#differently abled

The last few months have been very hectic with filming one show after the other, so when he finally got to spend a whole week with his kids, he decided to take all three of them camping and tell them more about her. They even talked to her over a videocall, and she immediately charmed them – just like he knew she would.

“Are you sure you’re not American?” his eldest had asked, squinting suspiciously at her through the camera. Willow had just laughed and thanked J.J.  for thinking her English was so good that she could pass for one of them. “Prove it,” his daughter commanded: And boy, did his girlfriend prove it. What followed was almost 30 minutes of his kids trying to guess which language she knew phrases in and pretty soon all of them were trying to mimic Spanish, French, German, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. They even learned how to count to three in Finnish!

After the call, all his kids insisted on downloading the Duolingo app, so they could be as good at languages as her. On the ride home, he thought he’d go crazy with all the sounds from the app and all three of them (mostly J.J.) telling the others to be quiet so they could try to speak words and phrases into their phone. When he told Willow about it afterwards, she countered with “at least they’re learning!” and there really was no arguing with that kind of logic.

Coming out of the aircraft, he tucks the jacket tighter around himself. Back home, it’s barely fall weather with rain and winds – but here it’s full-on winter already! He had never landed in snowy weather before, and it wasn’t exactly a smooth landing either; the plane’s engines roared as they touched the ground only a few seconds after he could finally see the trees outside the window.

 *Four months earlier*

“This ain’t goodbye forever. You know that, right?” Jensen tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear as she blinked up at him from her spot in the plane – on a complicated hospital bed that also allowed her to sit up a bit while being safely strapped in. Her eyes were raw, the tears threatening to escape again.

“I know, I just…” she started whispering, but swallowed her words instead, smiling up at him. A smile that didn’t reach her eyes; she was putting on her brave face again.

“Yeah,” he agreed, kissing the top of her head before pulling her into another warm hug. He didn’t want to let go either. The day went by far too quickly and suddenly he found himself at the airport, in a specially built airplane for medical transports, saying goodbye to someone who rolled into his heart barely a week earlier. It felt unfair, having to let someone go so far away this quickly after falling head over heels with them.

They had been woken up by a nurse coming into the room and immediately turning around with a yelp, offering them a little privacy as both of them hurried into something more decent than their underwear. To her credit, though, the nurse kept a straight face behind her blushed cheeks while taking Willow’s blood pressure and making notes on her tablet. Jensen figured it would be the talk of the staff for a while, with how quickly she high-tailed out of the room once she finished her chores.

When they left with the transport personnel, Willow in her chair and him trailing behind with her suitcase, he could tell a few of the nurses were whispering about them by how they pretended not to stare at him and being suspiciously poker-faced when he waved goodbye. Fortunately, his girlfriend didn’t notice them – focusing more on avoiding all the chairs and people in the corridors instead.

His girlfriend.

Yeah: He liked thinking about Willow as his girlfriend. It fit. With another kiss on top of her head, he could see the flight crew checking their watches behind her. He made eye contact with one of them and nodded, signalling that he knew the time is up. His famous face got him into the airport, convincing them he needed to escort her to the plane – but the crew still had a schedule to keep.

“Alright, City Grown Willow,” he sighed. “This is it.” He felt her shoulders sink as he loosened his grip around her. This sucked.

She sighed too, untangling herself and making sure her hair wasn’t following his stubbled chin as he pulled away. His beard really can be like a Velcro sometimes.

“I’ll miss having my Mountain Man around,” she murmured then gnawed on her lower lip like she was trying not to burst into tears.

If they had been alone, he’d suck that lip right into his own and kiss her until she giggled. But no: they were in public, and he probably shouldn’t even be thinking like that right now. Instead, he gently fished her lip out with a thumb on her chin before leaning down and kissing her as lovingly as he could – pouring all his emotions into it.

When he retreated, leaning his forehead to hers, her pupils were wider than before, and she looked like she’d forgotten how to breathe. God, she was gorgeous like that.

“I love you,” he said softly for her ears only and she actually shivered before him, her face erupting into a smile that finally reached her eyes. Her response was breathless: “I love you too.”

One final kiss and they realized one of the crewmembers had started clearing their throat too many times to be a coincidence. Blinking, Jensen glanced up and noticed the other patients and the crew now staring at them.

“Ah… uhm… Yeah, I’ll… I’ll go now,” he stuttered and told her to text him as soon as she lands before he hurried out of the plane and down the small stairs.

The aircraft was roughly the same size as Jared’s private plane, but coloured yellow. As soon as his feet touched the tarmac, the door closed and a massive guy wearing a reflective vest and sound protective gear ushered him away from the plane and towards the terminal. Jensen turned around to find her in the windows – but the bright sun made it impossible to spot her. He waved at the already moving aircraft anyway, before going back inside.

His phone vibrated before he reached the second door.

Willow: “Miss you already <3”

Ignoring the fact that he was probably grinning like an idiot at his screen, Jensen quickly typed back.

                You: “Miss you more! <3”

*Present day*

Being a seasoned traveller, Jensen’s already following the signs towards the luggage area. Luckily, even a small airport like this uses little pictograms and has an English translation in smaller letters on most of the signs, making it easy to figure out where to go. His phone buzzes with another message from her.

                Willow: Almost ready for an evening out with my coworkers. Wish you were here <3

Jensen smiles to himself. Oh, if she only knew how he’s already in cahoots with her boss. He stops next to the luggage carousel and sends her a text back.

                You: Oh yeah? What are you wearing? ;)

The thicker clothing her boss suggested he bring didn’t fit inside his usual carry-on, meaning that he needed to wait by the carousel instead of finding a cab right away. He was usually pretty wary of standing still for too long in public, since he would often be approached by fans or paparazzi back home. Here, however, it seems no one notices him at all. He is already wearing one of Jared’s old beanies, a scarf tucked around his neck and a leather jacket, which makes him blend right in with everyone else – who are also dressed according to the snowy weather.

                Willow: *Camera_268756345.jpg*                 Willow: Nothing fancy, just this.

He smiles at the screen. She’s wearing a top similar to the one she had when they met Jared in his apartment, but he hasn’t seen that particular colour on her before, along with a black cardigan that makes her look amazing.

                You: Oh wow, you look stunning! Did you make another top? Love the color!

He spots his suitcase and lifts it off the carousel just as his phone buzzes again.

                Willow: Yep! Finished it last night, actually. How’s your day going?

Jensen has to stop and think before he answers: He’s usually 9 hours behind her, meaning it would be maybe lunch time? Breakfast? Tired from his 18-hour long journey, he decides to just google what time it is at home instead of doing math.

You: Just getting started. Plan on missing you a lot today, then maybe have some food later.

He hates lying to her, but that seemed vague enough to fit both the narrative that he’s in the States and that he’s actually in her country and about to surprise her. He looks around, trying to see where the cabs are when he spots the sign that says “Taxi” above one of the exits.

Willow: Haha, you’re adorable. You: I think you mean rugged and handsome and strong!

Finding the taxi area was easy enough – but there weren’t any there! Which meant he had to go inside and ask someone in the information desk what to do. He checks his phone as he makes his way over to the desk.

                Willow: Oh of course! My rugged, handsome and strong Mountain Man. <3 ;) It’s almost time to leave. My boss is picking me up in about 10 minutes and I still haven’t finished tidying the place in case people come over later. She threatened to have the nachspiel here.                 You: Nachspiel?                 Willow: After-party kinda thing. We go back here after dinner and hang out and drink.                 You: Ah, got it. Have fun, Sweetheart <3                 Willow: <3

He hurriedly calls her boss, who answers immediately. The woman on the other end of the line isn’t as fluent in English as Willow, but her language is still impressive. They agree for him to wait at a local café after he arrives in town, then take another cab to Willow’s place when her boss texts him that they are there. Hanging up, Jensen grins at how this is all coming together.

                Bosslady: “Were at her place now. Come when you are ready!”

Finally!

He texts a quick “OK” back and has already allied himself with one of the staff to help call him a cab. The helpful barista borrows his phone, types in the number and quickly gives the address and description in what, to Jensen, sounds like a fast string of fake words in a melodic voice. Nordic languages are weird.

“Two minutt,” the man wearing the apron says, handing back the phone.

“Thanks, man. Here.” Jensen holds up a folded bill of money for the man, who just looks confused at the offering.

“You hav already paid,” he answers in broken English.

“Yeah, it’s just a tip for you. To say thank you for helping me out.”

“Øhh… Thank you?” The barista slowly takes the money, seemingly still unsure whether it is a prank or not.

Jensen just waves back at him before carrying his suitcases outside to wait for the driver. The snow has changed into rain, making the sidewalk slippery and the road filled with snowy puddles. A tractor with a snowplough at its front rumbles by, pushing the thin layer of wet snow to the sides and releasing gravel from its back. It’s not quite freezing, but his nose quickly grows cold, and he has to warm his hands inside his pocket until the cab arrives. It’s just a regular car with a white “Taxi” sign on top of it, and some stickers on the windows – not quite the yellow taxis Jensen usually sees back home.

“Hi! You speak English?” Jensen asks as he finds his seat in the back. The driver pulls up a flat hand and wobbles it in reply.

“A littel.”

He figures that’s good enough, offers the driver a note with the address on it and off they go. Jensen is quick to put on the seatbelt, as the driver apparently pays no mind to the whole snow situation on the road and drives as fast as Jensen would on a warm summer day. Ten adrenaline-filled minutes later and they pull up to an apartment building. The taxi didn’t skid even once on the road, which Jensen can’t decide is because of dumb luck or the driver’s skills. They arrived safe, at least.

Outside the building, there’s snow-less asphalt from the road to the door, surrounded by a snow-covered lawn with some green blades sticking up a few places. At the edges of the lawn, there are bare bushes, which probably have a lot of leaves on them during the summer, and a picnic table in the middle of the lawn with something that looks like a community grill next to it. On the other side of the asphalt leading towards the door, there’s a small playground with a swing and some kind of climbing contraption for kids made to look like a sunken ship with rope bridges and nets.

Jensen makes his way to the door with his suitcases, then sends a text to Willow’s boss saying he’s outside. He only has to wait a minute or two until a tall, longhaired woman comes down the stairs and opens up for him.

“Hi, you must be Jensen!” she says, holding out her hand.

He grabs it immediately: “Yeah, I am. Glad to finally meet you.”

“Glad to meet you too… Oh, you’re cold! We need to get you some gloves. Let’s take the elevator, she lives on the 4th floor.”

Jensen nods, grateful to come inside from the harsh Nordic evening. Together, they huddle into the elevator and Jensen catches his own reflection in the mirrored wall. His cheeks and nose are red, and his hair sticks out in weird angles as he removes his beanie. He combs his fingers through it, to try and tame it, though it hardly shows. 20 hours of traveling has that effect.

Just as he realizes he should probably make some small talk, the elevator stops with a ding and Willow’s boss leads them down a short hall with a few doors scattered along it. All of them have doormats, name plaques and some even have Christmas wraiths already.

“Nervous?” she asks, smiling at him as they reach the door. Her hand rests on the handle as she waits for him to reply.

“That obvious, huh?” he laughs, trying not to look too much at the name plaque with her name on it. She actually lives here, just behind that door! He’s been looking forward to this for so long and now that he’s here, he still feels wildly unprepared to meet her.

A burst of laughter erupts from behind the door, her voice the loudest of them all, making Jensen perk up and his breath hitch a little. It’s her. As he stares at the door, while the woman next to him rings the doorbell instead of opening the door.

It can’t take more than a few seconds before the door opens and there she is: wearing that gorgeous top and cardigan he saw in the picture earlier. Her eyes fall on her boss first, frowning, then her eyes wander to Jensen – and she has to brace herself on the door. Her mouth falls open, and he wishes he had a camera ready to capture her surprised look.

“Hi Willow,” he breathes, putting on his best smile.

She manages to squeal “Jay!” before she hurries forward into him, crashing her lips onto his with surprising force. He lifts her up effortlessly and spins her around while smiling against her mouth. Her giggle fills the hallway, and he can’t believe how much he had missed that sound! He kisses her again, just because he finally can.

As they finally move apart, she gazes at him in wonder. “How… what… when…?” she starts, then looks over at her boss – who is now joined by the other people from her apartment. “Ka faen?” The longhaired woman simply smiles widely before saying “Surprise!” That makes all the other women raise their glasses in a cheer.

Jensen, now aware there are people watching, lets his girlfriend find her footing on the floor before turning towards them, painfully aware that he might be blushing.

“So… everyone: This is Jensen,” she says to the crowd who are all watching him with interest. “Jensen, these are my colleagues and friends.”

“Jensen … Jensen Ackles?” one of them blurts out, clearly not believing their own eyes. Jensen nods in reply, already clocking the look she has as a fan recognizing him in the wild. He instantly shifts into celebrity mode and steps forward with his right hand out and the other still wrapped around Willow.

“The one and only,” he smiles as their hands meet. “How are you?”

The woman blushes and looks from Willow to him, before composing herself. “I’m … surprised.” She then says something really fast in Norwegian to Willow – who laughs before answering in English: “Well… would you have believed me if I had told you?”

“No,” the woman shakes her head then realizes she is still holding Jensen’s hand and releases it, to let him greet the others too. All their names sound very Scandinavian, and he makes a mental note to ask for them in writing because there is no way he’s going to remember all of them.

Everyone switches to English so he can understand what they were talking about, and he makes sure to answer all their questions as well as he can. Apparently, she’d referred to him as Jay so they had no idea who he actually was. Clever!

An hour later, Jensen finds himself on a couch, with a glass of Løiten Linie Aquavit in one hand and his other arm wrapped around the shoulders of his girlfriend. The others left a few minutes ago, leaving the two of them to themselves. Finally.

“I missed you, Jensen,” she mumbles against his shoulder as she rests her head on it, their fingers intertwining on her lap. “Can’t believe you’re really here.”

He sighs, burying his nose into her hair and kisses the top of her head. “Me neither, honey.”

“How… how long are you …?” Her voice trails off like she’s afraid of the answer.

He cups her cheek, lifting her head so their eyes meet and he smiles at her reassuringly. “At least a week. Just you and me. I’ve already talked to your boss, and she has a substitute ready if you want some days off.”

She looks up at him and leans in for a soft kiss on his lips, which he melts into. Her fingers caress his stubbled cheek, and he can feel her smile. “I’d love to,” she whispers before continuing the kiss.

As they pull apart, both breathing heavier than before, her eyes spot something in the window and she grins at him. “Oh, you gotta see this. Come on.”

Before he knows what’s going on, she’s dragging him towards her small balcony and opens the door to point upwards. The cold hits him first, but then he sees it: long streaks of soft, green light across the entire sky, speckled with stars in the background.

“Woah, is that…?”

“Mhm,” she nods, leaning back into his chest as he wraps his arms around her, keeping both of them warm. “Northern lights.”

“Damn, I’ve never seen that before…” he whispers in awe.

They keep watching it in silence, then Jensen starts rocking softly from side to side as his Willow relaxes more into him. Then: “Wait.. is it moving?”

“Yes,” she replies, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “It can move fast or slow and the Sámi believes it’s the souls of the dead dancing across the sky. Like a bridge to the afterlife.”

Jensen smiles and leans his chin on her head. “I like that idea; dancing your way to Heaven on the Northern lights.”

Her head turns and she looks up at him, with a grin. “Just don’t wave a white handkerchief, start whistling or singing, or the souls will reach down and carry you up into the sky.”

“Oh yeah?” he smiles at her, turning her around so they face each other. “They gonna steal you if I do that?”

She shrugs, with a mischievous smile: “Only if you get their attention.”

He deftly picks her up by wrapping his arms around her as she giggles and clings to him. “Ain’t nobody stealing you except me, Willow,” he whispers as he carries her into the apartment again and closes the door with his foot.

“You already have my heart, Mountain Man,” she giggles into him between their kisses as they make their way to the bedroom. “You ran away with it months ago.”

“Best. Decision. Ever.”

Author's Notes:

That's it. It's over! Please tell me what you think in the comments, I do love hearing your thoughts about it! Thank you for reading it. Make sure you come say hi to me at Purgatory 11 (in 2027), if you're heading that way!

Masterlist for this story: Tumblr - AO3

Masterlist for all my stories: Tumblr

Dividers by: @easytiger-xo's blogpost.