Runaway – Ch 4

Pairing: Jared x Reader
WC: 2,054

Masterlist

Jensen hopped in an Uber around lunchtime after three texts and one call to Jared all went unanswered. It was typical for Jensen to check in on Jared after a night out. Jared always joked he was a better mom to him than his actual mother had been but Jensen didn’t mind. Someone had to look out for the guy, after all; especially after the childhood he’d had. 

But this morning wasn’t typical, due to the fact that Jared had drunkenly picked up a stray the previous night. So, when all his attempts at communication went unacknowledged, Jensen started to get nervous. What if that girl had been dangerous? What if Jared was hurt, or trapped in his own house? Or dead? 

Okay, so he didn’t really think Jared was dead, but that girl could have caused a load of trouble that meant Jared wasn’t able to answer his phone and Jensen was officially concerned. So, he called up a car and headed over, his bouncing leg pissing off his driver to no end based on the dirty looks he was getting through the rearview mirror. 

Y/N/N had been sitting on the step outside of Jared’s house for the better part of an hour before this twisted form of rescue came to her aid. Jensen pulled up in the car right in front of Jared’s house and he jumped out in a frenzy before the driver had fully pulled to a stop. His confusion at finding the girl he’d spent the last hour praying wasn’t a serial killer sitting on Jared’s doorstep, surrounded by grocery bags, could be easily imagined. 

“So, you’re still here?” Jensen approached her warily. He didn’t actually think that she was a serial killer but you can never be too careful, honestly. 

“Yeah,” she responded sullenly. “I’m still here.”

“I don’t mean to sound rude or to pry, but can I ask why?” Jensen was still being overly cautious around her because he remembered teenage girls all too well from his not long gone youth, and he remembered their tempers even better. Jared’s little sister tended to leave a lasting impression. 

“It’s not rude to ask. And you can stop tip-toeing towards me like I’m a time bomb, seriously. You look really weird.”

“Oh,” Jensen was slightly taken aback at her blunt tone, “sorry.” Not quite sure how to proceed from this point Jensen sat himself on the stoop next to Y/N/N. “I’m assuming Jared’s out, because I don’t see his car.” That was the second thing he’d noticed after he’d gotten over the surprise of seeing the stray on the stoop. 

“Yeah, he went to see his agent and then he’s going to the gym,” Y/N/N stated matter-of-factly. 

“And you’re sitting on his doorstep because…” Jensen trailed off, still not understanding why this girl from the street corner was still here. 

“Because I’m locked out,” Y/N/N snapped, there was that temper Jensen had worried about, but then she took a breath and reigned herself back in. “Mr. Padalecki told me to go get groceries but he forgot to give me a key to his house before he left.”

“Mr. Padalecki?” Jensen was so wholeheartedly befuddled at this point the only thing he could think to make a conversation out of was her use of Jared’s surname.

“I’ve always been taught to treat my employers and elders with respect,” Y/N/N parroted the words she gave to Jared earlier that day in reply. 

“Please, tell me you did not just say employer?” Jensen groaned as Y/N/N nodded an affirmative. “I’m gonna kill him,” he whispered, running his hands across his face in despair, very much reminiscent of a mother. 

Y/N/N was content to watch Jensen’s struggle, silently laughing to herself. Jensen pulled out his phone and dialed Jared’s number. Once again, he didn’t pick up. Aggravated, Jensen thumbed through his contacts and found Cassandra’s number, hoping Jared was still with her. It was just his luck that Jared was only walking out the door, and Cassandra had plenty of time to stop him. 

“Hello?” Cassandra answered her phone professionally, as always.

“Is that idiot still with you?” Jensen asked.

“What’s he done this time?” Cassie sighed dramatically and motioned for Jared to stop in the doorway, this couldn’t be good. 

“He hired a girl from a street corner,” Jensen said irritably before he really thought through how that would sound much worse to Cassie than the situation actually was.

“He did WHAT?” Cassie’s voice rose dangerously high in pitch and Jared knew he was in trouble for something, guessing correctly that it probably had something to do with Y/N/N. He tried to sheepishly duck out of the office but no one defied Cassie when she was in a rage. “Jared get your ass back in here now,” she nearly snarled. It was scary Cassandra mode for sure. 

“Whatever you think I did,” Jared started cautiously, his hands held up in surrender, “I swear it wasn’t me.” 

“Oh, so you didn’t pick up a girl and bring her home last night?” Cassie bit back shrilly.

“Ah,” Jared paused, “yeah, I did do that,” he admitted. 

“Jared, how could you be so stupid?” Venom punctuated every syllable of her rhetorical question. “Someone in your position can’t just bring home a prostitute,” she hissed. “This girl is probably running straight to the gossip columns to give them the latest inside scoop. That will earn her more money than the sex did!” Cassie collapsed in her chair, completely beside herself with indignation. 

“Cassie, she’s not a prostitute! I never slept with Y/N/N, she stayed in the guest room!” 

“What?” Cassie was having trouble keeping up with the chaos that had suddenly become her Saturday morning. 

“I’m assuming that’s Jensen on the phone?” Jared pointed to Cassie’s phone which was still connected to a confused Jensen. Cassie nodded. “Put it on speaker, please” Jared instructed. 

Cassie complied and set the phone on the small table between them. “Hey buddy, you still there?” Jared asked, hands clasped together and resting between his knees. 

“Yeah man,” Jensen said, relieved to finally be speaking to Jared directly. 

“Why did you tell Cassie that Y/N/N was a prostitute?” Jared asked patiently. 

“I’m assuming Y/N/N is the girl sitting next to me?” Jensen asked, looking Y/N/N up and down and deciding the name suited her. 

“Wait, you’re at my house?” Jared asked, sidetracked. 

“Yeah, I came to check up on you. And I never said Y/N/N was a hooker, I just said you hired a girl off a street corn– oh, yeah that sounds like something other than I meant. Sorry to scare ya, Cassie!” Jensen chuckled to himself. Through the phone Y/N/N could be faintly heard saying “I’m not a hooker! What the hell is going on?”

“Jensen, put me on speaker,” and Jared waited while Jensen fumbled with his touch screen for a minute. 

“Mr. Padalecki?” Y/N/N’s voice could be heard a little more clearly now that Jensen held the phone out between them. 

“Miss Y/N,” the name rolled off Jared’s tongue lightly, and a small smile twitched on his lips at his little private joke. “How goes your first day of work, kid?”

“Well, it was going fine until I locked myself out of your house and your friend called me a hooker,” she stated bluntly. 

“I never called you a hooker,” Jensen defended himself loudly. Jared dropped his head in his hands, groaning. 

“Sorry, I completely forgot about giving you the spare key. Jensen, can you let her in with yours since you’re there?” 

“Guess so,” Jensen was hesitant but he pulled out his keychain and pushed his way off the front step, Y/N/N following close behind. Jared waited patiently, listening to the shuffle of bags and a door opening in the background. Cassie took this lapse in the conversation to voice her need for clarification. 

“Can someone please explain to me what is happening right now?” 

“Long story short, I hired a housekeeper slash cook, I guess,” Jared couldn’t really think of a great way to describe the situation. “Given any thought to what you want your official job title to be, kid?” 

“Told you Mr. Padalecki, not a kid,” Y/N/N’s voice echoed loudly in the kitchen where she was currently putting away groceries while Jensen sat at the counter, phone sat on the counter between them. He was dumbfounded by how comfortable she already was with the space. “But I guess I’d be okay with ‘personal assistant’ or something? Famous people have those all the time, right?” She pulled all the droopy cardboard takeout containers out of the fridge and, en masse, put them in the large garbage can under the end of the island. She resolutely ignored Jensen’s forlorn look as all the junk food was disposed of – who knows how long most of it had been in there? 

“Alright, ‘personal assistant’ then,” Jared looked up to Cassie for approval. He didn’t find it. 

“How exactly did this happen?” Cassie took off her glasses to massage the bridge of her nose, careful not to smudge her impeccably blended eyeshadow. 

“Through a weird string of events that really won’t make much sense to anyone,” Jared sighed. He couldn’t explain why he had done what he did. Sure, last night he could blame it on being mildly intoxicated, but the decision to let Y/N/N stay was made in the cold light of sobriety. He didn’t have a reason that would make anybody happy here. “I’ll try to explain but later, I’m gonna be late to the gym if I don’t get going now.” Jared reached for his bag and stood up again. Cassie nodded her understanding, knowing how important it was for Jared to get his workouts in. 

“Do you have everything you need, kid?” Jared asked before he left, trying to remember if he had forgotten anything else. 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Y/N/N leant against the counter where Jensen sat, his cell resting between them. She was finding that she honestly didn’t mind the nickname that Jared had given her, as much as she said she did. At least, when it was Jared who was saying it. 

“Alright, have Jensen write out a list of numbers for you. My cell, Cassie’s, his, etc. And I think I left my laptop on a coffee table somewhere, feel free to use it, there’s a guest account set up.” 

“Oh, thanks,” Y/N/N continued to be surprised by Jared’s generosity. 

“And Jensen?”

“Yeah?” 

“Stick around for dinner? I have a feeling you’ll want to sample the cooking of our lovely Miss Y/N there.” 

“Whatever you say, man,” Jensen sighed, a little incredulous, but he accepted the invitation nonetheless. 

“Alright, I’ll see you guys tonight. Bye Cassie!” Jared waved on his way out the door and then Cassie was left on the phone with Jensen and Y/N/N. 

“Before I hang up,” Cassie started, her voice carefully measured, “let me say this, Y/N/N: Jared Padalecki is a good man, and if you so much as walk by a press office, I will make your life miserable. Just remember to count your blessings, kid.” And with that Cassie hung up, leaving Y/N/N stunned on the other end of the dead line, right back to hating the nickname of ‘kid’ with a passion.

Cassie replaced her glasses and tossed her phone onto the couch beside her in a huff. A short rap at the door and Charlie was walking in with a fresh cup of tea. 

“Lavender and lemon verbena,” he smiled as he set the clear glass teacup on a coaster in front of his boss. “You looked like you could use some calming influences.” 

“Thanks, Charlie,” Cassie gave her assistant a tight lipped but grateful smile. 

“Is everything okay with Jared?” Charlie asked casually, picking at the sleeve of his shirt to straighten the cuff. 

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Cassie sighed, reaching for the cup of tea and taking a small sip. “Thanks Charlie,” she smiled again, and he recognised his dismissal.