Life For Rent
Chapter 19 : Static
Author's Notes :
- Spoilers for S1E13-14
- There won't be an episode tag chapter for S1E13 cause the episode was just too damn depressing for me to write about. So just know that Jared knows Dom's missing.
- I apologize for the delay in this chapter.
- This is SLASH and this chapter in particular is very slashy so please be aware of that
- I don't own the Animal Channel.
- President Adams' Alligator and Other White House Pets belongs to Peter Barnes and Cheryl Shaw Barnes.
- And my mother actually did have a gator as a pet when she was younger. President John Quincy Adams did have an alligator, and as for the number--that's made up.
- Thanks, once again, to my wonderful/awesome/amazing reviewers. I certainly appreciate you all.
"Wait, so let me get this right--you've been infected with botulism?!"
Callen winced. Jared did not sound happy. They were talking on the phone as Callen was finishing up paperwork on the most recent case.
"Not really infected… I was treated--"
"Who gets botulism?! This is like the 21st century!"
"Botulism is a common--"
"G!"
Callen sighed, "Yes, sorry. It was gonna be auctioned off as an agent of biological warfare and long story short… we stopped them but then the bottle broke in my hand…"
There was a long pause. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I should be fine."
"Should be?" Jared asked warily.
"I'll be fine," Callen corrected.
"Will you come here tonight?" Jared asked quietly.
"Yeah."
"Okay. G, just…" Jared exhaled softly. "I worry about you."
It was on the tip of Callen's tongue to tell Jared that he didn't need to worry, that Callen had been taking care of himself for years but then suddenly it hit Callen. He liked when Jared worried about him. He liked being cared for.
"I'm sorry," Callen said.
"It's okay, G. I know you can take care of yourself."
Jared said exactly what Callen would have wanted any other lover to say. But for some reason it felt wrong to hear Jared say it.
"But," Jared continued, unaware of Callen's inner monologue. "I like to think I can take care of you a little bit, too. So, I'll see you in a little bit?"
"Yeah," Callen confirmed with a smile. "I'll be there."
"Awesome. See you then."
Jared opened the door and found his lovely boyfriend waiting on his stoop.
"Hey, G come on in," Jared said with a smile and a gesture.
G stepped inside and toed off his shoes. He kept his jacket though and Jared made a mental note that G was cold as he shut and locked the door. Jared bent down a little and gave G a quick kiss on the lips. Before he could pull back, G wrapped a hand around the back of Jared's neck, holding him in place.
G slowly deepened the kiss and Jared moaned lightly when G's tongue slipped into his mouth. G walked him backwards until Jared felt the edge of the couch behind his legs. He bent his knees and fell backwards onto the sofa with G falling on top of him. Jared worked his hands up the back of G's shirt as the other man slowly traced the inside of Jared's mouth with his tongue.
Jared bucked his hips up against G's, feeling his jeans begin to tighten. G slid a hand up the front of Jared's shirt and settled his thumb over Jared's nipple, moving it back and forth over the hardening bud.
"I want you," G got out between kisses.
"You've got me," Jared answered. He moved a hand out from G's shirt to gently rest it on the crown of the other man's head as G moved his lips to Jared's neck, sucking the soft skin there.
"In me," G said with urgency.
Jared wondered if this was 'thank God I'm/you're alive' sex.
"The lube is in the bedroom," Jared said with a gasp as G ground his hips down into Jared's.
"Let's go there."
G pulled up and off of him and Jared followed his boyfriend into the bedroom, stripping along the way. G's shirt hit the ground a second before Jared's and Jared's pants hit the ground between the door and the bed and were kicked into a pile with G's jeans. Jared peeled his boxers off and G tossed his aside as he collapsed down onto the bed. Jared slid on top of G in a reversal of their positions on the couch.
It wasn't long before G was reaching for the lube and then a warm hand covered Jared's erection. He moaned and stole the bottle of lube from G. He gently prepared his partner and met G's beautiful blue eyes as he positioned himself at the other man's entrance.
"Jared," G gasped as Jared pushed in.
"G," Jared murmured, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend's lips.
They moved together like lovers who knew each other well. G was almost curling into Jared, triggering baser protective instincts in Jared. G's fingers pressed into Jared's back, keeping him close and his legs locked around Jared's waist.
Jared pushed in deep and G held Jared tightly against him, stopping the younger man from moving back out.
"G…"
"Just… I need a minute," G said, panting lightly and looking up at Jared.
Jared nodded and tried to wrap himself around his boyfriend. There had been something just a little bit broken about G since the other man had told Jared that Dom was gone. Missing. Presumed alive, G had said, but Jared could read between the lines. And he knew that every hour someone was missing the lower the chance of finding them alive was.
That had been a rough night and G had woken up twice from bad dreams. Eventually Jared had gotten up, made them coffee and told G, point blank, that he need to talk about it. And G did. It all came pouring out. Finding out Dom was missing, the abandoned car, the dead guy in the empty house, killing the kidnappers and finally, the empty van.
Jared shook himself back to the present and leaned down, pressing his forehead against G's. Their ragged breaths tangled in the small space between their faces.
"$72,000 worth of fish died from botulism."
Jared blinked and pulled his head up a little. He definitely hadn't been expecting G to say that. "Okay…?"
"I mean, who keeps such expensive fish in a mall? I didn't even know there were fish in there until we killed them. People pass them all the time without looking but someone at the mall decided they needed to keep $72,000 worth of fish in a stupid fountain."
"G… are you alright?" Jared asked. Because as far as Jared knew they had been in the middle of making love and now G was talking about dead fish. Jared didn't really think that counted as dirty talk.
"I just think it's weird that fish can cost so much."
Jared sighed, "That sushi you ate cost just as much and it probably can't entertain you by swimming in circles."
"Huh," G said pensively. "You're right."
"You know you live in LA when the live fish cost as much as the dead fish."
"They don't have sushi in San Diego?"
Jared laughed, "There's sushi and then there's sushi. We just have sushi, you have sushi."
"You know, it's a little confusing when you say it like that."
"Oh, and it's not confusing when you talk about dead fish while we're having sex?"
"What's confusing about it?" G asked.
"Maybe the part where I'm wondering how badly I'm doing that your mind would rather think of dead fish."
"Oh."
Jared rolled his eyes. "Yes, oh."
"I suppose you want to get back to that?"
"I do have all night," Jared answered. "So feel free to keep taking your time. Maybe we can talk about dead ducks too, cause I cooked a few Sunday night at the restaurant."
"But they didn't die from botulinum toxin."
"Nope." Jared paused and thought about it. "I'm not sure how they died. Probably got their head cut off."
"I wonder if other people talk about dead animals in bed."
"I certainly never have before you came along, G."
"Really?" G asked, interested.
"Yep, you're the first," Jared confirmed.
"Cool."
G moved a little bit, his muscles contracting around Jared's dick and Jared bit off a groan.
"Does that mean you're ready to stop talking about dead fish?"
"Can we talk about it later?"
"If you really want to," Jared answered with a roll of his eyes.
In response, G loosened his grip on Jared's body and Jared slid out before pushing back in.
"This is really good," Callen said between bites of his dinner.
Jared grinned, "Thanks."
"Like really good."
"I'll make a note," Jared promised.
Jared had made fajitas. Callen hadn't thought Mexican food could taste so good, but it did. At least when Jared made it. Callen was quickly becoming Jared's number one fan.
"You should make this for your restaurant."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Callen answered. "It's very good."
Jared laughed, "You like it, I got it."
"Do you…" Callen paused. "Sam was wondering if he could come over for dinner sometime."
Jared shrugged, "Sure."
"Do you think you could make this again?"
The younger man laughed, "Anything for you, G."
Jared had said it with a laugh but Callen knew that he was serious. Callen shifted on the seat again. The sex earlier had been pretty intense and Callen was aching just a little from it. Jared had gotten him a pillow and offered it to him along with a very apologetic expression. Callen didn't know why Jared was apologizing, Callen had basically jumped his boyfriend as soon as he stepped into the apartment.
"So you don't mind if I invite him over?"
"Nope. How about Monday night?"
"Monday sounds great," Callen replied. "I'll let him know."
"Cool," Jared smiled.
Callen swallowed the last of his fajitas and waited for Jared to finish his own food.
"I mean, really, $72,000 for fish?"
Jared groaned, "What is it with you and these fish?"
"It just seems like a lot of money to spend on the world's worst pet."
"There are worse pets then fish, G."
"Like…?"
Jared shrugged. "An alligator."
Callen stared at his boyfriend. "People don't keep alligators as pets."
"Oh yeah they do."
"No they don't."
"They definitely do."
"I don't think so."
"I saw it on the Animal Channel."
"And do you believe everything you see on TV?" Callen asked skeptically.
"When it's on the Animal Channel--yes."
Callen laughed. He loved that Jared believed the Animal Channel. Jared was just so young sometimes.
"Back to my point. You don't think that's a lot to spend on fish?"
"I didn't say that," Jared countered. "I think it's a shit load of money to spend on fish, especially if they're in such a public place. Anyone could like… pee in that fountain or dump something toxic into it."
"See! I don't think we should have to pay. The other alternative was to expose the whole mall to the botulinum. And it's not like Hetty would have let us get away with that."
"Forget Hetty. I almost had a heart attack when you said you were being scrubbed down by a hazmat team."
"Yeah, I'd rather be scrubbed down by you," Callen said, wiggling his eyebrows.
Jared burst out laughing. "You're something else, G."
"You know, Sam says that all the time."
"Great minds think alike…"
"Mornin', G." Sam greeted.
"Morning."
Callen stood behind Eric with a coffee mug in hand, looking at the large empty screen. They were waiting for Nate and Kensi to arrive.
"Eric?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure, name it."
"Can you look up how many people have alligators as pets in the US?"
Eric raised an eyebrow and Sam gave Callen a weird look.
"Okay…" Eric drawled. He typed something into the computer and a few seconds later something popped up on the big screen.
"Is that number right?" Callen asked, stepping closer to the screen. There were little columns with names and addresses and at the bottom it totaled 348.
"As far as I know."
"What's that?" Callen asked, pointing to a smaller box on the side.
Sam walked over and hit the screen, pulling the box apart. Callen looked at the box, gaping.
"You have got to be shitting me," Callen said to himself.
It was a book entitled, 'President Adams' Alligator and Other White House Pets'.