Chapter Text
“Hey, Sarah, how do you like bein’ an EMT so far?” Jared says with a slight turn of his head towards the passenger seat.
“It’s...it’s good so far. I thought it would be a lot more nerve wracking but I’m good.” Sarah directs a shaky smile towards Jared and brushes back the wisps of hair that have escaped her ponytail.
“That’s because I’m taking it easy on you. Plus, while I’m breaking you in, dispatch knows not to send any intense situations unless it’s an absolute emergency.” The radio crackles and Jared’s smirk is warped into a look of complete concentration.
“Padalecki, you in the area of Bradley Avenue? Cross street, Robinson Drive?”
Jared grabs the radio, his thumb pressing down the button on the side so he can speak. “Yeah, not far from there. What you got for me?”
“Got a call from a man in labor over at the Bradley Apartment Complex, fourth floor. Sounded like he’s pretty far gone. You and the newbie think you can handle this or should-”
Jared lowers the radio and raises an eyebrow towards Sarah. “What do you think, rookie? Think you can handle a little labor and delivery?”
Not willing to look bad while in the middle of her training, Sarah’s answer is on the edge of being too enthusiastic. “Yeah, how hard can it be, right?”
“Right.” Nodding, Jared shifts the ambulance into the next lane, already in route towards Bradley Avenue. “What’s the address?” he asks into the radio.
“Apartment 7D. He said the door is unlocked for you. We can send back up.”
“Probably not necessary but have people on standby if they are available. ETA, 5 minutes.” With that, Jared hooks the radio back into place and focuses on maneuvering the vehicle around the light traffic building around them. It had been a pretty easy day on the job and he figures a hands-on medical situation will help him assess if Sarah has what it takes or not. She is a nice girl, smart in all the ways she has to be, but book smarts mean nothing if she can’t jump in and act when the situation gets tough.
Jared beats his estimated arrival time by thirty seconds and manages to spend the extra time gearing up, bringing an emergency delivery kit with him just in case they can’t get the man to the hospital in time.
“Sarah, come on. Catch.” He throws a second set of supplies at her and slams he ambulance’s back door before jogging his way towards apartment 4D.
With Sarah scrambling to keep up with him, he finds the apartment without a problem, the door left open just as he had been told.
“Hello?” He knocks on the door as a warning. “Sir? I’m an EMT. I got a call that you were in a bit of a dilemma here.” Pausing his movements, Jared listens for anything to indicate that it isn’t a false alarm. Proof that he’s needed comes in the form of a groan from down the hallway to his left. “Sir? We’re here to help.” Taking off towards the sound, he finds it muffled behind a door. Knocking once, he pushes the door open to reveal a bedroom with a very obviously pregnant person curling around his belly.
With a nod of his head, Jared indicates that Sarah should follow him inside.
The person in the middle of the bed seems aware of their presence but not focused enough to do anything about it, choosing instead to let out a pained moan and bury his face in the pillow. It is hard to get a clear picture of the man, but Jared knows enough to be certain that he is “pretty far gone” as stated earlier. “Sir,” Jared repeats as he places a hand on the man’s shoulder.
The physical connection makes the man turn towards Jared, his eyes blinking open to reveal worried green ones. He gasps, but this time it is one of shock rather than discomfort.
Jared echoes the same gasp. “Jensen?”
“Jared?”
They stare at each other for a moment, prompting Sarah to look from one man to the other in an attempt to figure out what is going on.
Jared’s head is spinning. He hasn’t seen Jensen Ackles since his junior year of high school or, more accurately, the summer before his senior year. He and Jensen had gone to the same school, and while they were a year apart, they had instant chemistry. They’d been hot and heavy until things changed even though Jensen said they wouldn’t. The minute Jensen graduated from high school, his parents forced him into a college ten states over, leaving Jared to start out his senior year single and with the type of broken heart that teenage angst morphs into something debilitating. And now, after eight years, Jared is staring down at Jensen Ackles. A very pregnant Jensen Ackles. That fact alone has Jared’s thoughts doing back flips. Jensen…Jensen was not the poster boy for pregnancy. It actually makes Jared blink twice to make sure it is actually Jensen who he is looking at because the Jensen he knew was too determined to ignore his carrier status. “Jensen?” Jared asks again, this time the disbelief in his voice saturates every word to its fullest.
“What the hell are you doing here, Jared?” The words are about as confused as they can get. Jensen lets out quick, short breaths, eyes scanning the room and making note of Jared’s attire. He fills in his own blanks and nods. “You’re the EMT.”
“Yeah. I am.” Jared scratches at the back of his head. Whatever he’d felt for Jensen after that summer eight years ago, wasn’t there. It was a hurt that healed itself as he’d grown into an actual adult. What is there, is an understanding of who this person was and a curiosity as to how Jensen had gotten himself into the situation at hand. Instinct kicked in along with his training to help a person in need and Jared feels only concern for Jensen. He snorts a laugh at the thought that his 17 year old self would kick his ass right now. He’d sworn back then that if he’d ever met Jensen Ackles again, he’d give him a piece of his mind and teach him a lesson about what happens to men who are careless with other people’s hearts. It is funny that the urge to do so is gone. Instead, he can’t remember much of that anger. The only thoughts that come to his head are good ones, ones about how Jensen taught him to be physical with another man and live like he didn’t have to apologize for wanting to do so. As cliché as it is, old crushes die hard and Jared has no idea what to do with himself.
"Of course you are," Jensen says with a huff and a defeated roll of his eyes. Looking about as helpless as someone could, the huff turns into a whine as he scrunches his eyes closed.
That helplessness is something Jared can't remember seeing on Jensen's face before but that was a long time ago and he thinks maybe he has forgotten it. Still, it leaves him with a momentary lapse of feeling out of place in the situation. Instead of actually doing something productive, he gets stuck staring at Jensen, his grip on the medical supplies tightening by the second.
"What?" Jensen asks through clenched teeth.
"Jus'...Just didn't expect to see you again...let alone like this...having a baby." The thought sends Jared's head spinning all over again.
Jensen's response is quick on his lips even though it is clearly a struggle for him to get it out. "It's not mine...I mean...it is...but," letting out a loud breath, he concludes with, "it's complicated." Tensing up again, his fingers clutch at his distended middle and his breathing rises to panicked levels.
The sounds coming out of Jensen’s mouth are enough to kick Jared back into action. He has a job to do, one that is more important than reliving past memories in his head. “Looks like you’re ready to have that baby. How about Sarah and I help you to the ambulance so we can get you some help with that?”
Jensen’s only response is to shake his head “no” several times before squeezing his eyes closed and tensing his whole body like he is bearing down.
“Shit,” Jared swears under his breath. “Are you…are you pushing?” Dropping the medical gear on the bed, he puts his hands on Jensen’s middle.
“Fuck, yes, I’m pushing…nngh!” Jensen keeps shaking his head like he is trying to refuse more than just going to the hospital.
If Jensen is pushing like that, Jared knows there isn’t any time for the hospital. Turning to face Sarah, he gives an urgent gesture towards Jensen with a nod of his head. “Help me get his pants off so I can see what I’m working with here.” Putting a hand on Jensen’s knee, Jared tries to keep his voice calm. He is good at that, considering he’s been in the line of fire during too many high intensity situations to keep track of. “Hey, Jensen? It looks like your baby doesn’t feel like waiting. Sarah and I are gonna help get your pants off so I can see what’s going on. Okay? Try to keep calm and don’t push for a second.” When Jensen snorts at him, Jared adds, “I know. It’s difficult. Just try.”
Straining, Jensen puts in a good effort of trying to fight off the urge to push. “Fucking burns.” Looking up at the ceiling, his resolve breaks into a million pieces. “God…I…of course I’m having this kid alone in my apartment. That’s all my fault. I didn’t want anyone to…” Jensen’s words trail off into a cry and he gives up trying to talk.
Certain he’s heard concern in Jensen’s voice, Jared keeps up his calm narrative of what’s going on. “Having a baby in an apartment isn’t so bad. It could be worse. At least you have some privacy and the comforts of your own home. I’ve delivered babies in the middle of a shopping mall or a grocery store. Trust me, not fun. You’re going to be fine. I’ve delivered a lot of babies, all safely and soundly.” With Sarah’s help, he is able to get Jensen’s pants off, freeing the man’s legs so they can splay on either side of Jared as he kneels in front of him.
Sarah’s gasp escapes despite the hand she’s placed over her mouth, wincing in sympathy at what she sees. “Jared…that’s…”
“The head, yeah.” Licking his lips, Jared swallows. “Can you get me a towel or something soft? And then grab the suction and clamps from the supply kit?” Waiting for Sarah’s silent nod, he looks back at Jensen. “Baby’s starting to crown; that’s why it’s burning.”
Legs shaking, Jensen scoots backwards on the bed, propping his back up against the headboard. He shakes his head again. This time, when he opens his eyes, the fear is practically palpable. “It’s not…none of this was supposed to happen.”
Jared isn’t exactly sure what he means by that, but considering the fact that all people carrying a child to term know they’re going to have to give birth one day, he assumes it is the fact that Jensen is doing it all by himself with only Jared and Sarah to aid him. Snapping on gloves, he nods in understanding. “I know, Jensen. It’s probably not what you had planned but these little guys,” Jared puts a palm over the middle of Jensen’s swell, “have a way of coming when they want to. And right now? Your baby’s coming. So I need you to push all the way down here,” he applies the slightest amount of pressure where the baby is starting to crown, “as hard as you can and for as long as you can.”
This time, Jensen nods. After taking three gulps of air like he’s gearing up for it, he growls through a long push. He keeps going as he digs his heels into the mattress and tucks his chin to his chest while working on clearing the head.
“That’s great!” Jared smiles while using his fingers to help the skin part. “You keep doing that and your little…” pausing, he catches Jensen’s eyes. “Do you know what you’re having?”
Eyebrows furrowed together while he catches his breath, Jensen huffs out, “boy. A boy.” Biting his lip, he starts pushing again; this time his fingers clawing at the bed sheets and he ends the effort on an exhausted yell.
“Perfect. Come back at it. Do it again.” Jared watches Jensen work, seeing the rounded skull push forward and struggle to break free of the birth canal. “The little guy’s almost here.” Giving a quick look to make sure Jensen is holding up, Jared goes back to focusing on the baby. Knowing it is a boy makes the baby more real for him and he hopes Jensen can power through the pain and concentrate on that fact. “You got a name yet?”
Busy with pushing again, Jensen doesn’t answer right away. He lets out a strangled yelp of pain before he feels everything shift and his eyes go wide when another push earns him the realization that he’s just delivered the baby’s head. “Holy…fuck! Out! Jared! I…” Frantically, he gulps down air and twists his head to the side.
“Shh, you’re okay. It’s okay.” Jared helps guide the baby’s head, letting it rest in his hand as the baby turns. Suctioning its mouth and nose is an automatic reflex and a simple task for Jared. It becomes obvious that the angle in which the baby had been pushed out thus far is a bit off; nothing for Jared to be too concerned with but it is going to make things a bit harder for Jensen. “The head’s out and you’re doing great. Here. Feel.” Jared disentangles one of Jensen’s white knuckled hands from the bed sheets and coasts it over the wet, matted scalp of the baby. “See what you did? You got his head out; no problem.”
“I…” Jensen’s breathing quivers as he blinks up at Jared. “He’s okay?”
“Great so far. The rest is going to be a little harder, though. His shoulders are a bit stuck but you can still get him out. I’m just going to turn your hips a little bit, okay? Kind of like you’re laying on your side?” When Jensen nods his head, Jared helps him shift, landing him on his right side with his left leg hovering. “Sarah, hands on training. Help hold his left leg up and open.”
“Like this?” the girl asks.
“Perfect. Okay, Jensen, want to try pushing like this?” Jared shifts his own positioning, solidifying his kneeling crouch on the mattress. He’s been this deep into delivering a baby before, but this is the first time he’s known the person doing all the pushing and grunting. Watching a baby come into the world isn’t an uncomfortable position for him but looking at Jensen straining to do so makes him nervous, like this instance counts more than the rest. The situation comes with a weighty sense of importance and Jared can’t shake the feeling of needing to make Jensen understand just how good at his job he is. It isn’t about proving himself exactly, but he needs to make sure he doesn’t let Jensen down, hence the rush of adrenaline keeping him on edge.
Jensen swallows thickly and tries to push but backpedals immediately. “I can’t. No…I…” Squeezing his eyes shut, Jensen starts panting and lets out a choked sound. Words desperate, Jensen stares up at Jared with wet eyes. “I just want him safe.”
“He’s perfectly safe. We just have to work together to un-stick his shoulders and then you’ll get him out no problem. Okay?” Jared puts a hand on Jensen’s hip in an attempt to bring him back to the task at hand. Jensen seems anxious in a way Jared has never seen him before. “Come on, just try pushing. You’re doing really well so far. You and…you got a name?” Jared asks again.
“Aaron.” Jensen wheezes out as he groans. “Aaron Josh…A.J.” Curling his hand into a fist, Jensen gives in and bears down, biting his lip to stifle a yell.
The push succeeds in getting the baby moving again and Jared cheers. “See, your doing good. A.J. is almost here.” Through his smile, Jared’s head turns over memories and recollections that Jensen had an older brother named Josh. They’d never met, considering he’d been in college while he and Jensen were still in high school, but he remembers the name. He doesn’t have much time for thoughts because A.J. is in a rush and Jensen screams. “Can you push again, Jen?” The nickname slips from his lips easier than it should have.
Thrashing his head from left to right, Jensen strains and vocalizes his way through several more pushes, all of them a bit erratic.
“Focus, Jensen. Just a few more really good pushes and you’re done. You’re working his shoulders out. Okay? Just…focus.” The moment blurs out the rest of the scene, leaving Jared with the feeling of just the three of them: him, Jensen, and A.J. His hands guide the baby and he holds his breath as each tiny shoulder squeezes out.
“Augh!” Giving it everything he has left, Jensen curls in on his belly, pushes hard, and lands himself on his back again, panting heavily. “Oh my fucking god!”
“That’s it!” Jared catches the slippery baby, watching his floppy limbs stiffen and fight back as he adjusts to the world outside of Jensen’s belly. “Hi, little boy.” Jared smiles up at Jensen. “You got yourself one good looking son.” Sarah must have provided him with a soft cloth because Jared found himself rubbing A.J. vigorously, getting his lungs working and pinking him up. The baby gives a loud, wet cry and it echoes through the room. By the time Jared is done, A.J. has really gotten going and is letting out loud wails between each trembling breath.
For as exhausted as he is, Jensen becomes desperate. He props himself up on his elbows and makes grabbing motions towards the baby. “I…can I…I need to hold him.”
“Yeah. Of course. I just gotta clamp this,” Jared says as he reaches for a clamp and adheres it to the umbilical cord. His heart tightens at the concern that has yet to leave Jensen’s eyes. It seems natural to Jared that a new parent would want to meet their newborn but there is something he’s never seen in the way Jensen’s growing frantic for contact. Lifting the naked baby up and supporting his rump, he places him gently against Jensen’s chest. “Here you go.”
Jensen wraps his arms around the crying baby and holds him close. His lips brush up against A.J.’s wet head and falls into a repetitive kissing motion, peppering his new skin with the gesture. “Oh, look at you,” Jensen breathes out against the baby’s cheek. He studies him for a moment before closing his eyes and resting their head’s together. “Sweetheart…you’re safe. No one’s gonna take you. You’re here. I’ve got you.” Voice cracking, Jensen licks his lips and let them linger on A.J.’s round cheek.
The baby, who had been fussing loudly minutes ago, starts to calm down. With Jensen’s arms wrapped protectively around him, he manages to grab onto Jensen’s finger and hold on out of sheer instinct. His wails become whimpers by the time he finally opens his eyes and braves a look at the outside world. Squinty and angry looking, he curls into Jensen’s hold.
Jensen is so lost to the baby that Jared keeps the thoughts in his head to himself. He lets them have this, seemingly, much needed moment while dealing with the afterbirth that Jensen barely recognizes passing. The bed is a mess and Sarah looks a little seasick but everyone came out in one piece.
Though Jensen looks better than Jared would have ever thought at age 17, there is something off. The way he clings to A.J. and sneaks protective glances around the room, like someone’s prepared to appear, leaves Jared with questions and a general feeling of uneasiness.
He’s called dispatch to inform them that he just delivered a baby and is going to take father and child in for medical attention as soon as he gets Jensen stable enough for transport. All he has to do now is try and figure out a way to break Jensen out of his trance.
In the end, Jensen does it for him. “Jared?” He shifts A.J. so that the baby is belly down over Jensen’s heart, his little head cradled in the crook of Jensen’s neck.
“Hmm?” Jared says as he finally peels off his bloody gloves.
“I can’t ask anymore of you…I shouldn’t. You’ve done…a lot. I…” He nibbles his lips nervously. “Thanks. Thanks for making sure he ended up safe and sound in my arms. But…Don’t let anyone take him from me. Please?”
The genuine despair in Jensen’s voice shakes Jared. “Take him? No one is going to take him. In fact, Sarah and I are going to get a stretcher and get you two to the hospital. You can hold onto him all you want. But…someone needs to check him out more thoroughly, Jen. He’s…he’s fine. Don’t worry…but…you know, just to be safe.”
“Just don’t let them take him. Okay?” Jensen swallows and blinks so that the tears welling in his eyes fall.
Jared knows he has no right to agree. He has no clue what Jensen is even alluding to. But he can’t find the will to refuse him. He’d seen Jensen struggle and after all that hard work, the man deserves to relax, not worry about someone taking A.J. “No one is going to take him. He’s all yours now.”
“Is he?” Jensen asks with a hopeful lilt to his words.
“Yeah. You pushed him out. He’s all yours now. People generally don’t get returns on these type of things.” Laughing, Jared tries to defuse the tension.
He doesn’t expect Jensen to let out a relieved cry and nuzzle A.J. “See, Aaron, you’re mine. It’s going to be okay.”
Pausing his movements, Jared watches the two of them interact. The baby is red and new but he has those Ackles eyes already and he wonders how anyone could incite so much fear in Jensen. “Jensen, we gotta move you. I told the hospital we’d be there within the half hour. They’re all ready for you. I promise, you can hold onto him all you like while you’re with me. Okay?”
Nodding, Jensen sucks in his lip. The action makes Jared see the 18 year old young man he’d been head over heels for. While it’s unsettling to see the strength scared out of Jensen, the adoration he clearly bestows to the baby in his arms is enough to leave Jared smiling. He has a job to do and then another one after that, but he isn’t going to bring that up. He’d promised Jensen he’d be okay while he was under his care, and while that was only going to be a half hour, Jared isn’t going to break that promise.