Chapter Text
Jack tried not to flinch when he slid into their car and noticed a shotgun strapped to the back of the driver’s seat, a few bullet holes in the leather seats. He’d left work with it all unfinished, the money still in the register, but it was hard to care as he felt Ray slide in next to him.The puerto rican gave him a cocky grin. “Just so you know, we’re all going to have a big gay orgy tonight.”
“Ray…” Ryan said from the driver’s seat, sounding fondly exasperated. Ray laughed, completely at ease as he leaned into Jack’s side.
It was surprisingly comfortable, being alone in the car with the two near strangers. Even with the stock of Ray’s bright pink rifle digging in right behind his hip, and Ryan’s face covered by that terrifying mask, he felt at ease. Outside was a wash of colors, the city lit up by billboards and streetlamps, looking almost garish. He had never gone out at night if he could help it, knowing Achievement City was considered a crime city, but he regretted it a little as he saw Mount Chilliad in the distance, so dark and beautiful. He was not sure where they were headed, Ray and Ryan having dragged him away from work so fast he was still wearing the stupid red apron he worked in.
Jack’s neck prickled, making him glance forward. He was surprised when his eyes met Ryan’s, the man watching him through the reflection on his rear view mirror.
“So… Just a heads up,” Ray said, with a small snicker. “I think the others are loaded.”
“Even Michael?” Ryan asked. Ray shrugged.
They pulled into one of the more expensive areas in town, the kind where the cops didn’t turn a blind eye to things. The skyline was swallowed by buildings, Ryan pulling into the largest. There was a selection of garage doors, to Jack’s confusion, but Ryan pulled up to the first, hitting the remote on his keychain to make the door pop open.
Inside was a ramp, leading up a floor to an indoor garage. The massive room was brightly lit and white, so white for a moment it felt like they were driving into a showroom. The vehicles inside were all either ridiculously expensive or just ridiculous. There was some sort of old black car painted with a garish green symbol.
He just focused on sliding out of the beat up car they had arrived in. He didn’t quite know what to do with himself in there. Clinging to what sense of normalcy he could, he slipped off his apron and balled it up under his arm. The familiar scent from coffee brewing wafted up at him and he wasn’t sure anymore if he was awake.
“That’s my bifta,” Ray said, pointing to a vehicle that looked more like a go cart than an actual car. “The Roosevelt is Michael’s… The rest everyone shares.”
Jack glanced around, feeling more and more self conscious as he realized that these all belonged to the other five men. There was an adder, a infernus…. a T20….
“What do you drive?” A vaguely familiar voice asked.
“I drive a 2002 Blista,” He admitted, glancing at the men standing at a doorway that had to lead to the elevator.
His eyes first settled on the most familiar face. It was the one he had met first, the guy who had wanted the fart coffee. He looked perfectly put together and yet drunk, dressed in what looked to be a designer tux and mustache expertly twirled. It was weird to see him dressed so formally, especially since he had a bottle of amber colored liquid in one tattooed hand. He was leaning against the wall a little, and Jack would have bet that it was just to keep his balance but at the same time the man was obviously a leader. He was flushed, but his eyes were sharp and smug.
The man next to him was more obvious in how drunk he was. The lad’s hair was messy, though it seemed to be half on purpose, and his shirt was unbuttoned at the top, showing a stretch of tanned skin. He had been the one to order a white coffee and he seemed to pout a little as he took Jack in.
The last man was the redhead, and Jack belatedly realized that on that day, the guy who had accompanied the lad had been Ryan.
“Look!” Ray said. “We brought a friend.”
The redhead almost seemed to grimace looking at Jack. He was much softer looking than the other two, with thick curls and a gentle frame, but he almost seemed the most dangerous. His eyes were burning and his cheekbones were sharp.
“Jack, right?” The oldest stepped forward, still looking smug and yet delighted. He reached out as if to shake hands. “I’m Geoff, the leader of these assholes.”
“I’m Gavin,” The british lad behind him added, meaning that the last guy had to be Michael.
Jack reached out to shake Geoff’s hand, surprised to be pulled into a hug instead.
“What took you so long?” The other man asked, smelling like spice beneath the scent of alcohol. “Damn dude, you took your goddamn time.”
“Sorry,” He said, surprised to find himself hugging back. “Didn’t mean to take so long.” A thin frame pressed against their side and Gavin’s flushed face pressed into Jack’s neck. Jack didn’t hesitate before moving his arm to pull the wiry brit in too. They were all surprisingly solid to the touch, shaped from their wild careers.
He let out a sigh, closing his eyes and knowing it was too late for him to go. He knew it was wrong to enjoy the company of killers, that they were more dangerous than he could imagine but as the others gathered in closer, he felt his throat unclench. His shoulders relaxed, his head cleared and he felt young again, as young as he should have felt
“Group hug!” Ray called out, practically pouncing on them all.
---
Michael still hadn’t spoken by the time they reached the elevator. The redhead stayed separate from them all, even in the confined space. They lived in the penthouse suite, though Jack had almost expected it after seeing their cars. He wanted to freeze again at the door. It wasn’t so much as to admire the furniture, or at the view of the city, but to ask himself why he was theirs.
Their apartment cost more than what he would make in his whole lifetime. Honestly, he was a minimum wage barista, surviving on tips and careful budgeting. He had felt proud to own a new TV, a 37 inch flat screen which would look like a iphone next to their massive 75 inch wall mount. He did not know how to act, what to do. He almost felt like he should be watching it though a window or on a screen, like it was some tv special about people spending too much money on a renovation.
Gavin and Ray dragged him to the couch, and suddenly he was noticing the scuff marks on the corner of the table, the bag of weed on the counter, the wiimote on the table, held together by electrical tape even though they had to be able to buy a new one. This was a home. This was their home.
“Jack…” Gavin was pulling back his sleeve, and Jack’s breath hitched as clumsy fingers traced his marks. “Are you a bloody idiot?”
He frowned, but couldn’t find it in him to get angry. Especially not as Gavin stayed half cuddled on top of him, looking tipsy and ruffled up like a kitten. “What makes you ask that?”
“You had my order on your arm,” The brit said, scowling even as he caressed the words. “You had the words and you never looked up what they meant.”
“I knew I’d be able to find out what you meant when you said it,” He shrugged, “It's never good to overanalyze your words.”
Gavin smiled a little sheepishly. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that.” He rolled up his own sleeve, pointing to the third line on his arm. ‘Yeah I can believe that. Damn.’ He gave a sheepish smile. “I thought it was gunna be a rejection, but Geoff is top.”
Jack’s eyes landed on the first line, the one closest to Gavin’s wrist and he glanced at Michael, knowing that the words had to be his. The quiet redhead was in the kitchen, pouring out straight rum to drink.
“Michael worries,” Ray said directly into Jack’s ear. “Just give him time.” Ryan and Geoff finally sat beside them, Ryan’s face cleared of paint. He was handsome, with a surprisingly kind face.
“So you any good at video games?"
---
They settled in with Super Mario World, Geoff being a total asshole with the platforms. Michael came over eventually, sitting on Ryan's other side. Soon enough the older man was surrendering his controller to Michael and just watched them play. Jack offered Ryan his controller once, but he just shook his head with a smile.
With Michael playing, everything was better again. Soon enough the redhead was talking, even if most of what was coming out of his mouth were angry little lines about Gavin, Geoff, and the game in general. It was nearly dawn by the time Jack started to lose the war against sleep. In the back of his mind, he knew he had work in just an hour or so, but he hesitated before bringing it up.
"I need to go home and go to work."
"No you don't," Geoff said. "Call in sick. We all need to get some sleep and then talk."
"I can't just call in sick," Jack said. "I didn't even close up properly last night."
"All the more reason to do it," Geoff said, "You're dead on your feet."
Jack didn't want to go to work. He was exhausted, he was underpaid, and to be honest, the idea of being a barista for the rest of his life made him a little woozy. Or perhaps the wooziness was from the beer he had drank while playing.
"Hi, this is Jack," Jack heard behind him, turning to see Ryan on his phone, no doubt talking to Jack's boss. "Sorry, I got sick while closing up last night and I'm just feeling worse this morning." Ryan sounded sick, managing a raspy voice while also sounding far too harmless.
"I'll get a note while I'm at the doctors," He offered, and Michael rolled his eyes before sending out a text to someone.
"Come on," Geoff said, "They got this."
The oldest man lead them back towards the only closed door in the penthouse, what undeniably had to be the bedroom. Inside was much different then he was expecting.
There was two king sized platform beds shoved together in the middle, covered in a massive mattress that had to be custom. There were pillows everywhere, like they all didn't always sleep facing the same way. One full wall was made up of a row of 4 walk in closets, and there was a wide 6 drawer dresser on the wall beside the door. Otherwise the room was mostly empty, and as Gavin fiddled with the light switches, curtains slid out from the wall and spread out along the length of the windows.
"We're all going to sleep together?" Jack realized out loud.
"Yeah. But just sleep," Ray said. "We're all tired and you haven't picked a safe word yet. Mine is Cake."
Jack chuckled, watching Ray and Gavin slip into the same closet to get changed. A different set of arms wrapped around him from behind. "You think he's joking."
"He's not?" Jack tilted his head so he could see Geoff out of the corner of his eye. The moustache tickled Jack's neck as Geoff nuzzled into it. Jack reached up to cover Geoff's arms with his own, but his hands were shaken off and suddenly the older man was undoing the buttons of Jack's shirt. Jack was wearing a grey sleeveless undershirt beneath, but the room was colder than he had expected. Geoff was now kissing along his neck, pausing to leave a mark that would be barely hidden by the collar of Jack's shirts.
"You're so warm," Geoff murmured, pressing even closer. His fingers skimmed along Jack's sides, teasing his skin.
"Geoff," Gavin said, peeking out. "Leave him be, we should sleep."
"Fine," The gent said, pulling away from Jack. "Strip down. You’ll melt if you wear more than your underwear to bed.
Jack slipped off to the side , feeling a bit awkward as he started to strip. He had thankfully just bought new boxers, though they were the cheap Walmart kind and not as flattering as he would have liked. Gavin and Ray were coming back out, both in just their boxers. Even from a distance he could tell they were expensive, looking soft and silky, especially against Ray's slightly darker skin.
They were handsome, with the hint of muscle on their lean bodies. However, they were scarred, covered in old slashes and even bullet holes, Gavin having a scar across his stomach like he'd been gutted, the flesh jaggedly cut.
Gavin came over to Jack, grinning and finally stealing a soft chaste kiss. Calloused hands came up to tangle in his beard and Jack reached out to grip Gavin's hips when the younger man began to pull away. They stayed like that for a moment, just pressed close together, sharing air.
"Come on," Geoff said, already climbing into bed. "Jack you're going in the middle, so if you need to piss or shit do it now so you don't need to try and get up later."
Jack nodded, pausing to kiss Gavin again before pulling free to head to the bathroom. There was an unopened toothbrush packet on the counter, next to the tray already holding 5 other brushes. There was a few different bottles left out, and he flushed when he realized one of the ones perched on the bathtub was lube.
His reflection looked exhausted, but he hadn't felt so alive in years. He could see a lovemark already bruising on his neck from Geoff, the rest of his skin pale and freckled. The tanlines around his wrists were subtle, but he wasn't sure if they would remain. Now the marks had been fulfilled. Now they just showed that he belonged with the five men that owned the penthouse... That owned the city with their gang.
"You should really think about leaving," Michael appeared in the doorway, meeting Jack's eyes though the reflection in the mirror. "You know who we are, right? You know what we do."
"I do," He nodded, turning to face the redhead. Michael was still fully dressed and Jack felt too exposed suddenly, the skin of his arm prickling. He didn't cover his arm though, or let himself shiver. Because now that he was face to face with Michael in the too bright lights of the bathroom, he could see the fear in the other's eyes.
"The others are excited that we finally found you but they're dumb as fuck," The other continued. "You're not meant to be part of this. You're not meant to be part of us. You're a liability. You're weak."
Jack just smiled, grabbing Michael by the shoulder and pulling him in for a hug. The other barely resisted, but Jack knew if he hadn't wanted the hug Jack wouldn't have been able to get him to budge.
"We will all be fine," The bearded man said softly. "We will find a way. We all found each other, that has to mean something ."
"Marks don't guarantee that we'll be fine," Michael snapped. "It just guarantees that when you get fucked up because of us... When you die because of us, the rest of us will feel a thousand times crappier."
"I'm not going to get hurt," Jack reassured him. "I'm not sure how this is going to work, but it's going to."
"You can't know that," Michael said, pushing him away.
"I can," Ryan said in the doorway. "We can keep him safe."
"Or we could be the reason people go after him in the first place."
The others were coming back out from the bedroom, all three looking a little surprised at how livid Michael was getting. Suddenly, Jack was hit by the realization that Michael didn't want him. That Michael wanted to end things before they started.
"I'm not leaving," Jack said firmly. "Whether you want me around or not, I'm not leaving. It won't be your fault if something happens, I'm an adult and I'm making my own decision."
The younger man shook his head. "I was like you. Before I met Ray I was on the right side of the law. I was a security guard. And when I joined this family I changed. I let myself be the kind of person who survives in this world. And I don't regret it, but I only survived because I was strong and I was adaptable. You're a marshmallow, all soft and squishable."
"Was that a fat joke?" Jack frowned.
"That's what I said," Ray tried to joke, but it fell flat.
"One day you'll be pushed too far," Michael said. "Just as I was. You'll be given the choice to either kill or die and I don't think you'd be able to do it."
"I'd kill," Jack said firmly. "I'm not that much of a pushover."
"And that's worse sometimes," He gave him a bittersweet smile. "It's what keeps us all up at night. You don't get to live like this and stay intact."
"There's a lot of ways to lose your mind," He said. "But I'd rather lose it by your side then lose it alone."
It seemed like that had been finally too much, and Michael finally gave in, moving forward to pull Jack in for a hard kiss. He was all passion, just as fiery as his hair. "That was fucking cheesy," He murmured as they parted. "Are you actually a hallmark card?"
"No," He chuckled, enjoying the chance to just hold the other against him.
They all exchanged kisses before bed, and it was obvious the others had a pattern to it, so that the 5 of them could exchange kisses without any of them waiting more than once. Jack could only watch in amusement, until it was Ray's turn to wait and the sniper pulled Jack in for a kiss instead, grinning smugly. "Now we can have a system so that no one ever has to wait. We're evenly numbered."
That made everything get sidetracked as Gavin realized Jack "owed" him kisses and suddenly Geoff was in the middle of it all, trying to grope Jack as he mentioned even better ways to use his mouth, just to make him flush. By the time they did crawl into bed, it felt natural, Jack in the middle between Ray and Gavin while Geoff and Michael took the outside and Ryan stayed behind Geoff.
"Ryan doesn't sleep. So don't be surprised if he gets back up soon," Ray said, staring at Jack with soft eyes. There was a ledge on the headboard for their glasses, and Jack wasn't surprised to notice some handguns stashes just below them.
"I'll sleep," The skull murmured, voice oddly soft. "I'll sleep now." And Jack couldn't help but smile as he closed his eyes, buried in between warm bodies and arms and soft sheets.