choices.

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