A Bensen Short – First Valentine’s Day

NOT EDITED

Tuesday: February 14, 2023

The moonlight shining through the window was minimal, but it was more than enough to give Bo a good look at Jensen’s face. The younger man was sound asleep, his head on Bo’s chest. His expression was calm, peaceful. Bo enjoyed that more than he enjoyed most things nowadays. The calm, the peace. Sometimes, Jensen’s calm and peaceful demeanor wore off on him and gave him the smallest pep in his step for the day. It was something Bo deeply appreciated on those days.

Jensen shifted, fingers tightening around the front of the shirt Bo had thrown on after their shower. “I don’t know,” he whispered. Bo grunted as Jensen scrambled to get away from him. Before he could even attempt to wake the man from his nightmare, Jensen fell off the bed. “Goddamn.”

Bo leaned over the edge of the bed, laying a hand on Jensen’s knee. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Caught myself before I smacked my head.” Jensen cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

“What on Earth do you have to be sorry for?”

“Waking you.”

Bo shook his head. “I was already up, Jensen. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He pulled his hand back, holding it out to Jensen instead. “Come on. Get your butt back up here.”

Jensen grabbed Bo’s hand and crawled back into bed. Tucked under the covers again, he laid his head back on Bo’s chest. “Why were you awake? It’s early.”

“You know me. Recently sober or not, I still haven’t exactly evened out my sleep schedule.” Jensen nodded, but he didn’t respond. “Do… you want to talk about what happened?”

“Nah. Just a bad dream.”

Bo chose not to push it. He and Jensen weren’t anything more than friends with benefits, and he didn’t want to risk losing him to a bit too much prying. Jensen was a good man, one who had single-handedly carried him into sobriety, one who had done everything in his control to help Bo through the grief that had swallowed him whole after the death of his girlfriend.

He wouldn’t do something to chase him away, even if only for a few hours.

“Are you tired?” Bo asked.

“No. Are you?”

“Not even a little. Would… you like to come make fudge with me? I have a new caramel swirl recipe I’d like to try out.”

“Gah, would love to.” Jensen pushed himself up on one elbow and leaned down to kiss Bo. “Let’s go make some kick-ass fudge.”

***

Jensen snagged another square of fudge from the plate on his lap and popped it into his mouth. Bo always cut them into bite-sized pieces whenever he planned to share them with Jensen, like he knew how much Jensen loved snacks he didn’t have to take in more than one bite.

Seated on the couch, Jensen sat between Bo’s legs, leaned back against his chest. While Jensen waited for his newest game to finish downloading, Bo was busy dicking around on his phone, free hand occasionally moving over Jensen’s chest.

“Do you have any plans for tonight?” Bo asked.

Jensen snorted. “What kinda plans would I have that don’t involve this house?”

Bo shrugged. “We both know I wouldn’t tattle on you if you ditched for the night, found someone to have fun with.”

“I have fun with you. I don’t need anyone else for that.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Mm.” Bo pressed a kiss to his shoulder. “I’m… rather happy to hear that.”

Jensen couldn’t help the heat that rose to his cheek. He’d had a crush on Bo for a long damn time. Confirmation that Bo felt any kind of attachment to him felt incredible. “Why… do you ask?”

“I just wanted to know if I was making supper for one or for two tonight.”

“I can cook supper. I don’t mind.”

Bo cleared his throat. “I, umm… Jensen, I’m trying to ask you to be my date to a homemade Valentine’s Day dinner.”

“Oh,” Jensen whispered. He tilted his head back against Bo’s chest and reached up to lay a hand on his cheek. “Of course I’ll be your date. I always will be.”

Bo smiled faintly, that little lift of one corner of his mouth Jensen loved. “Thank you.”

“ ‘Course.” Jensen lifted his head, turning just enough to meet Bo halfway for a kiss. “What’s for supper?”

Bo snorted. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Rude.”

Bo patted his chest. “You’ll survive. It’ll be a nice healthy boost for the both of us after we go most of the day without any sleep. Me working, you stalking me through the station.”

Jensen chuckled. “The usual.” He cleared his throat, shifting against Bo. “Umm, speaking of sleep… I’m not keeping you up, am I? You were already awake? Really?”

“I was already awake, I promise. Was thinking about you, actually.”

“Oh, yeah? What about me? How cute and funny and charming I am?”

Bo rolled his eyes, but Jensen didn’t miss the smile on his face. It was faint, but it was definitely there. “Not quite, although I do generally find those statements to be true, as well. I was thinking about how calm and peaceful your expression is while you sleep, how thankful I am that–on occasion–that calmness and peacefulness seep through to me and give me a bit of pep in my step.”

Jensen smiled, turning away before Bo got a good look at him. Bo made him all kinds of flustered and bubbly inside, but the longer he managed to hide that, the longer he and Bo could continue their friends with benefits arrangement. He was certain letting Bo know how he really felt would ruin it, and he wasn’t ready for that. “I’m glad I can help like that, Bo. You deserve that extra pep in your step.”

“Thank you.” Bo grabbed a little fudge square from the plate. “Your game downloaded.”

“You sure you don’t mind me playing by myself?”

“I’m sure. I’m catching up on a few forensic articles I’ve missed.”

“Like what?”

“Development of techniques, developments in on-scene gear… Simple things, but interesting things.”

“Cool. Well, if you get bored, you gotta let me know. Then I’ll switch games and we can, like, kill some zombies together.”

Bo chuckled softly, stirring the ever-present butterflies in Jensen’s stomach. “I’ll keep you posted. Until then, have fun.”

***

After Jensen played his game for a few hours, Bo got up to make breakfast and get ready for work. He made a little plate of scrambled eggs for Acamas and Hati–his cat and dog–and set them on the floor near their food dishes. He carried two plates of scrambled eggs, hash browns, and toast into the dining room, setting them down as Jensen came into the room.

“What’s wrong?” Jensen asked.

Bo shook his head. “Sometimes, living in her house is… difficult.”

“I can imagine. Did something happen?”

“I had to grab a new butter container from the fridge. I found one of her sticky notes in the drawer.” Bo offered a smile, but god, did it hurt. “A reminder to me to restock anything I used all of while baking. She wasn’t much of a baker herself, but I went through quite a bit of sugar and butter and…” He caught his bottom lip between his teeth, looking down. “I still can’t believe she’s dead, Jensen. The first woman I ever loved, and she was ripped out from under me like… like she was never there in the first place.”

Jensen rounded the table and laid a tentative hand on Bo’s upper back. “I can’t even imagine how it feels to lose a partner, a-and I hope I never have the experience to imagine it, but I am so sorry you have to suffer this grief, Bo. I wish there was something more I could do to help, t-to make it better, to make it go away.”

“Being able to talk to you about it helps more than you can imagine.”

Jensen wrapped Bo in a hug and pulled him close. Bo closed his eyes, breathing in the bodyguard’s cologne. Jensen had done more to help him through the grief that had enveloped him after his girlfriend’s murder than any one man should be expected to. Hell, he had helped Bo through it more than any one man should be capable of, but Jensen had always been there for him. Assigned as a bodyguard to keep him alive, Jensen had gone above and beyond, and Bo would never be able to find the words to express his gratitude.

He hoped finally working up the balls to ask Jensen to be more than friends with benefits would be the first step of many in expressing it.

Bo stepped away from Jensen. “Thank you for the talk. And the hug.”

Jensen smiled. “My pleasure, Bo.” He brushed a thumb over Bo’s cheek as he leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead. “Let’s get some breakfast in your system, yeah?”

Bo nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

***

Jensen pulled open the back door of the car, free arm tucked behind his back. Bo slid out of the seat, lifting his satchel over his head. “Got everything?”

“Mmhmm.”

Jensen closed the door and locked it before pocketing the keys. He tucked his hands behind his back as he walked with Bo up to the station. In their time as friends with benefits, he had found that busying his hands was about the only way he could guarantee he wouldn’t try to hold Bo’s hand or touch his back. The goal was to never set off any red flags that he had violated the rules and slept with his boss. Bo had agreed it was the right call. It made sure Jamal wouldn’t pull him off Bo’s bodyguard detail and assign him to someone else.

“Jensen?”

Jensen stopped walking. Speak of the devil… He turned toward Jamal. “Yes, sir?”

“I’d like a word.”

Jensen swallowed as Jamal disappeared into his office. “You don’t think he knows, right?”

Bo shook his head. “He couldn’t, I promise. Take a deep breath and keep your head up. You’ll be fine. I’ll be in the lab, okay?”

Jensen nodded. “Yeah. Catch up in a few. Long as he doesn’t kill me.”

Bo snorted, rolling his eyes. “I’ll see you in a few, Jensen. Just play it cool.” He patted Jensen on the arm and headed toward the stairs.

Jensen let out a breath and walked into Jamal’s office. He closed the door, eyes landing on the elderly black man. He stood behind his desk, hands tucked behind his back as he stared out the window. Jamal had been the LAPD’s chief of police for years, still managing to keep the position after rumors of his corruption hit the media and spread like wildfire. The original rumors had been twisted time and time again, like some horrible game of telephone. Only a few were actually true, though they couldn’t be proven as such.

Jamal Pitman worked for the mob, he ran his own army of highly trained bodyguards and assassins, and he used his position as police chief to keep his men and fellow mobsters out of prison.

“How’s Bo?” Jamal asked, still facing the window.

“What do you mean?”

“How is he? How’s his state of mind?”

“Oh. He’s good, sir. Although I do believe living in Miss Decker’s house isn’t serving his mind well.”

“Has he said that?”

“No, not blatantly. This morning, he told me living in her house is sometimes difficult. He found a note she had left for him in the fridge at some point.”

Jamal nodded. He finally turned around and, after a moment, lowered himself into his chair. “I’ve suggested he leave Miss Decker’s home, but he says he isn’t ready for that yet. He still pays her phone bill so he can text her. I suppose the house is another layer of coping.”

“You think it’s a good way to cope?” Jensen asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not known for my excellent coping mechanisms.”

One corner of Jensen’s mouth lifted. “That’s fair.”

Jamal let out a breath. “Is he still sober?”

“Yes. Not a single drop of alcohol in months.”

“Good. Do what you can to keep it that way.”

“Of course, sir.”

Jamal waved a hand toward the door. “That was all. Thank you. You’re dismissed.”

“Of course, sir.” Jensen walked out of Jamal’s office and headed down to the lab. “Hey.”

Bo glanced up at him. “Hello. Everything okay?”

“Yeah. He just wanted a progress update.”

That one garnered Bo’s full attention. “Why?”

“Well… because you’re, umm… my job, Bo.”

“I know that. I wasn’t aware he asked for progress updates.”

“I think it’s more to make sure I’m doing my job than it is to make sure you’re, umm…” Jensen cleared his throat. “I think it’s to make sure I’m not a fuck-up. He just wants to know he assigned the right guy to you. I don’t think it’s about you or ‘progress’ in relation to you. You know?”

Bo nodded. “I suppose you’re right. At the very least, I’ll do my best to believe you are.”

Jensen shoved his hands into his pockets. “Can I get you anything? Coffee?”

Bo’s shoulders relaxed. “Coffee would be excellent. Thank you.”

Jensen smiled. “ ‘Course. Back in a jiff.”

***

The work day had been long, but it had been relatively easy. There had been no crime scenes for Bo to work, and he had found himself thankful for that. A crime scene usually led to a late night, and he didn’t want a homicide or a robbery getting in the way of supper with Jensen.

While Jensen set the table in the dining room, Bo added the final touches to supper. He laid the thin strips of steak atop the goulash sauce–one of Jensen’s favorite sauces in existence–and carried both plates into the dining room.

“God, that smells amazing,” Jensen said.

“Thank you.” Bo set the dishes down and pulled out Jensen’s chair. “Sit?”

“I thought pulling out chairs was my job.”

Bo smiled. “You’re officially off the clock.”

“I like the sound of that.” Jensen lowered himself into the chair. “Thank you.”

“Mmhmm.” Bo pressed a kiss to Jensen’s temple and gave his shoulder a good squeeze. Bo’s heart pounded in his chest, constricting his breathing more than he thought the heart was capable of. He rounded the table and sat down across from Jensen. He took a sip of his pop as Jensen dug in.

“God, Bo, this is amazing.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you like it. I know how much you like goulash, especially with my mother’s recipe for sauce. When I saw the steak on goulash sauce recipe pop up on my timeline, I knew I could substitute theirs for Mom’s.”

“Well worth it,” Jensen assured.

Bo looked down at his plate, cutting off a small square of steak. “Jensen?”

“Hmm?”

“I was… wondering if I could ask you something.”

“Yeah, of course. What’s up?”

“You’ve been very good to me. As a bodyguard, as a friend, as… as a lover. I can’t even begin to thank you enough for that.”

“It’s been a pleasure, Bo, really. And the bodyguard thing, umm… just doin’ my job. The other too, though. It’s been a pleasure.”

“I’m glad.” Bo looked up at him without lifting his head. “I was wondering if you’d be interested in taking this a step further. Maybe instead of friends with benefits, we’re… we’re partners with those same benefits. O-or, you know, boyfriends?”

Jensen coughed, lifting a fist to his mouth. “What?”

Bo’s heart skipped a beat. God, how many times did he have to go through this with a man before it worked?

“Did you just ask me out?” Jensen asked.

“Yes?” Bo questioned, his voice small.

“I, uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea, Bo.”

“Oh,” Bo whispered. “Okay.” He stuck a forkful of steak in his mouth, hoping to play it as cool as he could.

“I-I like you, Bo. I really do. I just—”

“It’s okay.” Bo chuckled, shaking his head. “This isn’t my first rodeo, Jensen. My advances have been rejected before. You don’t have anything to explain.” He set his fork down and pushed his chair back. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment?”

Jensen searched his face. “What’re you gonna do?”

“Sit in her room with Acamas and Hati for a moment, ground myself.”

Jensen only nodded.

***

Watching Bo walk away from the table damn near tore Jensen in two. He loved Bo. Loved him. But, Christ, he had never expected Bo to ask for anything more than what they had, especially after the post-it note he’d found from Bridget just that morning.

Jensen pushed his chair back and headed back to Bridget’s bedroom. He hated calling it that. He and Bo slept there together almost every night–though they never had sex in the bedroom–and he still had to refer to it as Bridget’s room. It was one of many reasons Jensen knew Bo wasn’t ready for a relationship. Not a healthy one, anyway.

He knocked on the open door to the room. “You okay?”

From his place on the floor, Bo nodded. He lifted his head, offering a smile. “I admittedly wasn’t expecting a rejection, but I’m fine. I’m sorry if I read into anything too much, Jensen. I really didn’t mean to make things awkward. I just thought this was something you wanted, and I…” He lifted his shoulders. “I’m sorry. I hope we can get past any weirdness this leaves between us.”

“Can I come in?”

“Yes. Of course.”

Jensen walked into the room and sat down beside Bo, Hati between them. “I do want this, Bo. You didn’t read too much into anything.”

“Then… what is it? Is it because I’m technically your boss? Because I can tell Jamal. I can tell him I don’t need a bodyguard anymore.”

“I’ve gotten over that. Got over that pretty much the first time we slept together,” Jensen said.

Bo snorted. After a moment, he leaned to the side, dropping his head to Jensen’s shoulder. “Me too.” A pause. “So what is it? If you’re comfortable telling me.”

Jensen let out a breath. He dropped the back of his head to the bed. “I don’t wanna date you as a rebound.”

“My relationship with… with her has been over for quite some time. It’s been over a year.”

“Her death didn’t end your relationship, Bo. You still love her.”

“Is that what it is? That I still love her?”

“Partially.”

“I’m always going to love her, Jensen. People generally fall out of love with living people because those people age and change and grow, sometimes grow apart. But she isn’t aging or changing or growing. She’s gone, and there’s nothing she can do to make me fall out of love with her.” Bo lifted his head, and Jensen forced himself to meet Bo’s gaze. “But the heart–according to Jake–can love more than one person at a time. I believe that to be true, as well. Especially… since the heart doesn’t love. That would be the brain, and the brain is capable of quite impressive feats.”

Jensen grinned. “I love it when you talk all nerdy to me.” He laid a hand on Bo’s cheek. “If you ever change your mind, even for a moment, and you realize you’re not ready for this, I want you to tell me. I won’t be mad or upset. But I don’t want you breaking yourself to try and make something work when it can’t. Okay?”

“Okay. Deal.”

“Then… yes. I would love to take this to the next step.”

Bo smiled. He leaned up and kissed Jensen. “Thank you for giving me a chance,” he whispered.

Jensen chuckled, closing his eyes as he leaned their foreheads together. “I could say the same to you. You have just become my first boyfriend.”

“If it helps, you’ve just become mine. We’ll figure it out together, just like we’ve figured out everything else in this relationship.”

Well, Jensen liked the sound of that. “Sounds perfect.” He kissed Bo again. “What do you say we go back to the dining room and enjoy that awesome fuckin’ meal you made for us, huh? Before it gets cold.”

Bo smiled. “Okay.”

Jensen rose to his feet and held out his hands. Bo grabbed them, allowing Jensen to pull him to his feet. “Grounded?”

After a moment, Bo nodded. “Yes, grounded. Grounded and very, very happy.” He squeezed Jensen’s hand. “Lead the way.”

***

After supper, while Jensen was on the phone with Jamal, Bo washed dishes. Though her house had a dishwasher, Bo preferred hand washing. It gave him something to do, something to keep his hands from holding a beer. That would always be a good thing.

Jensen came up behind him and wrapped him in a hug. “Hey.”

Bo smiled. “Hello. Everything okay?”

“Yeah. One of his men has picked up some chatter about drawing out Jamal for an attack, and he just wanted me to know. Make sure I keep extra close tabs on you.” Jensen kissed his neck. “Should be pretty easy.”

“Jamal will be okay?”

“Oh, yeah. Has guys working around the clock to make sure of that.”

“Good.” Bo set the last dish in the dish drainer and turned off the water. Drying his hands, he leaned back against Jensen. “Do you happen to have any ideas on how you can keep extra close tabs on me?”

“Got a few.”

Bo tilted his head back as Jensen peppered his neck and shoulder with kisses. “In the hopes you would say yes, I reserved a hotel room for us tonight. Paid in cash, booked it under ‘Eli Taylor’. I’m hoping that eases your concern that Jamal will hunt us down and find out you’re sleeping with the boss.”

“A little. ‘Eli Taylor’ is also… I dunno, but I fuckin’ love what it does to me.”

Bo smiled. “I’m glad. I figured our first Valentine’s Day together deserved a bed. The living room couch had gotten… repetitive.”

“A bed sounds nice.” Jensen slid a hand up to his chest. “We good to go now?”

Bo chuckled. “Yes. I packed a change of clothes for us both so we only have to come back here in the morning to feed the animals before going to work. I asked Mom to let Hati out in a few hours, as well.”

“All kinds of prepared, huh?”

“I tried to be.”

“You did good,” Jensen whispered. He kissed a spot beneath his ear. “Let’s get that change of clothes and get our asses to the hotel.”

Bo rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help the smile on his face. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

***

Jensen followed Bo up to the reception desk, keeping his head bowed just a little. Despite Bo’s efforts, he couldn’t fight his paranoia. If there were cameras, he didn’t want them to get a good angle on his face.

“How can I help you?” the woman behind the desk asked.

“Hello. Reservation for Eli Taylor?” Bo asked.

God, hearing his own last name paired with Bo’s middle name was a wonderful thing. It practically affirmed the fantasy in his head, the one where he had already planned out a wedding with Bo an unreasonable number of times.

“Of course, sir. Room two-sixteen. Here’s your card.”

Bo grabbed the card and smiled. “Thank you.” He stepped away from the desk and held out his free hand. “Come on, darling.”

Jensen grabbed his hand and followed him to the elevator. Bo pressed the call button. “Darling?”

“I didn’t want to set off your worry by calling you by name.”

It warmed Jensen’s heart to know how much attention Bo had paid to his worries and concerns. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” Bo’s thumb moved over Jensen’s knuckles, caressing them without hesitation. “What we do is up to you. Lover’s choice and all that.”

“Like… I can choose anything?”

“Within reason, but yes.”

“I’d like you to top.”

“Shh. Jesus, not in public.”

Jensen smiled at the flushed color of Bo’s cheeks. “Oh, so you’d like me to wait until we’re in our room, huh?”

“Preferably, you perv.” Bo tugged him into the elevator, pressing the button for the second floor until the doors closed. He pulled down on the sleeve of his shirt, clearing his throat. “I can, but… but not for the whole time.”

“Can you tell me why? You’ve never actually told me why you wanted to stop topping me. Do you hate it?”

“I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Can you try?”

Bo let out a breath. “When I was with her, I never experienced… pleasure from, umm… that type of sex.” He stepped out into the hall when the doors opened. Jensen followed Bo to the room. He hoped silence was the right call. Bo didn’t want to discuss anything suggestive or sexual in public, and Jensen was more than capable of adhering to that rule. Once they were in their room, Bo flipped on the light and kicked off his shoes. He tossed the keycard onto the little table by the door and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You don’t gotta tell me if you don’t want to, Bo. I don’t wanna push you,” Jensen said. “I’ll top. I like sex no matter how we do it.”

“I want to tell you. I’m just trying to find the best way to.” Bo cleared his throat. “When I was sleeping with women after she died, I always felt this… darkness. I don’t know what that darkness was, but I experienced it every time I topped with you, as well. I-I was worried it would make me too rough, like it almost did the first time we slept together. I was worried it would make me hurt you.”

Jensen laid a hand on Bo’s cheek and leaned down to kiss his forehead. “I don’t wanna force you to do something you don’t want to do. But for what it’s worth, the first time, when I asked you to slow down, you did. When I said I needed something other than penetration for a few, you gave that to me. You didn’t say no. You didn’t tell me it didn’t matter. You listened to me. You took care of me. Whatever that darkness is, it’s not gonna hurt me. As long as it doesn’t hurt you, I’ll be okay.”

“It won’t hurt me,” Bo said after a long moment. “But I’d like my Valentine’s Day gift to be you, umm…”

Jensen raised a brow. “Topping?”

Bo’s cheeks flushed. “Yes. At the end.”

“Deal.”

Bo leaned up and kissed Jensen. Jensen groaned, closing his eyes as Bo’s hands fell to the buckle of his belt. He undid the buckle without any issue and moved onto the buttons of his shirt. “Now that we’re dating, I’m taking you shopping for jeans.”

Jensen snorted. “Why’s that?”

“Suits and pajamas being your only two options for clothes is… not ideal. When we’re alone together, you deserve to be able to be comfy without having to change into your PJs.” Bo pulled Jensen’s button-up free from the hem of his dress pants. “We’ll get you some jeans, sweats, t-shirts, maybe a hoodie or two… Whatever you want.”

“Where are we gonna put those?”

“My closet isn’t nearly as full as you seem to think it is. I think we’ll be okay.” Bo tugged at either side of Jensen’s suit jacket. “These go.”

Jensen smiled. “Can do.” He shrugged off his suit jacket and shirt while Bo did the same with his flannel. Jensen loved Bo’s purple flannels the most, but the pink-blue-maroon tri-color one he had on today wasn’t bad either. Truthfully, he liked Bo in just about anything.

Bo sat down on the bed, setting his shirt down beside him.

Jensen’s brow furrowed. “Bo? Everything okay?”

Bo lifted his head, a little smile on his face. “Yes. I just don’t get as… aroused as you do.”

Jensen dropped his belt to the floor and crossed the room to sit down beside the blonde. “What about it?”

“What if there’s something wrong with me?”

“Wrong with you?” Jensen lifted a hand and tucked Bo’s hair back behind his ear. “What would be wrong with you?”

Bo offered a shrug, eyes focused on his hands. “I never felt pleasure from sex with women. I only feel pleasure from sex with men if it’s one of two ways. Even though I find you attractive, I have to think about sex and an erection to make it happen. It doesn’t just occur like it does for you, like it does for everyone. So, like I said, what if there’s something wrong with me?”

“You’re different than me. That doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you, Bo. It just means sex is different for you than it is for me. It’s different for everyone, one way or another.”

“So it’s normal?”

“It’s normal for you. That’s all that matters.”

Bo turned his head to the side and kissed Jensen’s shoulder. “You’re too good to me.”

Jensen bit back the initial response: he was good to Bo because he loved him. Though it was true, he wasn’t willing to scare Bo away with such a declaration. “You deserve it. You deserve someone to be good to you. You’ll always deserve that.” He laid a hand on Bo’s upper back. “We can just lay here and cuddle if you want. That’s more than enough for me. It’s not a good first Valentine’s Day if only one of is happy with the whole sex thing.”

“I don’t want the hotel room to go to waste.”

“It’s not a waste. Getting to cuddle with you is never a waste.”

Bo smiled. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Jensen wrapped an arm around Bo’s shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Wanna change into our jammies and rent Love Actually?”

Bo chuckled. “Sure, Jensen. Sounds like a plan to me.” He pushed himself to his feet. Laying his hands on Jensen’s freckled cheeks, he offered a little smile. “I’ll make up for it next year.”

“You have absolutely nothing to make up for. Cuddling with you is always gonna be a damn good holiday.” Jensen kissed him. “I’m lookin’ forward to a hotel room, a cheesy movie, and a cuddle session next year.”

Bo’s smile widened. “Me too.”

It was the happiest Jensen had seen Bo in a while. The near joy on his face at being validated, at being understood, was heart-breaking. Jensen didn’t know much about relationships, but he planned on using his with Bo to make sure the man experienced so much validation and understanding that that became his normal.

“Oh, I almost forgot. I don’t want to freak you out, but I do have something for you if you want it. I found it a couple months ago, and it made me think of you, but I… didn’t want to push the bodyguard-only, friends with benefits thing.”

“You have the something with you?”

Bo nodded. “Yeah, it’s in my overnight bag.”

“I-I’d love it.”

Bo smiled. “Okay. Just a sec.” He walked back to the door and squatted down in front of his bag. He came back a moment later, a little box in his hand. He sat down beside Jensen and handed it over.

Jensen dropped his head to Bo’s shoulder. “I unfortunately don’t have anything for you.”

Bo combed his fingers through Jensen’s hair. “That’s okay. I wasn’t expecting anything. I was just saving this for when we started dating or when we were just friends, no benefits. I don’t need anything in return.”

Jensen shifted just enough to kiss Bo’s shoulder. He pulled the lid off the box and grabbed the ball inside. He couldn’t help the nerdy, excited gasp that fell from his lips. “Oh, my God, Bo.”

The black and white pokeball in his hand had a clear top. Through it, he could see a little sleeping Pikachu atop a tree stump.

“I know you… like the little yellow guy the most. And there’s a switch on the bottom that turns on some little fairy lights hidden in the flowers and plants in there. Since… you don’t really like the dark, I thought it could be like a nightlight.”

“You are so damn sweet,” Jensen whispered. Pokeball clutched in one hand, he turned and wrapped his arms around Bo. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” Bo hugged him back. “Did I do okay?”

Jensen laughed, giving him a tight squeeze. “You did fucking perfect.” He pulled back, set the pokeball in his lap, and moved his hands to Bo’s face. “You are amazing. Thank you.”

Bo smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Love it,” Jensen whispered. He leaned forward and kissed Bo before leaning their foreheads together. “Valentine’s Day tradition. Ready?”

“Ready.”

“You, me, a hotel room, small gift exchange, jammies, cuddles, cheesy movie, and pie.”

Bo chuckled, nodding against Jensen’s forehead. “Deal. I already love it.”

“Then let’s move onto the jammies part.” Jensen pulled away, hands still on Bo’s face. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Eli.”

The smile came back to Bo’s face, cheeks flushing. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Jensen.”

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I hope you enjoyed this little V-Day short! If you did, consider dropping a comment or a like down below!!

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