When Reality Starts to Falter (SPN AU FANFIC) Finished!

Part Four

You blink your eyes gingerly as they adjust to the luminous lamp beside the bed. Bringing a fist to your eye to rub away the grogginess, you prop yourself up onto your elbows. Your face twists into a frown and you hear a deep sigh beside you. When your eyes open fully, you take in your surroundings.

Cabinets are lined up along the wall, a stool next to a counter and beside you, Jensen sits in a chair, leaning his forearms onto the bed. He breathes deeply, looking up at you with a languid and troubled face.

"Jensen?" you squeak. "What - what happened?"

He clears his throat, pulling his arms in an abstract shrug. He leans back just slightly, "you. You passed out, I guess," his hand runs down his face and falls flat onto the twin sized mattress, just at your side. "Have you been eating? Or - or drinking water?"

If you hadn't known any better, you'd have thought he was acting combative or surly with his strained face and pulsing veins. But you do know better, and the harsh affliction to his words encase care and concern. You keep quiet, not yet ready to unleash the truth.

Swallowing the collection of saliva in your mouth, you fall back against the bed. "I had some pizza today." The words bring back the memory of your lie. The blood rushes from your face, so you swallow again. "Ended up choking on the second piece," you feign a chuckle, keeping your eyes focused on the ceiling and avoiding the way he looks you over.

"Is that so?" he remarks in a discounted voice. "Cause uh," his pause makes it seem like he wants to retract the words.

You turn your head to him, "what?" you ask softly.

His puffy cheeks and clear eyes bow down with his head. Bringing only his eyes to yours, he sucks on his bottom lip, popping it out with the beginning of his sentence. "I heard from someone that your car never left today-" another pause. You sigh internally, but hold your breath. "Polly said you looked like you were crying, and I- I just wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you were going through something and I didn't know about it. I don't want you to have to deal with anything alone, while I just sit idly by, waiting for a last sign."

His eyes flicker between yours. They slip down to your lips a few times, but never linger. If you blinked you'd have missed it, but you didn't miss a second of the elliptical mossy green, encasing tree trunk irises that stay stationary while the full, black moon of deep thought traces your face.

The chirr of the door creeping open causes you to jump. Your eyes regrettably rip form Jensen's, batting a few times. Jared's towering figure strides into the room, "mind if we have a minute?"

Jensen's eyes are back on yours, as if to ask if you are okay with Jared's intrusion. You give him a tired smile and nod, scooting up in the bed as Jared replaces Jensen in the seat. You wait for the door to close behind him before looking at your new company.

"If you're here to talk about the improv," your hand folds into a ball, resting under your jaw as you tilt your head at him. Raising your eyebrows and with a slight shake of your head, you say, "I don't want to hear it."

"No," he says in a raspy whisper, calmly shaking his head, "the directors loved it." Looking behind him at the door and then around the empty room, he leans in closer. "I know what happened, and I won't tell anyone," he breathes out, hanging on the last word.

Your body tenses, eyes narrow at him. "If? You won't tell anyone about it if what, Jared?" Your words bounce against the walls.

He hurls back against the chair, holding his palms up in defense, "no," he begins.

"No, you. You've been giving me major attitude and that side eye since I got here. Something's up," you flag a finger at him. Leaning in, you lower your voice to a groan, "we were together for seven years. If you don't think I know how you operate by now," you take a slow breath to regulate your pulse, pulling your torso back upright. "Well, that'd honestly just be ridiculous. So... if what, Jared?" Your hands dance in the air to your choleric words, "you won't tell anyone about my 'issue' if I do what?"