"A Slow Descent"
By C.K. Blake

Jared rolled his eyes and stood up as soon as he saw Mike get into some big ass redneck's face. He was almost tempted to let Mike get his ass handed to him on a platter, but then who was going to play the drums? Jared sighed as he got up from his barstool and approached the action. He caught the redneck's arm before he could begin to lay into Mike.

The redneck swung around and drunkenly glared into Jared's chest and then tilted his head up and rethought his next move.

Jared smiled pleasantly down at the man and said, "Now we can handle this one of two ways. You can try to get to him through me, or you can let me buy you a drink and he can get his ass back up on that stage so we can enjoy the rest of the show. I think I like option number two."

The redneck nodded and said, "Yeah, sounds 'bout right."

"Good," Jared said, and held up his arm in the direction of a waitress and signaled for a couple of beers.

Jared then shifted a stony gaze toward Mike, and for once Mike didn't press the issue as he hauled ass up on stage. No one had really pressed their luck in the last couple of weeks with Jared, not since Chris had come back and would sit in on set for a song or two and jammed with Steve for hours back at the motel.

While Jared seemed to be a force to be reckoned with Chad hung out with Mike, getting drunk, partying, and having a good time. Tom sometimes joined them, but mostly just watched from the sidelines to avoid trouble. Jensen had pretty much kept to himself, except for when Jared managed to coax him into having a little fun.

Jared popped the top on his beer, toasted the redneck who hadn't kicked Mike's ass, and headed back to the bar. He sat in the stool, his elbow resting on the bar as he looked up at the stage. He watched as the guys jammed, Mike beating the fuck out of the drums, Tom and Steve strumming, and Jensen's fingers making love to his guitar while his voice made love to the audience.

Jared took a pull from his beer and then felt the familiar slap on his back from Chad. He shifted his gaze and spared his friend a grin as Chad said, "So, how are things?"

Jared shrugged. "You're right here with me man, you oughta know."

"Yeah, well why is your momma calling me to hear from you?" Chad replied.

Jared's eyes widened. "My mom's called you?"

"Yeah, Megan too. They're worried about you, JT. Did you even tell 'em you were taking off? And all I heard from Meg was 'I hope that Sandy bitch is happy. I'll scratch her eyes out if I ever see that skank again.'"

"Meg seriously called her a skank?" Jared asked in disbelief.

Chad nodded. "Yeah, and I told her to wash her mouth out afterwards, cause your little sister can't cuss till she can legally drink, and she's got a few years to go before that happens."

"Damn right, and what did my mom say?"

"Man, why don't you call and find out for yourself? She's told me you haven't talked to her since hanging up on her a couple of weeks ago, and do I even wanna know why?" Chad asked and snickered at the rosy hue that burned up Jared's neck and flared across his cheeks. "What did that son of a bitch do while you were talking to your momma? Come on man, details."

"God, you're such a girl," Jared accused and Chad flipped him off.

"Whatever man, just saying, had to be pretty big to get you to hang up on your momma, you pansy," Chad said, and took a pull from his long neck before he heard Steve call Chris to come on the stage. Jared's head snapped toward the stage and he watched as Jensen took his plug out of the amp and headed off stage.

Jensen put his guitar away and headed toward them with his guitar case in hand, looking pissed off beyond belief. Chad took one look at Jensen and decided he didn't want to be around to witness Jensen gettin' all pissy, he'd been there, done that, and gotten a few t-shirts in the last couple of weeks.

Jared gave a nod in Chad's direction as he headed over to a group of pretty young girls. Jensen sat down in the stool next to Jared and tapped the bar. He asked for a shot of tequila and downed it as soon as the bartender poured it. He was about to ask for another when Jared dropped his hand onto his shoulder.

"Hey, what's up? You done for the night?" he asked.

Jensen nodded. "Yeah, Chris talked Steve into letting him sing tonight, and Mike dropped it on me during our last break and I said, 'Fine, fuck it. You want Kane up here you can have him. I'll finish out the next half hour then he can have at it.' So yeah, he's worming his way back into the fucking band. He left us hanging five fucking years ago and now he comes back and we're supposed to welcome him like he's the second fucking coming of Christ or something. It's bullshit! Fuckin' bullshit!"

When Jensen turned his head toward the stage and slapped the bar for another tequila Jared shook his head and sighed. He had to get Jensen away from this, give him some time to cool off. He tapped Jensen on the shoulder and when those green eyes looked up at him he smiled and said, "Hey, why don't you get a beer and we go in the back and shoot some pool?"

Jensen's lips twisted into a grin and he gave a nod. "Now that's what I'm talking bout, Jay. That's why I keep you 'round. You know what I need when I need it, and I'm gonna lay your ass out flat on that pool table and show you exactly what I'm made of."

"Yeah, well I know a few trick shots," Jared replied absently as Jensen took the bottle from the bartender.

Jensen snorted and smirked. "I bet you do, but I wasn't talking about shootin' pool, I was talking about fucking you seven ways to Sunday on a pool table in a private room. There's nobody back there Jay. Tell me you don't want me," Jensen said, his voice low and husky and he threw his arm across Jared's shoulders.

Jared nearly choked. "We're at a bar in Houston, Texas. If we got caught fucking here, we'd be hung by our dicks, man."

"It'll be fun, and nobody's looking. I'll suck and fuck you dry. Tell me you don't want it. Come on," Jensen rasped and his hand glided up Jared's stomach until it rested over Jared's shirt covered chest, his thumb idly stroking across Jared's nipple, and Jared hissed and took a quick pull from his beer, because damn if Jensen wasn't going to get his way.

----------

Chris smiled as he adjusted the guitar strap on his shoulder and then lowered the mic, looking out across the crowded room. Damn this felt like coming home, and he was flooded with memories of happier times, back when him and Steve and Jensen were friends, and Mike was a little easier to handle, and Tom was a little tag along desperate to be in the band with the cool guys.

"So folks, you've been listenin' to Smeckles all night long, but before they were Smeckles and had the pretty boy front man, I was the singer for this little band, and it feels good to be back. I've been to California and the LA scene ain't nothin' to the free air of Texas. So forgive me if I'm rusty, but here goes," he said, and then his fingers fell across the strings and the band kicked up to join him.

"I ain't gonna lie,
Well, I been drinking here all night
With an old friend of mine,
Her name is misery.

I ain't been crying,
No and having a read good time
With miscommunications,
She always talks to me…"

He crooned the song, his voice carrying emotions that he usually kept locked away. He was reminded why acting was easy compared to this. Singing led to putting all of his emotions out there, and while he loved it he wasn't sure that he wanted it.

He closed his eyes and let the words out, his fingers caressing and tugging on his guitar strings. He opened his eyes and looked over the crowd, his eyes sweeping toward the bar. He took a quick breath and continued, but in the back of his mind he wondered where Jensen had gotten off to with that guard dog of his.

"I just called to tell you
That I was wrong,
You were on my mind…"

----------

Once Jared stepped through the door that led to the room with the pool tables, Jensen shoved him against it, effectively shutting out the music from the main bar. Jared barely had time to check out the room and make sure they were really alone before Jensen was pressed against him, his mouth working wonders against that sensitive spot below his jaw.

"Wanna ride you long and hard, Jay," Jensen growled into his ear, and Jared felt a shiver slip up his spine as he bent his head down and their lips met.

Jensen's hands were working at Jared's fly, the button slipping free, and then the sound of Jared's zipper falling filled the room. He swallowed hard and then Jensen stepped back, his fingers curled in Jared's belt loops as he pulled the taller man after him. He spun around and pushed Jared back against the pool table, his hands shoving Jared's jeans and boxers down his long legs, until they pooled at his ankles and then he roughly shoved Jared's knees apart, his hand cupping Jared's hard cock, a smirk on his face as he pulled back from the kiss.

"How bad you want me baby? Tell me how bad you want my dick up your ass, cause I'm gonna lay you out on this pool table and fuck you till you can't move," Jensen said, his voice husky, and his eyes dark with want, and then they sparked with humor. "And don't get those big feet stuck in the corner pockets Jay. We'd have a hell of a time explaining that."

Jared actually laughed as he scooted up onto the pool table as Jensen stepped into the place between Jared's legs. Jared crossed his ankles at the small of Jensen's back. He shivered as Jensen's hands glided up his bare thighs, and then Jen's left hand ventured beneath his shirt gliding up until his fingers stroked a sensitive nipple while his right hand curled around Jared's aching cock. A whine escaped Jared's throat and he had the good graces to blush at his blatant show of desperation.

"You want me that bad, baby?" Jen asked, his voice husky, as he gave Jared's dick a slow, leisurely tug, and then licked his lips. "Tell me what you want, how you want it, baby. Tell me and I'll deliver. I'll deliver so fuckin' good you'll have stars in your eyes."

"Want you hard and deep," Jared managed to say around a groan, before his eyes fluttered shut and his head fell back as Jensen's thumb slowly circled the head of his cock, spreading the precum.

"Good," Jensen whispered against his ear, "Cause that's how I want it."

Jensen swallowed a groan as his lips attacked Jared's mouth, his tongue slipping inside and promising dirty things to come as his hand tightened over Jared's aching cock.

----------

Once the last of "Rattlesnake Shake" faded Chris jerked his head toward Steve, and said quietly, "Man, I gotta take a piss. Cover for me with one or two of your songs. What do ya say?"

Steve shook his head and sighed before he stepped up to the mic and Chris leapt from the stage and made a beeline for the bathrooms. Steve sent a sharp look in Mike's direction and then looked at Tom and mouthed, "Chloe Bowed Her Head". Mike rolled his eyes and gave a nod, and Steve turned to face the crowd, his fingers caressing the guitar strings as his velvety, whiskey coated voice drifted to the mic.

"Hotwired on a Friday night
drove beyond every city light
took a look around at the unseen
from a letter and a photograph
I found trouble in a two-room shack…"

Chris smiled at the familiar sound of Steve singing as he headed to the bathroom. He relieved himself in the urinal nearest the door, washed his hands, shook them dry and caught his reflection in the mirror. He shook his head, his long hair flopping around and then settling. He took in a breath, wondering how to get his head back on straight. He knew coming home was gonna be hard. It wasn't so much that the guys had moved on without him, were good without him. It was seeing Jensen again.

Jensen was the spark that sent him running in the first place, and every time he faced Jensen he didn't know what he wanted to do, beat the shit out of him or run as fast and far away as possible. "Christ man, he used to be your best friend," he said softly before he shook his head again and headed out of the bathroom.

He looked around the bar. He saw Chad off in the corner with a bunch of young girls, probably trying to impress them with stories about the band that he was hanging out with. All the more power to him if it got him laid. The kid probably needed more help getting action than Mike did. Chris chuckled at the thought and then his eyes drifted to the door of the poolroom. He'd just started in on his first song when he'd noticed Jensen and the giant head toward the room.

He passed a glance over his shoulder and saw Steve doing what came natural to him, his head thrown back as words poured out of him. Then he headed toward the poolroom. His hand hovered over the doorknob, something inside of him telling him that if he opened the door he'd be intruding on something. He shook the thought away and opened the door as the words of one of Steve's song drifted to his ear.

"Are you still staring at the same old sky
or have you moved along
to one with no clouds and a few more stars
where the streets aren't so loud…"

Chris' eyes widened at the sight before him. The giant was sitting on the pool table, leaning back on his long arms, head thrown back, moaning. Jensen was bent down between his legs, the giant's cock in his mouth, his eyes closed, his cheeks hollow as he sucked, and then the giant's right hand shifted and he cupped the back of Jensen's head as he said, "God Jen, gonna come."

Chris swallowed quickly, wishing he'd listened to his instincts as he stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him as quietly as possibly. He slowly let out a deep breath. Christ, he needed a drink after seeing that.

He headed to the bar, asked for whiskey and downed the shot; Steve's voice reaching him and shaking him to the core.

"I'll wait for you
while earth spins around
I'll go on watching over
everything you do
I'm under you."

He quickly composed himself and then headed back to the stage, ready to finish out the set, and then go back to the motel and get as drunk as possible, anything to drive out the images of what he'd just seen.

----------

Jensen shifted his eyes to Jared's face, as Jared came, and watched the flood of expressions that shaped Jared's face. He particularly liked how Jared's mouth fell open with a colossal moan, his eyes falling shut, and those amazing fingers tenderly massaging his scalp as Jared came in his mouth.

When Jared finally came back to himself he looked down, his pupils full blown with the afterglow, a small smile on his face as his tongue ran across his lips.

"You're amazing, Jen," he whispered, and with his hand still cupping the back of Jensen's head he guided him up and kissed the older man.

Jensen pressed himself close and Jared felt Jensen's jean clad hard on against his inner thigh. He pulled away from the kiss and then nuzzled Jensen's throat as he breathed out, "Want you in me. Want you now."

Jensen jerked him down from the pool table, turned him around, and bent him over the pool table. He absently wondered how Jared had managed to wiggle completely out of his jeans and boxers with him between his legs. Looked like the kid really did have a few tricks up his sleeve.

At the sound of Jensen's zipper, Jared pushed back and Jensen groaned at the friction between his own boxers, cock, and Jared's ass. Jared grabbed his hand, sucking three fingers into his mouth, getting them good and wet, and Jensen's eyes fluttered at the sensation as he rubbed his erection against Jared's ass.

When Jensen pulled his fingers away from that warm, wet mouth, he heard Jared's voice, ragged and needy, "Make it quick, want you in me now."

Jensen chuckled as he began to prepare Jared, starting with one teasing finger as he bent forward, his lips by Jared's ear and whispered, "I'm the one that makes the demands, bitch."

Jared let out a whine as he began to move against Jensen's hand as Jensen added a second finger, and began to scissor them inside him, to stretch him. Jared jerked when Jensen's finger stroked against his prostate. Jensen chuckled, and as Jared grew more impatient decided that he was ready.

He spit into his hand and pulled out his cock, coating it with his spit and precum, and then he was pushing into Jared, slowly, dragging it out to tease the man as much as he could before he lost control, because being inside of Jared had a way of driving him crazy.

Jared pushed back against him and then arched forward when Jensen's cock hit his prostate. He let out a low moan, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head when Jensen's hand wrapped around his cock, which had grown hard again.

Jensen slowly pulled out and teasingly entered Jared again, despite his body thrumming with the desperate need to bury himself deep inside the younger man over and over again as quickly and hard as possible. At the low, frustrated whine that Jared let out, Jensen finally lost it, and began to pound deep inside of Jared, his hips working like pistons as his hand worked Jared to a second orgasm, and he was pretty sure that he hit Jared's prostate with every stroke.

Jared held fast to the sides of the pool table, his knuckles going white with his grip. His breathing was ragged, and Jensen's cock inside of him and Jensen's hand jerking him off was blowing his mind. It was even better than the things that Jensen's mouth could do to him. He could feel the pressure building in his balls and he knew he was on the verge of coming again.

Jensen's body tensed, and he gave a few more hard thrusts, before Jared's name slipped from his lips in a forceful groan, and he felt Jared stiffen beneath him before his hand was covered in Jared's come. Damn he'd gotten the kid off twice so far. He hadn't lost his touch yet.

Jared stiffened at the desperate sound of his name being grunted from behind him, Jensen's voice throaty, and breathless. That was all he needed and then he was coming too. A few minutes later he heard Jensen zipping up and he wiped his hand off on the green of the pool table and quickly pulled his underwear and jeans back on.

When he looked at Jensen he noticed the cocky smirk on the older man's face, and wondered if Jensen realized that it was the first time he'd said Jared's name when he came. Two weeks, and things were looking good. He remembered the months he'd spent with Sandy, and while they were good they didn't hold a candle to what Jensen could make him feel, how he could make him come over and over, and there was something else there too, something that worried him, because Jensen was so damn unpredictable. The lust was shifting into something different, concern, maybe something more.

Jensen gave him a good slap on the back and said, "So let's head back out. The set should be over by now. Hell, it's already one in the morning."

Jared snorted, "Man, it's that early?"

"Wait till we get back to the motel. You won't be able to move tomorrow," Jensen said, that cocky smirk in place.

Jared rubbed at his ass, which was a little sore, and gave a stretch to ease his abdominal muscles. While it was fun, being bent over a pool table wasn't exactly the most comfortable of things to recover from.

"Won't take much, I'm already walkin' funny," Jared replied with a little grin, and Jensen laughed as he put an arm up around Jared's shoulders.

"Let's get a drink and then help those assholes load the shit up, Jay."

They walked out of the poolroom and headed toward the bar. A minute later they were nursing a couple of beers and the guys were coming down from the stage as the bar began to close up.

Mike was the first to reach them, and he looked them up and down, a toothy grin spreading across his face. "God damn, you two just got laid. No wonder Jenny was so eager to hop off stage so early. So where'd you go? The bathroom, or did you take it 'round back?"

Jared blushed, and Jensen shook his head at the kid before he took a pull from his beer and smirked. "Naw man, we just played a couple rounds of pool."

Mike snorted. "Must a been a hell of a game. Who won?"

Jared blushed even more, and Jensen laughed. "You know I'm the pool shark of this out fit. Who the hell you think won, Mike?"

Before Mike could start in on questioning Jared, he stood up and said, "Hey, I'm gonna round up Chad, and then we'll start loading up the equipment."

Mike watched as the kid walked away and noticed his change in pace. He cocked an eyebrow, turned to Jensen and said, "So it was that damn good, huh?"

"Fan-fucking-tastic, man," Jensen said and took another pull from his beer.

----------

Once everything was loaded in the back Chris wasted no time in claiming the front seat. Steve got behind the wheel and Tom scooted into the bench seat next to Jensen who was pressed in close to Jared, his hand possessively sliding up and down Jared's right thigh.

"So what were you doing while Chris finished up the set tonight?" Tom asked curiously, and Jared noticed how Christian winced, and wondered what that was about as Jensen answered.

"Just had a couple of beers and went in the back to shoot some pool. Had to show Jared a few trick shots. He wasn't so bad though. He almost beat me that one time," Jensen said with a chuckle, and Jared blushed as he felt Jensen's chest rumbling against his side with the laughter, and Jen's hand slipped down lower on his thigh than it should have.

Steve spared a glance back in the rearview mirror and met Jared's hazel eyes and asked, "So how much did you lose to the pool shark?"

Jensen grinned and out right laughed as he lifted his hand and smacked Jared's knee then said, "We're negotiating my winnings when we get back to the motel room."

Jared flushed bright red, and he noticed Chris give him a sideways glance before he returned his gaze to the road ahead. Chris looked decidedly ill and Jared was curious about why.

"Hey, Chris, man, you feelin' all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, just had one too many. It happens sometimes. I'm sure I'll be feelin' it in the morning, I'll let you know how it turns out kid, and don't let Jen ride you too hard, some times he can be a real god damned control freak," Chris replied sharply.

Steve spared a glance at Chris before he returned his gaze to the road, Tom's eyebrow lifted, wondering what in the hell he was missing, and Jensen stiffened against Jared, and turned to look at Chris, his golden green eyes narrowed as he dropped his hand on Chris' shoulder.

Chris shook Jensen's hand off and without even looking at him growled, "Don't fucking touch me."

Jensen withdrew quickly, his eyes dark with anger, and Jared knew that tonight wasn't going to go beyond what had happened on the pool table. Christian fucking Kane was one hell of a buzz kill.

When they finally reached the motel, they filed out of the van, just as Chad and Mike pulled up in Chad's truck. Jensen stalked off to their room and Jared followed. Steve looked after them and then turned to Chris.

"So mind telling me what the fuck happened back there that has you so pissy, and what's with you and Jen? Thought you were letting that shit go," Steve said, his eyes narrowed on his friend.

Chris sighed and then shook his head. "That was before I saw Jenny boy's mouth wrapped around that giant's dick."

Chris then grabbed his guitar from the back and headed toward his room. Tom looked wide-eyed at Steve to get a confirmation of what he'd just heard.

"Um, did he say what I think he said?" Tom asked, just to be sure.

Steve took his cowboy hat off and ran a hand through his hair before he looked down at the pavement and then lifted his gaze to meet Tom's. "Yeah, Tommy. Looks like Chris walked in on Jen and Jared together. I'm just waiting on all of this to explode, cause it ain't gonna end well, not with Chris still holding on to all that shit, and Christ knows Jen hasn't forgotten. Hell that's why he's practically hangin' all over that kid, and that kid is gonna get fucked over the worse. I can feel it in my bones, Tommy, and I feel really bad for that kid. Jared's a good guy. Too good for all this bullshit."

Tom nodded. "Yeah, Steve, but what can you do man? You can't save the world, not even with good intentions."

Steve snorted. "Doesn't stop me from wishing I could. Jen doesn't know what a good thing he's got going for himself. Hell, he won't know till he fucks up and loses that kid."

Tom was about to say something when Mike clapped him on the back and asked why everyone was so serious, and as he met Steve's gaze they came to a mutual agreement that for now the conversation was closed.

----------

A shrill ringing sounded through the muddled fuzziness that was Jensen's mind after a night of heavy drinking. He shifted and smiled a little at the feel of the warm body pressed against his back. He reached out blindly and grabbed the ringing phone.

Once he had it in his hand he realized that it was Jared's phone. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Jared was sleeping like the dead. He flipped open the phone and in a sleep scratchy voice said, "'Ello?"

"Who is this? Where's JT?" came a young feminine voice across the line.

Jensen froze, like something cold and heavy had just hit him in the gut. "Excuse me?" he asked.

The girl let out a sigh. "Look, whoever you are, can you just put my stupid brother on the phone, and who are you to be answering his phone anyway? Another one of his stupid college friends? Bet you're just like Chad, that idiotic jerk!"

Jensen pulled back and held the phone away from his ear as the girl continued to rant, and then he forcefully shook Jared awake until Jared cracked open an eye and snarled, "What the fuck, Jen?"

Jensen held the phone out to him and Jared winced as he heard his sister's shrill voice on the other line ranting over how stupid his friends were. He slowly pulled his arms away from Jensen, sat up, sucked in a deep breath and took the phone.

"Ungh… Meg, tone it down, I'm hung over, and don't you dare tell Mom!" Jared said in a cranky tone.

Jensen fought a chuckle and then lifted a brow when he noticed how Jared's posture changed and he said, "Hey Mom."

"About college. I just needed some time…God. No… It's not about Sandy," Jared said, pausing as his mother got in a few choice words.

"Sandy?" Jensen asked, his voice still scratchy with sleep as a lazy smile played across his mouth, and he began to trail his fingers along Jared's ribs.

Jared bit down a laugh, and tried to squirm away, and Jensen's smile turned into a playful grin. Apparently Jared was ticklish. A snort escaped Jared and then he winced and said, "Nothin's goin' on, just… Yeah me and Chad are working for a band, we're roadies. The pay's not much, but the guys are cool. Who Jensen? Yeah he's the one Megan talked to. No…They did not talk me into drinking myself into a slow death. No more than Chad does. What? Meg said I had a girl? No. I'm rooming with Jensen, the lead singer. God mom!"

Jared pulled the phone back and covered it with his hand as he glared at Jensen and said, "Will you stop it? You're not helping my case here!"

After another few minutes of silence on Jared's end and Jensen still very eager to touch him, Jared finally huffed up and got out of bed, and Jensen watched in amusement as Jared walked bare ass to the bathroom and firmly shut the door behind him. He rolled back over and buried his face in the pillow before he reached over and snatched up Jared's pillow, inhaling the still warm, fresh smell of Jared, a playful grin across his face. He shifted his head and caught sight of the digital clock on the bedside table. Ten o'clock. Who the hell called at ten o'clock in the morning?

Jared's kid sister and his mom, apparently, that's who.

----------

At the sound of insistent pounding on the door Steve rolled out of bed. He looked toward Tom's bed and saw Tom clutching a pillow across his face and groaning, determined not to get out of bed. Fine. Dammit.

He scratched the back of his head and then slipped into his jeans before he went to open the door. He pulled the door open and froze when a pair lips collided with his mouth. He blinked when the girl pulled back and then he gave her a once over, a nice, pretty, leggy brunette.

Her dark eyes widened and she tried to look around him and into the room, no apology or explanation forthcoming.

"Uh, can I help you with something?" he asked.

She finally had the good graces to blush and then said, "Yeah, I was looking for Chris. This guy over in room 105 said I could find him here."

"That asshole," Steve let out with a shake of his head, and then chuckled a little before he scratched his head again. "Chris is over in room 109. You must be that girl he met out in LA. Nice to meet ya, I'm Steve."

She smiled and ran a tongue across her lips before she replied, "Hello Steve, he told me a little bit about you. Nice to meet ya. He didn't mention you were such a good kisser. I better go find Chris. Can't seem to keep his ass outta trouble for long. Oh and I'm Sandy, by the way."

Steve shook his head as she offered him a wink and then sauntered over to Chris' room. Damn, Chris sure as hell could pick 'em. Then he let his eyes fall shut and wondered how this would affect Jensen, considering how he'd been all over that kid just to get a rise out of Chris, and it had worked all kinds of wonders last night with how Chris had acted in the van.

----------

"So did Jared say they were going to join us any time this century?" Chad asked with a little whine as he looked at Steve, and Steve shifted his gaze to Tom.

"Yeah, I knocked on the door and they said they'd be on the way. Even gave Jared your truck keys," Tom piped.

"What's got your panties in a such a knot, Murray?" Mike asked.

Chad rolled his eyes. "You don't know Jared when he's missed a meal."

Steve chuckled and then looked up as Chris and that leggy brunette came up to their table to join them. Before Steve could make any introductions however, Chad's eyes narrowed on the girl, and she stiffened next to Chris.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Sandy?" Chad bit out.

"Woah," Chris said and looked from the girl on his arm to Chad and said, "You two know each other?"

Chad snorted and then growled a little, bristling as he fixed the girl with a glare. "Yeah if you can call it that. She strung my boy JT along for months and then turned around and mind fucked him before she took off to California."

She glared at Chad as she said, "I'm here with Chris, not that it's any of your business, and you don't know a damn thing about what went on between Jared and me, and please, the guy had more than a few issues as far as the intimacy was concerned."

"You fucking take that back," Chad snarled.

Chris stepped between Sandy and Chad, as Chad got to his feet, and Chris said, "Come on man, let's just eat."

Chad shook his head. "No. She can't be here when Jared shows up."

"Wait, Jared's here too?" she asked and then rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? He always was following you around like a puppy. And what are you even doing here? This is a band, and you can't play anything."

Before Chad could reply there was the sound of a deep breath being sucked in. Everyone turned to look and noticed that Jared had stiffened and was looking at Sandy with wide eyes. Jensen's arm tightened across Jared's shoulders and Jared let the breath out in a fast whoosh.

"Sandy?" he asked, his voice tight, and his eyes taking on that kicked puppy look.

"Jared," she replied coolly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his body thrumming with barely contained emotion as he noticed Chris' hand slip around her waist possessively.

"I belong here, unlike you and your little groupie boyfriend," she replied, and shifted her gaze pointedly to Christian.

Jensen shifted his gaze to Jared, and then narrowed his gaze on the leggy brunette, before he ran his tongue across his lips, cocked his head and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know we'd hired whores to join the crew. Jay and Chad are the roadies, sweet heart."

"Where do you get off calling my girlfriend a whore, you cock sucker," Chris bit out, and then his eyes widened as Jensen's narrowed to slits.

"Fuck you, Christian. Fuck you and your little girlfriend. Jay, what do you say we go check out that steakhouse up the road? It's gotta be better than this place," Jensen said as he forced a smile across his mouth and clapped Jared on the back, more to get his attention than anything.

Jared just gave a nod and then they turned around and headed out. Jensen took the keys to Chad's truck from Jared and hopped in the driver's seat and then they took off, Jensen squealing the tires as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Damn if that wasn't a little awkward," Mike piped up, and Steve turned to him and said, "Just shut the hell up for once, man."

----------

Jensen looked up from rubbing his belly before he took a sip of his sweet tea and then held the glass up as the waitress walked by to let her know he needed a refill. He watched as Jared worked on his second slice of pie and shook his head.

"Christ man, where do you put it all?" he asked.

Jared swallowed and looked up at Jensen, a sheepish grin pulling at his lips, as he shrugged. "Don't know, I'm just really hungry."

"Yeah, and this has nothing to do with that chick on Chris' arm back at Denny's?"

"I'm with you Jensen. She's just someone I used to know, that's all."

Jensen lifted a brow at that. "Hey, casual remember? And she looked like a little more than that. Shit man, you went catatonic back there. So what's the story?"

Jared sat back in his chair and leisurely licked the cream from his fork before he pushed what was left of the second slice of chocolate cream pie away. "I met her in college and we dated for a while. We were in some of the same classes and it was going great until she got bored and took off to LA to try her luck at acting. I decided to take a semester off and here I am. Guess it worked out."

"Uh huh," Jensen said, still not convinced, but he wasn't going to push it.

It wasn't long before they paid the bill and headed back to the motel. Jensen sat down on his bed, his back against the headboard and the wall, tuning his guitar. Jared had pulled out his cell phone and headed toward the bathroom for privacy.

Jensen let his foot bounce back and forth with the rhythm he was strumming, when he heard something that caught his attention from the bathroom, a sigh loud enough to break through his concentration.

Intrigued he put the guitar down, and quietly made his way to the bathroom. He pressed his ear to the door and listened.

"Momma, I thought some time away would help, but Sandy showed up… Naw. It ain't as bad as I thought it'd be. I'm mostly over her… I don't know, maybe. You know what, there is someone. Someone incredible, they just don't realize how amazing they are. It seems like it's goin' so fast and I don't want to mess it up. Right now it's just a casual thing, but I'm thinking I could want more… It's not like that! God Mom! We had the talk, I know all about protection. Christ… Sorry. Yeah. Love you too. Tell Meg I'll call her later, and I'm fine. Bye Momma."

Once he heard Jared hang up the phone he sprinted across the room and threw himself back on his bed and snatched his guitar from the floor where he left it, and began to absently caress the strings as Jared stepped out of the bathroom. Jensen acknowledged him with a nod, but he couldn't stop the smile that spread across his lips at what he'd just heard. It was nice knowing someone felt like that about him. It was nice to maybe be cherished, and just like that he realized that he was headed for a slow decent into either heaven or hell, he wasn't quite sure yet which he was headed to, but he'd damn sure have fun along the way.

Read Story #5 in the Rockstar 'Verse Behind Those Eyes