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Exciting news (about me!):
I have Oregon Trail on my phone now. It's not the original version, but I think the fact that you get to tell your party you're not going to waste time looking for an "incompetent member" of your party when they get lost makes up for it. A little bit. (Actually, quite a lot, as apparently that's hilarious to me. *hands*)
Ahahaha. Completely randomly, I started thinking about the hitmen AU. Particularly the bit concerning Tom and what may have ultimately been the reason he left his team.
By now, people reading this should know my head is filled with romantic-comedy clichés and everything I've learned about life came from bad television/movies/books.
So clearly, when Tom 'leaves' his team, he does it for ~love. Or, you know, that hot guy he always sees around town.
I would like for Sean to be part of an FBI task force charged with bringing down Pete's organization, but that involves more plot-things than I'm willing to deal with. Such as: Does Sean remain an agent after Tom leaves his life of crime? There would be major conflicts, what with Sean being responsible for catching Tom's friends and sending them to prison, and you know, Tom really not wanting that to happen. Sean's a good agent, he believes in what he's doing, but Tom! Not to mention the rest of his task force! He can't lie to them, and he knows they're likely to get themselves killed if they do manage to get close to anyone in Pete's organization. He'd be so conflicted! :(((((((
Or! Would he leave the FBI and retire, only to start over with a bakery somewhere? (Possibly! But obviously, I am too lazy to think about that invested in having happy little killers here and as little angst as possible. My life, so hard.)
Really, though, Sean being a normal guy who catches Tom's eye is also a strong contender. After Tom leaves his team they make a run to some tropical location, or somewhere Sean thinks Pete's organization won't be able to find them. (Tom's told him more than once that it doesn't matter where they run, Pete - well, Patrick, really - will find them sooner rather than later. It's too dangerous to the organization - and Pete - to let them go without being sure they won't go blabbing to the authorities. Tom left his team, but he's not going to talk, or anything, he still has friends in Pete's organization, and also, he'd like to not die horribly. He knows he just has to wait for someone - Patrick - to come looking so he can explain things and let them know, for certain, that he just wants out and isn't going to talk, It takes a little while, for that kind of thing to really sink in with someone in their line of work, okay. Mild paranoia is a good thing for them.) Tom rolls his eyes and lets Sean pick the place, and they go off somewhere Sean is sure they won't be found because he has, obviously, seen the same bad television/movies I have.
But then! One night - let's assume there is a storm going on outside for the sake of atmosphere - Sean's getting ready to start the day at his little bakery (I'm really attached to the bakery idea, okay, don't judge.) and there's a tapping on the front door. All he's gotten done is making a pot of coffee and going over the notes his assistant left him the night before. (Tom's back home sleeping because can it really be called morning when the sun isn't even up yet?)
Sean goes to see who it is, muttering to himself because only a fucking idiot would be out in this weather. (This also applies to Sean who forgot to bring an umbrella, and hey! How awesome is it they got a place within walking distance of the bakery and what a great way to save money and the environment by not buying a car, etc., etc., etc.) When he opens the door he sees it's some guy, a little on the short side wearing glasses and a hat.
*CUE OMINOUS FLASH OF LIGHTNING*
Sean tells the guy the bakery's not open yet, but he's more than welcome to come in out of the rain. The guy smiles at him and accepts his offer.
*CUE OMINOUS RUMBLE OF THUNDER* (I don't know, it's all dramatic and whatnot. Don't judge.)
Then there is small talk, and Sean pouring another cup of coffee while the two of them get settled at one of the tables and then, um. More small talk? (I don't know, this is just leading up to the part where Sean assumes the guy's just a tourist - he's not dressed like the locals, and Sean doesn't remember seeing him around - and then!)
Patrick, okay. Patrick is the one who takes it upon himself to see who this Sean guy is, if he was worth Tom turning his back on the organization and whatnot. Really, though, he's worried about Pete because Pete isn't worried enough. Pete's kind of dumb that way, believing Tom won't talk to the authorities if something happens, if he gets caught or something and Patrick needs to know.
He's wet and a little on the miserable side, but there's a good side to the storm. Well, a couple, really. For one, only an idiot would be out in weather like that, so no one's around to see anything, which could mean anything from Patrick having to hide a body to anyone tying Sean and his bakery to anyone in Pete's operation, depending on what Patrick finds out.
And then! And then Patrick leads things around to Tom, and Sean realizes that this tiny, harmless looking guy is Patrick. Tom's told him about Patrick before. Pete's right hand man, the one everyone - even Pete - underestimates and ohgod, they're so dead.
Patrick smiles (*cue more ominous lightning*) when he sees Sean knows who he is, and lets him know in no uncertain terms if anyone in Pete's organization, any of their allies - even the guys in Jersey who can take care of their own with no help from them, and the division in Vegas that's starting to branch off into its own organization - gets hurt, Patrick will know where to find them, no matter where they try to run. He will find them.
There is more talking, Sean convinced he's about to die the whole time, just like those poor bastards in the movies, but Patrick is finally starting to believe what Pete knew the whole time. Tom knew what he was doing, and he's not looking to start trouble unless they give him a reason to. Patrick starts to believe that Sean's not an idiot, that he's just trying to live a quiet little life baking muffins and whatever else with Tom, so.
Patrick thanks Sean for the coffee and tells him to say hello to Tom for him, and leaves.
Sean sits there for a little while, and jumps when he hears a noise behind him because hey, fucking terrifying, but it's Tom.
Sean knew what Tom did before, but somehow he never really understood. But now, after meeting Patrick, he does.
Tom slides into the seat across from him and snitches the muffin Sean was picking at before Patrick showed up. Sneaks Sean's coffee mug out of his hands and presses his fucking freezing toes (goddamn flip-flops) up under the cuff of his pants and onto his calf.
Sean looks at Tom, and sees the guy he used to be - still is, and always will be - waiting, there in the back of his eyes. Tom wasn't the best there was, but the job takes care of people who can't hold their own by its nature. He wasn't the best there was, but he was good at it, and for some reason Sean can't really figure out on his best days Tom's here. With him. Stealing his coffee and eating his fucking muffin and sticking his goddamn freezing toes where they're not welcome.
Tom smirks at him, then, like he knows exactly what he's thinking because Tom's an asshole.
There wasn't a point to running, Sean can't even say it gave him peace of mind when he had nightmares of running into one of Pete's guys on the street and ending up as just another murder statistic. He knows Tom would move heaven and earth to keep him safe, but really, why run when it's clear Pete's guys could find him - them - anytime they wanted. It's more than likely making Pete's guys look for them would just piss them off even more, and seriously, what the hell.
"So," he says, grabbing his coffee back from Tom. "Chicago?"
Tom's smirk gets smugger, something Sean didn't think was possible. (One day, he'll learn.)
Sean looks out the window, at the rain pouring down and the beach they can't see but know is out there. Thousands of miles from home, and fucking hell, Chicago in winter is a bitch.
They have a few loose ends to take care of before they can head back to Chicago - the bakery and their apartment among them - but they head back. They don't bother trying to hide this time. Sean opens his bakery (again), Tom focuses on his photography and being an asshole (or so Sean likes to think), and life is. It's good.
Then a few months later Pete comes by the bakery, and a few days later Patrick does. This time Patrick's not out to scare the shit out of him, and Sean has a hard time reconciling the little guy who rolls his eyes at Pete's stupid jokes with the one who basically told him he was going to die slow.
Pete clearly knows all about Patrick's visit because he knows Patrick and he knows there's a reason why Tom's guy is so skittish around him, but Patrick just gives him this look like, "What? What?" because. Well, because yes. It's what they do.
Eventually word gets around Tom's back and he's not in their line of work anymore, he's just trying to by. Also, there's a bakery that makes awesome muffins! (Pete's contribution to the rumors floating around Tom's reappearance in Chicago.) Tom's old team come to visit and broken and strained friendships are slowly, painstakingly mended, patched. Other people from Pete's organization stop by every so often for the muffins and other bakery goods Sean makes. Word goes out that Tom and Sean and their families are under Pete's protection, and anyone messing with them answers to Pete's organization, which is not to be fucked with.
...and everyone lives happily ever after, or at least as realistically as possible, given professional hitmen are involved and whatnot. Also, muffins.
I have Oregon Trail on my phone now. It's not the original version, but I think the fact that you get to tell your party you're not going to waste time looking for an "incompetent member" of your party when they get lost makes up for it. A little bit. (Actually, quite a lot, as apparently that's hilarious to me. *hands*)
Ahahaha. Completely randomly, I started thinking about the hitmen AU. Particularly the bit concerning Tom and what may have ultimately been the reason he left his team.
By now, people reading this should know my head is filled with romantic-comedy clichés and everything I've learned about life came from bad television/movies/books.
So clearly, when Tom 'leaves' his team, he does it for ~love. Or, you know, that hot guy he always sees around town.
I would like for Sean to be part of an FBI task force charged with bringing down Pete's organization, but that involves more plot-things than I'm willing to deal with. Such as: Does Sean remain an agent after Tom leaves his life of crime? There would be major conflicts, what with Sean being responsible for catching Tom's friends and sending them to prison, and you know, Tom really not wanting that to happen. Sean's a good agent, he believes in what he's doing, but Tom! Not to mention the rest of his task force! He can't lie to them, and he knows they're likely to get themselves killed if they do manage to get close to anyone in Pete's organization. He'd be so conflicted! :(((((((
Or! Would he leave the FBI and retire, only to start over with a bakery somewhere? (Possibly! But obviously, I am too lazy to think about that invested in having happy little killers here and as little angst as possible. My life, so hard.)
Really, though, Sean being a normal guy who catches Tom's eye is also a strong contender. After Tom leaves his team they make a run to some tropical location, or somewhere Sean thinks Pete's organization won't be able to find them. (Tom's told him more than once that it doesn't matter where they run, Pete - well, Patrick, really - will find them sooner rather than later. It's too dangerous to the organization - and Pete - to let them go without being sure they won't go blabbing to the authorities. Tom left his team, but he's not going to talk, or anything, he still has friends in Pete's organization, and also, he'd like to not die horribly. He knows he just has to wait for someone - Patrick - to come looking so he can explain things and let them know, for certain, that he just wants out and isn't going to talk, It takes a little while, for that kind of thing to really sink in with someone in their line of work, okay. Mild paranoia is a good thing for them.) Tom rolls his eyes and lets Sean pick the place, and they go off somewhere Sean is sure they won't be found because he has, obviously, seen the same bad television/movies I have.
But then! One night - let's assume there is a storm going on outside for the sake of atmosphere - Sean's getting ready to start the day at his little bakery (I'm really attached to the bakery idea, okay, don't judge.) and there's a tapping on the front door. All he's gotten done is making a pot of coffee and going over the notes his assistant left him the night before. (Tom's back home sleeping because can it really be called morning when the sun isn't even up yet?)
Sean goes to see who it is, muttering to himself because only a fucking idiot would be out in this weather. (This also applies to Sean who forgot to bring an umbrella, and hey! How awesome is it they got a place within walking distance of the bakery and what a great way to save money and the environment by not buying a car, etc., etc., etc.) When he opens the door he sees it's some guy, a little on the short side wearing glasses and a hat.
*CUE OMINOUS FLASH OF LIGHTNING*
Sean tells the guy the bakery's not open yet, but he's more than welcome to come in out of the rain. The guy smiles at him and accepts his offer.
*CUE OMINOUS RUMBLE OF THUNDER* (I don't know, it's all dramatic and whatnot. Don't judge.)
Then there is small talk, and Sean pouring another cup of coffee while the two of them get settled at one of the tables and then, um. More small talk? (I don't know, this is just leading up to the part where Sean assumes the guy's just a tourist - he's not dressed like the locals, and Sean doesn't remember seeing him around - and then!)
Patrick, okay. Patrick is the one who takes it upon himself to see who this Sean guy is, if he was worth Tom turning his back on the organization and whatnot. Really, though, he's worried about Pete because Pete isn't worried enough. Pete's kind of dumb that way, believing Tom won't talk to the authorities if something happens, if he gets caught or something and Patrick needs to know.
He's wet and a little on the miserable side, but there's a good side to the storm. Well, a couple, really. For one, only an idiot would be out in weather like that, so no one's around to see anything, which could mean anything from Patrick having to hide a body to anyone tying Sean and his bakery to anyone in Pete's operation, depending on what Patrick finds out.
And then! And then Patrick leads things around to Tom, and Sean realizes that this tiny, harmless looking guy is Patrick. Tom's told him about Patrick before. Pete's right hand man, the one everyone - even Pete - underestimates and ohgod, they're so dead.
Patrick smiles (*cue more ominous lightning*) when he sees Sean knows who he is, and lets him know in no uncertain terms if anyone in Pete's organization, any of their allies - even the guys in Jersey who can take care of their own with no help from them, and the division in Vegas that's starting to branch off into its own organization - gets hurt, Patrick will know where to find them, no matter where they try to run. He will find them.
There is more talking, Sean convinced he's about to die the whole time, just like those poor bastards in the movies, but Patrick is finally starting to believe what Pete knew the whole time. Tom knew what he was doing, and he's not looking to start trouble unless they give him a reason to. Patrick starts to believe that Sean's not an idiot, that he's just trying to live a quiet little life baking muffins and whatever else with Tom, so.
Patrick thanks Sean for the coffee and tells him to say hello to Tom for him, and leaves.
Sean sits there for a little while, and jumps when he hears a noise behind him because hey, fucking terrifying, but it's Tom.
Sean knew what Tom did before, but somehow he never really understood. But now, after meeting Patrick, he does.
Tom slides into the seat across from him and snitches the muffin Sean was picking at before Patrick showed up. Sneaks Sean's coffee mug out of his hands and presses his fucking freezing toes (goddamn flip-flops) up under the cuff of his pants and onto his calf.
Sean looks at Tom, and sees the guy he used to be - still is, and always will be - waiting, there in the back of his eyes. Tom wasn't the best there was, but the job takes care of people who can't hold their own by its nature. He wasn't the best there was, but he was good at it, and for some reason Sean can't really figure out on his best days Tom's here. With him. Stealing his coffee and eating his fucking muffin and sticking his goddamn freezing toes where they're not welcome.
Tom smirks at him, then, like he knows exactly what he's thinking because Tom's an asshole.
There wasn't a point to running, Sean can't even say it gave him peace of mind when he had nightmares of running into one of Pete's guys on the street and ending up as just another murder statistic. He knows Tom would move heaven and earth to keep him safe, but really, why run when it's clear Pete's guys could find him - them - anytime they wanted. It's more than likely making Pete's guys look for them would just piss them off even more, and seriously, what the hell.
"So," he says, grabbing his coffee back from Tom. "Chicago?"
Tom's smirk gets smugger, something Sean didn't think was possible. (One day, he'll learn.)
Sean looks out the window, at the rain pouring down and the beach they can't see but know is out there. Thousands of miles from home, and fucking hell, Chicago in winter is a bitch.
They have a few loose ends to take care of before they can head back to Chicago - the bakery and their apartment among them - but they head back. They don't bother trying to hide this time. Sean opens his bakery (again), Tom focuses on his photography and being an asshole (or so Sean likes to think), and life is. It's good.
Then a few months later Pete comes by the bakery, and a few days later Patrick does. This time Patrick's not out to scare the shit out of him, and Sean has a hard time reconciling the little guy who rolls his eyes at Pete's stupid jokes with the one who basically told him he was going to die slow.
Pete clearly knows all about Patrick's visit because he knows Patrick and he knows there's a reason why Tom's guy is so skittish around him, but Patrick just gives him this look like, "What? What?" because. Well, because yes. It's what they do.
Eventually word gets around Tom's back and he's not in their line of work anymore, he's just trying to by. Also, there's a bakery that makes awesome muffins! (Pete's contribution to the rumors floating around Tom's reappearance in Chicago.) Tom's old team come to visit and broken and strained friendships are slowly, painstakingly mended, patched. Other people from Pete's organization stop by every so often for the muffins and other bakery goods Sean makes. Word goes out that Tom and Sean and their families are under Pete's protection, and anyone messing with them answers to Pete's organization, which is not to be fucked with.
...and everyone lives happily ever after, or at least as realistically as possible, given professional hitmen are involved and whatnot. Also, muffins.