Title: Fire Front
Author: kelleigh
Artist: sweetheartdean
Genre: RPS
Pairing: Jared Padalecki/Jensen Ackles
Rating: NC17
Word Count: 41K
Warnings: Age Difference. Mild Violence and Injury.

Summary: Before his 18th birthday, bitter foster kid Jensen Ackles was given a choice between prison time or military service. He chose the latter and spent the next decade channeling his rage into training and multiple tours overseas. When he’s finally discharged, he moves to Boston to live with the only person who ever gave a damn about him, but the anger that’s plagued him since he was a teen refuses to let him settle into a normal life. Pushed to the brink, Jensen discovers the world of illegal fighting and uses it to burn the violence out of his system. Empty warehouses, rundown factories, and foreclosed clubs become the arenas where Jensen fights for money and relief.

One night, after emerging victorious from his latest challenge, he finds a young man waiting for him, offering him a prize he won’t refuse. Jensen sees so much of himself in the skinny, stubborn kid, and he’s torn between his desire to corrupt and his need to protect. Jared Padalecki is lost, working at a small diner and trying to make ends meet. He’s stuck between a home that doesn’t want him and a dangerous world filled with people who wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of him. Jensen finds himself fighting to keep Jared from repeating his own mistakes while at the same time battling the rage inside him. Will it consume him before he can save Jared, or is Jensen the one in need of saving?

READ IT HERE ON AO3
ART MASTERPOST from sweetheartdean



Notes: This was a story idea that I came up with a long time ago and never got around to writing. When BB season rolled around, I pulled it back out and gave it another go. It morphed from a simple PWP into a 40K+ behemoth in almost no time at all. I’m glad I finally finished it, as it took me to several unexpected places!

Thank you so much to sweetheartdean for choosing my summary and for coming up with three AMAZING pieces of art to illustrate the fic! You understood what I wanted so well, let me spam you with pictures of Jensen’s ridiculously amazing facial hair, and let me convince you that Tahmoh Penikett is absolutely WONDERFUL. I’m so happy we got to work together on this, and your art so amazing, I can only hope the story lives up to your work.

Many, MANY hugs to dugindeep who kept me going throughout this entire process, even though we THOUGHT we could keep our Big Bangs under 25K for once. Needless to say we failed, but not miserably ♥ ♥ ♥ I never would have finished this story without your encouragement, and I truly appreciate your work as a beta for making this story the best it could be. You are the best and I love you!

Thank you to wendy for bringing us this Big Bang challenge year after year! I wish I could quit you :)