Of Squeaking Hinges and Leaky Faucets

-2 Years Ago-

“Jensen!!!” I yelled, the blonde-haired youth turning to face me. He looked around a bit, blue eyes scanning the crowd before resting on me.

“Corin!” He yelled back, smiling largely and waving me over to him. I pushed my way through the throng of newly graduated seniors and crying parents to get to Jensen. I exhaled loudly as I forced my way through the last wall of people and made my way to Jensen, shocked when he pulled me roughly into his arms. My initial shock wore away quickly, and I relaxed into his embrace.

“You're no longer a High School student.” I whispered into his chest. He didn't reply, but he didn't have to; I knew he had a giant grin plastered on his face.

“Let's get something to eat.” He said, shifting until only one arm was around us, and maneuvering us through the crowd, up the stadium stairs, and to his car.

He opened the door for me and exited the school parking lot quickly, everyone else was still at the football field. We rode in a comfortable silence, there wasn't a need for words between us.

Not yet, anyways.

I looked out the window, watching the trees go by. The sun was just beginning to set but it was still hot, easily 85 degrees, but that was expected of Georgia in June.

We pulled into the parking lot of a Waffle House just down the street from our school, it was only sparsely occupied, so it was easy to get into an empty table.

Jensen ordered two waffles and a BLT sandwich, he eats like a pig, but it's only because he's so damn active he has to eat every ten minutes or so.

I only ate a single order of hash browns, food and I don't get along.

We ate in silence too, the only sounds coming from the other few customers in the diner-esque restaurant.

Jensen only spoke to ask me if I was done, and upon my assent we left the restaurant with him footing the bill. We got back into his beaten up Ford truck and drove off again.

“Will your mom be mad you spent your graduation night with me instead of her?” I asked, turning from the window to look at the blond boy.

“She's in New York with Steven.” He replied tersely, referring to his soon-to-be stepfather.

“Oh...ok.” I replied softly, feeling guilty for bringing it up.

“Don't feel bad. I'd rather spend a night this important with my best friend than her anyways.” He replied, breaking eye contact with the road to turn and smile at me before quickly turning back to the pavement. The familiar silence returned, and I turned back to my window, watching the trees go by as we drove. I broke the silence only when I realized I had no idea where we were.

“Where are we going?” I asked, turning to Jensen.

“You'll see, we're almost there.” He replied, smiling again. He then pulled off of the main road, turning onto a small dirt road and following that for roughly a mile before pulling onto the side of the road and stopping.

“Come on.” He said, turning those crystal blue eyes to me and smiling, beckoning me out of the car. I got out and stretched slightly before following Jensen into the line of trees beside the road. I trekked through the woods behind him, thanking him whenever he kept a random branch from smacking me or when he saved me from tripping.

That happens a lot.

“Where are we going? I didn't exactly pack hiking boots.” I said, pointing at my flip-flops.

“Don't worry, we're here. Now close your eyes.” He said, and I did...well, mostly anyways.

“No peeking!” He cried with mock rage, and the next thing I know he's pressed up behind me, his hands pressed over my eyes to keep me from seeing anything.

“But now I can't walk through the forest!” I cried out, trying to feel my way around blindly.

“Then I'll tell you where to go, you dork.” He replied, and I could hear the smile in his voice. He directed me through the remains of the woods and told me when to stop. He then turned me until I was facing a specific direction.

“You ready?” He asked.

“Did I or did I not just trek through the forest?” I replied sarcastically.

“Point taken.” Jensen replied. “Okay, one...two...three!”

I merely gasped, on the other edge of the clearing was a drop-off from which you could see the entire city. The sun was setting behind the buildings, and it looked like they were on fire.

“You like?” He asked, smiling at my reaction.

“When did you find this place?” I asked breathlessly, still stunned.

“You know when we'd get into fights, or when my parents would fight and I didn't come to you? This is where I came.” He replied, still smiling.

“If you've kept this your secret spot for so long, why tell me now?” I asked, turning to view him, the dying sunlight turning him into a silhouette.

“Because this may be the last time we get to see each other as friends like we are.” He replied, his smile turning grim. “I mean...I'll be going to college very soon, with early admission and all. You still have two more years to go. We may not see much more of each other after today.”

“I know.” I replied softly, turning back away, unable to stand the look on his face any longer. It hurt too much.

“I wanted you to see this place now...while we're still us.” He continued, but I didn't want to hear anymore.

“Promise me that you'll try to keep us...us.” I asked, turning back and looking at him intensely.

“Promise.” He replied, his smile turning optimistic again. I wanted to crystallize this moment, I wanted to forever have Jensen here, like this.

But the moment was broken when he turned back away.

It was then I realized that it really was the end of my life as I had known it to that point.

-Present Day-

“Corin!” I heard, I turned around and looked through the sea of smiling faces.

“Over here!” Came the voice again, and looked to my right and spotted...him.

“Jensen?” I whispered, questioning it because I hadn't known he'd be here.

He came over to me at a quick pace. He looked like the same Jensen. He was still ridiculously fit, his blond hair had grown out to have a slight curl at the ends, and his blue eyes were as bright as ever.

“Corin.” He whispered, yanking me forward into his arms.

“Why are you here?” I asked quietly, my voice muffled by his chest. I felt him stiffen at my question, but I quickly squashed the slight uprise of guilt within me. He had no reason to be here, his ties to me had been broken.

“I wanted to see you again. We need to talk.” He finally said, relaxing again.

“Oh...ok.” I replied, resting my head on his chest more fully, allowing myself this momentary reprieve. I heard him sigh softly, and it brought back more memories than I wanted it to.

“Do you want to go someplace more private to talk?” I asked, wanting to break free of his grip and his influence on my emotions.

“Yeah, follow me.” He instructed. I followed him to his car, the same exact Ford truck as before, and I climbed into the passenger seat after he unlocked it.

He drove the familiar route to the Waffle House, the only noise coming from his radio. My mind was racing...how can he act as if these past two years never happened?

He pulled into the parking lot and stopped the truck, quickly exiting so he could open the door for me. We walked inside the building and Jensen led me to the same exact booth as before. This time he ordered three waffles and a BLT, because he'd actually gotten more muscled from college.

This time I ordered a double order of hash browns since my doctor had yelled at me for only gaining three or four pounds in the past two years.

We ate in silence...rather, he ate in silence. I mainly pushed the hash browns around my plate, eating a bite occasionally. We got up without speaking, and this time I paid for the food. Jensen and I re-entered his truck and drove off again, as I stared forwards I noted that we were going back to that clearing in the forest. I'd only spent minimal time there over the past two years, I'd found that it too brought back memories I'd rather forget.

He pulled off the side of that same dirt road, albeit a little more rundown than before, and we began the hike through the woods again. This time I got smack by a couple of stray branches, but Jensen took the brunt of them for me.

He stopped to pull the last wall of branches away for me and I walked headlong into the clearing. Yet again I was stunned by the sight of the entire city bathed in sunset, but this time it left a slightly more bitter taste in my mouth.

“What did you want to talk about?” I asked, walking towards the drop-off, not facing him.

“Do you hate me now?” He asked. I let out a short laugh, but it wasn't a happy one.

“That's a stupid question.” I sneered. “I never hated you. I can't hate you.”

“Don't be so snide, it's not like you.” Jensen said softly, much closer to me than I'd expected.

“Don't do that! Don't tell me what's 'me', you have no idea who I am anymore!” I snapped.

“What the hell? I thought you didn't hate me!” He yelled back.

“I don't!” I screamed.

“Then what the hell is this!?” He returned.

“I don't know! What the fuck do you want from me!?” I cried, my hands reaching up to cover my head.

“This.” He replied, and I felt his arms reach around my waist and pull me back against his chest. “I missed you.”

“Then why didn't you come back?” I asked, my voice nearly nonexistent amongst the sounds of the twilight.

“I don't know. I thought you could use some time to live a little.” Jensen replied, resting his head on top of mine.

“Fool.” I said simply, turning around in his arms to bury my face in his neck.

“You asked me what I wanted of you, and I answered. Now it's your turn: what do you want from me?” He asked, pushing me off of him a little to look me in the eyes, his hands remaining on my hipbones. I paused for a moment, contemplating how to say what I wanted to.

“More.” I answered, looking at him seriously. “I don't know what that is, exactly. I want more than this place can offer me, I want more than a comfortable future, I'm not asking for some bullshit fairytale existence, but I want more.”

“I think we can work on that.” Jensen replied, smiling a little and pulling me back up against me.

It wasn't the happiest I'd been in my life.

It wasn't happily ever after.

But it was a start.

And that's enough for now.

------------------------------------

Do just what I tell you

And no one will get hurt

Don't come any closer

'Cause I dunno how long I can hold my heart in two

Make no sudden movements

And no one need get hurt

You're makin' me nervous

If you know what's good for me

Why would I be leaving you?

So, what do we do now?

--------------------------------------------

A/n: I don't like this very much, but I had a dream about being in that clearing and screaming at someone because I wanted more. So this happened. The lyrics at the end are from Psychobabble by Frou Frou.

Umm...I have three stories in the works now.

A three-chapter story based around a wedding, featuring the cake-decorator and the hottie surfer, the panic disorder suffering planner and the hottie best man, and the groom and...groom.

A one-shot tribal story about a human sacrifice to another tribe and the hunter who has to kill him.

And a one shot a fairytale-esque story involving a handsome prince and an uber-clumsy wizard.

Should be fun stuff when it's all done.

Much love.