rodrikstark's headcanons (part 4)

j. jensen + first meeting

"jensen." you sit on the curb with her. "where's your mom?"

she shrugs, apologetic. "i don't know."

usually, you'd be gone by now. you didn't mind being the carpool mom—it was nice to get to know your daughter's friends, and it's not like you had much else going on.

the little jensen girl is not technically your responsibility, but you're not gonna just abandon her. the other girls sit in the van laughing, doors open to let the air flow. your daughter leans outside, hanging onto the grab handle. "c'mon mom, she can fit in the trunk."

you smile at her. "hush."

"uncle jake!" jensen shouts. you notice the girls' heads popping out like meerkats before your gaze lands on some guy rolling up in an old-looking car.

"hey, 21." he tosses her a plastic-wrapped popsicle. "sorry i'm late."

she grins. "that's okay."

"i got more, who's still here?" the girls gather around him as he steps out and hands them the frozen treats. "how was practice?"

you stand now, scoffing. a man doing the bare minimum and still receiving praise. typical. even your daughter loves him.

"who's—?" above the cheerful chatter, he stares. his hand blindly grasps for his niece's shoulder, but she smacks him away with a giggle. "hi... there."

you frown. "hi."

jake blinks. "you takin' them all home?"

"yep."

"i could take a couple," he offers.

"i'll go!" one of the girls waves. "jensen lives closer to me anyway."

"me too!"

"okay, but i need permission from your parents." you mutter under your breath, "i don't even know this guy."

after struggling to break free from his fans, he reaches for you. "i'm jake, her uncle." you go to shake his hand, but his next words are so boldly flirtatious that you freeze. "and i'd be happy to get to know you."

luckily, the two phone screens shoved into your face allow you to dodge that complete nonsense. you double-check the text messages proving that their parents are okay with the change. "alright, make sure you have all your stuff."

"i'm pretty popular with the petunias," jake continues, as if you care. "surprised we haven't met before."

"probably because i'm here on time," you snap, coaxing your daughter and her friends toward their respective cars. "you shouldn't show up so late."

he hums. "and what time do you get here, usually?" this time, you can't feign ignorance to the blatant way his eyes drift down your body.

his attention is... weirdly flattering. you answer more kindly this time. "twenty minutes before practice ends." hopefully you don't seem too flustered, or you're gonna hear it from your daughter later. "sometimes they get out early."

"twenty minutes," he repeats to himself. before he returns to his niece, who is happily buckled into the passenger seat, he winks at you. "plenty of time to get to know each other."