spn-j2-bigbang: Compulsion Part 2

[candygramme]

NOW

Washington, DC



“Tell me again why Special Agent Ackles needs a baby sitter.”

The man who was speaking stood at ease before FBI Assistant Director Morgan, every bone in his body betraying that he was ex-military. Tall and broad shouldered, he exuded an air of competence that seemed to promise that anything he undertook would be successful. Morgan nodded as he took in the young giant in front of him

“He was the best profiler we ever had. Started after going through Quantico with our Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, and then transferred over to the Behavioral Analysis Unit. He actually headed up the BAU for three years.” Morgan leaned forward and waved him towards a chair. “You may as well take a seat, Padalecki. I need you to know what you’re getting yourself into.”

”Go on.” Jared hitched a chair over to one side of Morgan’s desk and turned it so he was straddling it, his arms loosely draped over the chair-back. “Pretty much anything you can tell me will help.”

“Yes. Exactly so.” Morgan cleared his throat as he fumbled through a thick dossier that lay on his desk. “About 18 months ago he and his partner were sent out to gather evidence. They'd been sent with the unit on a case up in Washington State in Bellingham. Once it was over, and he’d filed his report, he tendered his resignation from the BAU and said he was opening a new department to look into an item of extreme national importance. I still don’t know how he convinced the Director that it was a good idea, and so far, there’s been very little coming out of his new department. I believe that somehow he’s been manipulated — brainwashed if you like — and that someone is controlling him.”

“What makes you think that?” Jared looked sleepy, but it was obvious that he was listening. “What was in the report to make you sit up and take notice?”

At Padalecki’s quizzically raised brow, Morgan tossed over a manila folder and sat back with folded arms, waiting for any comments as he observed the soldier’s expression with great interest. Bending to pick up the folder, Padalecki shuffled through the contents. “Vampires?” he asked at last. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“You’d think, wouldn’t you?” Morgan smirked. “And that isn’t the weirdest report he’s sent in lately. I need someone to submit independent reports on Ackles’s activities — someone I can trust — and that’s apparently you. Colonel Beaver said that you’re his best operative and just what I need. Hopefully he’s right.”

“Colonel Beaver is always right, sir,” asserted Padalecki with a grin. “It’s his job.”

“Good to hear.” Morgan nodded and gestured at Padalecki’s fatigues. “He was a good agent — the best — but I’m concerned.” Morgan leaned forward as he spoke, beseeching his companion to believe him. “I’ll be honest with you. We think he’s been compromised in some way. Before he returned from that case, Special Agent Ackles was leading a very sensitive investigation that was — and still is — crucial to the security of the United States. He was beginning to show some progress when he suddenly announced that he’d discovered a nest of vampires and took himself off on some kind of idiotic ‘hunting’ sabbatical or at least that’s what he called it. Since he came back, he seems disinclined to continue his previous lines of inquiry. The agent we had working with him appears to have PTSD. She's got holes in her memory. She transferred out at her own request, and she thinks he’s nuts. Our only problem is that his most recent psych. eval. doesn’t indicate that he's flipped his cogs, so I’m killing two birds with one stone placing you with him. Beaver attests to your suitability for the job, and we want someone who can not only evaluate his sanity over time, but who can protect him if further attempts to compromise him or extract him should occur.

“So, while you’re seconded from MARSOC, I’d be grateful if you can, uh, ‘blend in’ a little. No need to advertise the fact that you’re not from ‘round here.” He handed over the dossier he’d been fidgeting with. “He’s a loose cannon, Padalecki. There are questions being asked at higher levels. We need someone working with him that can rein him in, protect him if he needs it and hopefully get him back into his right mind.” Morgan frowned. “His recent behavior continues to be less than optimal, and we need to know why. We want to know exactly what he’s doing. His reports are frankly ludicrous. I want you to read, learn and inwardly digest this dossier. It’s got all the details of your assignment in it, along with everything you need to know about Agent Ackles. He’s expecting you first thing tomorrow, so I hope you’re a quick study.”

Morgan waved him away, and Padalecki took the dossier, rose smartly to his feet and came to attention. He then did a sharp left turn and left the office. Morgan watched him go with a thoughtful frown on his face as he pondered the wisdom of Beaver’s choice.



“So you’ve got the assignment? What do you think?” Colonel Beaver’s voice invited his confidence, and Jared Padalecki — lounging in the armchair which was the single piece of furniture in his newly rented living room — frowned as he tried to divine Beaver’s interest in the case. It really wasn’t his usual behavior, and bells were ringing at the back of Jared’s mind as he pondered the question. Finally, he decided that he’d go with the vibe that AD Morgan had given him, at least for now.

“To be honest, I think the guy’s a flake. Let’s face it, he thinks there are vampires out there.” He reached for the half finished bottle of Shiner Bock that stood beside his feet. “But I’ll go meet him tomorrow and see if what I think takes a change for the better.” He took a swig straight from the bottle and sighed in satisfaction.

“Do that, son. There are things about this guy that are making people jumpy, and we’re relying on you to ensure that he stays honest.”

The line cut out suddenly, and Jared tossed the phone down onto the floor. Typical Beaver, he thought. No social skills whatsoever. He finished his beer and settled down to read the dossier through again for the seventh time. Special Agent Jensen Ross Ackles didn’t seem to be more than a harmless looney, but it might be fun to become a babysitter for a while. It sure beat the excitement of lying full length in dirt for hours on end, waiting for the thrill of shooting some hapless politician dead and hoping that nobody was thinking about doing the same to him.

Needing to blow off some steam to quell the butterflies that were beginning to make themselves noticeable, he kicked off his boots and went to bring out his beloved swords, a katana and a wakizashi, then began a formal Kenjutsu training ritual that was both graceful and intricate. As usual, the familiar kata focused his thoughts and settled his nerves.



The following morning Jared strode down into the dark corridor where Ackles’s office was located. He was dressed in the closest thing to a suit he possessed, wondering if they’d make him cut his hair to conform with the rules and feeling naked without his trusty M27 — although he was well aware how odd it would be for a “supposed” federal agent to be toting around an automatic.

When it finally came to the point, and he was face to face with the man he'd been sent to spy on, Jared suddenly got cold feet. He had never been more nervous. Theoretically, he supposed, Ackles wasn’t ever supposed to guess why he was there, although nobody had actually stated that directly. Still, he figured from the collected psychological reports he’d read through that his best chance of deflecting suspicion and gaining the man’s confidence hinged on whether he could carry off a 'young and fresh' act for him.

He'd read all that there was to read about Jensen Ackles. He could have passed tests on the man's history. If you asked him what Ackles liked to eat (burgers!), or the team that he supported (Cowboys!), or what his taste in music was (usually country crap, but apparently he was currently into Kaleo lately! WTF? They somehow didn’t fit the profile at all.), he would have been able to tell you right away. There wouldn't have been any stumbling. He was well prepared, and yet...

Special Agent Jensen Ross Ackles was nobody’s fool, it seemed. He was an expert profiler, had been a child prodigy who had gotten his doctorate in clinical psychology by the age of 22, and —for the icing on the cake — he apparently had an eidetic memory. The chances of Jared putting one over him seemed increasingly slim. Still, he’d do what he could, and if Ackles laughed at him, perhaps Jared would shoot him and put himself, the FBI and the whole goddamn army out of their misery.

When he finally came face to face with the prissy, grouchy, unshaven, supercilious Ackles, his mouth went dry for some reason that totally baffled him, and he dry-swallowed, hyperventilated, and practically creamed himself.

He held out his hand in his perky, pseudo-enthralled greeting, but the asshole disdained it, and he felt a flash of irritation, followed by a positive torrent of something that made his breathing speed up, his heart race and his pulse stutter.

Lust. He felt lust.

He looked on those lips, and bit the inside of his cheek in an effort to stop himself grabbing the jerk by his silken lapels and hauling him up out of his chair so that he could maul those lips with his own. So much for ‘Don’t ask; don’t tell.’

I won't get caught by him, he thought. I can stay back from this even if it kills me. Self restraint is good for me. The files don't give much information on his sexual behavior, but look at him. He's gorgeous. He must be getting it from somewhere; he's far too pretty to be celibate. Oh, God, look at him!

When Ackles rose to his feet to dismiss him, sneering something witty and cutting about Jared’s ‘lack of sartorial elegance,' he began to get angry all over again. The tedious bastard thought he could ride roughshod over Jared Padalecki. He would show him. He'd been given a job to do, and he'd do it without question, no matter that he was beginning to have reservations about his ability to capture and hold Ackles's attention. He’d been given a case that was calculated to attract Ackles’s attention to use as a hook, so it was his duty to get it done, whether or not Ackles took the bait.

"You're not particularly sartorially elegant yourself," he sniped. "But let's get professional for a moment. I’ve been working on a case that looks like it might be..." He finally achieved eye contact with the agent, and once again he felt his resolve waver. The eyes were green-gold, shrewd and finely drawn, his thick lashes giving the man a young, innocent look that belied the sensual mouth. Jared found himself wanting to trace those lids with his tongue. He had a brief and unholy vision of that face sweating in passion beneath his own and ground his teeth in an effort to stop himself from achieving an erection the size of an Exocet missile.

Ackles smirked. “A case? Do tell,” he said, waving Jared to a seat that was stacked with manila folders. “And here was I, thinking you were just the Vanna White to my Pat Sajak.” Jared gathered the paperwork up and set it down on the floor before opening his own folder and starting to show his mark the information it contained. Ackles looked mildly interested, nodding along as Jared showed and told.

Hang in there, Jared, don't weaken. He's giving in. I'm going to make it. Oh, yeah!

There would be time to let his mind run over the assorted charms of the man standing before him, bedraggled and unshaven despite his expensive suit, once they were on the road, but for now it was enough that he seemed to be accepting a new partner.

He'd been told that it was unlikely that he'd be accepted by Jensen Ackles as anything but a transient information gatherer, and he, Jared Padalecki, Chief Security Officer, on loan from United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command and cocky as anything, had laughed. He hadn't been able to wrap himself around the concept of failure. It seemed almost impossible that anyone would reject him. He'd experienced very few rejections in his past, and knew just how to charm his way into a heart, a bed, or a wallet or how to take out a target from quarter of a mile away. Now, he was convinced that he could charm his way into Ackles’s heart without further problems.

After what seemed like an interminable question and answer session that appeared as if the special agent was testing his knowledge of procedure, Ackles sent him off to book out a car, and Jared sauntered down to the carpool to check out a vehicle.

Ten minutes later, abandoned like a spare prick at a wedding, he found himself muttering some extremely unpleasant words, some of which dealt with Jensen Ackles's parentage and the rest with his personal habits. His language was bad enough to curl the paint from the woodwork.

Sighing, the young detective-nouveau settled down in his newly booked car to figure out where he'd gone wrong, and where Jensen Ackles might have taken himself. He was furious with himself. He'd been too damned confident of his own charm, and was bitterly regretting it. He definitely wouldn't fall into that trap again. He began to try and identify where his quarry would be headed. It didn't take him long before the proverbial light bulb went on. Of course! The case he’d brought for Ackles had been pretty straightforward, and if Ackles was intending to work it instead of zipping off to look for vampires or possibly zombies, Jared knew just where he’d have gone. Blonde coeds had been disappearing without trace from their locked dorm rooms. Most likely Ackles would have gone to the dormitory first, to take a look at ground zero.

Starting the car, he turned it and set off to drive to the place he'd figured out that Ackles would go first in the pursuit of his inquiries. From here on in, once he'd met up with Jensen Ackles again, he'd stick to him like shit to a blanket, and it would be a pleasure to watch the steam come out of his ears.



Jared drove out of the city as fast as he dared. Getting a speeding ticket was not on his agenda for the day, but he had to reach his destination before Ackles went elsewhere, and he lost him completely. He knew he had time, since it was a six hour drive up to Connecticut, and Stamford University, but he wasn’t quite sure just how far ahead of him Ackles was. Assuming an hour, just to be on the safe side, Jared put his foot down and let the car eat up the miles.

Once out on the freeway, he set his speed until the needle was hovering a few miles over the limit, and prayed, hard, that the highway patrol had better things to do today.

Just before reaching College Park, he stopped at a strip mall and filled up with gas. In the shop attached to the gas station, he bought some sandwiches and a bottle of water, pausing only to get detailed directions on how to find the campus and specifically the student residences. Fortunately, they weren't too far away from where he'd stopped, and he was soon pulling up behind a cab that was parked not far away from the main entrance.

Going up to the cab, he showed his badge to the driver and asked, "Are you waiting for Agent Ackles?" When the driver shrugged, nodded, and muttered something about FBI, Jared looked at the meter, pulled out his wallet and went on, "I've been sent to collect him, here's what's on the meter and a little over for waiting."

He thrust a pile of dollar bills at the man, who shut the meter off, counted the money and then went on his way without saying another word.

Padalecki looked over at the glass doors and contemplated going inside in search of that annoyingly brilliant, gorgeous looking... asshole... to confront him, and let him know just what he thought about the dirty trick he'd played.

He took a deep breath, and mentally shook himself. A confrontation in front of strangers was the last thing that would endear him to the senior agent. Then a growl from his stomach reminded him that he still hadn't eaten since breakfast, and that he'd feel better able to keep his temper if he were to eat before Ackles emerged from the center.

He made sure his tie and lap were well covered with napkins before attempting to bite into the squashy sandwiches. Even though he did have a change of clothes with him, he just didn't need any more hassles today.



Jared watched as Agent Ackles left the dorm to find his taxi. He was so lost in thought that he'd already reached the curb before he realized that the cab hadn't waited for him.

"Fuck!" he yelled, and Jared smothered a smile as he heard the expletive.

Showtime, he thought, pushing open the door of his car and climbing out onto the sidewalk.

As Jared rose to his feet, he saw Ackles put his hand into his pocket and guessed he was about to pull out his phone to call another cab. He slammed his door viciously, and saw the man look up, his attention drawn along the street toward the sound. When he caught sight of Jared stalking towards him, Jared could see a whole range of emotions travel over the man’s handsome face. It seemed that he wasn't sure whether to feel irritated or pleased that he’d been found. It certainly seemed from his final expression that he wasn’t particularly happy about being called on his behavior.

"Oh, no! Was Prince Charming abandoned by his date?" Jared asked, suppressing the vicious smirk that threatened to break through his poker face. "Hey, I can sympathize. Oddly enough, I experienced exactly the same thing just this morning." He stopped and swallowed hard, he really hadn't meant to say that at all. He took a deep breath trying to reign in his temper, not to mention his libido, before anything else uncensored got past his lips.

"Sorry if I hurt your feelings," Ackles replied, starting to walk towards the car, not sounding sorry at all, which raised Padalecki's ire again.

"Where do you get off copping that attitude? It's not like you know anything about me." Jared kept pace with him easily, apparently much to Agent Ackles's irritation.

"Exactly." Ackles sounded as if that should explain everything.

Padalecki stopped walking abruptly, and Ackles turned back. Gazing at Jared with an attitude of mild interest, Ackles pursed his sinful lips and stood with his head cocked, apparently entranced. Jared, not realizing the cause of the Agent's distraction, went on. "You know, since I first set foot in the Hoover Building, I've heard nothing but ridicule and tall tales about you and your obsession..."

"Oh, stop it, or you're going to hurt my feelings." Ackles's sudden eye roll was evidence that he was rather less than heartbroken by Jared's words.

Padalecki realized that was sarcasm, but he was too annoyed to stop. He had one chance to convince Ackles of his sincerity. "But up until now, I thought you might be on the level. I was inclined to believe in what you were doing, because I know that there's more out there than just overactive imagination, Bram Stoker and Friday 13th."

There was a pause. Ackles stopped short and, for a moment, his eyes widened, then he frowned, apparently thinking hard. Then, without further words he wheeled around and began to make his way back into the building without any further words.

To Jared, it seemed as if what he’d said might be getting through to the other man. Ackles beckoned him to follow as he reached the door, then turned to go back inside. Jared followed him wordlessly; walking close behind to make sure he didn’t miss anything or lose sight of the man.

“In here.”

As they reached the second floor, Ackles veered into a room that had yellow incident tape hanging from the frame. He’d taken a small object from his pocket, and Jared squinted as he tried to identify it. To him it looked like someone’s old Walkman. “What the hell is that?” he asked after a minute or so of failing to understand what the special agent was trying to do.

“Shhh! It’s an EMF meter,” was the response as the gizmo suddenly emitted an ear piercing shriek.

“It looks like a Walkman that someone’s been messing with.” Jared held out his hand for the small device, but Ackles turned away from him, pointing the thing at a wall vent near the floor in a corner and as he did so, the ear-splitting screech drew louder.

“That’s exactly what it is,” said Ackles, waving Jared to the wall vent. “Check in there for me.”

Crouching didn’t really help. After a few seconds, Jared shrugged his shoulders and dropped to his knees to peer into the space beyond the grid. There was something there. It was hard to see what at first, but as he pointed his flashlight into the darkness it became obvious that what he was looking at was a clump of blonde hair. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” Ackles smirked. “What’s the betting that the other rooms where girls have gone missing will have something similar?”

“So what does your meter thing do?” Jared reached for it, and this time Agent Ackles handed it over.

“It measures paranormal activity. You must have noticed the sound? That’s how I know where to look.”

Jared handed it back with a little more marked respect. “How come it’s made out of a Walkman?”

“That just happened to be what I had to work with. The paranormal tends to generate electro-magnetic frequencies that are outside of the normal.” Ackles beamed, pride oozing from him as he took his gizmo back. “All I did was tweak it a little and saved the Bureau $30.”

“Very commendable.” Jared grinned. “So what next?”

“Next,” said Ackles, “I think we need a blonde. Fortunately, I know a blonde.” Jared merely gaped at him. There wasn’t much else he could do.



Jensen Ackles felt torn. Half of him was livid that this gigantic upstart had outsmarted him and invited himself along on the case — even though it actually had originally been Padalecki’s — while the other half felt a certain unwilling pride that the man had outsmarted him and succeeded in tagging along. He supposed that there was no harm in including him in the proceedings, especially since the kid seemed to be genuinely interested in how he operated.

As they made their way back down to the car, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number he still knew by heart.

"Tal, it's me. I need help with something."

Tossing a furtive glance in Padalecki's direction, Jensen turned his back on him and leaned into the car door in order to speak privately to the woman who had until recently been his partner. He listened impatiently as she went through all the pleasantries, wishing she would just stop yammering and agree that she'd help instead of insisting on a blow by blow account of what she would be helping with. Well, perhaps 'insisting' was a little strong, but it was clear she felt that the account of how she could help was something that needed to be relayed in person, and Jensen sighed as he bowed to the inevitable.

"I can be there in an hour and a half."

Disconnecting, he reached for the door handle, managing three swift pulls before a set of keys was unceremoniously jangled in front of his face.

"Where we going now?"

Apparently, Jared was not going to be fooled twice.




Ackles was frowning, and looked up to catch Jared's barely concealed amusement at having caught him off guard. Jared watched as Jensen’s shoulders slumped. He appeared to be resigned, muttering under his breath as he made his way around the car to the passenger side, glaring at his new sidekick across the roof. Jared made him wait until he had climbed in behind the wheel before he opened the door to the passenger’s side. Jensen glared as he climbed into the passenger’s side and sat glowering. Jared flashed a brilliant smile in return, smacking the wheel with unbridled joy at his unexpected advantage. Even though he'd sent the cabbie on his way, there had always been the possibility Ackles would simply call another. But with Tal awaiting his arrival, the grouch had no choice but to entertain Jared's company for the length of their drive back to Virginia.

Pulling out onto the road, Jared did a little silent counting himself in an attempt to get his libido under control as he watched Ackles fasten his seat belt and straighten his jacket under the wide straps. He needed to concentrate on winning this man's trust — not fantasizing about how many ways he could pull and twist that bottom lip Ackles insisted on chewing as he stared out the window at the passing scenery.

Turning on the radio, Jared flipped the dial in search of an indie rock station, determining that he'd found one as the final bars of Cake's "Building a Religion" blared from the rear speakers. The file he'd been given indicated Ackles was a big Kaleo fan, and that "No Good" was something akin to a personal anthem. He briefly considered pulling over and pretending he needed something out of the trunk, and phoning in a request as he huddled under the hood. That seemed a bit much even for a supposedly adoring Junior G-Man, so he opted for another stab at conversation instead.

"I meant what I said."

"What?" asked Ackles, still staring resolutely out the window.

"About there being more out there than most people believe."

Ackles made another noncommittal sound.

Clearing his throat, Jared tried again.

"What I meant to say, was that I believe in the supernatural. I've seen far too much to think it's all fiction and superstition."

That appeared to get the other man's attention.

The dusty brown head swiveled slowly, shrewd green eyes studying him intently as though seeing him for the first time. Jared could feel himself being sized up and catalogued as Ackles tried to process this new information. He appeared to mentally reach some sort of conclusion that he interpreted as "more friend than enemy," judging by the noticeably relaxed posture and faintly curious look Ackles was now giving him.

"Tell me more," Ackles said quietly.

"Well, it just seemed logical to me that there has to have been evidence of the supernatural, because..."

"I meant, tell me more about you."

It wasn't the words, or even the way they were spoken, but something in the body language that sent a surge of adrenaline coursing through Jared's veins, anchoring like a steel spike right between his legs. Ackles was toying with him — had to be. He couldn't possibly be hinting at anything else, right?

"Me? You mean, since I've been with the Bureau?"

"Since, before... right now." That hypnotic flicker of green-gold swept across his body once more, coming to rest somewhere in the area of that invisible spike nailing him to the seat.

Jared looked at him in shock, receiving a bemused grin in return. Jared Padalecki knew how to play naive, but it had been at least ten years since he had actually been naive for real. He knew a come-on when he heard it.

Damn smug bastard. Okay, Jensen, my man. Two can play at this game.

"Agent Ackles, just so we're clear, I think you should..."

The ringing of a cell phone stopped him mid-sentence, causing Jared to curse silently. Probably fucking Tal calling back to get more details about this help she was supposed to give! He had been assured that Alona Tal, Ackles's previous partner, had been out of the picture after one too many hair-raising experiences. Apparently that was not the case. He gritted his teeth and concentrated on the road as the phone continued to ring.

"Ackles, would you please answer the phone," he finally said in exasperation.

"It's not mine, Jared."

Jared looked at him in surprise then quickly fished his phone out of his jacket pocket, his face flushing red as he thumbed to accept the call.

"Padalecki."

"Hello, Jared," a familiar voice replied.

Jared contained the grimace that threatened to surface at hearing from his temporary boss. "Yes?"

"I don't think you should dissuade Agent Ackles's inquiries into your current case."

Arching an eyebrow, Jared glanced quickly at Ackles before returning his attention to the road. The fact that Morgan was keeping tabs on them was no surprise. Jared had planted the bug in the car himself. It was the swiftness with which the sonofabitch acted that made him uneasy. Jared cleared his throat. "May I ask why?"

"Getting into Agent Ackles's good graces could prove very advantageous, don't you think?"

"Of course." Jared knew it didn't matter what the hell he thought, but he concurred in order to give himself at least a false sense that he had a choice.

"But not too quickly, Jared. We want to keep him interested." A slight pause as he slowly exhaled. "Do you understand?"

"Yes. That's fine."

"Good." He clicked off.

"Everything okay?" Ackles asked.

"Oh, yeah. Fine." Jared smiled quickly. "My, uh, laptop's been in the shop. It's going to be ready as soon as I can go and pick it up. Not kidding, I feel naked without it."

"That's too bad. There’s something very vulnerable about being naked, don’t you think?” Jensen raised one eyebrow. “I guess we can swing by and pick it up." He shifted in his seat. "So, you were saying something about being clear..." He smirked, once again raking his eyes appreciatively over Jared's body.

"Right." Jared ran through various seduction scenarios in his head, settling on simply playing the blushing virgin. He had a feeling it would be the most believable anyway. "It's a little embarrassing, actually."

"Yeah?" Ackles grinned. "What is it?"

Jared opened his mouth as if to speak, then shook his head. "Never mind. It's nothing."

Ackles was quiet for a few moments. Finally, "Hey, if we're going to be partners… I'm just trying to get to know you better, that's all."

Jared looked at him quickly, forcing a convincing blush. "I knew that. I wasn't thinking that you were making any advances or anything." He bit back his smile when he heard Ackles laugh.

"It would make you uncomfortable if I was?"

"You know, for the master profiler you're supposed to be, you're not very good at reading people."

"Hmm," Ackles said thoughtfully. "So, you thought I was trying to come on to you?"

"You mean you weren't?" Jared asked in mock surprise.

"What made you think I was?"

Jared shrugged slightly. "The way you were looking at me. The change in your demeanor."

"I simply found it interesting that you seemed to be sexually aroused, that's all," Ackles said, his voice low.

The statement took Jared by surprise, and his look of shock at Ackles's straightforwardness was genuine. "I--I didn't think--"

"I'd notice?" Ackles grinned. "Well, it's kind of hard not to notice something like that." He glanced down again. "No offense intended, of course."

Jared shifted uncomfortably, trying to hide the erection that was once again beginning to make itself known.

“Of course.”

Ackles continued to watch the road for several seconds before turning back to Jared. “So … are you going to tell me what’s on your mind or not?”

“I told you it’s nothing; we’ll talk about it some other time, after this case is over with.” He felt as if he were being scrutinized by the profiler in Ackles, a bug under a microscope. This was not the way things were supposed to go. Ackles was supposed to be taken in by the coy and ‘not quite broken in’ act. Instead, Jared felt himself losing control of the situation. If he didn’t get himself together he’d be in real trouble.

“So what do you want Tal to do for us?” When in doubt, he thought,change the subject.

Ackles continued to stare at him as though trying to appraise his level of interest. “I didn't get the chance to tell her, yet, did I? You haven't met my ex-partner, have you? You'll find out when we get back.”

Jared looked at him. “You'll tell her? How about we tell her?”

Ackles slung his arm across the back of the seat, lightly brushing against Jared’s right shoulder.

“Is there a ‘we’, Jared?”

Jesus, I can’t take much more of this, please! “There should be,” he countered, turning his attention back to the road. “We’re partnered together, and you might as well make the best of it. To me, that means sharing information and including me in on your impulsive little jaunts out of town.”

Ackles continued to look at him from across the seat. His hand was now flexing against the seat back. It was all Jared could do not to look over at him. He couldn’t. To do that would be to admit defeat. It was what Ackles wanted, he was sure of it, but Jared wasn’t about to allow him that kind of control. He would make Ackles see his point and be treated as an equal, and then he greatly feared that he would end up dropping to his knees in front of him and do all the things he’d wanted to do from the moment he’d met the infuriating man.

The thought of having that rock solid cock in his mouth made him break out in a hazy sweat, despite the refrigerated air blowing out of the vents. And the bitch of it was that Ackles seemed to know exactly what was happening inside his head.

Cocktease! I’d like to give him something to tease all right. If it wasn’t for the Bureau, his assignment, and the brass watching his every move, he’d give Jensen Ackles something to remember and then walk away, whistling.

He’d pull the car right over to the side of the road and grab that hand off the seat back, shove it to his groin and say, “This is what’s on my mind!”

He’d reach over and unzip Ackles’s pants, pausing only long enough to admire the sight of his doubtless leaking cock, before he’d swallow him whole. He didn’t think Ackles had ever had a proper blowjob, let alone one as good as Jared could give. Not to brag, but he’d received more than his share of compliments in that department, and sucking Ackles’s dick would be a pleasure, assignment or not, and who knows? Maybe it would teach him not to fuck with his partners.

“You make a convincing argument, Jared.” The hand moved from the seat back and settled between the two of them. It rubbed the seat cloth, flexed, and then returned to Ackles’s lap. “I’ll see what I can do about curbing my … impulses.”


~~o(0)o~~

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