#mirrsd

As far as mob bosses go, Lip was relatively tame. The movies get it all wrong. Most mobs are businesses and as such their bosses are businessmen. It just so happens that the businesses they run are through…less regulated or legal means. Still, Lip is a pillar in the community. Everyone knows his name and knows the warm smile they’ll be greeted with when they meet him. He runs several local stores, church every Sunday, sponsors local little leagues, donates to the food banks every week, and even walks Mrs. O’Leary home every night like clockwork. All of this is because he wants to, not because he’s putting up smokescreens. Lip was a good man and Speirs doesn’t know how he even got so lucky and knows he doesn’t deserve the life he’s been given.

He can tell he’s getting self-deprecating and wistful, but the glare that Lip is leveling him with over the top of their daughter’s head.

Oh yeah, there’s that. Despite his inherently good nature, the mob was the mob and Lip didn’t get in his position through smiles and handshakes. Sometimes bad things had to happen to make way for better things. And it was through Lip’s glares and intimidating silence that most of it was achieved and he skyrocketed through the ranks. He’s seen bruises on Lip’s knuckles before and it’s through the insurmountable amount of trust and love he has for Lip that he just kisses them and grabs an ice pack. Lip never used violence unless absolutely necessary and Ron knows that Lip carries those bruises around long after they’ve faded.

“I think Papa’s upset he hasn’t opened anything.”

Ron’s face falls into what Lip likes to call ‘fond and annoyed’ and he hears Lip laughed loudly.

“Why don’t you go get what we made last week after school?” Lip suggests and gathers the mountain of paper left in their daughter’s wake as she skips upstairs to grab the gift.

“You’re insufferable sometimes, you know that?” Ron grumbles as he helps load the wrapping paper into the recycling bag.

Lip looks up quickly and smiles warmly and Ron curses his heart for racing slightly.

“If wasn’t insufferable, you never would’ve married me.”

Ron laughs, “I don’t know, you have other…more redeeming qualities.”

Lip raises his eyebrows, “Like?”

Ron smiles and pulls Lip in by his hips, fitting them together perfectly as they’ve always fit.

He leans in closely, lips tracing along Lip’s jaw until he reaches his left ear.

“Your wallet.”

He laughs as he just narrowly avoid being slapped upside the head by Lip.

“You’re such an asshole.” Lip laughs and settles beside Ron on their couch.

“But you love me?” Ron asks, linking their fingers together.

“I love you.” Lip declares, serious and sincere as he looks into Ron’s eyes.

Lip leans in to kiss Ron…

“Papa! Papa! I have a gift for you!”

Ron’s face scrunches up like it does when he’s denied something he really wants, and Lip laughs again, happy and content.

Ron turns to their daughter with a bright smile though as she bounces up and down with excitement.

“A gift for me?” He asks, voice heightened in only slightly exaggerated excitement.

“Daddy and I made it after school when you went to work!”

“Thank you, Lily!” He pulled their daughter into a bear hug and sat her beside him with a gentle tickle.

“Papa open it!”

Lip had been recording the entire exchange, much to Ron’s amusement. Lip was never without his phone taking pictures and videos like it were his job.

Ron gently takes off the wrapping paper, building the suspense and when he finally sees the gift, his heart feels like it’s going to burst from his chest.

It’s a small popsicle stick frame, colored with markers and glitter, and inside it is Ron’s favorite picture of them.

It was from the last Fourth of July. They’re all on their deck, Lily on Ron’s shoulder, gripping his face to force him to smile while Lip stares at them with pure, unconditional love.

Ron doesn’t realize he’s crying until a drop his the glossy picture.

“Oh no! Papa it’s okay!”

Tiny hands wrapped around his neck in an attempt to comfort him and Ron sniffles before pulling her tightly into his arms.

“I’m okay, sweetheart. I was just so surprised. It’s the best gift I’ve ever received, Lily.” He strokes her hair as he stares at Lip who stares back. It’s a testament to just how in sync they are that Lip neither expects nor asks Ron what he’s thinking.

Lily pulls away much too soon for Ron’s liking and yawns.

“Can I take a nap?”

Lip frowns, “You still have gifts to open, darling.”

“I will open them after a nap.” She demands.

Lip just laughs fondly. God their daughter was so much like Ron sometimes.

“Go grab your blanket and you can sleep on the couch while we make dinner sweetheart.”

She jumps up and runs back to her room.

Lip stands and pulls Ron up off the couch.

“Merry Christmas, Ron.”

Lip kisses him gently and after all these years, Ron’s face still flushes when he’s kissed like that.

“Lip, I ne-.”

“PAPA! DADDY!”

Lily’s screaming has them sprinting to her room.

Lip gets there first with Ron closely behind him, gun in hand.

There. In their home. In their daughter’s room. Stood the lieutenant of the rival mob with a knife to their daughter’s throat.

Ron aims his gun at the man instantly. He doesn’t know him, but he knows Lip does which is the only reason he doesn’t take him out instantly.

Ron’s move from Chicago to Boston wasn’t intentional. Back in Chicago, he was a cop. SWAT. A rising star. Then he accidentally shot a civilian while attempting to prevent a robbery and that was it. It was either leave the force or transfer out and start over again. So, he left. He cashed out his pension and moved to the first city on a random list. Then, he met Lip, fell in love, got married, and adopted Lily. It was all worth it. Ron would rather be a husband and a father than a cop. And now some piece of shit was threatening to take their daughter away from them. Not on his watch.

He knows though, his rage is nothing compared to Lip’s.

They knew something like this was on the brink. Gio, Lip’s rival, had been making moves across town trying to shut Lip out. They were going to amp up security after the holidays, figuring that Gio was a man of honor and wouldn’t make any moves until after the holidays. He guessed wrong and Lip felt like it was all his fault and despite Ron’s expertise and Lip’s own skillset, any wrong move and they could lose their daughter…their world.

Lip makes eye contact with her first, knowing Ron has his gun trained on the skittish intruder.

“Lily, you remember when me, you, and Papa were playing secret spies?”

“HEY! Talk to me here. I’m the one in charge!” The man demands.

Lily, still looking at Lip, tries to nod but the knife against her throat makes her cry out.

The piece of shit holding their daughter hostage was going to die…slowly if Ron had anything to do with it.

“Don’t move sweetie. Remember playing spies. Remember how you save Papa.”

Lip looks into Lily’s eyes to make sure she remembers and understands.

“Don’t try anything,” the man pulls Lily closer to him and further away from her parents, “I’m in charge.”

Ron’s grip tightens, “Let. Her. Go.”

He’s seething and itching to pull the trigger, but knows he can’t, not yet. If it weren’t for the situation at hand, Ron would be insanely turned on at the calm and collected way Lip is handling himself right now.

“Not a chance!” The man screams back. Lily has stopped crying and forced her face to remain cool as steel. Ron’s going to buy her a real goddamn unicorn when this is over, he’s so proud. God their daughter was so much like Lip sometimes.

“You’re in charge, then. What do you want?” Lip asks, hands folding in front of him.

“I know you got a safe in here. Gimme everything in it.”

Lip takes a small step forward, gauging the man’s reaction. The man remains in place and Lip smiles inwardly.

“I do. There’s around half a mil in cash. Is that what you want?” Lip asks, maintaining eye contact with the intruder.

“Yes!” The man nods his head.

“So, you want money. Anything else?” Lip asks gently, taking another small step forward. Ron still has his gun trained on the man.

“Yeah!” The man replies.

Lip raises his eyebrows and stares at the man.

“Well? What else?” He asks and Ron can see that Lip is very steadily losing his cool. Lily is looking between them, waiting for her signal.

“Jewelry. All your jewelry.”

Ron looks to Lip and notices Lip put his left hand behind his back and hold a finger to the middle of his hand.

Lip knows he only has a few moments before the man’s patience runs out. So, he signals Ron on the plan behind his back.

“I just have one question. Did Gio send you?” Lip asks, voice stone cold.

“Course he did. Said you wouldn’t expect it because you’re too soft.”

Lip laughed and started the countdown to Ron behind his back.

He made eye contact with Lily and smiled.

“Airborne.” He speaks and in a split second three things happen.

Lily screams suddenly and jams her foot into her captor’s knee as she slides smoothly out of his grip.

At the same time, Ron aims and shoots clean through the hand holding the blade.

Lip tackles the intruder to the ground and immediately lays into him. Fist after fist connecting to rapidly bruising and bleeding face of the man that came into his home and threatened his family.

“Daddy!” Lily cries.

Lip is panting, fists bloody and sore. The intruder is unconscious, knocked out after the third fist to his face.

Lip wipes his hands on his pants covered with snowmen and now blood.

With Lily in his arms and glued to his neck, Ron grips Lip’s arm and pulls him up and out of the room.

In the warm hallway of their home, the family of three hold onto one another tightly for a long time.

“I’m so sorry. I love you both more than anything. This is my fault.”

Ron kisses Lip roughly to quiet the ramblings that wouldn’t do any of them any good.

Lily moves to hug Lip’s neck and Lip holds her tightly.

“It’s not your fault Daddy. He was the bad spy and we ‘rested him and saved the world.”

Lip smiled against her forehead, counting his blessings that, for now, she was traumatized.

“That’s right, baby girl. And you saved us!” Ron exclaims, eyes shifting from on the unconscious body in the other room to his daughter.

“I always save you!” She claimed.

Lip looked at Ron and kissed him again. He always knew Ron would do anything to keep them safe, but something about seeing him in action made Lip’s heart swell.

He pulled away, Lily still clinging to him.

“Lily, earmuffs, okay?”

She rolls her eyes but puts her hands to her ears anyway.

Ron looks to Lip before he starts on clean up and retaliation.

“I know, Lip. Take a deep breath first. We’re safe. She’s safe. I love you and I’m ready for anything you want. I trust you.”

Lip smiles and kisses Ron again, adrenaline steadily lowering and bringing heavy exhaustion with it and he sends a quick prayer up above for bringing Ron into his life and letting him love and be loved by him.

“I love you so much, Ron.”

Ron kisses him and when he pulls apart, he nods, ready to begin.

“Toye and Luz are closest. We can have them do the transfer of that piece of shit to the warehouse.”

Lip nods, “Lily will be happy to see them as well and that’ll be good for her. I want Martin and Bull to work a rotation schedule for a perimeter around the clock until I deal with Gio.”

Ron nods, “I’ll help. The boys will be itching for the job.”

“And I want Babe and Roe as Lily’s teams. Babe always asks to babysit because I know they’re itching to adopt, so it works out best. Sometimes I think Lily loves them more than us.”

Lip smiles as Lily starts to fall asleep against his chest, once again sending a prayer up above for all that he has. Ron and Lily are family, but so is every man on his crew. All protectors of them and their daughter.

“When are Joe and Web due back?” Lip asks, shifting slightly as Lily officially falls asleep.

“Tomorrow.”

“Good, I want them working intel with Skip, Malark, and Grant. Anyone who knew anyone who knew about this is dead.”

Ron nods in agreement. The silent power and coldness doing nothing to deter his love and admiration for his husband. It’s not uninitiated violence. It’s revenge. Retaliation. And Ron is more than happy to contribute.

“Dick and Nix are going to lose their minds. You know how much they were trying to prevent this war.”

“Well, they may be police chief and commissioner, but they made it clear that they were her godfathers first and foremost. And once they find out, they might kill Gio themselves.”

Ron laughs, “Boston blood thicker than water?”

Lip smiles, “Something like that, smartass.”

Lip kisses Ron again and the intensity in the tenderness of the kiss makes Ron gasp.

“I love you and I’m so goddamn thankful for you every day, Ron. You and Lily are my world. I will stop at nothing to keep you safe.”

Ron grips Lip’s hand tightly.

“I’m telling Father Donovan you took the Lord’s name in vain.”

Lip laughs loudly and Ron’s cheeks warm with love.

Ron pulls his family into his arms, Lily shifting seamlessly to readjust.

“I love you too, Lip. You’ve given me everything I thought I could never have. I will do everything I can to protect you both and everyone else in our family now and down the line.”

Lip jerks his head up, “Down the line?”

Ron smiles, no longer scared to voice his plans for the future, knowing nothing could every scared Lip away.

“After we win the war, I want to adopt again. Lily hasn’t stopped asking for a sibling since her fourth birthday and I know you always wanted a big family. So do I.”

Lip kisses him again.

“We’re gonna need a bigger house.” Lip posits with a sharp smile.

Ron laughs, “Guess we are.”

They’re brought of out their embrace by a groan from the other room.

Ron looks at Lip, both sets of eyes burning with reignited fury.

Lip nods toward the room, “Your turn, officer. I’ll call the men in.”

Ron kisses Lip’s cheek and moves toward the room, rolling up the sleeves of his ugly Christmas sweater.

“Try not to kill him.”

Ron turns to Lip at the doorframe of their daughter’s room and frowns.

“You’re no fun.”

Lip laughs as he heads to their bedroom to lay Lily down and call in his men to lay down the plan for revenge.

Good thing he’d done enough shopping to feed an Army for dinner.

It’s was going to be a long night. A longer war.

But for now, his family was safe. He was loved.

And with Ron and Lily by his side, Lip knew he could survive anything.

Nate notices something off from the half boot print in the mud of the bush next to his front door. He grabs the knife from his back pocket and holds it with the blade pointed outward, ready to strike, as he unlocks the door.

Even in the pitch-black darkness of his new home, he can tell that someone is here that shouldn’t be, sitting on his stairs.

He slowly set his keys and bag down, feigning ignorance.

Knife still in hand, he reaches for the light switch and braces himself.

The light flicks on. He turns quickly and is met with a long-legged, calm, blonde force. He laughs inwardly that his first thought isn’t “This man is going to kill me,” but rather “The man here to kill me is really attractive.”

He refocuses as the man’s face turns from calm indifference to annoyed confusion. Then, and only then, does his notice the gun aimed directly at his heart.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Nate asks firmly. He’s been out of the military for a while, but the training is not something you outgrow or forget.

The man rolls his eyes as he flicks his safety back on.

Nate watches the blonde stand up, impossibly taller as he stands on the bottom step of the staircase.

“Back off asshole. I’m a Marine.” Nate orders, knife poised to strike as soon as the intruder takes a step too close. The safety may be off, but a man like this could probably kill Nate with a paper clip.

The intruder smiles, sharp and dangerous, “Semper Fi.”

Nate balks at that.

The man speaks again, softer this time, “Put the knife down…I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Says the dick who broke into my home and just had a gun aimed at me.” Nate holds his knife tighter.

“My name is Brad if you wouldn’t mind using that instead of childish superlatives.”

Nate scoffs. The audacity.

Still, he figures Brad is the perfect name for a man with his stature and physique. Nate doesn’t realize he’s been staring at the man in front of him and lets his guard down until he feels the knife pulled from his grip in a smooth transfer.

“Good.” Brad comments, the proximity making Nate’s heart race, from adrenaline or attraction he’s not sure.

Brad continues, “Now technically, this isn’t supposed to be your home. This is supposed to be the home of Charles Whitman. A gunrunner and weapons dealer to a domestic, backwoods militia responsible countless terror attacks throughout the country.”

Nate’s eyes widen.

“I moved in a few weeks ago. I was told the previous owners moved uptown.”

Brad sighs heavily.

“For what it’s worth, this has never happened. I’m sorry for the disruption.”

Nate stares at Brad for a long time before he burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Brad looks at him like he’s lost his mind or is in shock or both.

“Disruption?” Nate finally breathes out, “It’s not like you delivered a pizza to the wrong house. You broke in and pointed a gun at me.”

Nate laughs still and sighs as he walks casually toward the bar in the living room.

“Drink?” He calls out, still in shock and wondering why he’s invited the assassin to stay longer.

“Bourbon if you have it,” Brad replies, breaking his gun down with each piece fitting perfectly in the lining of his jacket.

Nate pours the drinks blindly watching Brad handle his gun with such practiced ease.

“You pour any more, I’ll have to spend the night.”

Nate furrows his brows in confusion then turns to look at the glasses and realizes he’s about to overpour Brad’s glass with bourbon.

“Shit!” He exclaims, attempts to mediate that problem by pouring it to other glasses with shaking hands.

Brad grabs Nates hands, knowing that the shock was wearing off and Nate needed a drink more than he did.

He places a glass in Nate’s hands and orders, “Drink.”

Nate follows and is guided to sit on his couch.

Brad soon joins him with his own glass and a second for Nate.

They sit in silence, not uncomfortable, while Nate calms down and Brad decides what the hell he’s doing.

“Feeling better?” He asks softly.

Nate laughs again and Brad realizes he still here because something about his not-target is drawing him in.

“You know, for a hired gun, you have a wonderful bedside manner.”

Brad smiles, liking the man next to him more and more as time passes. He wasn’t like anyone Brad had ever met and in his line of work, Brad’s met more people than he’d like.

“People tell me that all time,” Brad replies, deadpan.

“Really?” Nate exclaims, eyebrows rising to his forehead.

“No.”

Nate and Brad both laugh and Nate slaps Brad’s arm good-naturedly to chide him for the joke and Brad grabs it on instinct.

The contact silences the laughter and forces both men to look at one another. Brad loosens his grip on Nate’s hand

Both men are struck with how easy it is to talk to one another and how, despite how they met, comfortable they were around one another.

Brad was cautious and slow to trust by nature and by career and Nate was the same, but something about the two together was simple and felt easy and natural.

Nate smiles, “I’m Nate by the way.”

Brad leans in slowly, staring deeply into Nate’s focused eyes.

“Good to put a name to the face.”

Nate remains silent, wanting so badly to kiss Brad, but not being able to take the dive. For a trained Marine, his self-preservation was clocking in at around zero right now.

“Dinner?” Nate whispers instead, afraid anything louder would shatter the moment. His self-preservation, despite being a trained Marine, was nearing zero.

Brad smiles, lazy and warm.

“Sure.”

Nate smiles back but neither of them moves to the kitchen.

“Is this weird?” Nate asks suddenly.

“It’s unorthodox, but no, not weird.”

Brad scoots closer to Nate, drawing Nate’s gaze into his own.

“Good,” Nate laughs and pulls Brad into a kiss.

Brad returns the kiss quickly, surprised but not disappointed in how his night has turned out.

He’s about to pull Nate in closer when his phone trills in quick succession.

“Shit.”

Brad stands up and answers the phone quickly.

“Yo, yo, yo. Bradley.”

“Ray. You have thirty seconds.”

“Trombley got the addresses wrong. Send you new coordinates. Hopefully, you didn’t like kill someone yet.”

Brad rolls his eyes so harshly they hurt.

“I know. I didn’t. I’ll head there now. Will send a report when it’s done.”

“Sounds pimpin’, Iceman. See you back at HQ.”

Ray disconnects the call and Brad sighs.

“Duty call?” Nate asks from behind him and Brad barely manages to not to jump. The stealth of the other man impressing Brad in a way that makes him want to continue what they started on the couch.

Brad sighs, “Yeah. My team managed to fix their fuck up.”

Nate laughs, “It’s about time.”

Nate doesn’t know why he’s so casual about the fact that Brad just received an order to follow through on an assassination, but he knows orders are orders and supposes there’s a mutual understanding there.

He throws caution to the wind and grabs Brad’s hand.

“The offer for dinner still stands. When you want.” Nate smile and Brad smiles back.

Nate is pulled into a quick kiss before Brad pulls away and is out Nate’s door.

It isn’t until three weeks later when Nate sees Brad again. This time in a soft grey suit fitted perfectly. Standing in front of the screen door. With flowers.

Nae smiles but crosses his arms to indicate that he’s not happy Brad made him wait so long.

Brad looks nervous and a little uncomfortable and Nate slightly basks in it.

“Dinner?” Brad asks cautiously, worried he’s overthought their fateful meeting three weeks ago. The job had extended because his target got wind of the hit out on him. So, Brad spent the better part of a month chasing hit target across the world when he would’ve rather been with Nate.

Nate let Brad stew in his nerves just a moment longer before he smiles and pulls Brad into his arm.

“You’re in charge of the salad, Iceman.”

Brad laughs and kisses Nate.

Easy.

Simple.

Natural.

Just like he remembered and hopes it always will be.