Iceberg Anatomy
By Simarillion

Fandom: Supernatural RPS
Universe: Alternative Universe
Rating: PG-13 (this instalment)
Beta: asm z
Pairing: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki, Jared Padalecki/Sandra McCoy (mentioned), others
Warnings: slash, M/M
Word Count: 3,087 (13,442 total)
Summary: Movie meets reality. At the end of the world a fateful meeting takes place.
Disclaimer: None of the herein presented happenings and events are true. Everything is 100% fiction and that includes the sexuality of the characters. I don’t claim to be in the know about their relations and private affairs, and I don’t make any money with the creation of this story.

Author’s Note: I changed the age of Jensen and Jared, they are the same age now. The plot wouldn’t really work otherwise.

This is part 2 of the Glaciology! ‘verse. Jensen is a scientist in the field of glaciology and he spends most of his time surrounded by ice, whereas Jared is a Hollywood movie star. Prequel to this story is Invisible Glaciers.

[Masterpost]



Part Four

The actors have been with them for more than two weeks now, with two more to stay. There have been another dog sledding practice and two more snow shoe exercises. After another failed attempt at flirting with Jeff, Hayden has redirected her attention to Adrian, the oldest of the actors.

Since the first dog sledding class, the actors have been showing up every evening, and they have been helping with settling the dogs down for the night. Jared’s the only one who helps in the mornings, though. He’s become so good with the handling of the sled and the dogs, that Jensen took Jared with him when he went out to get Danneel her samples from gauging station five, which he didn’t get to as soon as he intended.

After today’s rather calm day, Jensen decides to take Dean for a walk after work. The dogs are all settled, and dinner is over. It’s getting dark, but a short walk is still possible. He finds Dean with Jared, the two of them resting on Jared’s bed, lazy and almost dozing off.

“Well, look at that.” Dean raises his head to look at him balefully, and Jared just cracks his eyes open. “I thought it might be fun to go for a walk.”

A groan and Dean’s whine is his answer. Where exercise is concerned, the two of them are surprisingly enough always of the same opinion.

“Come on, a short walk. No longer than thirty minutes.” There isn’t even a reaction to that. Apparently today had been a lot more exhausting to Jared, and Dean was of the opinion that he isn’t willing to leave without his human twin.

Jensen grabs the chair at the desk and sits down, facing the human/canine heap on the bed. He stays like that for a couple of minutes, before Jared sits up, partially untangling from Dean. He looks tired. But that’s not all there is. It almost seems like the actor is upset about something. “Everything alright, Jared?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He doesn’t sound fine though. Apparently he doesn’t want to talk about it. At least not with Jensen. Except Chad there’s nobody else Jared can talk to though. And Jensen’s sure that he’s the better option of the two.

“You sure?” When there is no reply he decides to dig a little deeper. “It’s just that you don’t look like you’re fine.”

“What are you? Doctor Phil?” It is the first time that Jensen can hear something he doesn’t like in Jared’s voice. It’s a tone that shows his disregard for Jensen.

“Sorry.” He doesn’t know what to do. Jensen feels uncomfortable sitting here, knowing that Jared is fed up with him. With anybody else he would either not care about it, or care enough to start a fight. Jared is not Chris, or Mike, or his family. Jensen can’t know how the other will take to his usual approach a situation like the one right now.

In the end he just gets up from the chair and calls Dean to his side. “I’ll take Dean for that walk.”

Jared makes like he wants to say something but he doesn’t. With a nod at the actor, he heads out.

He has to stop at his room for his jacket, cap, and gloves. Wrapped up tight against the cold, he and Dean leave the compound. The walk helps him to keep from obsessing too much about what happened with Jared.

Jensen knows that the two of them are not close friends, but he can’t help but feel like they should be. The way they had been able to bond over the dogs, and the actors cheerful and enthusiastic nature had only been two of many reasons why their interactions had always lacked the distance and awkwardness of strangers getting to know each other.

After today, things could become awkward. The most likely event is that Jared’s forgotten about Jensen’s nosiness, but there is the possibility that he remembers and that he feels about it the way he did just before. It would really be a shame to lose what they had of a friendship over Jensen’s social awkwardness.

Dean runs off to the right and chases a scent he picked up. “Dean!” But the husky is already busy nosing a snow drift, burying his face in the white powdery substance. Jensen knows from experience that he won’t be able to get the dog to leave it alone. He watches him dig deeper, and after re-checking the scent, going on a digging frenzy.

For full five minutes he’s able to watch the display. But then he’s had enough. He calls once more for Dean, and then he walks on. Once the dog realizes that Jensen is no longer waiting for him, he’ll come after his human. In the end it’s the only way to get the husky to give up on his digging obsessions.

His thoughts return to Jared. He can’t help it. It’s almost as if all his life his brain has been programmed on Jared Padalecki, and ever since high school he’s been obsessing about the other in one way or another.

His feet find their way without him having to concentrate on where to go. This leaves him with enough time to go over his past and present interactions with Jared.

Dean yips and shoots past him. The dog makes a sharp turn and comes back to him. And then he swings around again and runs ahead, a black shadow ghosting over the cool whiteness all around them.

When he’s climbed the small incline that allows him to look out to the east, Jensen takes a moment to take in the open land. Jared’s presence has him remembering his teenage years, when standing in the midst of snow and ice had still been a dream of the future. Now that he is where he wanted to be back then, Jensen is proud to say that he never gave up, and fulfilled his dreams.

After another minute he turns his back to the sight and starts on his way back. A short gust of wind has him shiver and he looks up to check on the sky. There are dark grey clouds darkening it. The already dimming twilight is almost drowned out by the thick cover that keeps the light from the earth. Wind cuts sharply against his face. Snow is blown up and tossed this way and that. Maybe the walk wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Worried about the signs of the coming storm, Jensen hurries up his pace. It was stupid to walk out this far with the night falling, and the change in weather is only making it worse. Instead of worrying about what Jared thinks about him, like some stupid teenage girl, he should have paid better attention on his surroundings.

Jensen calls out to Dean, and hopes the dog heard him. It is hard to make anything out in this weather. He can hear someone calling his name, half the sounds drowned out by the wind. It’s a good thing that he knows the area around the compound as well as he does otherwise he wouldn’t be able to find his way back to the entrance.

His Arctic gear is protection enough against the cold and wet, but it can’t help him with the fight against the storm. Jensen presses on against the wind that almost pushes him back. He raises his hand to shield his eyes; his goggles are back in his room. Once more he curses his idiotic behaviour. He swears there and then that he’ll never again let anything distract him to such a degree.

When he sidesteps around a boulder, his left foot twists, maybe slipped on an ice plate under the snow, and he goes down. Excruciating pain shoots up from his ankle. He has to bite his tongue to keep from shouting out loud, and his breath stops for a second.

It hurts really bad, but he knows that he can’t stay. He has to go on, injury or no injury, and make for the compound. In weather like this, he wouldn’t survive on his own.

Taking a deep breath Jensen gets up, favouring his right foot. When he tries to put weight on his left one, he almost goes down again. It’s hard but he keeps on walking, very slowly now, but he continues his trek.

He doesn’t know how long it takes him, but the pain in his ankle makes it seem like much longer, until he can recognise the area around the compound. Relieved, he directs his steps to the entrance, once more calling out to Dean in the hope that the dog followed him back. There’s no way to know for sure, because he can’t make out anything around him.

There’s a large shape looming in the door. At closer inspection, Jensen recognises Jeff who is holding Dean at his collar, keeping the dog from running out into the storm that is raging now. The weather changed so quickly.

“Jensen!” He can understand him now without problems. Another ten steps, and he’s inside again. “What the hell were you doing outside?” The last is shouted at him, and is not a question. “You especially should know better than that.”

“I’m sorry, Jeff. It changed from one moment to the next.” He knows though that there’s no excuse for this irresponsible action. If someone had to be sent after him, he would be at fault for anything that happened to them.

Dean strains against the hold Jeff has on him. The dog’s fighting hard to get to Jensen. “When Dean showed up without you I thought something had happened to you.”

“I’m really sorry, Jeff.” His friend had been terrified. There’s nothing that he can do to make up for the trouble and worry he caused, and his ankle is hurting too much to be more coherent.

“What’s wrong with your foot?” Only now Jeff notices Jensen’s limp. He reaches out and wraps his arms around his shoulder, allowing Jensen to keep from putting too much weight on his injured side. “Are you hurt bad?”

“Twisted my ankle.” He grits through his teeth. The walk to the infirmary seems impossible long, and the only thing he wants is to sit down on the floor and rest.

“Come on, we’re almost there.” Jeff drags him on, Dean keeping close to Dean, whining with worry about his human. “Brock! Get me Jim. Tell him to come to the infirmary.”

Brock takes a look at Jensen and Jeff and runs off. Jensen concentrates on making it to their goal, and once they make it trough the door, and he’s sat down on a chair, he takes deep breaths. Finally he can stop walking.

It doesn’t even take five minutes before the door swings open and Jim and Danneel storm in. She dashes over to Jensen and hugs him tightly. “I hate you!”

“Yeah, I know. I already said it to Jeff and I’ll say it again. I’m sorry, and it was very stupid.” He hugs his friend back, and tries to send Jim a contrite look over Danneel’s shoulder.

Jim just shakes his head and crouches down next to him. He reaches out and starts to undo Jensen’s boot. He doesn’t get far though before Jensen hisses in pain and flinches away. “Sorry kid, but the boots have to come off.”

Jensen nods but reaches down and does it himself. It’s one of the most painful things he’s ever done. And then, finally the boot is off and the sock follows. “Pants?”

“Just push them up, so that I can take a good look.” And with that he starts his examination.

He doesn’t move Jensen’s ankle, thank god for that, but the touching and prodding aren’t that much better. He has Danneel go to the kitchen for the ice pads in the freezer, and then he continues with his work.

“It’s not sprained, is it?” The last thing he needs is to be laid up for months.

“Well, the ligament isn’t fully torn. There is swelling, but it will be much worse soon.” He gets up and looks down at Jensen. “Doesn’t mean though that you can’t fully tear it if you aren’t careful. No dog sledding and hikes in the near future. I want you off your feet the next couple of days. And, we’ll need a cast for you, keep the foot immobilised.”

“But… “, Jensen wants to protest but he doesn’t get far.

“I don’t want to hear it. Danneel can help with the dogs, and the treks out to the stations will have to be done on foot.” His dark look and Jeff’s growl have Jensen stop arguing before he can even start.

Danneel returns and brings two ice packs with her. Behind her Sam and Brock are joining them, worried looks on all their faces. Danneel kneels down and helps Jim wrap Jensen’s ankle, carefully avoiding putting the packs against the skin.

“Okay, leave it like that, but be sure to take them off after fifteen minutes, and put them on about the same time later. We don’t want you to get cold injuries.” He signals Jeff to come over, and together the two of them help Jensen to his room, where he’s deposited on his bed. Their trek from the infirmary to Jensen’s quarters caused a small commotion, and people are checking what is going on. Jared’s door is open and he’s standing in the doorway watching their progression.

Jensen doesn’t look at him though. He’s tired and he hurts. He’s feeling guilty about causing his friends and colleagues such trouble, and he’s upset because the injury is a serious handicap with a part of his work. Last, but not least, he finds that he’s angry with the actor. If the other hadn’t reacted the way he did to Jensen’s attempt of offering help, he might not have went for the walk after all, and he would not have been distracted, not watching his surrounding.

With him wrapped up in his blankets, his injured foot resting on two pillows, he feels like an invalid. Brock and Jim have left already and Jeff and Sam are heading out now. Only Danneel stays with him, climbing on the bed and curling up next to him. She and Dean are like ticks clinging to him on each side.

“I’m alright, Dani.” He only gets an upset glare as an answer. His friend won’t let him make light of the situation. More often than not Jensen has kept injuries and pains to himself, not wanting her or anyone else to make too much of a fuss about it. It’s the type of attention he can do without.

“Shut up, asshole.” She elbows him, but it’s only lightly, like she’s careful not to hurt him. That’s exactly what he doesn’t like. He wants her to be herself, and not to pay attention to everything she does. He’s not made of glass.

“I know you love me. Don’t try to hide it.” There’s laughter in his voice. The banter makes him feel somewhat better.

“Dream on.” Danneel huffs out. But there’s fondness in it. She has been with Jensen through everything since the two of them arrived here, two years ago. Even though she had never been living in the Polar Region before, nor been on any longer excursions, her qualifications on the scientific side had been more than enough, to ensure her a place on the project.

The first time she had met Jensen, he had been arriving at the site, dogs in tow. He can still remember the look on her face when seven dogs stampeded towards her, all of them excited about arriving at their new home. It hadn’t really helped that Danneel is a cat person to begin with.

Seeing her today, working with and caring for the dogs, it’s hard to believe that she hasn’t always been doing it. Over time her regard and then her love for the huskies had grown – like fungus she described it once – and now she’s Jensen’s right hand where the dog handling and care is concerned.

“I’m sorry for scaring you like that.” She tenses at his words. “It was stupid of me to go out in the first place. I know I said it already, but I’ll say it again.”

“When Brock stormed into the lab and babbled on about you being injured and unable to walk, I was so scared.” Her voice is small and wobbly with emotions. “I didn’t even know that you were outside. What if you hadn’t made it on your own? There’s no way we could have found you. You could have died.”

“Sorry.” He sneaks his arms under her shoulders and around them, and hugs her as hard as he can.

“What were you thinking?” That’s the question that needs answering. The only answer he has is ‘nothing’. A big, fat pile of it, too.

“I don’t know. I thought that it would do me and Dean good to get some exercise.” At the mention of his name the dog barks. “But then he was tired, and he and Jared didn’t want to go, and when I asked Jared if he was alright he got angry with me, and I wanted to get some fresh air, and… I guess I was not thinking right.”

“I know that you weren’t thinking right. At least not with your upstairs brain.” Even though Danneel tries to scold him, there’s laughter in her voice.

“Hey! I wasn’t thinking with any other brain than the one upstairs!”

“Sure.” She shoves against his shoulder and settles down again. “Just, think before you do something stupid like that again.”

“Promise.” Jensen knows that this was the one and only time he lets another person’s comment and mood bend him out of shape like this. No matter who it is and what it’s about.

They stay resting like this for some time, with Dean huffing against his ribs, and Danneel quiet and relaxed, leaning against his other side. When the adrenalin wears off, and the warmth from the blankets has seeped into his body, making him heavy, he can feel how his lids droop closed.

He wants to stay awake some more, but in the end it’s a losing game. It doesn’t take more than five minutes before he drifts off, getting the much needed rest.



continue: Part Five