Invincibility Isn't Everything

[SexualOddity]

Once upon a time, a long time ago, it was Ickydog's birthday, and I was bad at completing giftfics.

--

To his shame, Jensen caught himself fiddling anxiously with the hem of his jacket when they pulled up outside Jared’s house on Monday morning. The thought had already occurred to him that Jared didn’t usually take this long, but he held it in check. He needed to pull his head together. He’d been over-thinking pretty much everything for the past few days.

Jared hadn’t seemed himself the Friday before, but at that point Jensen hadn’t thought too much of it. Filming on ‘Supernatural’ had been a task, much more intensive than either of them had expected, and Friday had been the end of a particularly long week. The pair of them had been feeling pretty run down.

The point at which Jensen had slipped over into questionable sanity had actually been the following morning. He’d had casual plans with Jared to fly back to Texas to see some football, but his co-star had rung through early that morning, sounding tired and congested as hell, to say that he didn’t feel up to the game and was gonna grab the opportunity to get some rest. Jensen went to the match with an old friend from back home, and that should have been an end to it, except that he spent the best part of the day distracted at the thought of Jared sick and struggling to take care of himself and his dogs all alone at his place.

The next day Jensen had headed back to Vancouver and he must have picked up his mobile and turned it over in his hands about forty times, wondering whether to check in on Jared and make sure he was alright. He just about caught himself each time. Jared could look out for himself, and besides, they’d only known one another for a matter of months, no doubt he was the last person Jared would want in his face when he was sick. Most likely, if he needed someone, he’d already have phoned up some girl to come over.

Still, when Jared came out of the door all bundled up and flushed in the face, he couldn’t help his stomach twisting with guilt and worry at the thought of him spending the weekend alone.

“Jesus, Jared.” Jensen exclaimed as Jared flopped into the back seat, shivering.

“I kndow,” Jared flashed him an exhausted smile. “Idt’s gondda be a londg day.”

Jensen winced as Jared spoke. So soft and stuffy. Sound would have a real job of picking that up on the microphones.

“I kndow, I kndow,” Jared continued as if he’d read his mind. “But decondgestandts are doindg jack. Godt sombe bmendthol for right before we shoot. That should get bme through... hobpefully.”

As they set off for the day, Jensen couldn’t take his eyes off Jared as he huddled up in his coat in the back seat and went through a stack of Kleenex trying to blow his nose.

--

Twenty-minutes later, sat out in the make-up tent, Jensen still hadn’t succeeded in pulling himself together. The make-up girl was pleasant enough, and was chatting away, but it just melted into a hum as he noticed Jared pull away from his own make-up artist and break into a sneezing fit. Down the other side of the room, he was flushing, and apologising and fumbling in his pockets for tissues. Jared had never struck Jensen as a guy who would embarrass easily, and Jensen felt inexplicably protective seeing him knocked off kilter like this. He hadn’t really noticed the extent to which he’d gotten caught up in watching him until a change in his assistant’s tone snapped him back to her conversation. She had stopped whatever she was doing with the powder and was looking at him with eyebrows raised, clearly expecting an answer. Jensen just nodded and mumbled something vaguely in the affirmative. It seemed to do the trick.

He took a breath and fixed himself with a hard stare through his reflection in the mirror, trying to find Dean in his expression. Relatively satisfied that he’d rallied his concentration, he sat back into the chair, silently turned over the lines for the next scene, and actively did not peek over at Jared to check up on how he was doing.

--

Jensen finished in hair and make-up first and Bob took the opportunity to shoot a couple of solo shots for Dean. Jared appeared as they were finishing up and the pair of them decided to stand aside to run some lines while the crew reset the camera.

“Shit, Jared. You’re shivering.” Jensen blurted out, mid-dialogue. “You running a fever?”

Jared sniffed, and shrugged. “Probably.”

Jensen wanted to plant a hand on Jared’s forehead to see how bad it was, wanted to run and see if they had a thermometer in the first aid kit, or get him some tea, or lozenges, or something, but that would be awkward and odd, so instead he shuffled on the balls of his feet and tried to think of something appropriate to say. He settled in the end for just clapping Jared on the shoulder and hoping that it said concern in a not-at-all-uncomfortable kind of way.

Jared winced and turned away as they positioned the primary set-light. Jensen must have reacted because the kid was quick with an explanation.

“I’m trying to avoid that.” He sniffed and unfolded some Kleenex from his pocket, tilting his head in the direction of the light. “Past couple of days, once I start sneezing, I don’t stop.”

Jensen nodded, understanding. Bright lights, especially the big set lights, tended to make Jared sneeze if they caught him in the eye. There was a name for it, Jared had told him once, but it escaped him.

Pretty much as soon as the lighting was done Bob called them to take up positions. The pair of them had actually been looking forward to filming this scene. Jared was playing a shape-shifter in the form of Sam, which was new territory for the pair of them. Nearly halfway into the season, they were finding they could slip into the normal sibling relationship with remarkable ease, but this was a great opportunity to mix it up a bit and play with the dynamic. No doubt Jared would have preferred to tackle it when he was on top of his game, though.

As the cameras started rolling, Jensen realised that the timing wasn’t ideal for him either. Much as he tried to call upon the reserves of his knowledge of his character and his previous fascination with Dean’s journey in the scene, he continually caught himself noticing the loss of colour in Jared’s cheeks, wondering whether his eyes looked a little too shiny.

Slap.

Jensen was broken out of his reverie as Sam slammed his hand against the wall behind him, looming down over him. His expression dropped in a second though as he dragged in air at a gasp.

“Huh-EHTch’yew!” Jared span away at the last minute, sneezing openly towards the ground.

“Cut!”

“HnnghTCHyhn! HnnghTCH’Nnn! Shit. S-uhhh-sorry.”

A PA appeared with tissues and Jared blew his nose as a make-up girl hovered, waiting to touch him up. Jensen could see him struggle as she smoothed base over his nose, and before she’d finished he turned over his shoulder to stifle a sneeze, keeping his hands out of the way this time, probably afraid that he’d smudge it and she’d have to start over again.

“Okay, let’s go again.” Bob clapped his hands, summoning them back to their positions, and Jared took up his place leaning over Dean, one hand flat against the wall.

“You okay?” Jensen asked, under his breath.

Jared screwed up his face in response and immediately doubled over, coughing into the crook of his arm.

“You ready Jay?” Bob asked when the fit had died down. Jared took a swig from his bottle at the side of set and nodded, getting back into position.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, when the two of them were back up against the wall. “Hate that you have to be up close to me when I’m this gross.”

“I’m invincible,” Jensen shrugged. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Action!”

To his credit, Jared snapped immediately into the scene, but up close as he was, Jensen could see the reddening at the corners of his nostrils, could see his nose twitching, noticed him sniffing, ever so lightly, between his lines.

“Cut!”

Before the word was even out of Bob’s mouth, Jared’s shoulders had slumped.

“Jared, you’re still sniffling. It’s not gonna work in the close shot.”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry.” He tipped his head back and pinched at the top of his nose. “I still kinda hafta sneeze.”

“You need to take five?”

Jared just nodded helplessly and accepted an entire box of tissues from an assistant. He pulled a couple free and stepped up to the light-stand, blinking up into the beam, in what Jensen could only assume was a kamikaze attempt to get it out of his system. He stepped up behind him silently and lay a protective hand on Jared's back as he broke into sneeze after sneeze.

--

They wrapped up for the day earlier than expected. Bob said that it was because they were ahead of time, but Jensen suspected that it was at least partially out of pity for his co-star. Jared’s voice was as good as gone, and he just slumped into Cliff’s car, shivering hard and coughing. Since he had retired his menthol to his back pocket, his sinuses had clogged pretty much instantly and he was rolling his shoulders in apparent discomfort.

“I nearly forgot,” Cliff leaned across to open up the glove box. “Gotchya some extra Kleenex.”

For the first time in a good couple of hours, Jensen could swear he saw something akin to life in Jared’s eyes as he reached hungrily for the box.

“You should gedt a raise, Cliff.”

Cliff told them that he in full agreement, but Jensen couldn’t break his attention from the way that Jared stretched out his neck awkwardly after he blew his nose.

“You’re achy.” It came out as a statement not a question, and Jensen couldn’t help shifting uncomfortably when Jared blinked up at him in surprise.

“Uhh... yeah. I’bm a lidttle fluey I guess.”

“I’m gonna come back with you.” Again, the words were out of his mouth before he’d thought to consider them, and he could feel his cheeks heat when Jared frowned. He could only hope that it was too dark for anyone to see.

“Why? Uh, I bmeand, you’re welcombe, budt...”

“You need some rest. I can make us some food, sort your dogs out... We’re gonna need you sharp to pick up tomorrow,” he offered in the way of garbled explanation, as if it somehow made it less of an unusual gesture.

“Err okay. I guess jusdt onde sdtop thend Cliff...”

**

When they got out of the car, Jared was still looking at him, forehead crinkled in this adorable confused scrutiny. Jensen had almost forgotten himself in watching with something akin to sentimental indulgence, when Jared’s expression changed and he began to paw at the box of tissues he’d taken from Cliff.

“HurrASHH’Shyew! AHTCHhhYew! TSHHhh’Yew! Sh-uhh- Shit. HuhhhKiSHH’Yew! Ugh, goddambdnit! HuhhESHHH’Yew!”

“Shit. Jesus, bless you.”

Seeing Jared struggling with the Kleenex box, Jensen took it from him and plucked out a few sheets of tissue to press into his hand. Jared turned and sneezed violently into the bundle.

“Thandkyou,” he said at last, wearily pressing his fingers up against the bridge of his nose. “I’bm getting really tired of thadt.”

They walked up Jared’s driveway as the snowfall, that had been cheerlessly forecast in the colour of the sky all day, finally began to settle.

“You dond’t have to do this you kndow. I cand rund you hombe...”

Jensen shrugged off the suggestion. “I want to help.”

“I dond’t wandt you to gedt this. Hondestly, idt’s brutal. I feel like warmbed ubp crap. Feverish crap.”

“You’ve been telling me you feel fine all day.”

“Andd you’ve beend tellindg bme you’re indvindcible all day, budt I’bm dnot sure I believe idt.”

Jensen just smiled. “We’ve been filming a scene where we’re about this far from each other faces.” He held out his fingers in an exaggerated approximation of distance. “If I’m gonna get it, I think the ship has probably already sailed.”

Jared groaned at the thought.

“It’s fine.” Jensen insisted. “You’re doing me a favour. I’d only worry if you were here on your own.”

Jared’s head snapped up instantly.

“You would?”

That awkward feeling knotted in Jensen’s chest and he was about to attempt to brush off the comment, but Jared was still looking down at him and for a second Jensen thought he saw something of a question in his expression.

“Yeah, I would”, Jensen admitted.

And shit. God bless Jared-heart-on-his-motherfucking-sleeve-Padalecki and his supreme inability to keep his feelings from spilling out all over his face. They shared a look for what must have been all of an embarrassed millisecond but, damn, there was enough surprise and hope and confirmation in that smile to make sense of the ridiculous worrying of the past few days, of the whole of the past few months actually. Jensen must have played that smile over in his head a hundred times that night while he warmed up chicken soup and saw to Jared’s dogs.

**

Jared was a picture when he woke the next morning, hair all askew and still pale and tired-looking, but grinning. He raised an eye at Jensen when he used his shoulder to nudge open the door of his room, hands all full of breakfast.

“Should I be gedttindg you to combe ubp indto the bed?”

Jensen stopped in his tracks and blinked at Jared, wondering whether he had heard him right.

“I heard you sndeezindg ind the kitchend,” Jared explained.

“Oh” he rolled his eyes. “I put pepper in your eggs that’s all. Relax.”

Jared beamed and took the plate eagerly. “I didnd’t kndow you were a chef.”

“I have my uses.” Jensen sank to the floor, back against the wall and set about tucking into his own breakfast, fork in hand and plate balanced on his knee. “You’re hungry today,” he added appreciatively. “That can only be a good thing.”

Jared nodded enthusiastically until Jensen brought up a hand to scrub at the side of his nose.

“Ehhh... HuhhUHHtCHUH! HUuhhCHUH! HeHtSHCHEW! Ugh,” Jensen sniffed and dropped the collar of his shirt that he had lifted in haste to cover his nose and mouth. Jared put his breakfast down at the side of his bed.

“Jensen...”

There was a kind of warm accusation in the way that Jared says his name that wasn't altogether unwelcome. Still, he shook his head.

“I’m fine. Seriously. Pepper always drives me nuts, that’s all.”

“Really?” Jared frowned, “Because this is how it starts.”

“I promise.” But even as he said the words, there was a niggling itch right down in his sinuses. Jensen pressed a thumb to the side of his nose, trying to squash it back and failing miserably. He shifted his plate hastily to the side and buried his face into his knees.

“HurrUSHHhew! H’USHHhhew! NnnGHhhSHhhhuh! USHHhhhUHhh! Huh...USHHHHhUH!”

When he sniffed and looked up, eyes bleary, Jared was looking straight back at him. He raised an arm and lifted the blanket without a word. Seeing little point in protesting, Jensen sighed, and climbed onto the mattress next to Jared. And when Jared dropped his arm and wrapped it around Jensen’s waist, pulling him up against his too-warm skin, Jensen decided that it might not actually be so bad, suffering through a couple of sick days.

[Ciuty80]

brilliant,absolutely brilliant!! :drool: and of course sexy as hell!

[Sawyer]

AHH! Where are you people coming from? God bless this hiatus! Ahh! This was WONDERFUL.

I love how their relationship is still a little new so Jensen is all awkward about taking care of Jared, but he still totally wants to! And Jared is so MISERABLE. All stuffed up and sneezing a lot! Ooh, I love how that he can't stop once he starts (AND YOU ADDED IN THE PHOTIC THING. JESUS I LOVE YOU) and oh my god, when he was sniffling and it was ruining the close up and he had to sneeze while they were filming (god god god, so hot, yes yes) and ohmygod, this part:

“HurrASHH’Shyew! AHTCHhhYew! TSHHhh’Yew! Sh-uhh- Shit. HuhhhKiSHH’Yew! Ugh, goddambdnit! HuhhESHHH’Yew!”

“Shit. Jesus, bless you.”

HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS. I love it! And how sweet that Jared was all happy that Jensen would worry about him! And oooh, Jensen and the pepper! "Always drives me nuts" and then "this is how it starts" ararhghgh that's wonderful, you're wonderful, thank you!

Edit: just wanted to add that your spellings are INCREDIBLE and I really liked Jensen sneezing into his collar at the end, wow, yum. You're the best.

Edited March 14, 2013 by Sen Beret

[ID2006]

once upon a time, long long ago, a birthday girl feared her fic request was given up on, but then, she looked, and hope lit her face as she noticed a particularly favored authors name in the story section. And oh the glory that was beheld as she slowly scrolled down her screen. My favorite actors in my favorite predicaments. You are amazing. And you even added a Jensen sneezing into his collar moment. I adore you and if there is ever some supernatural fic that you would especially like me to take a go at it, I'd be happy to oblige.

ps. thanks for not forgetting about me. it's nice to feel valued.

[VividBubbles!]

Can I just ditto everyone else's comments? I'm just too adorabled out by sick!Jensen and Jared and their super cute sneezes and cuddles.

bye.

[Zwee]

Oh my dear god. STOP. I can't even handle it. This is definitely the cutest thing in the universe... I mean... STOP. It's too good for me to form coherent thoughts.

I love sick AND photic Jared. And sneezy Jared. And sick Jensen. And powerful-sneeze Jensen. And Jared noticing Jensen's sneezing. And Jensen being SO worried about Jared and feeling awkward and taking care of him anyway. Because that's just so freaking adorable I don't know what to do. Plus JARED HAS DOGS and I really really REALLY like dogs. Every time I even imagine him owning dogs it just becomes the most adorable thing.

To think I thought people were getting tired of SPN. (And was silently crying when I thought I would never read another of these ridiculously wonderful masterpieces.)

Yeahhh. I just. I liked it. Yep.

[HoneyBunny]

Oh Jesus. This fic was already smokin' before Jensen started sneezing too.

I absolutely love how Jared sniffled through the entire scene and then looked at the light to get all the sneezes out. That is like the hottest thing ever, and OMG Jensen laying his hand on Jared's back while he's sneezing is so adorable!

[SexualOddity]

Awww thank you guys! These comments are ALL the lovely. Yep

Zwee - Rest assured, I will NEVER get tired of SPN, sometimes I have to shoehorn writing into normal-life-stuff but it's more than worth it to come and share all the SPN kink-love with you guys. I have a stack of fic to catch up on tonight and I'm already giddy. (I agree that dogs are the greatest, btw. The greatest greatest.)

Icky - Of course I didn't forget you! But I'm sorry for making you wait so long. Hope it was worth it!

Now I might just read these comments again and dance around my living room with glee.

[swann_ee_song]

LOVING this thread. No idea why I wasn't in here before. But I'm staying.f