we didn't deserve this

“At least one of us does”. Sebastian was close to his father, but there was no denying that Benji had a more significant relationship with Wade. Sebastian didn’t mind of course, in the end, his fathers still loved him more than his blood parents. In fact, his family now was way better than what he started out with. It was just a shame that this one had to be broken now too. He was sure Sully would have liked Benji, mostly cause the man liked everyone it seemed. Seb was never able to show Sully the deeper side of his family. Brothers and relatives that were only mentioned in secret, but were always around in the shadows. God, he missed that man. 

Sebastian kept his eyes trained on the alter in front of them. A peaceful place were the guilty went to pray their sins away. Little did they know that the church could turn into a meeting place for killers, thieves, and liars with a snap of Seb’s fingers. “Yes it has. Have you been well? I have no doubts that you know why I’m here”.

Benjamin hummed quietly in response as his idle gaze remained forward. “I’ve been well enough.” There really wasn’t a whole lot going on to have him say otherwise. The crowd wasn’t too rowdy, and the income everyone received continued to be steady. The only thing that sort of irked him was the recent push and pull of rumors for land, and speaking of which.. 

“Still ever so perceptive,” he mused with a small chuckle, “but you’re correct. I do know why you’re here, and you might know why I’m here.” Or his brother might now. He wasn’t entirely sure, because what he had been contemplating to offer wasn’t something most took lightly. Usually people hung onto the reigns of absolute control with their life, but he was rather passive with the idea of having Sebastian take over again. 

“Yes we do”. Wade was always strict with them, but it was in a loving fatherly way. Both of their adoptive fathers were good men. Even though some of their actions could be seen as criminal, they always made sure to give their sons a good life. They had shared the mob together, and when Seb left, he handed it over to Benjamin without worry. Even now he knew it was in the right hands. The man was made for this, more so than Sebastian at times. 

“Would you mind assisting me in blowing off some steam tonight?” His kids were somewhere else in the house, and everyone else was away as well. They could sneak off in secret and paint the town red for a night. “It’s been so long since I’ve last killed someone with you”.

Benjamin slowly quirked an eyebrow in response, but he wasn’t judging the other. He was thrilled by the question actually. “Well it has been years since we were last within the same vicinity as each other.” His smile slanted a bit wider as he looked back ahead. It was funny to stare at a cross in all of his holiness and glory while he  thought of how to go about a murder in the near future. Even funnier still when he knows that Wade might not necessarily condone the act, but the man doesn’t forbid it either. 

“Tell you what, I’m clearing everything for today. We can go out with or without a plan.” And how thrilling was that? There was always a meticulous plan whenever he was involved. It’s how things got done efficiently and with little to no errors, but he was willing to let go of those reigns to truly enjoy the time with Sebastian. They both held the kindle to an overreaching love for visceral slaughter, but they went about it in different ways one their own. Together though? Just the thought of the good old times was enough to have him sigh with content lurking just below his breath. “I have a few hits that are all ready to have a chat, but if you’re in the mood for a hunt then it’s a good thing I wore this suit today.” And by that he was referring to one article of clothing in particular. His belt of course. 

Jeremiel just laughed under his breath and took Cooper’s hand in his. “…I think I know what to do to convince you”. He tugged the other along and lead him to the kitchen. Sebastian was leaning against the counter, reading over a file on another confidant. Jere cleared his throat to grab his father’s attention, then lifted both Cooper and his hand up. “Dad, you know I’d do anything for you right? I promised to be by your side through all of this, and I will…but after…After, I-I’m going to leave the business and live with Cooper. I-I want to be the one who is there for him, like how I am with you”.

“That’s good, you know how stressed he gets when one of us goes quiet for too long”. He had scared them a few times when he was a teenager. Those long nights he spent staying in the shadows and causing trouble, without a word on what he was doing or if he would be coming back. Sebastian lowered his head as if he was praying, “It has been…We’ve gotten old in the meanwhile”.

He looked up at his brother and for once felt his age. “You know what happened, yes? You know I would never bring you in unless it was serious”.

A quiet chuckle was breathed out as he looked ahead at the display before them. “We both know how he can get a bit too well,” he mused with a lilt of humor to his voice. And he made sure he didn’t make their father worry too much to make up for the complete heartache and terror he had put Wade through decades ago.

Although he didn’t deny the truth of what his brother said, he did agree with Sebastian silently. Benjamin slid his gaze over and kept his smile kind. A rare feat since the friendly mask usually didn’t reach his eyes. “Who would I be if I didn’t?” The smile didn’t drop but his voice was shushed with care- something he hadn’t heard himself speak in for a long time. “And you know that I would never deny to lend you assistance.” Especially since the gang had been Sebastian to begin with, just as it had been their father’s before that. “We might have taken different paths, but I’m still your brother through and through.” Plus, he was always happy to wring a few more lives out with his bare hands.

His time back in New Orleans and away from the Russians was much needed. Sebastian was able to collect himself and forget about the face he saw when they found Preston. His actions were inexcusable, and rather than fester on those thoughts, he sought out a distraction. While they were living in the Haven, Seb had been keeping tabs on his brother. Like always, Benji seemed to stay in the background, as a serial killer would. Of course, Seb never saw him as such. The man helped him kill many when they were younger, and their skills combined made them a dangerous pair. He didn’t want to have to result to that, but it seemed he didn’t have a choice.

He made contact with Benji, telling him to meet him at the Church when service was done. It was funny that two sinners would find comfort and peace in a place of God. Wade was probably the reason for that. He sat in front, staring at the large cross that hung on the wall. He heard Benji come in, but did not turn to greet him. “I’m surprised you’ve managed to stay away from here for so long. Wade won’t be too happy about that”.

@inescapable-tragedy

What could he say about the time they had last seen each other? What was there to say, honestly? A lot of things, but he would have time to go over the details. It didn’t matter if they were technically pressed on time, because he always found a way to be thorough with the specifics.

Benjamin got out of the car and walked into the church with perfect posture and an easy smile on his face. There was a crowd from the recent mass that came in the opposite way, and he dipped his head and gave a few soft greetings to those that would make eye contact. And that wasn’t to say that there were a lot of people that look at him, or looked away, in fear. These common goers weren’t the folk that mixed with the family business, and for those that do.. well, he treated them just the same as any other religious attendant. The only difference was that the other people jerked  their head in a curt nod out of respect.

His hand smoothed down the front of his suit as he entered the familiar setting. The high, arched ceilings echoed his quiet footsteps. There was only one person that remained seated in the pews, and he didn’t lollygag with taking a seat next to him. The polite smile on his lips dipped into something that was akin to warmth as he settled down on the wooden bench. “I might not have been here in person but I do keep in contact with him quite frequently.” Despite all of his years as a resident of New Orleans he hardly picked up on the accent. That wasn’t to say that he couldn’t speak in a fluent accent since it was a required thing to have when he ran a mob in the heart of Louisiana. “But it certainly has been a long while since we’ve last talked.”

“I’ve come prepared”. Jesse wiggled the fingers of his mechanical arm in Donny’s face and proceeded to yank his husband’s clothes off. Once Donny was bare, Jesse flipped him over on his stomach and pulled his hips up, “Looks good so far, but I gotta investigate more”.

Even he couldn’t hold back the snort. Seeing Jesse wiggle his artificial arm was just ridiculous but he loved it. Donovan let his husband undress him, and when he was laid out on his stomach he had to bite down on his lip to prevent any noise from slipping out. “Take your time, sir. Wouldn’t want ya t’ lock up an innocent citizen.”

“…Coop…” Jere wasn’t sure how to explain himself. He saw Cooper as something more than a friend, but he didn’t know what to call it. He would take a bullet for the other male, and when everything was said and done, maybe they could expand their relationship. The whining dogs were the last thing on his mind. Swallowing some fear and gaining courage, Jere pulled Cooper in for a kiss. It wasn’t quick and unexpected, rather it was soft and held meaning behind it. “I won’t leave, because I want you in my life Coop. Just like before”.

Jeremiel stood there, frozen and confused. He didn’t know what to do. One second he was being yelled at, the next he was being kiss, and now Cooper was crying. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to give him space or not. Seeing his friend cry like that just made Jere feel sad. He slowly got closer an put his arm around Cooper’s shoulders. “I won’t leave. My place is here with my family…and it’s here with you, Cooper”.

He hunched down so Cooper could look at him. Smiling, Jere cupped his friend’s face, “Please don’t cry, Coop…I’m here now”.

“Maybe I will”. He smacked Donny’s ass again and took him to their bedroom. While it was only five in the evening, Jesse saw it as a great time to fuck around. If he had it his way, they would fuck every hour every day. It was by no means practical or smart, but with a husband like Donny it was easy to imagine a perfect world like that. He tossed the other male down on the bed, and hovered above him, “First I gotta check you for wires or any hidden contraband”.

Donovan just snickered in response as he patted the other’s ass up until the point he was hoisted back down. A soft grunt left him but the smile didn’t move an inch. He spread his limbs out like a starfish and welcomed the other with wide arms and legs. “Well ya better check real good then. New high tech and all of that.”

Jere instantly regretted bringing up promises He hoped that Cooper would have forgotten about the most important one. In his defense, he didn’t think their life would be turned around like this when he made that promise. He was still an innocent child, oblivious to the words and the monsters in it. Now that he was older, it just felt wrong to promise not to jump head first into danger like this, especially since it involved his family. 

“If you would have saw what I did, you would stop at nothing to make sure the people who did it paid…Things were going well before all of this, Cooper…But duty calls”. It was a piss poor excuse, but that was what it meant to be an Atlas. This father had sacrificed so much for his kids, just so they could live, not it was their turn to return the favor. 

Jere found himself smiling at that last statement, “When have I ever said that I would leave you?” He was going to open his mouth again until Cooper crashed their lips together. It made Jeremiel almost jump out of his skin in surprise. His hands stayed frozen at his side, unsure of what to do with them. 

He might be skinned and hung for this the moment the kiss stopped, but god fucking dammit he didn’t know what else to do. Words kept tumbling out of him, and while he had grown accustomed to actually voicing his thoughts, the fact that he could shut up scared him. Cooper held onto Jeremiel out of sheer desperation, and when he needed to breathe he broke away and felt the first few tears fall. His eyes dropped down to the ground and past where his hands fell down to his side again. The skin over his knuckles bled white and he was shaking. 

“Handcuff ya? Darlin’, I’m gonna have to do more than that to restrain you”. With that, Jesse crouched down and lifted his husband before throwing him over his shoulder. He smacked his ass hard and grinned as he carried him into the house. “Looks like I got myself a wanted criminal. Guilty of bein’ a fine piece of ass and usin’ it to abuse your husband. Now should I lock you up all night, or proceed with torture methods”.

Another witty remark was just on the tip of his tongue, but he lost it when he fell into laughter once he was picked up. The slap made him drag his words over a low groan as he hung upside down. “Oh, hit me harder why don’t ya? ‘Fraid I won’t learn my faults if ya don’t demonstrate em’,” he teased while he smacked Jesse’s ass with a wide grin on his face.

Jeremiel closed his mouth and took a step back. If Cooper yelled any louder, he was going to alert someone else in the house, and then they’d be screwed. He moved into Cooper’s space and put his hand over his mouth, “Quiet!…Jesus, you’re going to wake the whole house…” Jere knew he outranked Cooper, but he always saw them as equals in his eyes. The man was his friend, and a little more than that. He understood his anger to an extent, but his loyalty to his family kept him from just running away like Cooper said. 

“Well I do! I have to care, because if I don’t who knows what will happen. I promised my dad I would stay by his side until this is all over. And I keep my promised, unless you forgot about that…Cooper, I’m not leaving, and honestly, I would be beyond happy if you stayed here with me too, but I can’t have you getting angry over things that just can’t be controlled”.

His eyes narrowed right as a hand was slapped over his mouth. There was the faint sound of growling that resounded from below as both dobermans drew back their lips. They started to get up but it was clear that they were confused as to what they should do. If Cooper didn’t have his mouth covered and had just a shred of sense in him then he would’ve quieted them immediately with minimal effort. Yet he was too lost in the turmoil of his emotions to think about that.

Cooper pried Jeremiel’s hand off of his mouth and forced himself to take in deep and steady breaths. “Then I guess the one that we made the last time you were here doesn’t count worth shit then?” There was a small break in his voice, but he covered it up by hardening his expression again. “You fucking promised to not come back, and here you fucking are.” He wanted to say a huge fuck all to everything and storm back home just so he could forget about this in the comfort of liquor. Yet his feet wouldn’t move. His body didn’t want to walk away from Jeremiel. Not when he just got the chance  to see him again, but that just spiked up the desperation and fear again.

“Why yes I am…And now yer tryin’ to bribe an officer of the law. That’s a federal offense”. If anyone dared to stop their little PDA moment, Jesse was going to shoot them. His husband was the hottest thing on the goddamn block, and he would grind against him whenever he wanted, and wherever. It wasn’t the best attitude to have as a cop, but Jesse wasn’t even a good cop to begin with. He held Donny by the hips and moved them against his own. “So, how’re you gonna get outta this one?”

“What?” He asked with a gasp. Donovan would’ve pull his hand up to cover his mouth if it wasn’t already settled on the loop of his husband’s pants. “Never in my days would I ever wanted t’ do that. I swear by the stars and the deep Tennessee River that it wasn’t my intention, sir.” His teeth dug into his lower lip once more when Jesse ground back against him. “Who ever said that I wanna get outta this? If I’m bad ‘nough are ya gonna handcuff me, officer?” Donovan asked with a dip of his voice. His words flowed out like smoke and whiskey while he slowly trailed his hands up the front of Jesse’s body.

Jere glanced down at the two dobermans. They had grown so much since he last saw them. He wanted to play with the two hounds, but he could tell they were heeding their master’s orders. He always imagined this reunion differently. He didn’t think he would hear such a snide tone in Cooper’s voice after so long. 

“I’m not just anyone. My family name doesn’t allow me to have a choice”. Even though Seb often said that he wouldn’t force his children into this life, deep down they all knew that there wouldn’t be a choice. As long as Sebastian lived, there would be someone trying to take what was his. Their family name was cursed ever since the first one took the crown and became a mob leader. 

Jere was taken back by the sudden command. “I-…No! I’m not going to just leave my family during a time like this, Cooper. Shit is happening, and this isn’t something I can walk away from just because you tell me to. Seb wouldn’t have gotten into contact with you if this wasn’t serious, so don’t even try to pretend that it isn’t”.

“-I don’t care!”  Cooper shouted to cut Jeremiel off. His voice echoed off of the walls and he knew he scared Carver and Jabari. The dobermans flinched and their claws skittered against the hardwood floor for a second as he both snapped their heads up to look at Cooper. He, on the other hand, was seething. The anger was so potent in his mind and he had nowhere to redirect it to. Not rightfully at least. The last person that deserved it was the man that stood before him, yet here he was with his hands balled up into fists and his jaw clenched hard enough to have his teeth ground against each other.  

@leading-atlas

He was pissed. He was so fucking pissed. Life for him had always been mundane in one way or another. The days bled form one into another with what he did, but it wasn’t in a bad way. Cooper enjoyed what he did even though most thought that his occupation was still morally grey, or dark grey as most would put it. Sure, he trained dogs for a living, but they were specially geared for the mafia. It didn’t bother him though. He was raised on it, and it was his idea to do such a thing in the first place. 

So he was fine with working for the gang, but when he caught word about someone that was back in town he nearly lost it. Or well, he did lose it since that’s the exact reason why he was here. As angry as he was he didn’t storm right on into the safe haven. Even he had enough manners to avoid that. Mostly because he might get shot without the time to explain himself. So when he appeared at the church he put on his best front of a paper line smile and a very clipped message of how he wanted to see Jeremiel. And Sebastian but that could wait until later. Right now he needed to see the former with his own eyes. 

His impatience made the dobermans mimic his mood. They whined and huffed while they paced around his legs. Cooper just remained still with his arms crossed over his chest until he saw someone approaching. “Why are you back?” He asked in a quiet hiss.

With his father and himself finally back home, they were allowed split their focus on finding those who still served under their family name. The Russians could do their own dealings for now. Jere felt a sense of relief wash over him when so many of their former allies agreed to come to their aid. The Atlas name was still powerful in New Orleans it seemed. While it was great to see all the familiar faces, there was one that Jere almost dreaded. 

He remembered the last time he saw Cooper, and how much his heart ached after that meeting. It was no surprise that Cooper would come to the Haven. Jere couldn't’ avoid him even if he tried, so instead he approached the other. He mimicked Cooper’s stance, only he felt more awkward. 

“It’s not like I had a choice, Coop. I couldn’t just abandon my dad, you know that”.

“We’ll catch the first flight back home. Even if you do come back empty handed, maybe it’s a sign that we shouldn’t pursue this any longer. My dad’s getting older, and more distant…I already lost one dad, I don’t want to lose another”. While Sebastian wouldn’t be happy about it, Jere was willing to face his wrath. The man was dying from the inside, and all those years finally caught up to him, thus the unexpected outburst. He took the gun from Heath and gave him a sad smile. He’d grown close to the quiet one, “I hope we’ll see you all soon”. Jeremiel bowed his head to the rest, then went after his father. 

No one said anything in return. What could they say? They’ve all learned to not make promises a long time ago because fate liked to throw in surprises at every turn and twist. The only person that gave any semblance of an answer was Heath. Staying quiet was his forte, but he was very good with communicating with his eyes alone. Heath dipped his head into a small nod and was the last to look away. 

When they were all alone everyone’s gaze turned to fix on Valentin. The man let out a heavy sigh and gestured that he’d explain it later. For now they all needed to get inside of the cabin. When they approached the front door they all made sure that their weapons were concealed. Valentin took the lead since he was the most friendly of them all. Heath was the last to cautiously enter Preston’s home. The door was closed and they all found that there were cups already set out on the coffee table in what could be assumed as the living room. A giant heart was set up but the ashened pile of wood wasn’t lit. 

There was movement upstairs and they all knew that Preston was probably up there with the children. Which.. they had no idea who they belonged to. Were those his children? Were they the children of some complicated relationship? The assumptions could go on and on, and they were all thinking the same thing while everyone moved to sit down on the couches and armchairs. The drinks were picked up and sipped on. Hot spiked cider, of course. 

It wasn’t until they all heard a car roll up into the extensive gravel driveway did they all tense. Heath and Artyom peered out of the half curtained window to see who it was, and when they saw a lady in the car the weren’t sure if they should alert Preston or not. It turns out that they didn’t need to. The man in question came stomping down the stairs with both children scampering with him. They were chattering about something, and when all three of them saw the small gather of rather rugged looking men in the living room they quieted. Preston smiled a little and ushered the children towards the first door.