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lenfaz · 6 years

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Sea Squad, ch. 2 (2/14)

Summary: Killian Jones has always managed tough spots in his con life… but never like this one. His brother is out of jail and convinced the only way to win his name back is to heist the casino of a major Vegas mogul, leaving Killian to do the planning. He now has to deal with a half-brother desperate to gain a name of his own, an ex-fling that carries her own torch against the casino mogul, his brother losing his mind over his ex-wife, his former mentor’s depression and the one woman he can’t get out of his mind giving him chase. Ocean’s Eleven AU

Rating: M

Content warnings: semi-explicit sexual content, law-breaking (they are thieves, liars and con men), mild violence (someone will get punched), mention of former relationships (for the main pair) and cheating (but not for the main pair)

Chapter warning: Milah is a character in this fic.

Banner (link to banner post) and art by the amazing @clockadile Go check her art tag for the fic here!

This fic would never exist without the wonderful @sambethe who convinced me to do over hot chocolate on one cold Chicago afternoon and virtually held my hand and betaed this fic for months. thank you SO much for everything you do.

A/N: A long time ago there was talk about Hook & his sea friends and a few collective posts shaped the idea of a Sea Squad. This fic is the attempt to bring that creativity to life. Tagging @queen-mabs-revenge @thesschesthair and @jvosketches as they were part of that initial thinking back in the day. If a few things sound familiar, it’s because they are based on the movie.

Link to FFnet & AO3

on tumblr: 1

Chapter 2

It was warm and sunny in Las Vegas. Or at least, that was how the radio host described it as the sound blasted in the taxi as they cruised through the outskirts of town, on their way to Nemo’s mansion. Killian would have put it differently: blazing hot with the chance of bursting into flames when one came into direct contact with sunlight.

More than two decades out of the Motherland and he still wasn’t used to this much sunlight. To cope, he followed Liam’s lead and uncuffed his pristine white shirt and rolled his sleeves up over his forearms.

Arriving at Nemo’s, they were quickly shown into an interior patio. The place was impeccable, as always - not a piece of furniture or decoration out of place, fresh cut flowers in each room they passed, no speck of dirt or mote of dust to be seen. And yet, all of it seemed off, the house too quiet by half, and a sense of sorrow seemed to pervade the air. When Nemo finally joined them, Killian’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of their old friend - their mentor. While dressed in a well-tailored navy suit, still sporting his jacket despite the midday heat, Nemo looked like a shell of the man he’d once been. His voice might still be booming and his presence almost overwhelming, but he seemed smaller, his eyes dimmer. It was as if his image had been blurred at the edges, his presence quietly fading away. It was painful to see, and Killian darted his eyes to Liam, finding his feelings mirrored in the way Liam’s jaw clenched before he composed his features into a warm smile.

However, it only took them hinting at their idea over a magnificent lunch for Nemo to rise into his full former glory.

"You can't take on a casino in Vegas, you dimwits."

“Of course we can.” Liam took a sip of his wine. “It would be a nice challenge.”

“It cannot be done.” Nemo pointed his fork at each of them, his eyes flaring with that familiar hint of annoyance they seem to bring out in him. “I should know, lads. I all but invented security in casinos.”

“It hasn’t been tried.” Killian shrugged, leaning back in his chair and waiting for the fireworks. They shouldn’t be goading Nemo like this, they both owed this man more than they could ever repay him for. He’d rescued them from the streets, put clothes on their backs and food in their stomachs. This man had sent them to get educations while teaching them a few extra things on the side. For all intents and purposes, Nemo had been the only father they’d ever known.

Which is why it was up to them to shake him from the funk he’d been in since the Nautilus was torn down.

The vein in Nemo’s neck twitched and he had started to rub his fingers along his temple. The man who prided himself on his utter calm and poise was losing it in front of them. It was just as he used to do when Killian and Liam were teenagers and he had once again been called to the principal’s office.

It was glorious.

“It hasn’t been tried?” He put his fork down, crossed his arms over his chest, and recounted for both of them, in painstaking detail, the accounts of each of the most successful robbery attempts in Vegas’ history. None of which had been successful in the slightest, and one or two of them had Nemo playing his part to prevent them. No one tried to rob Nemo and lived to tell the tale.

Or maybe they lived, but certainly not unscathed.

Once he was done with his tirade, Nemo sat in silence for a moment, his eyes boring into both Liam and Killian until they both started fidgeting.

Finally he leaned in, his fork once again in hand and waving it between them. “You think I don’t know what you’re trying to do? You think I’m not aware of the fact that you’re trying to rile me up? Do you think I am just going to cave and indulge whatever little scheme it is you’ve concocted that you think is the most brilliant heist and the solution to all of the problems you’ve been happily sweeping under the rug for years? How gullible do you think I am?”

He pointed at Liam. “You just got out,” then at Killian. “You’ve been moping around since Tuscany, trying to find your mojo again and failing miserably.” He sighed and Killian felt the weight of the world in that sigh. “Maybe it’s time to call it quits, lads. You had a good run, I’ve had a good run. We’ve met each other, we became family. You’re welcome to stay here and let us live the rest of our lives feasting and enjoying the sunny weather.”

Liam’s face was a blank mask as he stared back at Nemo. “I can’t do that, Nemo, and you know it. I can’t be a coward who crawls back into a hole. I won’t.”

Nemo’s eyebrows twitched, the only outward sign that the punch thrown by Liam had landed. “Which casino did you pick?” he asked after a few minutes.

Liam shrugged, taking a beat to build momentum as he exchanged a look with Killian. “The Gold, the Baelfire, and the Dagger.”

The man in front of them froze, his eyes widening. “Gold’s casinos…”

“Are they?” Killian waved his hand in that nonchalant motion Nemo had mastered years before him. “I hadn’t realized.”

"Gold. You want to take on Gold?" Nemo reached for his wine and took a large gulp. He studied both them in turn, as he’d done so many times before, something hard edging into his eyes. “Revenge is a dangerous path, Liam.”

It was, and both Killian and Liam knew it.

Liam leaned in, his frank stare warning Nemo that he wasn’t going to back down. Not this time. “But it’s one that pays handsomely, if you know what you’re doing. And we know what we’re doing. You’ve taught us well, Nemo.”

There was affection infused into that last sentence, and Nemo’s face softened at the sound of it, understanding their plea. It was the plea of the child who still needed his father to guide them, help them not to completely fuck it all up. It wasn’t just Nemo’s resources they’d need, they needed the man himself, needed his guidance and mentorship. A role he had played for them so many times before.

They knew it. Nemo knew it. He sighed, running a hand over his bald head before giving in. “If you want to do this, you - we - will need more people.”

Liam smirked, his hand clasping Killian’s shoulder. “I’ve already talked to Ursula - she’s in. Killian’s on the rest.”

Both men turned to him, and Killian knew this was his moment. This was what he always did best - pick the crew that will fall under Liam’s command and execute. It was his talent and, gods, had he missed doing it.

“We need several things: electronics, drivers, and a whole lot of old friends coming back to work. But we probably should start with what we have at hand. Munitions.”

“Blackbeard?” Nemo asked but Killian shook his hand with a sad smile on his face.

“Lung cancer. He’s not fit for travel. Sends his regards and wishes us luck.” He let the news sink as he cleared his throat. “Milah is in town.”

Liam cocked an eyebrow in surprise but Nemo didn’t even flinch. It was clear the older man knew a lot more of what was happening in the city than he originally let on.

“Are you guys...?” Liam, always the one hinting at things instead of asking the point blank question.

Killian shook his head. “No, not anymore… but it ended amicably and if there is someone who would simply love to pull a heist on Gold, it’s his ex-wife.”

/-/

Killian watched from the shadows as two officers cuffed Milah and pushed her towards one of the waiting patrol cars.

It was a bloody shame. Milah was way too talented for the tossers she’d associated with for this job. He didn’t have to tail her to know that most likely her part of the work had been spot on, and from the sound blaring the building, her idiot partners had done a terrible job disconnecting the alarm, resulting in an entire bust.

Oh well, their loss was clearly his gain.

Taking a drag off his cigarette, he made his way to where one of the officers was interrogating her next to the car. “Officer, I’m Smith, from ATF.” He quickly showed a fake badge he and Liam has manufactured years ago. “Have you checked her for weapons?”

The officer nodded and from the corner of his eye, Killian saw Milah’s furtive smile. Game on.

“What about booby traps on her body?” He didn’t give the officer time to answer, instead he tossed the cigarette and started barking orders. “You incompetent idiot, go find Riggs and tell him I need him.” He took a step forward, moving the officer out of the way and pushing Milah against the car.

“Should I get a female officer?”

“Get me Riggs. NOW!” His booming order did the trick and the officer took off. He slid his hands down Milah’s sides, pretending to check for weapons.

“This brings back memories.” She delivered the words in a low purr, fun and flirty much like Milah herself had always been.

Killian smiled as he quickly uncuffed her and put something in her hands. "It's not that kind of visit."

"Oh. Still pining for the blonde, are you?" There wasn’t any anger in her voice, or even regret. She knew where they stood and she’d always been ok with it.

"Always," he sighed, pushing the memories of that blonde beauty back into his mind and focusing on the job. “Can you work with what I gave you?”

She turned around and gave him a wide smile. “It’s done. But we need to get out of here… now.”

He mimed pushing her forward by the cuffs that were no longer binding her, and they made haste towards the corner.

“So, if this is not a social visit, then please tell me you have something better for me than this.” She gestured back towards the building. “I beg of thee, save me again from my misery.”

Killian chuckled and nodded. “Indeed we do.”

“We? Is Liam around?” She all but beamed. “This is even getting better. It’d be nice to work with proper and competent professionals again.”

He bowed his head at the compliment. “Thank you, milady.”

The sound of a minor explosion threw everyone around them into chaos and gave them the opportunity to quickly disappear.

“What do you have in mind?” Milah asked as they made their way towards the diner where Liam was waiting for them.

“Something you’re going to adore, love.” Killian ran his hand through his hair, sighing deeply. Now that the rescue was over and the adrenaline had rushed off, Milah’s comment had triggered his memories of Tuscany back in full force. Blonde hair that shone under the sunlight, freckled skin he’d kissed over and over again, lust words whispered in the middle of the night. Was it possible that he’d never be over what happened in Tuscany? Will he ever be over her?

“Killian…” Milah had her hand on his arm, her eyes searching his with friendly concern. “Are you ok?”

“Aye, all good. Just ghosts from the time past, that is all.”

She gave him a reassuring smile and a squeeze of her hand on his arm. “Let’s go meet Liam and you boys can tell me all about the mischief you have planned.”

/-/

With Milah in the minute they uttered the word Gold, Liam and Killian started to put together the list of other associates they would need to pull this job off. For transportation, Ariel and Eric would do. While the two of them might bicker constantly, and more than once had taken their costumes and disguises into the bedroom, they were an invincible combination who could pull off any escape when teamed together. And given that it had been a few months since their last job, Killian knew they would be getting restless and in the mood for a new distraction. With a few texts shot back and forth, they organized a meeting for later in the week.

“But for now, brother,” Killian said as he got into one of Nemo’s cars and drove them to the airport, “we have a show to catch in Maine.”

“Maine? What the bloody fuck is in Maine?”

“Our greaseman.”

Storybrooke, Maine. A quaint little town with a lovely seacoast and enchanting shops that garnished Main Street. The diner served a divine hot chocolate that was the perfect recipe against the chilly weather.

In the outskirts of the town, a big tent structure with big bold letters announced what they’d traveled for. Charming Circus.

It was a small acrobatics company, devoted to their craft and filled with warm, kind people. In that context, it was clear that one of their attractions didn’t quite belong. His hair wasn’t the same shade of brown as the rest of them and he seemed to carry that look in his eyes. One that both Liam and Killian knew very well.

“Henry Mills, claims to be 18 but that is not what my sources tell me.” Killian fidgeted with his program as they watched the show.

“Older?” Liam asked, his eyes following every move of the lad on the stage.

“Younger. He’s an orphan, got adopted and then pulled back into the system because of a nasty situation. He never got adopted again and bounced from foster home to group home back and again.”

“Lovely childhood, I imagine.” Liam didn’t need to imagine it, and neither did Killian. They had gone through enough of that in a short phase in their lives and vowed to never go back to it. If it hadn’t been for Nemo, who knew how they would have ended up.

“Started picking pockets at ten here and there, nothing major. Then he discovered he had a knack for acrobatics and used it to his benefit. Got emancipated at fourteen and has been working with this company for a few months.” Killian lingered as he watched Henry execute a series of jumps and hoops with precision. The boy was good and it would be more than enough for what they’d need.

“I sense there is a but coming to this story.”

“The company doesn’t make that much money. He isn’t able to support himself or try anything out on his own on his portion of the cut. He’s bound to them, even if he doesn’t want to be owned by anyone at this point. He’s willing to do anything not to go back to the system, or not to end up stuck here.”

“He could do worse, they do seem like nice people.”

“Liam.”

His brother sighed. “And you can vouch for him? That he won’t sell us to the cops?”

“Aye, I’ve known a few people who’ve worked with him on the side. He’s good, quiet, and really can pull this off.”

“Fine. If you say we can trust him, I do.” Liam stood up and stretched his muscles. “Can we please get out of here now? I cannot understand how people even live here.”

“I don’t know… it has its charms.”

Liam stared at him. “You like it here? Why? We haven’t even seen one attractive woman since we got here.”

“That is not what I meant and you know it.” Killian reached their rental car and opened the door, deciding to finally address the fact both he and Liam had been studiously ignoring.

”We need Poseidon.”

Liam sighed as he got into the car. “I know we do, but from what Ursula told me, it’s going to be hard to convince him to join us. He seemed to have lost the will to live.”

“Maybe he just needs a little push. It worked with Nemo.”

“Nemo was never going to let us walk into this on our own and you know it, Killian.”

“I know, but think about it… after Nemo, Poseidon is the closest person we’ve had to a mentor or a father of sorts. He still taught us even after he caught you and Ursula snogging on that alley.”

“We were kids!”

“I’m not judging, Liam. I’m just saying that if there is one way to get him back on track, might as well be one where his daughter and the two closest things he has to sons are involved.”

Liam stared at Killian for a long moment. Long enough for him to feel the hairs on his skin rise with apprehension. “What?”

Liam shook his head. “You always have to be the charmer, don’t you?”

Killian smirked. “I have my moments.” He started the car and put it in gear. “I tell you what, you go talk to Ariel and Eric. I’ll get to Poseidon.”

/-/

Fucking Tampa, Florida of all places.

Only here did the sun shine more brightly and the heat blast higher than in Nevada. Killian played with the open collar of his shirt, and considered undoing two more buttons. He’d already discarded his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt before entering the horse races and he was still on the verge of sweating like a pig. He needed to get out of the sun, pronto. He adjusted his sunglasses as he followed Poseidon’s movements through the paddock.

When the other man finished his bet and finally took a seat, Killian made his move. But he was at least fifteen paces away from him when Poseidon started speaking without turning his head.

“You’re losing your touch, Killian.” He turned around. He looked tired, the bags around his eyes dark and his skin ashen, but there was still that tiny spark in his eyes that Killian had been counting on. “I spotted you following me about ten minutes back, huffing at the heat and probably cursing your luck for agreeing to be the one to come and try to convince me.”

“And you haven’t lost yours.” Killian tilted his head towards the upper level boxes, where the promise of blessed shade and proper bloody drinks lay. Anything had to be better than the terrible coffee that was served down here. “Come on, I got us a box seat. Nemo’s treat.”

“You got Nemo into this? Color me shocked.” Poseidon stood up and followed Killian, his steps still carrying that majestic quality and calm tempo of someone used to commanding the attention of a room. If Killian made it to his sixties with half the presence Nemo and Poseidon had, he’d consider himself a lucky bastard.

He pointed Poseidon in the direction of their seats and waited for him to sit before taking the spot next to him, motioning to the nearby waiter to get them a drink. “Your daughter is in too.”

Poseidon smirked, his eyes following the horses as the race started. “She always did have a soft spot for your brother. Even if they both have moved on, she still will jump on a job if Liam asks.”

“Milah is part of the crew as well.”

That made Poseidon give him a sardonic smile. “What is this? ‘Bring your ex to the heist day’?”

Killian shrugged. “More like a reunion of good friends who happen to be highly skilled professionals. We only like to deal with the best.”

Poseidon sighed. His eyes still followed the race, but the clear twitch in his jaw gave away his frustration. “I’ve changed, Killian.”

“People like us don’t change, Poseidon. We get beaten up a little, lose a few opportunities here and there, miscalculate a few risks, and come back from all of that with our skills refined. You can try to lie to your daughter, to Nemo, to yourself as much as you want. You can claim all you want in life is a condo in Boca and betting on horses that are never going to win.” He took a sip of his drink and pointed his finger at the race that had just ended. “You can pretend that the thrill of a few minutes of race is all the edge you’re going to need from now on, but you and I know that it won’t be enough. A month, six months, a year from now that thrill won’t be enough and you’ll end up losing the condo on a misplaced bet all because you’re bored out of your mind.”

Poseidon raised an eyebrow but didn’t look at Killian. “And what you guys are planning is not a high-risk bet?”

Killian smiled to himself. There was the defiance he needed, the edge on the forced smile of the other man’s mouth, the fisted hand that made him know that he got him.

“Of course it is, but with a much better pay off and the added insurance of good friends who will have your back.” He got closer to whisper in Poseidon’s ear. “We’re taking down the vault of 3 casinos on the busiest night of the year. We’ll each walk away with millions each.”

Killian pulled back to watch the surprise spread across Poseidon's face before continuing. “Your family, the one who loves you above all, needs one last job from you. After that, by all means, buy as many condos as you want in this rotten place and fry yourself under the sun until the day you die.”

He finished his drink, stood up, and slid a plane ticket to him. “First class, of course.” He gave Poseidon a final look. “People don’t change, Poseidon. And you - you were a god. We need you to pull this off.”

Without waiting for the man’s reply, he took off. He needed to get the fuck out of this State and back to a nice shaded corner of Nemo’s patio, pretending he was back at Tuscany. Back before his entire life got fucked up.

He couldn’t wait to pull this off so he could disappear from the map for a long season, and maybe - just maybe - search for the woman he hadn’t dare to track in the past few years.

/-/

A couple of days later, tucked into that shaded corner of Nemo’s patio and enjoying a good draft beer, Killian and Liam went through the crew they’d assembled.

“I’ve called Smee, he’s in.”

Liam snorted. “He’s always in. The guy worships you as if you were his master.” He leaned back, scanning his eyes across the patio and the pool.

Killian smirked. He’d met Smee on one of his first solo jobs, the ones where he’d first dared to break out from under Nemo and Liam’s tutelage. It had been a frightening moment, followed by the overwhelmingly liberating feeling of knowing he could stand on his two feet. That he could pull something off without their help. Smee had been nothing but a mousy young man then, afraid even of his own shadow and hesitant of speaking out loud. He had a nervous disposition and tended to fidget relentlessly with whatever knitted cap he was wearing, but he was the best at electronics Killian had ever found. It had been great to have him as first mate in that job and to team up with him ever since. The guy might be rough around the edges, and he should definitely be checked out for a few quirks, but Killian trusted him. And that counted for a lot in this business. If you couldn’t trust the people you were working with, then you were not safe in this job. That fact had cost Liam two years of his life and if this job went wrong, it would cost them all more than just a couple of years in prison. Gold was known for retaliating. They needed to be untraceable.

“He just knows which one of us is the best Jones, that is all,” Killian ran a hand through his hair. “Ariel and Eric?”

“Thrilled to be back on the game. Their honeymoon was all nice and exciting, but I think they were starting to get bored with one another. Plus you know those two enjoy the roleplaying aspect of the missions a little too much.”

Killian scrunched his face before ticking off the names with his fingers. Ariel, Eric, Ursula, Poseidon, Nemo, Henry, Smee, Milah, Liam and him. “Ten, we have ten.”

“Ten should do it, right?” Liam asked as he mentally reviewed the list as well. “We have transport and recon, electronics, munitions, an insider, a greaseman, an antagonizer, and the best impersonator alive.”

It should do. And yet…. Killian kept silent, his mind going over the crew again and again. Plans like this were a puzzle, and this one felt like it was missing a piece. There definitely was one, he could feel it in his bones. There was something that should be here and it wasn’t. Something - someone - that should be part of this.

“You think we need more, right? One more?” Liam was reading Killian’s thoughts with uncanny accuracy, his mind probably going to the same place Killian’s had gone to.

“We need one more, Liam. We need him.” Killian sighed, fidgeting with the scars underneath his tattoo. “Junior.”

When Liam’s eyes didn’t widen in surprise, Killian knew he was right and that his brother had already thought about it too.

“Are you sure?”

It was a bold move, and Killian wasn’t sure if there’d even be a pay off. But if the rumors he’s heard through the mill for the past few years were true, then they were ready.

“It’s time, Liam. Let’s get him.”

/-/

Chicago’s weather was more like it. Wind, rain, cold, snow. Killian took a deep, satisfactory breath as he let the cold air invade his lungs, feeling himself alive in the red of his cheeks and the chill in his fingers that made them feel sharper here than in the hot weather. He shoved his hands in his coat pocket, following his brother as they both boarded the train. Their mark was a few paces ahead of them in the car, and Killian watched as the lad picked several pockets with deadly accuracy. His demeanor was absolutely fucking perfect as he did it - sharp, precise in his movements, his clothing downright ordinary, and he wore a cap that hid his face from the cameras. He looked like any other twenty-something student with a backpack.

It was brilliant. He was brilliant.

It made Killian want to shed a bloody tear or two right in the middle of the car.

As if Liam could read his mind, his brother turned over and made a silent motion, urging him to maintain his bloody composure. Now was not the time to get all emotional over their half-brother being so bloody good at the family business.

Because that was exactly what they were looking at - Liam Oliver Jones Thompson, also known as Junior. He was the result of their father’s flagrant affair with a high society girl he had been conning, right after the bastard had abandoned both Liam and Killian to fend for themselves. True to form, he had taken off once he’d stripped the heiress of a hefty sum and left her disowned by her family, with a small baby, little means to support herself, and a penchant for cheap gin.

Life had not been kind for Junior, who pretty much had taken any chance he had to show off his skills and impress a father who was more content seducing his next prey than paying his son any attention. The old man had finally kicked the bucket a couple of years ago, right around the time Liam had gone to jail and just after Killian’s fallout in Tuscany. As a result, all chances to look up the kid had been put on hold as the brothers dealt with their own personal bullshit.

But now it was finally time to set things to straight.

Killian watched as Liam bumped slightly into Junior, letting the kid take his decoy wallet while he slid a card on the lad’s inner jacket pocket. The bastard was the smoothest son of a bitch he ever met when it came to picking pockets, and watching both brothers in action at the same time was more than Killian could take on such an emotional day. He turned around and quickly dried the tear that has escaped his eyes, hoping Liam hadn’t noticed.

Liam clasped his shoulder as the train stopped and the doors slide open. “You’re such a softie, Killian. Let’s get the hell out of this cold and go get a warm cup of coffee.”

“I know just the place.”

/-/

Killian felt the warmth of the mug transfer into his numb fingers and sighed with pleasure. No one made coffee as good as Intelligentsia's in Las Vegas, plus he’d sorely missed the type of weather that was perfect for sitting down inside with a cup of coffee as the snow fell outside. It soothed his nerves.

Liam, on the other hand, was fidgeting as if all his limbs were covered in ants.

“You think he knows the place?” he asked for the third time.

Killian chose to ignore his questions, instead taking a sip of his coffee and letting the flavor roll over his tongue. After another minute of Liam rattling their table with his knee, Killian finally lost his patience. “You need to cool it. Fidgeting around like a virgin debutante on their wedding night is not the first impression you want to make.”

His brother laughed and shook his head. “I know, I know it’s just-” Liam sighed and lifted his head. Whatever he was going to say was interrupted as Junior finally walked in.

He went directly to their table and tossed Liam’s card on the table. “What is the meaning of this?”

Liam seemed to finally pull himself together. “Do you know who I am?”

“I do now,” their brother spat. His resentment was clear in his tone and Killian could feel down to his bones all the anger and regret of someone who had been left behind and had to fend for himself. “Though I knew before. The two of you are hard to miss in this business.”

Liam smirked. “Junior.”

Junior’s glare was enough to silence Liam. “Don’t call me that.”

“What should I call you?”

“My name is Liam. But I guess that one is taken, isn’t it?” If the blush in Liam’s cheeks was any indication, the barb was cutting deep.

“It doesn’t have to be.” There was a softness to Liam’s voice, an understanding that was passing between the two brothers. One that for the first time in his life was leaving Killian on the outside. He wasn't jealous, per se, as he could only imagine what was going through the heads of two people who were coming to terms to the fact that their father hadn’t cared enough to even name them differently. It was a punch in the gut for the young as much as it was for the old.

Junior sighed, running his hand through his hair in an unmistakably Jones trademark move before taking a seat at the table. “You can call me LJ, I guess.”

“LJ it is.” Liam slid a plane ticket across the table to him. “In or out, brother?”

“I’m not your brother.”

It was a defensive move. Killian could recognize all the signs in his clenched jaw and downcast eyes.

“Yes, you are,” Killian said with a conviction he hadn’t realized he had until he heard the denial tumble out of his younger half-brother’s mouth. “And this here? This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

The words did their job as LJ’s curiosity was obviously peaked as he quickly rearranged himself on the seat and glanced over them thoroughly. “What’s the plan?”

“We can’t tell you here.” Killian noticed LJ’s skepticism and lifted a finger, pointing at him. “But what I can tell you is that if we do this, it will be major. It will be our names - your name - surpassing any other bullshit Brennan might have done. This is it, brother. And in order to pull it off, I need the best and most nimble fingers in the business. There’s only two people in the world that are that good. And you’re one of them.”

“Who’s the other one?”

Liam saluted. “Guilty as charged. But I’m not as nimble as you are. Plus, two years in prison have left me rusty and recognizable.”

“So you need a replacement? Is that it?”

It was like advancing one step and backtracking five where LJ was concerned. They were treading in muddy waters with a brother who was desperate to be part of the business but still wasn’t sure he wanted to be part of the family.

“No, it’s not like that,” Liam amended, trying to find the right words.

LJ swallowed, his finger tracing a pattern over the surface of the table. “Do you know if there are more of... of us?”

Liam looked taken aback and exchanged a quick look with Killian.

Killian sighed, fidgeting with his mug before meeting his brother’s eyes. “Two more, both girls. Ages fourteen and twelve. Their mothers were welcomed back into their families and the girls are being raised away from this all. We tried to contact them, but we were politely asked to back away.” It hadn’t been polite at all, but that was neither here nor there.

“Lucky for them,” LJ mumbled. There was a remorse in his eyes that all but broke Killian’s heart.

“Liam,” he said, stressing his brother’s name. “Come to Vegas with us. Be a part of something. It’s time for you to join the family business.”

#cs bb #sea squad #lenfaz fics #cs ff #captain swan

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petaldancing · 7 years

Text

top 5/bottom 5 works

rules: tag the person who tagged you, always post the rules, answer the questions, and add the date!

what are your five most popular works?

what are your five least popular works?

are you surprised? why?

tag six people to do this next! (thank you @brella for the tag!! i’m just gonna tag @robinparties @freikuugel @algometer and any other writer friends!)

gonna dig through my ao3 and ffnet accounts for extra fun in comparing the two since all the fics were posted at the same time on both sites? and will be only listing fics above 2k words!

Top 5 AO3 (@petaldancing) - based on kudos

When Autumn Comes I Still Think of You (Haikyuu!!, Natsu / OC) I want to say I’m surprised (because Natsu is a child in the manga, and I paired her with an OC in this !ten years later fic) but at the same time, I’m not, because the HQ fandom is so huge compared to the fandoms I usually write for so there was a higher # of readers who could’ve found this fic I guess. I’m happy there’s so much positivity for Natsu loving gals and big brother Kageyama though (:

In Darkest Red (Psycho Pass, Yayoi / Shion) Psycho Pass is a p small fandom I think, so yeah, very surprised to see this here? Am attributing it to the fact that this is a relatively older fic (it shows!), been on the site longer, and is of a relatively popular pair from the show. ** the previous fic has 346 kudos, this one has 196! that clear gap created by the sheer size of the HQ fandom.. wow...

You Have Made Me Brave (SDR2, Pekoyama / Kuzuryuu) Big fandom. Popular pair. Sad story with an even more heartwrenching ending. I cracked the code.

The Rain Is Trying to Tell Me Something (Hyouka, Houtarou/Chitanda) Oh hey there you are!! The fic that I’m most satisfied with and feel the most complete about! Burdge drew fanart for this (!!! IM STILL IN AWE AND SHOCK) and that probably helped a lot in getting eyeballs on this. Am happy that this fic capped off my fanfic writing three years ago and am glad that despite Hyouka’s smallish fandom, it’s broken into the Top 5 (:

Like the Mountains (Haikyuu!!, Yui/Daichi) The HQ fandom reasserts its dominance as the biggest fandom despite this being a het fic hohoho. I think this may have been because it was one of the earlier fics written about Yui/Daichi, just as more people started liking the pair?

Top 5 FFnet (@thundercow) - based on favs

The Rain is Trying to Tell me Something Yay! I have much older fics on this account so that this still comes out top is a happy surprise for me!

Mignionette (Persona 3, feMC + Junpei) (not on AO3) THIS is a surprise. It’s Old! You can tell by my excessive descriptions and emphasis on symbolism. And my old habit of just breaking a fic into distinct scenes, focusing on characters looking inwards rather than their dynamics w one another. I think a lot of people just love the feMC and Junpei’s social link and I am glad.

Streets in Summer (Anohana, Yukiatsu/Tsuruko) (not on AO3) WHY IS THIS HERE!! WOW!! The Anohana fandom is TINY! At the same time, I think it was around these fics that I started coming into the writing style I have today. Perhaps that could be a factor too? Or just that everyone, like me, had to consume more yukiatsu/tsuruko content after that open ending.

Telling Honest Lies (Anohana, Yukiatsu/Tsuruko) (not on AO3) Same as above! WoaHHhhHH

Today He Holds Her Gaze (Hyouka, Satoshi/Mayaka) Am surprised this has more favs than Queens Can’t Sleep (126 vs 58). Probably because this has a happy ending? But I do think I rushed this too much. If I had written this today, I would’ve added another 10k words to flesh out Satoshi’s conflict. Would they still sleep together? For sure. I am a flawed human being. I even made them do it in ‘The Rain Is Trying To Tell Me Something’. I rmb a couple of ppl not liking that but WELP i’m unapologetic satomaya trash. You can’t help me. I’m hopeless. But if I could rewrite the cringe-y scene here, I hope I’d be able to make it more subtle and graceful.

Bottom 5 AO3

the colour of youth (Hyouka drabble collection) It’s here because 1) I posted this this year and who reads hyouka fanfic in 2017?? and 2) no one expected me to update my ao3, not even myself.

Venus Rising (Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, Shizuku / Natsume) Pacific Rim AUs are not unpopular. But... a PR AU of a shoujo manga?? Yeah. Also, the main pair was Shizuku/Natsume, rather than Shizuku/Haru (ew) or Sasayan/Natsume (mmm yeahh).

Flowers Without, Will (Hyouka, Satoshi/Mayaka) Old fic, small fandom!

Colour-coded For Your Convenience (Hyouka, Satoshi/Mayaka/Houtarou?) Oh nooo. I not comfortable w ‘genderbending’ now! It’s a very simplistic and uninteresting way of exploring character dynamics, reinforces the gender binary.... and I didn’t even change their personalities much in this fic!! Also, the name changes are... a cross I will have to bear for the rest of my life. There are nuanced ways to write and explore character’s gender identities but this wasn’t one of them. It deserves to be here haha.

You & Mystery (Hyouka, ensemble detective AU) Oh man. I have a soft spot for this story that was inspired by the Hyouka ED. But, again, the unsurprising result of a small fandom!

Bottom 5 FFnet

But Even Iron Trembles (Persona 5, Hifumi/Makoto) New fic! Surprised that it’s not in the bottom 5 for AO3, but that’s prob cause the P5 fandom is v active over there now. I hope it slowly gets out of this ranking though because I am pretty happy with how it turned out especially since I haven’t written fic for A While. Easily the longest oneshot fic I’ve written too, so that could be a reason why.

We Roar In Our Own Voices (Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, Hogwarts AU) Oh man. Shoujo manga + AU combi again I guess. This feels like it would really benefit from a rewrite because I love the ladies featured here.

The Stories We’ll Sing (Penguindrum, Yuri/Tabuki) (not on AO3) WOAHH!! I wrote this?? DANG. Didn’t even remember till I saw this on the page haha. Also I think no one really bothers w yuri and tabuki so yeah it’s not surprising.

Colour-coded For Your Convenience Yes. Stay here.

Land Breaking (Kingdom Hearts, Terra) (not on AO3) Well, hey there lil guy. You’re an angsty fic from my early days, aren’t you? 18y/o me reeling from the BBS ending and needing to write it out from Terra’s POV, which everyone knows already from playing the game haha.

wow thank u @brella for tagging me. i just relived my younger fandom days through my fic archive... and i didn’t even look at my OTHER ffnet account! haha

date: 16 aug 2017

#brella #wow..... younger me had a lot of time huh......

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