Blurring the Lines
Chapter 10
Jared Booth/Wendell Bray
A/N: Okay let me apologize profusely for not updating in almost two years. Last year was insane with health problems and going back to school. I am going to make a real effort to keep things going with my fanfiction, even if I don't feel particularly inspired.
Jared could feel the nervousness spreading throughout his body as he unlocked the apartment door with Hank behind him waiting patiently. His grandfather was one of the few family members that Jared cared about and desperately wanted approval from, with Seeley being the other. Objectively Jared knew that Hank and Wendell would get along like two peas in a pod, but that didn't shut up the other part of his brain that was going into full blown panic mode. Inside was thankfully clean and organized, also meaning that Jared wouldn't have a way to distract himself from the tension that was growing over him.
Hank took a quick look around the living room and sat himself on the leather couch and looked at touches he could easily categorize as Jared and others that had to be his grandson's boyfriend. Jared may have been in the military for a large part of his life, but it didn't leave much of an impression as to his housekeeping skills Hank mused with a smile. Hank almost felt bad for how jittery his youngest grandson looked, almost like he would jump out of his skin at a moment's notice. He wasn't sure if he said anything that it would make it better or worse, so he decided to just let Jared lead.
They didn't have to wait too long however, as the doorknob started to turn and opened as a head of bright blonde hair preceded the rest of the body of one Wendell Bray. He to pause for a moment to shift the paper backs in his arms before he looked up and took in the sight of Hank on the couch and Jared across the room in their small kitchen, both watching him with different levels of expectations. Wendell shifted and gave them both a large smile, "I brought dinner" as he indicated to the bags in his arms.
Jared seemed to shake himself of the fog that had washed over his mind for a moment before starting forward to take the bags himself. Forgetting his grandfather on the couch for a moment Jared leant forward and pressed a firm kiss to Wendell's lips. When he pulled back, he hurried with the bags to the kitchen island to unpack the food. Wendell smiled after him before turning his attention to Hank on the couch, who was watching them with his own smile of amusement with a slight tint of sadness.
"Hi, I'm Wendell and you must be Hank Booth." Wendell came closer and held out his hand for Hank to shake, which he did.
"That I am. And you are the young man that my youngest grandson has become so enamored with. I must say that I can see the appeal." Hank winked, causing Wendell to turn red and a embarrassed "Grandpa!" from the kitchen. Hank laughed and Wendell couldn't help but chuckle along with him.
When Jared came back into the living room with the food, they all settled into the meal and carried on pleasant conversations in varying topics. As Hank watched Wendell and Jared together though he felt a twinge of nostalgic sadness wash over him; they reminded him of himself and his late wife early in their marriage. He knew that they had obstacles that would try to stop them, but watching them he knew that they would be able to overcome them together and he would be behind them the entire way.
OCOCO
"Lance. Lancelot. LANCE!" Daisy shouted throughout their apartment as soon as she crossed the threshold of the doorway. Sweets hurried to her, worried a bit over how breathless she sounded. Seeing her flushed and with wisps of hair falling from her ponytail he rushed to her, putting his hands on her shoulders to try to calm her.
"Daisy stop and take deep breaths, I'm here." He encouraged her, breathing deeply along with her to encourage her to mimic. She nodded quickly and followed along with him, her chest calming from the shuddering. As soon as she was breathing normally he encouraged her to tell him what she had been so frantic about earlier, "Now tell me why you were so frantic earlier. Has something happened? Was someone hurt?" He asked, a small pinprick of dread making itself known in the back of his mind.
She shook her head, her eyes large in wonder "No, no, no one was hurt and nothing has happened. Except well I assume that something has happened considering that everything happens all the time. It's impossible for nothing to happen as time continues on." She rambled on, her brain taking a slight detour that Sweets knew he would have to cut off now if he wanted to know what had gone one earlier.
"Daisy! What happened?" Sweets asked, making his voice loud enough to catch her attention, but soft enough to not offend her.
She jumped slightly as she came back to her original train of thought, "Oh yes, well I was out looking for new shoes for the date night that you said you had arranged for us later this week. I was just leaving a store near downtown and across the street there was a nice little bistro, you know the one that I've been trying to get you to try with me? And at one of the outdoor tables I saw Jared, Booth's brother, and Wendell, and Booth's grandpa together eating brunch!"
Sweets stopped and considered for a short moment, "I didn't realize that Booth's grandfather was in town. I also didn't know that Wendell and Jared were friends, or even knew of each other's existence." Daisy started shaking her head firmly, obviously not finished.
"No! They obviously know one another extremely well, they were having brunch together! And that's not the end of it. As I stood pondering the scenarios that would make this event occur, Jared and Wendell kissed! And not the kind of kiss that happens as an accident or jest, the kind that two people when it's a common practice; the kind of kisses that we share at random times as a reaffirmation of our feelings." Again she was breathing rapidly, trying to press her point to Sweets.
He paused, taking in all of what Daisy had said and piecing it together. It took a bit longer than he would like to admit, but the look on Daisy's face pressed it all together like a puzzle piece going into place. His own eyes growing large in surprise as he looked at her, his mouth gaping just slightly similar to a fish.
"Oh" he breathed out, his brain momentarily going blank. Silence reigned for a short moment or two before he started again, "Maybe that is what has Booth so on edge lately with his traditional catholic morals at war with the reality that his brother is in a relationship with another man, and that he has to see Wendell fairly regularly." Daisy cocked her head as she considered this, before nodding in agreement with him. It did explain a lot.
TBC
A/N: I know this is way shorter than it should have been for those of you who have not abandoned me *eep!* and I want to thank you. I just wanted to get you something since it has been so long. I'll try and get something up in the next week or so. I've just got several research papers due as it's only a few more weeks until the end of the semester. But I will have more time this summer as I'm taking only two classes. Again thank you sooooo much for sticking with me!