Archive of Our Own

Wings Of An Angel

What would you give up to be with the one you loved? For some, they would give up nothing. For one, he would give up everything he had ever known to be with the one he loved.

Emergency Room

“Knife wound, trauma room one.” The charge nurse called out as Jensen left one patient in search of the next to be seen. Life as an Emergency Room doctor was never dull, he mused to himself. Nodding, he accepted the paperwork she was holding out and disappeared into the occupied room. Grabbing gloves as he walked into the room, he slid his hands into them. Keeping his features expressionless, he introduced himself. “I'm Doctor Ackles. I'm gonna take a look at your wound and see what we need to do for you.”

Jensen walked to the left side of the bed to examine the twenty-five year old male, holding a bloody towel to his left bicep. Gently, he pulled back the towel to see that the wound was had stopped bleeding. Picking up a bottle of saline, he irrigated the wound to get a better look. The guy flinched, but didn't pull away. “Well, once I get this cleaned, I'll be able to stitch the site. The police have already been notified, standard procedure for knife or gunshot wounds.”

The guy nodded, not taking his eyes off Jensen. He placed gauze over the site before taking off his gloves and calling for a nurse to assist him. While Jensen waited for the nurse to assist him with the procedure, he pulled out the needed supplies. Replacing his gloves, he grabbed the rolling stool and sat. Jensen looked at the guy and reached for the metal rolling tray holding the medical supplies. “You're name is Zeke?” The guy mumbled his response. “Okay, I'm going to numb the area so I can treat you. Do you have any questions?” The guy shook his head no and looked away.

The nurse handed Jensen a syringe with Lidocaine so he could numb the area before getting to work. Jensen waited for the local anesthesia to take effect before he grabbed a syringe filled with saline and irrigated the wound again so he could examine the incised wound more closely before proceeding. He nodded to the nurse, letting her know to open the suture kit. She did, placing the items on the tray and removing the used syringe to dispose of in the sharps box hanging on the wall. She returned, waiting for further instructions. Jensen had threaded the needle and was beginning to carefully insert the curved needle into the skin to tie the beginning knots of the sutures. He made sure to allow for the skin to contract as he performed a run of interrupted sutures closing the wound.

Once done, he tied off the sutures, cutting the excess with surgical scissors. Placing the used items on the tray, he reached for gauze and medical tape to cover the area. While he was doing that, the nurse removed the used suture kit and disposed of everything. “You’ll need to keep the area clean and dry. You’ll have a scar, but over time it should fade. When you’re being released, a follow up appointment will be made to have your stitches removed. Do you have any questions?” Zeke looked at him. “No, been through this before. Thanks, doc.” He leaned back against the bed and closed his eyes. Taking off his gloves, Jensen tossed them in the trash before leaving the room. He thanked the nurse for her assistance before moving on to the next patient.

After several more patients, Jensen came to the end of his shift. He walked into the doctor’s locker room to grab his bag and coat. Slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder, he walked over to the time clock and ran his badge through to clock out. Rubbing his eyes, he pushed the door open and stepped into the hall. He rounded the corner to the exit, when he realized he'd left his jacket behind. Sighing, he turned around to walk back the locker room when he stopped.
The hairs on the back of his neck rose with the feeling that he was not alone. He looked up and down the hall, to find that he was the only one there. He sighed at himself. He pushed open the door, grabbed his jacket out of his locker and left. He looked around the hallway again shaking his head at himself. “I must be tired. Imagining that someone’s watching me.” He rubbed the back of his neck before digging out his keys from his jacket. He walked to the exit and left the hospital, crossing the parking garage to his car. He tossed his bag onto the passenger seat before sliding in behind the driver's wheel for the drive home.

Jared stood in the hallway, watching the human who'd just walked out of the locker room. His breath would have caught in his chest, had he been breathing. He said a silent prayer that he was actually not visible to the human. Had he not been, Jared would have been caught openly staring at the man. The green eyes were the first thing he'd noticed. Even under the harsh hospital light, they sparkled. Jared stood at six feet four inches, the man was a few inches shorter than him, Jared noticed. His dark blond, short cropped hair was tousled and Jared had to fight down the urge to reach out and run his fingers through it. He had an athletic build indicating the man was active outside of the hospital. Jared was intrigued by the man and watched him as he walked back into the locker room and out again. Jared followed the man as he walked to the parking garage and watched as he drove off. There was definitely something about the man that had piqued Jared’s interest.

Had Jared not know that the man was a human being, he would have figured him for one of his celestial brothers. The pale skin, dotted with freckles, bow shaped lips and piercing green eyes gave the impression that he was angelic looking. But, Jared didn’t feel the angelic pull from the man as he walked by him. The man would have been not only able to sense Jared’s presence, he would have been able to see him, even in his cloaked form. Angels could make themselves visible to humans if they chose to. It depended on the occasion if the angel chose to allow all humans around to see them or to be only visible to a chosen one or few or not visible at all.

Jared heard the sound of flapping wings, a sound only an angel was able to hear as another angel approached and felt the movement of air around him. He turned to find his friend standing behind him. He looked down into crystal blue eyes, the other angel being a few inches shorter. “Misha, are you watching me? Because that would just be creepy.” Misha tilted his head back and laughed. “No.” Misha said and averted his eyes. Jared rolled his eyes at Misha. “Come on, we have work to do, my friend.” Jared said as he slung an arm around the man’s shoulders. They returned to the hospital to perform their job.

Jared and Misha had each been assigned to help a soul into heaven as they passed from the living. Both took their work seriously, not wanting the one who was passing away to have no one there to guide them. “So, who was that man? You know, the one I wasn't watching you watch.” Jared smiled, knowing how much Misha loved a good mystery. “Don't know who he is. That was the first time I’ve seen him.” He shrugged not knowing what else to say.

Misha eyed his friend, seeing Jared was lost in his own thoughts and shrugged. He'd never seen Jared at a loss for words. Patting Jared’s back, he sighed. “Well my friend, he's human and alive, so not our concern. Come on, let's go do what we were sent here to do.” Jared looked at Misha before following him. “Yeah, I'm coming.” They walked to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. Once in, Misha pressed the button for the eighth floor, Geriatrics. Jared reached over and pressed the button for the fifth floor, Intensive Care. The bell dinged, indicating the elevator car had arrived at Jared’s floor. While they were able to appear where they needed to be, both Jared and Misha actually enjoyed riding in the elevator. It was what humans would call a quirk of theirs.

He got off, not looking back at Misha. He walked to room seven and stopped. Looking around, he made sure no one was watching as he slid the door open. At times it was easier to make himself visible to those dying by entering their room as if he was human. It was easier than springing himself on the dying and trying to explain what he was and why he was there. While Jared would feel the pull to the soul he was there for, he never knew the state the dying body was in, if they were lucid or not. The middle aged man lying in the bed didn't move as the angel came closer to him. Jared laid a hand on the comatosed man and leaned down to whisper in his ear. “It's time to come home.”

The man's eyes fluttered before snapping open looking up but unseeing. Jared watched as the man's chest rose and fell several times before his breathing stopped. Jared slipped out of the room as staff rushed in trying to take all steps to unsuccessfully resuscitate the man. The commotion happening in the room from the staff was something Jared had long been used to. As Jared walked back to the elevator and reached out to press the button, he heard the heart monitor being shut off.

First Meeting

Jared returned to heaven, making sure the soul he’d helped pass over earlier had made its way to where it was intended. Satisfied that his work was complete and the soul had been ushered on to its final destination, he made the decision to return to earth. He felt as if something was pulling him back there. He couldn’t explain it and he couldn’t fight it. Without a word to Misha, he disappeared from Heaven, in search of something. He just wasn’t sure what that was.

Before he even had a chance to figure out where he was going, he found himself back at the hospital, in the same hallway where he’d seen the green eyed man. That’s what he was feeling, the pull was calling him back to this man. Jared leaned against the wall. He wasn’t sure what this could possibly mean - the desire to see this man again. Jared looked up as the door opened. There he was, a tired smile crossed his face.

“Excuse me, this area is for hospital staff only.” The man said, his voice sounding worn out. Jared startled at his words, realizing he was visible. Making himself visible was not something that he typically did. He usually stayed in his cloaked form making it easier to move about the humans to do his job. While people may believe in angels, seeing them suddenly appear to them was something else entirely. Especially in their true form, wings extended. It could be overwhelming for some. He was thankful that he’d materialized before Jensen stepped into the hallway. Jared watched as Jensen took a step forward.

“Are you lost? It’s easy to do. The hallways all look the same.” Jared coughed, clearing his throat. It had been a long time since he’s used his voice so that a human could hear it. “Coffee.” He croaked out. Jensen nodded. “Yeah, I need some coffee, too. Come on, I was about to get some myself. I’m Jensen by the way.” Jensen extended his hand to Jared. Jared looked down at the hand, a vague realization that it was a custom to shake hands when meeting for the first time. He smiled and accepted the hand, shaking it firmly. “Jared.” Jensen’s lips curved up into a slight smile. “Well then Jared, follow me.”

Without speaking, Jared followed Jensen to a small lounge. Pushing open the door, Jensen ushered him in. “Coffee, I don’t think I’d be able to function without it.” He grabbed two paper cups and poured them each a cup. With a smile, he handed one to Jared. “There’s milk and creamer in the fridge and sugar on the table.” Jared watched as Jensen pursed his lips to blow on the hot coffee. “Thanks, it’s fine just black. Are you a doctor here?”

Taking a seat at the table Jensen laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling. Jared fought the urge to trace the lines with his fingers. “Yeah, worked here for about three years now. Mainly in the ER. I actually prefer the fast pace and the unknown.” Jared stood, listening to him speak. Seeing that Jared was still standing, Jensen smiled and waved a hand at one of the other empty chairs. “Hey, have a seat.”

“You’re not going to get in trouble, I mean me being here since it’s staff only?” Jensen’s smile widened and Jared smiled back. “No, not unless someone tells. Even then I doubt it. So, are you here visiting someone?” Jared sat back in the chair, considering how to answer the question. “Yeah, I was. Then I got turned around. Wasn’t sure where I was going until you took pity on me. Thanks, by the way.”

Jensen’s pager went off, ending their conversation. He looked down at it and frowned. Standing up, he pushed in the chair and grabbed his coffee. “Duty calls. Come on, I can at least get you back to the ER. From there you should be able to find your way out.”
Jared followed Jensen back out to the ER. They parted ways as Jensen walked off toward the nurse’s station to find out what patient was waiting for him. Jared stood, rooted to the spot watching as the man walked away. Jared didn’t leave until Jensen had disappeared from his sight.

Two days later, Jared was back at the hospital. Unseen by those around him, he searched for Jensen. He found him in the ER, dealing with an elderly patient. Jared slipped into the room, unnoticed and watched. He had never done anything like this before. But, he found he couldn’t stop himself. The need to see Jensen was too great for him to fight. Jared promised himself and Jensen silently, this would be the only time he did this, knowing how creepy it might be. Jared just need to see Jensen, even if he was taking care of a patient, just this one time Jared repeated to himself. He watched as Jensen looked over the woman’s chart and tests and then as Jensen cast a glance at the patient.

“Mrs. Rodriguez, I can't seem to find anything wrong with you. You appeared to be in good health. You said you were having chest pains?” The woman smiled up at him. “Doctor Ackles, you are such a nice young man. You have girlfriend or wife who take care of you?”
Jared watched as Jensen did his best not to smile. “Mrs. Rodriguez, we are here to discuss your health, not my personal life.” She batted her eyelashes at him and he blushed ever so slightly. “No, it’s alright. You like the men. I can tell.”
Jensen took a step back, crossing his arms in front of himself. He looked uncomfortable finding himself in this situation. “Is okay. In my day, not so much. You have nice man to take care of you?” He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Mrs. Rodriguez, is there a medical issue you're here for?” She smiled sweetly at him. “Huh, no man, then. Shame, you are doctor, good catch for someone. You will find him soon enough. Don't worry.” She reached over and patted his arm.
Jensen stood gaping at the woman. Clearly, she needed a psychiatric evaluation in his opinion. She placed her hands on the counter, using it for leverage to lift herself up. Once standing, she looked Jensen up and down. “No, you've already met him. He’ll come to you again.” She raised her hand up, cupping his cheek. “I go home now. Feeling better already. You are wonderful doctor.”

Not waiting for Jensen’s response she walked out of the room. Jensen leaned against the examination table, shaking his head wondering what just happened. “I guess it's true. You do see all kinds in the ER.” He said to himself, disbelief in his voice.

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts. Looking up, he saw one of the nurses on duty entering the room, looking around for the patient. “Hey, where's the patient?” Jensen handed her the chart and stood to his full height. “Apparently Tina, Mrs. Rodriguez was not actually here for medical help.” Tina’s eyes widened upon hearing the name.
“Oh, I hope it was good news she gave you. She has yet to be wrong.” Jensen’s head snapped up to meet Tina’s eyes. “Excuse me? She's done this before? No one told her anything about me? She knew things . . .” His voice trailed off as he went over in his mind what the woman had said to him. He walked out of the room in a daze, not knowing what to think.

Jared watched as he left. Jensen wasn't seeing anyone and he was gay. That he hadn't seen coming. Not that it mattered. Jared knew there was nothing between him and the human. But, he did feel a spike of happiness at knowing there was no one special in Jensen’s life. He toyed with the idea of what it would be like to feel the man's full lips against his, the touch of his skin and the smell of him. But, he forced those thoughts away. Nothing would come from this and there was no sense in torturing himself over it. He willed himself to leave the area and to do the job he was actually there to do.

He met Misha on the second floor. He’d just finished crossing a soul over and was looking for Jared. “Where have you been, Jared?” Jared looked up, surprised to see the other angel standing in front of him. “Uh, observing.” Misha nodded his head as if understanding what Jared meant. “Well, you better get going. Your next soul is waiting. It's not good to make them wait.” Jared ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, I'll uh, see you later.” Jared disappeared down the hall in search of the person who was dying that day.

When his task was done and Jared had seen the soul safely to heaven, he found himself back in the hospital looking for Jensen. He realized this had been an unconscious decision on his part. It wasn’t until he was asked to step aside, that Jared had noticed he was visible and standing in the ER waiting room. He stepped back as a nurse passed him by, trying to make sure he wasn’t in the way, despite being seen. He pressed his back against the wall, wondering when Jensen had crossed his mind. He shook his head, not knowing what to make of the situation he was in. He’d always been able to control his visibility and his thoughts.

Today, for some reason he wasn’t in control and it made him uneasy. Just the thought of having feeling, emotions was new to him. Angels didn’t have emotions, at least not those who had been created by god himself as Jared had been. Angels created by God had specific functions; some some were tasked with enforcing the Word of God, some were peacekeepers, some were warriors and some such as Jared and Misha were charged with the safekeeping of passing souls.

There were angels who used to be human. They were recruited upon death as they entered heaven, were charged with overseeing human emotions. It had long been thought that these angels were better suited to deal with human emotions, once having been human themselves and understanding what emotions were. Jared had never been sure of this, but kept his opinion to himself. They dealt with opening the eyes of one person to fall in love with another, to stay the hand of one who had violence in their heart or to aide in acts of kindness.

But, as evaluation of mankind happened so it happened for the angels. Slowly, they were beginning to develop emotions. First had come anger. He had seen it happen in some of the angels at the council meetings. It was strange to observe a celestial being, who had no emotions at one time, begin to exhibit them. He had watched, fascinated as a verbal argument which began in monotone voices rose in volume and temperament. He had seen such things in humans, but never in angels. He remembered wondering if this would happen to all angels or only those who came into contact with the human race. As changes happened, he watched the beginning of such emotions as love, hate, jealousy and even envy were exhibited by angels.

Jared watched and waited, not knowing if Jensen was even there at work today. Fifteen minutes later, his waiting was rewarded with the sight of Jensen as he emerged from one of the ER rooms. He and a nurse were looking over a patient’s chart, deep in their discussion. They walked to the nurse’s station and Jensen signed off on the chart and handed it to the nurse before picking up another chart and disappearing into another room. Jared felt a smile spreading over his features. Just seeing this man was enough to make him happy.

He cocked his head at that thought. Happy. He felt happy. He was feeling an emotion. Sure, he knew what that was, the meaning of the word happy. He'd observed it countless times over his existence. But, he had never experienced it himself. He wasn't sure if this was a good thing. Angels weren't made to feel and now he was, after so many years without emotions. Would he be called back by the Angelic Council, reassigned to another task, no longer allowed to deal with humans? The thought of not seeing Jensen again would have stilled his beating heart, if it did actually beat.

Several days past before Jared was able to see Jensen again. The longing he felt was increasing with the passing of each day. He wanted to see Jensen, longed to talk with him. Hear the sound of his voice. Make him smile, watch Jensen’s eyes crinkle the way they did the last time. Jared made the conscious decision to see Jensen, to visit him at the hospital. Jared allowed himself to appear outside the parking garage and walked the short distance to the ER lobby doors. He entered, keeping himself against the wall and out of everyone’s way. It still felt unsettling to Jared to allow himself to act as a human.

Jensen looked up from the nurse’s station to see Jared standing off to the side of the ER waiting room. He smiled and gave a little wave to Jared, then went back to reading over the patient’s information and aftercare he had entered into the computer system. Once done, he looked up again, seeing Jared still standing there, against the wall. Jensen gave a little frown, not understanding why Jared was still standing there and not approaching him. He motioned to Jared, indicating for him to come over. He watched as Jared looked around, trying to determine if Jensen was motioning to someone else. When Jared realized it was him, he gave a shy smile and stepped forward, moving quietly to where Jensen was waiting for him. Jared was met with a warm smile and a hello from Jensen. Jared looked at Jensen before saying hello to Jensen.

“Are you visiting someone again?” Jensen asked, cocking his head to one side.

“In a way, I am.” Jared watched the look of confusion cloud over Jensen’s smile. “I was actually here to see if you were working. I thought maybe we could get another cup of coffee together?” Jared cast his eyes downward, not wanting to see Jensen’s possible unfavorable reaction to his question.

Jensen stood, staring at the man before him. Did Jared just ask him out on a date? Looking at the tall, muscular man in front of him and he couldn’t help but smile. He could definitely do worse as far as someone to get a coffee with. Jared seemed nice. Jensen didn’t see the harm in accepting his offer. Jensen heard Jared mutter something and start to turn away before he could answer Jared’s question.

“Okay, not interested.” Was what Jared said as he turned to walk away before Jensen asked him to leave or called security on him. Jared shrugged his shoulders, at least he’d tried was what ran through his mind. The smile he’d had on his face now replaced with a frown.

“Hey, Jared right?” Jared stopped and turned slightly back to him. Jared shook his head yes in response to the question. “Yes, Jared I’d like to get a cup of coffee with you.” Jared turned to fully face him. Jensen watched as a smile warmed Jared’s face. Jensen looked up at Jared and into the most amazing eyes he'd ever seen. Then he stopped breathing when Jared smiled at him, displaying his dimples. Dimples. Jared had dimples! If Jensen had been asked to create the perfect guy for himself, he was pretty sure it would have been Jared. Jensen had to remind himself to breathe so he could continue speaking in coherent sentences. “I have a break coming up in about thirty minutes, unless an emergency happens, if you want to wait around.”

Jared brought his gaze back up to meet Jensen’s “Sure, if that’s okay? I can wait.”

“Okay, sounds good. If something comes up I’ll let you know. If not, I’ll meet you back here. We can go back to the lounge and grab a coffee. I can’t really leave in case . . .” Jensen’s voice trailed off as he waved a hand in the direction of the ER.

“Yeah, I get it. I’ll be outside so I’m not in the way.” Jared nodded his head as if agreeing with himself. Before Jensen could comment, Jared slipped away from the nurse’s station and out the main ER doors. Jared found an unoccupied bench to sit on while waiting for Jensen. He realized he had a silly smile on his face while he waited to meet up with Jensen. Try as he might, he couldn't stop smiling. Jared had no idea why Jensen was so intriguing to him or why he kept wanting to see him, talk to him. Jared had asked him out for coffee, not that Jared really needed to eat or drink. In their truest celestial form, angels were made of light. Mere light, but impressive all the same. Their form would blind a human or possibly kill them if looked upon too long. The body that Jensen saw as Jared was Jared’s ability to manipulate his light and celestial power into a form resembling a human body.

He'd learned this ages ago, not remembering how or why he'd taken on this form, this male body. He liked the height, he was used to being even taller in his angelic form. They did have wings in their true form, but they were made of the same light, not feathers. How the angels had decided on feathers as a form of wings was lost to him. But, it seemed humans preferred it. His eyes, hazel in color, were a reflection of his celestial power. No angel picked their eye color when creating their human form. He wore his hair longer than most as an acknowledgment to the past when their hair hung past their shoulders, only tied back when going into battle. Now, he only allowed it to fall in length to his chin. He knew his form was referred to as impressive, broad shoulders, strong defined arms, long lean legs, trim waist and muscular. It hadn't been a conscious decision when he crafted this form. It was what his light and power had designed. He had never really given much thought to any of it. Now he wondered if Jensen would find him pleasing. Jared knew he found Jensen pleasing and longed to see the man’s body without his cumbersome clothing.

Jared shook himself from his thoughts, getting up he walked back into the ER waiting room.

From the rooftop of the parking garage an angel stood, cloaked from all. If anyone, human or angel had seen him, they would have noticed a scowl on his face. He looked down at Jared, watching the other angel as he walked out of the doors to the ER. His eyes darkened at this sight. Jared was allowing himself to be seen by humans. While this was not expressly forbidden, Sebastian held to the old ways, an angel should only reveal themselves to one in their charge. His hands curled into fists as anger clouded his features and took over his judgement. Why this mattered to Sebastian, he couldn’t say. It just did. This was something that had to be stopped. Jared had to be stopped. Sebastian wouldn’t allow this to go unnoticed by the other angels or by the Angelic Council. But, he knew he had to be smart about this. He would make sure that the right Angels heard of this and then Jared would be dealt with.

Sebastian had been one of the first of the angels to experience emotions. For him, jealousy was that emotion and he harbored it every day. For some reason, one Sebastian didn’t understand, he did not like Jared. The angel just rubbed him the wrong way. Sebastian felt that Jared was favored over him by other angels. Sebastian felt slighted by this. Even though he’d been told time after time it was something only he saw. He just couldn’t let it go. Now, he had a way to make Jared pay for Sebastian’s perceived slight at the hands of this other angel. A cruel smiled marred his features. Sebastian watched until Jared disappeared from his sight before he decided to return to heaven. He needed to seek out angels who would aide him in his desire to see justice done.

Jensen was finishing up with a male, teenage patient and going over medical care instructions for a sprained ankle when Jared returned.

Jared waited near the ER doors giving Jensen time and privacy with his patient. He didn't want to appear as if he was rushing Jensen or his patient to finish. As Jensen helped his patient over to his waiting parents, he gave Jared a smile. Jensen shook hands with the father and then turned his attention to Jared. He took a few steps in Jared’s direction, a hopeful look on his face. “Ready? Let's go before it’s noticed I've made my escaped. I so need coffee right now.” Jared chuckled at Jensen. “Ok, Jensen, lead the way.”

They chatted about the weather as they walked down the hallway to the lounge. Jensen pushed open the door and ushered Jared in, letting the door swing closed on its own. Jensen walked over to the coffee pot, grabbed two cups and poured coffee into each. “Black, right?” Jensen asked and smiled at the look on Jared’s face. “What?” Jensen asked, a little confused. “It's just that you remembered. I'm surprised, is all.” Jared admitted. Jared had to admit to himself he liked the idea that Jensen remembered him, or at least how he took his coffee. Did that mean that Jensen had thought about him? Probably not, for all he knew most people took their coffee black. But, for that brief moment Jared had actually dared to hope.

“Well, I was hoping to see you again. But, it's been a while. Figured the person you'd been visiting was discharged. I'm glad you decided to take a chance on finding me here.” Jensen said, more into his cup then to Jared. He groaned inwardly at himself. He was an idiot, one who was probably scaring off the man sitting across from him. “So, how are you? How's the person you were visiting? Are they family?” Jensen flinched at his own awkwardness. This was painful, even to his own ears. To stop himself from speaking further, he took a sip of his coffee, hoping he might choke causing himself to pass out. It would be better than passing out from embarrassment or watching Jared run from the room just to get away from him.

Jared smiled at him and Jensen watched as he ran his fingers through his chestnut colored hair. His eyes locked onto Jensen’s and he was amazed at the colors mixed in those hazel eyes. “I'm pretty nervous, too. I was sure you'd tell me to get lost or something.” Jared held his coffee in one hand and drummed his long fingers of his free hand on the table. “To answer your questions, I'm fine. Happy actually to see you. The person I was visiting passed away. No, he wasn't family. Just a client.”

“Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your client. I'm happy to see you as well. What do you do, if you don't mind me asking?” Awesome. Jensen, just awesome he thought to himself. Way to win the guy over. Yup, he'd just confirmed his idiot status. He was pretty sure that Jared was going to think twice before asking him for coffee again. He really sucked at small talk and dating in general. That was why he didn’t go on many dates and was still single.

“I'm in the retrieval business. I guess you might call it being in the repossession business in a way. It's pretty boring. I wait around until I'm given an assignment. Then I go to work. No one gets hurt. I always make sure of that.” Jared looked away, not sure if he’s said too much or too little about himself or his job. “What about you? Being a doctor must be . . . challenging?” Jared cocked his head, hoping that was the right word to use.

“Yeah, you could say that. I’ve treated some interesting patients and seen some stuff you wouldn’t believe. Nothing I can really get into, patient privacy. I have to respect that. But, there have been some challenging times.” Jensen looked at Jared and smiled. He was starting to feel more comfortable and hoped it showed.

Jared met his eyes and smiled. “Yeah, same here. What made you decide to become a doctor?” Jared sat leaning in toward Jensen, waiting for his reply. He really was interested in the answer. Was it because of money, the desire to help people or something else?

Jensen coughed at the question, wondering how to answer it. There wasn’t a simple answer for him. He also didn’t know Jared well enough to tell him his life story. But, at least if he told Jared the truth and he bailed, it was better to know up front. This way he wouldn’t start to get attached only to have his heart broken. “My mom. She was sick, cancer. She lost her battle to it before I graduated high school, but it made me want to do something to honor her. I just remember visiting her at the end, she looked so frail. I couldn’t even hold her hand, she was in so much pain.” Jensen looked away. Needing to find something to anchor himself to before he felt the grief begin to rise within himself. He felt a warm hand cover his and he looked down, seeing Jared’s hand. He looked up, knowing his eyes betrayed him. He couldn’t hide the pain from his loss. Nearly twenty years later and it still felt like yesterday when those memories surfaced. He felt Jared squeeze his hand in reassurance. Jensen just couldn’t raise his head or his eyes to meet the man’s eyes sitting next to him. He heard Jared’s deep voice as he spoke.

“I’m sorry. It’s not easy to share something like that with a stranger. I didn’t mean to cause you pain. I’m sorry for your loss. It must have been a hard thing to deal with, especially as a teenager.” Jared’s voice was low and steady as he spoke.

Jensen was surprised when Jared removed his hand from his, only to place it on his cheek to wipe away a tear that had managed to slip free. Jensen let out a hollow laugh and then cleared his throat. “Yeah, sorry about that. Great way to break the ice, dumping my past on you.” He pushed back from the table and stood. “I should probably be getting back. My break is about over.” He gave a sad smile to Jared and then rub his hands across his face. “Come on, I’ll make sure you get outta here.” He turned his back on Jared, opened the door and waited for Jared to walk past him. They walked in silence as they made their way back to the ER waiting room. Jensen turned toward the nurse’s station, to afraid to see what look was on Jared’s face. He was pretty sure he’d just blown any chance he might have had with Jared. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe he was someone who was meant to be alone, adopt a cat or twelve.

“Jensen?” Jensen didn’t turn around to meet Jared immediately. He needed a few moments to school his emotions for what he knew was coming. The hey, you’re a nice guy, but not worth a second date, speech. “How about getting together when you don’t have to rush back to work? If you’re interested, I mean.” Jensen heard the uncertainty in Jared’s voice and turned around. Ok, so there was a second date in the future his mind screamed. Jared shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels as he waited for Jensen to say something, anything.

“I’m interested.” Jensen blurted out before he could stop himself. “I mean, sure, sounds great. There’s a coffee house not too far from the parking garage. We could meet there, unless you’re sick of getting coffee with me.” Jensen couldn’t hide the smile on his face even if he wanted to. “I have a day off tomorrow, unless that’s too soon?”

Jared broke into a wide grin at Jensen’s words and the smile on Jensen’s face. “Not sick of coffee or you.” Jared winced, really, had he just said that? “Tomorrow’s fine with me, if you want to? I mean, yes, tomorrow, what time?”

“How about three? That’ll give me time to get some rest after leaving here.” Jensen felt as if all eyes were on him. Here he was in the ER making plans for a date. So inappropriate, but worth it.

“It’s a date, see you there.” Jared turned and walked out of the ER leaving Jensen and a few of the on duty nurses staring after him. Jensen turned to see Tina looking at him and she gave him a thumbs up before handing him the paperwork on the next patient. He blushed when he heard her speak. “Nice going. Mrs. Rodriguez is never wrong.” Shaking his head at her Jensen asked her to call the next patient into one of the open ER rooms.

The rest of the night was full of activity, not giving Jensen a lot of time to think about earlier or Jared. It wasn’t until the end of his shift and he was walking out when Tina called out to him. “I want details about your date when I see you next.” She laughed when she saw Jensen blush again and headed off in the direction of his car.

At three o’clock in the afternoon, Jensen stood outside the coffee house, The Grind, waiting for Jared. He leaned against the stone storefront waiting patiently as time ticked by. He tried not to check his watch, fearing the worst. He smiled as people passed him going in or coming out of the coffee house. Finally he gave in and looked at his watch. Fifteen minutes had passed without Jared showing up. Jensen sighed, maybe this had been too good to hope for. Maybe Jared had second thoughts after leaving yesterday. Maybe Jared got caught up at work. Neither had an actual way to get in touch with the other. All these thoughts ran through his mind. He pulled out his phone and called the ER, maybe Jared had left a message for him there. No such luck. He sighed as he ended the call. He was about to give up when he felt someone tapping his shoulder. He turned around to find Jared standing behind him.

“Sorry I'm late. I got a last minute assignment and it took longer than I expected. Plus, I don't have your number or a cell phone.” Jared ran his fingers through his hair in a nervous gesture. He was sure Jensen was mad and about to tell him to get lost.

Jensen just smiled and laughed. “I thought you'd changed your mind and decided not to come.”

Jared shook his head. “No, I'd never do that to you.” Jared moved toward the door and held it open for Jensen. Jensen thanked him as he walked in. They found a table and sat. They talked for awhile before ordering coffee. With coffee in hand, Jensen told him about how he was an only child, his parents, his mother’s illness and death. He had been close to both parents and was still in contact with his father who lived in Texas, where Jensen was originally from. Jensen had relocated to Seattle for his residency and stayed when he was offered a full-time job as one of the ER doctors at Seattle General. “So, that pretty much sums my life up.” Jensen said, fidgeting with his cup.

Jared sat, listening to Jensen’s story. Heartbreak and happiness, life and death. He'd been enthralled by everything Jensen told him. No wonder Jensen intrigued him so much. He'd lived and worked and had experienced so much in such a short lifetime. “Jensen, your life has been incredible. Most would have cursed God for living through all that. Some would have curled in upon themselves. Others would have become bitter and selfish. You, you decided to truly honor your mother’s memory by doing everything to your ability to help and heal others.”

Jensen felt the flush of blood as his cheeks became tinged pink and looked away. Jared reached for him, touching his arm. “You are an incredible human being. I'm happy I got to meet you, to get to know you just this little that you've shared with me. Thank you.”

Jensen mumbled a you're welcome to Jared. He felt lost for words. No one had ever reacted to him like this. Jared had managed to make him feel special in that moment. “So, what about you, Jared? What’s your life story?”

“Oh, nothing nearly as interesting as yours.” They were interrupted by the waitress before Jared could continue. They realized three hours had past since sitting down. “I guess I should let you get home. The waitress probably wants us to free up the table. Jensen, I really liked our time together.” They stood looking at each other, the silence was broken when the waitress returned with Jensen’s change from paying their tab. It hadn’t gone unnoticed by Jensen that Jared had held his coffee, even raised it to his lips, but never took a sip. He looked at the full cup as the waitress began to clear the table and then turned toward the door.

As they walked to the door, Jensen turned to him. “Do you need a ride home?” Jared shook his head. “No, I'm not that far from here.” Jared gave him a dimpled smile, making Jensen’s pulse quicken. “Okay, then. I guess I should get going. I've got a midday shift tomorrow. Jared, would you like to get dinner some night?” Jensen stood rooted to the spot on the sidewalk not willing to walk away from Jared. He hoped Jared was interested in him the way he was.

“Yes, I'd like that. I'll come by the hospital after my next assignment and we’ll figure out what’s a good night for us both.” Jared smiled, feeling happiness spreading through his body. It was a nice warm feeling. One he was interested in experiencing again, with Jensen. Jared watched as Jensen crossed the street and disappeared with a wave into the parking garage. Jared backed into the shadows of the buildings before cloaking himself and returning to heaven.

Jared managed to steal as much time as he could with Jensen. He made sure to put the souls of those he oversaw ahead of seeing Jensen, knowing his charges came first. He found himself spending less time in heaven or with Misha and more time with Jensen. Jared was happy being with the human. He enjoyed Jensen’s company and be came to believe that Jensen enjoyed his. Jared had yet to tell Jensen about himself and knew it was only a matter of time before Jensen questioned him. Jared knew he needed to tell Jensen the truth before they grew any closer.

Rumors had been swirling about Jared. He’d been seen with a human. Many who knew him, refused to believe such gossip. Misha, who humans would call Jared’s best friend was not one to entertain such things. If Jared had been with a human, it was most likely for observation. Even if it wasn’t what harm could come of it? It wasn’t like angels had never been seen on Earth. They had in fact lived among them eons ago. They had loved the humans, God’s greatest creation, even laid with them. Some angels had decided to stay with their beloved human, marrying and bearing or fathering children. Wars had been fought over such things in the past. While they had never been forbidden to befriend a human, it was discouraged. Angels were immortal beings. Humans had a life span. They were born, they lived and died when it was their time. It was heartbreaking to watch as the human’s life ticked away, knowing they would cease to exist. Angels who befriended a human tended to mourn their death for centuries.

Misha had wanted to question Jared more that night he’s observed Jared’s interest in a human male. He loved a good mystery, trying to solve it and as far as he thought, Jared’s interest in said human was a good mystery. But, he couldn’t bring himself to that night. Afterwards? Misha felt it was none of his business. He and Jared had been what humans would call friends since being created by their father. They had come up the ranks together in the Angelic Wars. There was no one Misha trusted more. Jared had protected him, even saved his life. He would never think to question Jared’s judgement. If Jared had befriended a human, he had his reasons. That was good enough for him. Misha decided to let things play out as intended. He’d only step in if he felt Jared needed him or if he asked Misha for his help.

Jared met Jensen at The Grind as he usually did. Jensen had told him previously that he had a place he'd like to take Jared to. Jared watched as Jensen pulled his car to the curb and stopped, waiting for Jared to get into the passenger’s seat. Once he was inside, Jensen pulled the car from the curb and drove them a few miles outside of the city. Jensen pulled the car into a botanical park and pulled the car into a parking space. They got out of the car. “I found this park about six months after moving here. It's quiet, sometimes people stroll through here or bike here. It's not in full bloom now, but it's still beautiful.” Jensen held out his hand to Jared who happily took it. They walked hand and hand together, enjoying each other’s company. Jensen pointed out a few of his favorite areas of the garden as Jared named the plants they looked at.

Jared stopped them, turning to Jensen. Jensen’s brows furrowed in confusion, but he said nothing. “Jensen, I need to tell you the truth about me. It may change the way you feel about me, but I need to be honest with you. I need for you to hear me out before you say anything. Then, if you no longer want to see me, if you want me to leave you alone, I'll respect your wishes.” Jared looked away, too afraid to see Jensen’s reaction.

Jensen squeezed his hand. “Ok, I'm listening. But before you say anything, let me ask you this. Are you about to tell me you're married or in another relationship?” Jared’s head snapped up and his eyes met Jensen’s. “What? No!” Jensen chewed his bottom lip, waiting for his breathing to even out before speaking. He closed his eyes willing himself to remain call before opening them and looking at Jared. “Okay.” Jensen whispered, still holding his hand. “Okay, tell me.”

“I'm an angel. A celestial being created by God himself. The day I first saw you, I was on my way to help a dying man cross over to heaven. That’s what I do. I mean, I don't do it alone. Misha, another angel also does this with me. I’m mean, we’re not the only angels to do this. We’re assigned by the Angelic Council as to where we go, what are jobs are.” He looked at Jensen, seeing shock and disbelief reflected at him. “ I know it sounds crazy. I can show you, prove it to you.” Jared let go of Jensen’s hand. He was about to take his shirt off, to bring out his wings for Jensen to see when they heard a man yelling.

A shout was the only warning they had that cyclist had lost control of his bike. Jared had managed to step in front of Jensen, protecting him from the impact. Jensen watched as the cyclist crashed into Jared. The two men and the bike seemed to tumble as one as Jared lost his balance and fell. Jensen winced, knowing the type of injuries Jared would have from the man running into him with his bike. As they collided, the cyclist went down on one knee, scraping his skin. He managed to brace himself with a gloved hand, sparing himself further injury. He let the bike fall, limping over to Jared who was on the ground, flat on his back.

Jensen knelt down next to Jared trying to assess his injuries. “Don't move Jared. Let me take a look at you.” Jared batted Jensen’s hands away. “I'm fine, take care of the other guy.” Jared turned from him and rolled onto his side and then into a kneeling position. Jensen stood, looking at Jared’s back. So, Jared was one of those guys, stubborn and macho. Nothing's hurt tough guys, Jensen's mind screamed at him. Hesitantly Jensen went to check on the cyclist.

The guy looked at Jensen and nodded over at Jared. “Is he okay?” Jensen looked back at Jared and the the other man. “For now, he is.” Jensen's lips quirked into a small smile. “How are you?” Jensen asked, looking down at the man's knee, seeing blood and road debris covering the scrapes. “I'll live. I've had worse. Thanks. You sure he's okay? Should I call an ambulance?” The man looked at Jared, who was finally standing with his back to them, brushing himself off. “He went down pretty hard.” The man said as he righted his bike.

“You should at least rinse your knee off if you have any water with you.” Jensen said, still looking at the man’s knee. The man grabbed his water bottle from its holder and poured it over his knee. He grimaced at the pain. “I work in the ER, I'll make sure he gets checked out.” Jensen said as he watched as the man got back on his bike and started to slowly peddle away. “Make sure you get yourself checked out.” The man waved a hand in the air as he rode off. Jensen turned back to Jared.

“Okay, your turn. Let me check you out.” Jensen walked around Jared to face him. He took one look at Jared and his mouth dropped open. There wasn't a scratch on him. Jared should have been covered in scrapes and bloody, not standing there like nothing happened. Jensen reached up and cupped Jared's chin, moving his head from side to side. “You aren't hurt?” Jensen took Jared's hands in his, there were no scrapes, no signs of having been hit and knocked down. “You're not hurt.” Jensen stared wide eyed at Jared.

Jared gave him a shy smile and shrugged. “Angels don't get hurt. We're immortal and pretty much indestructable. We don't need to eat or drink. It's what I was trying to tell you.” Jared knew he needed to give Jensen more proof. Jared looked around, making sure no one else was around them before he reached behind himself, pulling his shirt up and off. Jensen raised an eyebrow at him. Okay, there was Jared standing in front of him without his shirt. Jensen bit his lower lip, taking in the muscular chest in front of him. Jared closed his eyes and relaxed his body, allowing his wings to sprout out from his shoulder blades. Opening his eyes, he rolled his head on his shoulders and then stretched his wings.

Jensen took a step back from him. “Oh my God. You really are an angel. Can I touch them?” Jensen started to reach a hand out, but stopped afraid of what Jared might do if he touched his winds without his permission. Stretched out, Jared’s wings easily spanned six feet on either side of his body. His feathers were white, pristine and soft looking. To Jensen they looked inviting and Jensen wondered what they felt like, if they were really as soft as they looked. Jensen felt the rush of air movement as Jared moved his wings back and forth. Jared groaned, stretching his wings felt so good. He shook them out, feeling the air move against them, through them. He hated having to keep them tucked against his body.

Jared smiled and moved closer to Jensen. “Of course.” Jensen came closer, reached out with his right hand and ran his fingers across the wing. The feathers were soft to the touch and shimmered in the sunlight. He walked around Jared so that he could look at Jared’s back. He touched along the man’s shoulder blades where the wings protruded from. He ran his hands along the area, mesmerized at the sight. Jared took a step away and Jensen dropped his hands, fearing he’d done something to offend Jared. Jared sighed as he pulled his wings back. Jensen watched in awe as Jared’s wings retracted into his body. Jared pulled on his shirt before turning to face Jensen. He saw the look of awe still on Jensen’s face. He reached out and cupped Jensen’s face, causing Jensen to bring his attention back to his surroundings and Jared.

Jensen laughed, breaking the silence. “You lied to me.” Jensen said and watched Jared’s startled reaction. “When I asked you about your life you told me ‘Oh, nothing nearly as interesting as yours.’ Well, I would call this interesting.” Jensen shook his head and laughed again at Jared. “An angel. You’re a freaking angel. Wait, I thought angels were just a concept a person believed in. You know or something from the bible. How is it I can see you? Other’s can see you!”

“We have the ability to cloak our presence from others. Well, from humans. I can choose who can see me. The night I first saw you, you were coming out of the locker room. I was invisible to you. The second time, when you thought I was lost, I hadn’t intended for you to see me. I didn’t realize I was visible. I never intended for our first meeting to go any further than it did. But, I was intrigued by you. We were created without feelings, so we would be impartial when watching over humans. But, as time has moved forward, we’ve developed them. I’ve developed feelings, for you. I understand if you don’t want this, even just a friendship.” Jared started to reach out to Jensen, but let his hand drop back to his side.

Jensen drew a deep breath, trying to take everything in and let it settle in his mind. “Huh, so my boyfriend’s an angel.” Jensen clasped his hands over his mouth, realizing what he’d just said. With wide terrified green eyes, he looked at Jared. Jared, smiled, well really it looked to Jensen like he was beaming. Of course, that could have been the setting sun behind Jared giving Jensen that impression. But, if anyone ever asked him about that day, he decided he’d tell them, yes, Jared was beaming.

“Boyfriend? I know the term, what the word means. I’ve observed it. But, what does that mean for us? Does that mean more hand holding? I like that. Holding your hand, feeling your warm skin next to mine.” Jared was practically bouncing up and down at the thought of being referred to as Jensen’s boyfriend.

“Yes, it does.” Before Jensen could say anything else, Jared stepped forward and grabbed his hand. He looked down and smiled at the sight of their joined hands. Jensen had to admit, he liked the feel of Jared’s skin next to his. “You do need to tell me more, more about yourself. We need to base this relationship on complete trust and truth.” Jensen looked up at Jared, seeing a panicked look on the angels face. Jensen’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

“Well, I watched you. One time only, while cloaked. I just needed to see you and I promised myself it would never happen again. It hasn’t and it never will. You have my word.” Jared looked down at his feet. Jensen could clearly see the shame on Jared’s face that he felt.

“Tell me.” Jensen said, trying to keep his voice even, not sure he would like what he was about to hear. Jared recounted the time in the ER, watching Jensen, Mrs. Rodriguez and Tina. Jensen let out a sigh. “Okay, not as bad as I thought. But, it can’t ever happen again.” Jared shook his head, agreeing with Jensen. They started their walk back to the car when Jared stopped. “What did you think I was going to say?” Jensen squeezed his hand and chuckled. “I was expecting you to tell me you watched me while I was sleeping or taking a shower. Now, that would have just been creepy.” Jared’s eyes went wide with shock. “No, I’d never do that to you or anyone else. You need to believe that.” Jensen looked at Jared, seeing how important that acknowledgement was to him. “I do.”

Jensen went quiet and Jared didn’t know what to make of that. “Do you have a last name? I mean, do angels have last names if they’re created by God?” Jensen’s brows knitted together as he thought this over.

“No, we don’t. But, I do have a last name. The first man I helped pass over had no wife or children to carry on his name. His last words were to ask me to carry his name forward, into the future. I agreed to his request. Padalecki was his name. So, Jared Padalecki. That’s what my name is, how I’m called upon in heaven and now here with you.”

Jared looked off into the distance, remembering the man he from so long ago. The man had been a farmer. A hard working man who’d been sick and unable to tend his fields. The man, Gerald had lain on the floor of his hut, to sick to move. Upon seeing this Jared had revealed himself to the man and helped him to his pallet. Jared couldn’t let the man passed to heaven laying on the floor like an animal. The man thanked him for his kindness, reaching up and clasping his hand over Jared’s and made his request. Jared had agreed, not seeing the harm in it. After helping the man’s soul pass into heaven, Jared returned to the man’s body. He couldn’t leave the man’s body unattended. Jared carried the man’s body to a patch of grass underneath a tree not far from the hut. Jared found a spade and dug a grave for the man. He left several stones in a pile as a marker for the man’s grave. Jared had never told anyone this story, not even Misha before today.

“It suits you.” Was all Jensen said before unlocking the car.

A few weeks went by as they got to know each other better. Jared explained how he came to be, including the body Jensen saw. Jensen had admitted, yes Jared’s body was pleasing to him and that it included Jared’s personality. Jared explained what his true formed looked like and was a little shocked when Jensen just accepted his description. He’d been waiting for Jensen to ask to see him in is true form. Maybe the thought of blindness or possible death wasn’t appealing to Jensen which made Jared happy. He really didn’t want Jensen hurt or dead. He told Jensen about Misha, the Angelic Wars as well as the Angelic Council who oversaw all Angels and their assignments. The biggest shock for Jensen was when Jared told him that he had never mentioned Jensen to another angel, not even Misha. At first Jensen was angry and hurt. He demanded to know if Jared was ashamed of their relationship since Jensen was human? Did it have to do with the Angelic Wars?

Jared waited for Jensen to calm down before he was able to explain, it had nothing to do with what Jensen had mentioned. It had everything to do with wanting to keep this just between them. This was the first time Jared felt anything, let alone happiness and possibly love. He didn’t want to share that with anyone but Jensen. At least not right now. What they had was precious to him and Jared wanted it all for himself. Jared didn’t want interference from other angels. Jensen had to admit to Jared that he understood his reasoning. Jensen, himself had shied away from questions about his love life, despite Tina’s best efforts. A few people knew Jensen was seeing someone, but understood his reluctance to talk about it. When asked, he just said they were taking things slow and asked them to respect his privacy.

So yes, Jensen understood Jared’s desire to keep quiet about their relationship for fear of outside interference.

Kevin followed Jared as he stopped in front of a row shops. Jared took a few more steps toward a coffee house, The Grind. Jared stood, appearing to be waiting for something. Jared raised a hand, giving a quick wave. At first, Kevin thought Jared was waving at him. Kevin watched as a human waved from across the street, waiting for when it was safe to cross and join Jared.

Kevin watched as Jared embraced the human. They seemed to enjoy each other’s touch, clasping hands together. Kevin's watched as Jared said something that had the human tilting his head back in laughter. The human reached up with his free hand and touched Jared’s lips, running his thumb over them. Jared leaned into the touch, smiling. The human said something to Jared which had Jared laughing in return. As this continued, Keven walked closer to the two, curiosity getting the better of him. He had to find out what was going on. Clearly, Jared had no issue with revealing himself to a human. The question was why? Was what Sebastian said about Jared true? It looked to Kevin like Jared as a traitor to the angels and lusting over a human.

As Kevin came closer, Jared tensed sensing another Celestial being near. Jared leaned into the human, whispering something that Kevin couldn't overhear. The human shook his head and backed away from Jared. Jared turned in Kevin’s direction, seeing what the human could not, Kevin hidden from the human’s eyes. Jared motioned to Kevin and then he was gone, leaving the human to enter the coffee house by himself.

Kevin joined Jared on the rooftop of the building. “Jared, was that a human you were with? Does he know what you are?”
Jared tensed at the questions, muscles rolling and coiling under his clothing. Jared widened his stance and curled his hands into fists. “Why are you here Kevin? You have no cause to be.”
Kevin’s lips curled up into a sneer. “You have not been doing your job. I was sent to find out why. You’ve broken Angelic law by not caring for the souls in your charge. Now, I find you with that human. Clearly you have feelings for a human. This human, does he know what you are? That we exist? Sebastian is right you are a traitor to our kind.”
Jared advanced on Kevin. “There has been no issue with me doing my job. I have ushered those who have passed into Heaven. There is no reason for you to be here and I am no traitor. There are humans who know of our existence.”
Kevin’s sneer turned into a smile. “Yes, they know, with the permission of the council. Who will be told of this, told of your indiscretions.” Without another word, Kevin was gone, leaving Jared alone.

The only thing Jared could think to do was to rejoin Jensen. Cloaking himself from sight, Jared jumped from the roof to the alleyway below. As he touched the ground, he allowed himself to become visible before walking out onto the sidewalk and into the coffee house. He found Jensen sitting at a small table, sipping a black cup of coffee.

Jensen looked up as Jared approached and pulled out the empty chair. Jensen waited for Jared to sit before speaking. “Everything okay?” Concern showing in Jensen’s eyes as he searched Jared’s face for a reaction.
Jared sighed. “It’s nothing I can't deal with, later. Just an Angel I had to speak with. Are you working today?” Jensen smiled, knowing a switch in conversation when it happened. Not willing to call Jared on it, he let it go and answered the question.
“Yeah, the eleven to seven shift. But, I never get out at seven in the morning.” Jensen sat back, resting his head on the back of his chair. He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds around him.

Jared’s voice had him opening his eyes. “You're tired. You have to work tonight, we could have met another day. You need to get some rest.” Jensen looked up, seeing Jared watching him.
“I just wanted to see you. I've still got some time before I need to leave and get some rest.” Jared reached over and took Jensen’s hand in his.
“Finish your coffee, then I'll walk you back to the hospital parking garage. Make sure you get to your car safely.” Jensen raised his cup to his lips, draining the last of his coffee. Jared let go of his hand and they both stood to leave. Jensen left a tip for the waitress before joining Jared outside.
Jensen reached for Jared’s hand needing to feel Jared’s skin against his. They walked in silence to the garage. They climbed the stairs to the second floor where Jensen had parked his car the night before starting his shift. Jared watched as Jensen slid behind the steering wheel. Jared stood back waiting for Jensen to pull out of the parking spot. Jensen rolled down his window. “Jared, are you getting in?” Jared’s brows raised in a silent question, disappearing up into his hair. “I thought you wanted me to be safe. You can make sure I get home without an issue and then maybe stay until I fall asleep?”
Jensen forced himself not show any emotion, that way if Jared chose not to go he wouldn't see the hurt on Jensen’s face. Jensen sucked in his breath when he heard movement and the passenger’s door opening. Jensen cast a shy glance at Jared and then pulled the car out of the space and the parking garage. He turned the car left out of the garage and drove the ten miles to his home.

Jensen pulled up to a townhouse community and turned into the main drive. Each townhouse consisted of two, attached two-story units. Each street was set on a grid with six units on each street for a total of five street and thirty units. The lawns were maintained and landscaped with shrubs, trees and plants. Jensen’s was the last unit in the community. He lived on the fifth street, the last unit on the right. He turned the car to the right and drove down three more streets to his townhouse. Pulling into his driveway, he got out and walked up the five steps on his porch to his front door. With keys in hand, he unlocked the door and led Jared inside. Jared closed the door behind them and took in his surroundings.

The main floor had an open concept layout, consisting of a kitchen with a breakfast bar and island as well as double doors leading out to a patio, a dining area, living room and a half bathroom. From the right side of the kitchen a door led to the attached garage and laundry area. A set of stairs led upstairs to a master bedroom with an ensuite and two smaller bedrooms and a bathroom. The smaller of the two bedrooms had been turned into a study. The furniture and decorations were masculine with clean lines in muted tones of blues and grays. Overall, the place reflected Jensen’s laid back and comfortable way.

“Come in, sit down, make yourself comfortable.” Jensen waved a hand in the direction of the living room. He fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt and shifted on his feet. Jared cocked his head but kept quiet and took a seat on the overstuffed couch. He leaned back, settling into the couch and finding it to be very comfortable. “Are you okay, Jen?” Jensen looked at him, eyes wide.
“I'm just nervous. I've never really invited anyone in. I mean I've had a few of the guys over to watch the game but never had anyone I ca . . .” Jensen snapped his jaw closed before he finished his thought. Cared for. That's what he was about to say and suddenly he felt insecure.
He walked into the kitchen and kicked his shoes off near the garage door. “Do you want anything to drink?” He called to Jared. “Oh, wait, that was stupid since you don't need to eat or drink.”
Jared got up and walked over to Jensen and spun Jensen around to face him. “You don't have to be nervous. And it wasn't stupid. We don't typically eat or drink, but we can if we choose to. Now, relax. I think you need to get some sleep.” Jensen nodded. “Yeah, I do.” As he said the words, he felt how tired his body really was as he tried to stay awake. He blinked several times, trying to clear his vision. “As comfortable as that couch is, I don't see you sleeping on it for any length of time.” Jared said, looking back at the couch he'd just been sitting on.

Taking Jensen’s hand in his he pulled Jensen toward the stairs. “I take it the bedrooms are upstairs?” Jensen nodded and allowed Jared to lead him upstairs. Jared managed to figure out that the master bedroom was at the back of the house. They walked in and Jensen let go of Jared’s hand to disappear into the bathroom to wash up and change into a t-shirt and sleep pants.

Once done, he returned to find that Jared had turned down the bed covers and was sitting at the edge of the bed waiting for him. Jared patted the bed. Jensen walked over and climbed into bed. Jared stood and pulled the covers up over him. Jared heard Jensen “Hmm” as he settled into bed. Jared was about to leave when Jensen reached out and caught his wrist. “Stay, just until I fall asleep?” Jared smiled down at him and kicked off his own shoes. “Of course.” Hesitantly, Jared sat on the bed. He caught movement and saw Jensen pushing the covers aside for him. Jared allowed himself to settle under the covers next to Jensen. Jensen reached over and grabbed his wrist, pulling Jared’s arm over his chest. Jensen, looked over his shoulder at Jared. Uncertainty clearly showing in his eyes. “Are you ok, like this?”
Jared swallowed. “Yeah, just never been on a bed before. But, I like it, here with you.” Jensen closed his eyes. “I know you probably won't be here when I wake up, but it's okay. Just give me this for a bit.” Jared moved closer to Jensen, feeling the heat of the man's body against him. He wanted nothing more than to be here when Jensen woke up. But, Jensen was right, he wouldn't be. He laid against Jensen listening to his breathing as it evened out indicating Jensen was asleep.

Jared felt the pull to leave Jensen, but fought it. He knew he had a job to do, the pull to help someone pass from the living was growing stronger. With a sigh, he gently pulled his arm away from Jensen hoping not to disturb the sleeping man. Jared pushed himself up and looked over at Jensen’s sleeping form. He ran a hand through Jensen’s hair before getting up and putting his shoes back on. With one last look at Jensen, Jared was gone.

Jensen woke hours later to his alarm going off and an empty house. He felt the sense of loss with not having Jared there to wake up to. He sighed and pushed the covers aside as he got up to go into his bathroom. He turned on the shower and undressed as he waited for the water to heat up. Once in, he let the water wash over him, letting it relax his tight muscles. As the water started to turn cold, he got out, shutting it off. He toweled off, shaved, brushed his teeth, slathered on his deodorant and dressed in his scrubs. He ran his fingers through his hair, leaving his short hair spiked and tousled looking. He walked out of the bathroom, made his bed and made sure all lights were off before heading downstairs. He made his lunch and packed it in his sandwich cooler before adding it to his messenger bag. He grabbed his bag, coat and keys before getting his shoes on. He left the light on over the sink and walked out of his home, locking it up for the night before heading to the hospital.

Jensen hummed to himself as he thought about Jared. They hadn't known each other long, but somehow it felt right. Like Jared was the piece that was missing in his life. Like Jensen hadn't been whole until meeting this man. Shaking his head, he had to remind himself, Jared wasn't a man. At least not in the truest sense of the word. Jared was an Angel, a Celestial being. Jared had been created by God to watch over humanity. He was so screwed. No one would believe him if he said anything. Who would? People believed in angels, as a concept. Movies like Legion and Constantine had proven that.

Making sure he was in his cloaked form, Jared entered the hospital, finding himself on the eighth floor. Someone in the Geriatrics ward was passing that night. He felt the pull to the last room on the left. An elderly man laugh in the bed staring up at the ceiling. As Jared entered the room, the man’s gaze shifted, resting on Jared. He smiled at Jared and raised a hand motioning to Jared. “I've made my peace with this life. I'm ready.”
Jared smiled and took the man’s hand in his. Jared had encountered this over time. There were some who were truly ready to pass on and could see the Angel that was there to help them pass over. Jared took his free hand and gently rubbed the man’s temple. “It's time.” Jared said as he leaned over the bed. Jared watched as the man’s chest rose and fell once before his breathing stopped. The heart monitor flatlined, indicating the man had passed over from the living. Still cloaked, Jared usher the soul to its destination, thankful that his job was done.

Knowing he was done, Jared allow we'd himself to return the the human realm. Jared thought of Jensen and found himself in the doctor’s locker room. Before making himself visible, he checked to make sure Jensen was alone. “Jensen.” He called softly, hoping not to startle Jensen. Jensen whipped around and fell back against his locker. Jared reached out to him, a sheepish smile on his face. “Sorry, I was trying not to scare you. I guess that was a failed attempt.”
Once Jensen was able to breathe again he let out a laugh at what had just happened. “Jared. Hey, you kinda scared me. I wasn't expecting you. But, I'm glad to see you.” Jensen’s pager went off, cutting off any other conversation. He gave Jared a weak smile, as if in apology. “Meet me on the roof when you’re able to.” Jensen pocketed his pager. “Yeah, ok, I will. But it may take me awhile.” Jared disappeared, leaving Jensen to go to his patient.

Misha found Jared standing on the roof of the hospital. “Jared, some of the angels have observed you with a human. Have you really revealed yourself to a human?” Jared stared into Misha’s crisp blue eyes. Jared’s hazel eyes betraying his feelings. He ran his fingers through his hair, not knowing what to say. Misha’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You did! He's not your charge, Jared. What were you thinking? This is bad. If the council finds out . . .” Misha’s voice trailed off, seeing Jared flinching at his words.

“Jensen. The human’s name is Jensen. He's a doctor here in the ER. He's my, he's my friend.” Jared looked off into the distance, knowing if he looked at Misha the other angel would see through his attempt at covering up the truth. Jared felt Misha's hand on his shoulder. Jared stepped away from the touch. Misha’s touch was not the one he longed for. “I guess I'm screwed, as the humans say. If you've heard about this, then surely the council has.”

“Jared, you need to end this, now. Show the council that this is nothing. If they see that, maybe they will overlook this indiscretion. They've been known to show leniency in the past. Tell them you were only observing human nature, Jensen intrigued you but it was only in passing. You're done with this human and have moved on. You're ready to take your punishment and it will not happen again.” Jared turned to look at Misha. The words chilling him with the thought of letting Jensen go.

“It's not that simple Misha. I have, I think I might have feelings for Jensen. I know angels should be above this. But, I'm not, I want more than the existence I have. I might be able to have that with Jensen. Shouldn't I be allowed to find out? Shouldn't we all be able to?” Jared looked at Misha, his eyes pleading for understanding.

Shaking his head Misha sighed. “I don't know Jared. It's not for me to decide. But, as your friend I won't say anything. The council will not hear anything from me.”

Jared gave Misha a grateful smile. “Thank you my friend.” Jared turned to the rooftop door. “Jensen’s coming. Please, I need to speak to him alone.”

Jared felt Misha’s hand pat his arm. “Good luck.” Without another word, Misha was gone. Jared could hear the sound of wings flapping and felt the movement of air around him as Misha left him to speak with Jensen.

The door pushed open as Jensen stepped through the doorway. “Jared?” Jensen called out tentatively. Jared turned to him, seeing Jensen smile at him. Jared felt his body relax at the sight of Jensen standing before him. “Hey.” Jared said as he closed the distance between them. “Hi.” Jensen said as he leaned into Jared’s arms as they encircled him. When they pulled away from each other, Jensen saw the sad smile flicker across Jared’s face.

“Is something wrong Jay?” Jensen reached up, cupping Jared’s face.

Jared felt the heat of Jensen’s skin against him. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation before pulling himself back to the moment at hand. “I have some business I need to take care of with the council. Hopefully it won't take long. Then I'll be back, okay?”

“You'll come back?” Jensen asked, worry clouding his features. His green eyes registering the sadness he felt.

“Yes, I will. I didn't know what happiness and felt like until I met you, Jen. I'd like to continue to explore these emotion with you.” Jared cast his eyes downward, too afraid to look at Jensen’s reaction.

“Jared, I'd like that. Jensen reached up with both hands, lifting Jared’s chin so Jared was looking into his eyes. “We haven't known each other long, but I can say that I do have feelings for you. I might even call it love.” Jensen watched as Jared locked eyes with his eyes and smiled.

Sadness overtook them both as Jared stepped away from Jensen. He walked to the ledge of the roof, effortlessly Jared stepped up onto the ledge. He turned to look at Jensen before allowing himself to fall backwards off the roof. Jensen ran to the ledge hoping he was in time to see Jared, possibly reach out to him stopping his fall, knowing that was impossible. He watched as Jared fell before his wings appeared. With wings outstretched, Jared soared up past him disappearing into the clouds. Jensen stepped back from the ledge, watching Jared disappear.

A feather drifted down at Jensen carried by a soft breeze. He stepped forward and caught it before it hit the ground. Feeling the softness against his skin, he brought it up to get a better look at the feather in the sunlight. It seemed to shimmer as the sun’s rays hit it. He felt the need to hold it to him, to feel the feather against his face as if it was Jared’s fingers touching him. As he did, he noticed the feather smelled of Jared making him long for the angel to return. He looked at the direction Jared had disappeared into before leaving the rooftop. He made his way to his locker, carefully tucking the feather into his bag before returning to the ER floor to tend to the next patient.

As Jared ascended to heaven, he felt his chest tighten. The emotions he felt registered with him. Fear, apprehension at not knowing what he was essentially flying into. As he descended to the council chamber, he felt his body tense, muscles straining as he kept himself upright. He came to rest next to Misha who stood just outside the council chamber. Misha looked up as Jared stood in front of him. Misha gave him a weak smile before speaking.

“Jared, it's not good. They know, someone brought it to their attention. You know as well as I do it had to have been Sebastian with the help of Kevin. Sebastian has been jealous of you, why, I don’t even think he knows. Kevin, I suspect just followed him blindly. He’s always been that way with Sebastian. But, they got to the council before I or any of the angels could stop this from happening. I’m sorry my friend but, there are many of us who will stand with you. They called this meeting to figure out how to deal with this.” Misha looked at Jared not knowing how to help his friend.

Without a word, Jared spun on his heel and entered the chamber. Not waiting for permission to enter or even speak, Jared made his way passed several angels as they stood, waiting to have theirs voices heard. Before the council stood Sebastian and Kevin, speaking in hushed tones to JD and several of the council members. JD, head of the Angelic Council was the first to notice Jared’s appearance. He gestured for Sebastian and Kevin to step away as Jared approached. Sebastian wore a smug look on his face as he looked at Jared. He had accomplished what he’d set out to do, mar Jared for some imagined slight. Keven had been caught up in Sebastian’s game. Kevin, for his part in all of this was not innocent but he had only blindly followed Sebastian’s word that Jared had broken Angelic law by not caring for the souls he was assigned to. Seeing Jared with a human had just spurred Kevin on into speaking against him with the council.

The Decision

Jared stood in front of the Angelic Council. He’d been here one other time, long ago when he’d been given his assignment in the human world. He never thought he’d be here again. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. The members, nine of them consisting of men and women looked at him. JD pushed his chair back from the table coming to stand in front of Jared.
“Jared Padalecki, you have been observed communicating with a human. Something that is not done unless he is your charge. Which this human is not. You will have no further contact with this man. You will be reassigned and moved from this location.”
Silence fell over the council chamber.
“No.”
JD turned to him, shock registering on his face. “Excuse me, Jared?”
Jared drew himself to his full height. “I said no. I will not leave Jensen. His name is Jensen. I love him. We have feelings for each other, we love each other. How can you expect me to leave him?”
JD’s eyes flashed with anger. No one had ever dared to go against the council’s ruling. “You will do this. You will have no more contact with this human, Jensen and that is final. Do I make myself clear?”
Jared’s hands clenched into fists. “I said no.”

Misha moved forward, coming to stand next to Jared. Misha tried to diffuse the situation. “Jared, you don’t want to do this, please. Think this through.” Shaking his head, he looked at his friend.
“I have Misha. I can’t be without him. I love him.”
Misha stepped forward, placing his hands on Jared’s shoulders. “Are you sure? You know what this might mean. They may. . . You really do love him.”
Misha said as he looked into Jared’s eyes. He saw what Jared had tried to hide from him, love for Jensen, an ache at not being with him. Misha hugged him. “I wish you well and hope that you have the happiness you deserve.”

JD’s hand slamming down on the table brought everyone’s attention back to the proceedings. “Enough. You will do this, leave this human and never seek him out or suffer the consequences. Your immortality and wings will be stripped from you. You will be forced out from heaven, to live among the humans, the one you love so much. Choose now!” JD’s lips turning into a snarl.
There was no way that Jared would choose to leave Heaven, his brothers and sisters for a human, JD thought to himself. “So be it, I choose to live among the humans. To be with Jensen, the one I love.” Jared stood tall, resolute in his decision.

Murmurs gave way to outcries from the council members and those in attendance. No one could remember the last time that an Angel had willinging chosen to fall to earth. Certainly not for the love of a human. “Silence!” JD’s voice rang out over everyone. “So be it. Jared has made his decision. There is no going back. Jared Padalecki, you are to be cast out of Heaven. Stripped of your Angelic immortality and wings. Never to set foot in Heaven lest you die as a human and are found worthy of your return. May God have mercy on you.” The look of pure shock on JD’s face belied the confidence that was just shattered by Jared.

That was the last that Jared remembered before waking up on the ground. He sat up, looking around. He was under the bridge that connected the road Jensen lived off of to the highway he drove to the hospital. He was a couple miles from Jensen’s townhouse. It would be a long walk but one that Jared would willing do to be with Jensen. Getting to his feet, he brushed the dirt from his clothes. He felt a dull ache on his back, stretching over his shoulder blades where his wings used to be. They would be the one thing he would mourn, the lose of his wings. We knew he would never regret giving up everything to be with Jensen. But he would miss his wings. Looking around he noticed he wasn’t alone. Keeping his face emotionless, he started his walk to Jensen’s.

The man walked up to Jared. He was at least six inches shorter than him, with a stocky build. He looked like a fighter, knuckles bruised, missing a few teeth.
“Give me your money.” Jared just regarded him before trying to walk past him. The man placed a hand on Jared’s chest, stopping him.
“I said give me your money.” Jared pushed the man’s hand off him.
“Get off me. I don’t have any money.” Jared spat out, gritting his teeth.
The man swung at him, left fist connecting with Jared’s lip. Jared stumbled back, wiping the back of his right hand across his lips. Dropping his hand, he saw blood. The man managed to connect once more with Jared’s face before Jared fought back, leaving the man a crumpled mess in the dirt. He stepped over the man’s unconscious body without looking back. He needed to get to Jensen, that was the only thing that mattered. He knew he looked like shit, his eye and lip hurt. The skin on his knuckles was scraped and sore. But, it was worth it. He was alive and would be with Jensen soon.

Slowly, he walked the distance from the bridge to Jensen’s townhouse. Five miles had been nothing when he was an angel. Now human, he was beginning to feel the effects of the fall, the fight and the walking. He sighed at seeing his destination in front of him. Soon his mind said, coaxing him along. Wearily, he climbed the few steps to the porch, stopping briefly to catch his breath before reaching out to ring the bell. He heard movement from inside as footsteps came closer. The door was opened, revealing Jensen standing there looking at him. His tired hazel eyes settled on Jensen’s worried face.

Jared stood in front of Jensen. His lip was split and bleeding. A black eye forming, around his left eye. He tried to smile, despite the pain in his face. Jensen looked at him, green eyes wide with disbelief at the state of the man standing before him. Jared heard Jensen speaking, using the nickname only Jensen called him.
“Jay, your face. I thought angels couldn’t get hurt.” It was more of a statement than a question. Jared felt his body sagging against the pain and tiredness.
“Not an angel any more, Jen.”
Jensen’s words stuttered as he tried to comprehend what he’d just heard. “Wha -What did you just say? Did I hear you right? Did you just say you’re not an angel anymore?” Jared nodded, reaching out for Jensen. Jense closed the distance between them, offering his support, helping to hold Jared up.
“I gave it up, for you. Couldn’t be without you.” Jensen helped him to sit on the couch. He reached out and caressed Jared’s uninjured cheek. “You gave it up, for me?” Jared nodded. “Yes, I’m human. The council gave me an ultimatum, walk away from you, no more contact, not even to say goodbye. Or, give up my life as an angel. My immortal life, my wings. No choice really. I love you.”
A sad smile appeared on Jensen’s face and he turned away from Jared. Jared caught the look and reached out, placing a hand gently on Jensen’s face, turning him back to look at him. He saw a tear slip from Jensen’s eye. Confusion replaced the happiness Jared had been feeling. Had he made a mistake? One that he couldn’t take back, even if he had wanted to? Did Jensen not feel the same way about him.
“What is it, Jen? Do you not feel the same way? I thought . . . “ Jared couldn’t say the words, I thought you loved me. Didn’t want to hear the response, no Jensen didn’t love him. Jensen moved away, settling himself on the wooden coffee table across from the couch. He looked at Jared and then away.
“I do love you. With all my heart. But, you gave up everything to be with me. I’m not worth it, giving up your immortal life. Can you, can you fix this? What if, what if I spoke to them, the council? Could they give you back your wings?” Jared sat up, leaning forward to grab Jensen’s hands in his. “Why? I thought you just said you loved me. Don’t you want me? Don’t you want to be with me? You’re more than worth this. You’re the only one I would consider doing this for. The only one I did do this for. Believe me, I didn’t do this on a whim. I knew what I wanted, who I wanted. Misha tried to talk me out of it. So, did some of the council. I would rather be mortal with you. Love you until my dying breath than spend another day of my immortal angelic life without you. Do you understand?”
Jared watched Jensen taking in his words as the realization of it all hit the man in front of him. Green eyes stared back at him, projecting the love he felt in his beating heart. “Yes.” He felt Jensen threading his fingers with his as Jensen leaned forward, resting his head on Jared’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Jay. I can’t believe you did this, for me. I love you.” Jared’s breath halted. It took him a moment to realize he was breathing and the words Jensen had just spoken had caused his breath to stop. This would be something to get used to, breathing, feeling, actually having feelings. Being mortal. Drawing a deep breath, he leaned into Jensen as he was resting his head against Jared’s shoulder.
“You don’t know how happy your words have made me.” He murmured, running his fingers over Jensen’s arms. He looked at Jensen seeing the smile on Jensen’s lips. “I’m going to kiss you now.” Jared said, feeling excitement mixed with fear filling his body. Excitement that he was here with Jensen, touching him, about to kiss him. Fear that Jensen might not want that. Lost in his thoughts, it took a few seconds for him to realize that Jensen was speaking to him.
“Jared, what are you waiting for?” Not holding back, he crashed his lips against Jensen’s, not caring about his split lip. It was everything he’d hoped for. Love, passion and desire pouring forth from both into that perfect moment.
“I love you Jensen Ackles.” Jared said, taking Jensen’s face into his hands, tilting his face to look into Jensen’s green eyes. “More than you could ever know.” Leaning into the touch, Jensen closed his eyes, feeling the warm skin against his. I think I have an understanding of that Jared. There’s no one I want more, to be with. Plan a future with. That is, if you want me.”
Jared pulled back to look into the green eyes of the man he had fallen hopelessly in love with. Had given everything up for.
“Jensen, I fell to earth for you. God knows how much I want you, how much I love you.”