by Kara Greenan
London sighs. “I thought so too.”
They retrieve the earpiece together and London even makes Hale check it before they head back.
“I need to steal something,” London says when he can’t think of anything else to stall them. “Or go sky diving. Something fun. You could come out with me?”
Hale smiles, shaking his head. “I mean, I could? If you really wanted me to. I just thought with how it ended last time… Maybe ask Amelia on your nights out about town?”
“First of all, grandpa, no one says ‘nights out about town’.” London pats his arm to make sure Hale knows it’s only a friendly ribbing. He’s made it his personal mission to get Hale to come out of his shell and though his methods might seem unorthodox, they’re also working. “Second, you were a clear hit with the guys.”
“Yes, but I don’t like guys.”
“About that…”
Hale rolls his eyes, bumping his shoulders against London’s. “Stop it.”
London does, but only for now. It’s so unbelievably refreshing to have a straight guy friend that isn’t immediately offended when he tries to mock-convert him. Hale is just genuinely flattered by the attention.
London has the best friends.
The only free armchair when they return is next to Sebastian and London quickly motions for Hale to take it. He’s got pins and needles in his legs from not moving; it’s better if he stands anyway. And maybe he will go out tonight, just to alleviate some of the tension. Maybe he’ll even ask Amelia. She likes the really expensive places, but it’s not like he hasn’t got the money. And even considering the amount of alcohol he plans to consume, it’s probably still healthier than going home and thinking about his stupid ex all night.
In their absence, Sebastian has clearly tried to charm Amelia out of her stony expression, which hasn’t worked. Frankie seems hell-bent on ignoring the obvious tension in the room and looks relieved at their interruption, until her eyes fall on him. She must have realised again that he’s probably not about to improve the atmosphere.
“So, you’re Hale? The Tech Guy?”
“Angus Hunter-Hale,” Hale tells him quickly, face colouring as he inspects the earpiece like his life depends on it.
London wants to laugh at his awkwardness, to tease a smile out of Hale. These two couldn’t sit on more opposite ends of the social spectrum if they tried, so it’s really not a fair comparison at all. And Hale has got so much better; he used to flinch away when anyone touched him accidentally. London climbs onto the armrest next to him and lets his knees slide onto Hale’s lap while wrapping one arm around his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“What hotel did you choose?” he asks, knowing the answer full well but offering Hale something else to think about.
“Carlton Tower.” He looks at Sebastian and quickly adds, “All expenses paid, of course. I've got an order confirmation on my desk for you."
Sebastian isn't about to turn down a hotel where the rooms start at around £1500 a night, London knows that much.
“That’s perfect, thank you, Hale.” The smile is positively blinding and London can’t help but grip Hale’s shoulder harder and glare at Sebastian.
"Tomorrow at eleven we'll have our briefing,” Frankie interrupts just as Sebastian raises one lazy eyebrow at his antics. “Please don't be late. We'll try a small job together first, just to iron out any kinks. I'd like to keep you guys mostly in the dark, to see how you work under pressure and how cohesive a unit you can be. It will be nothing that could cause us any problems, of course." Frankie waits and when no one complains, she continues. "Once that's complete, we'll move on to our real target. If at any stage you need to tell us something because it poses a risk, do so in person or over the earpieces. No talking about anything regarding the plan over any sort of phone, always assume the lines aren't secure. Hale?"
Hale fumbles a bit and nearly drops the earpiece but finally manages to hold it out for Sebastian. His palm is so rigid that it’s curving back slightly and London, true city kid he is, remembers an outing with one of his foster families, where they made him feed a horse. He’d probably looked just as nervous as Hale, if he’d ever allowed his younger-self to show that much fear.
"Range is limitless as long as there's Wi-Fi or phone reception. It'll piggyback on those and get rewired to ours. I made them."
There’s a pause that’s just about to grow awkward when Amelia steps in easily. She gently moves Hale’s head and points at an exact replica of the earpiece Sebastian is holding, barely visible even though his hair isn’t obscuring it now.
"No on or off button, as they’re permanently on. However, they require the vibrations of your skull to transmit sound correctly, for some really geeky tech reason Hale can definitely explain to you in detail. So, the moment you take them out you'll have your privacy. That also means we can't hear what’s being said around you properly. Only what you say, yeah?"
Sebastian nods at her thoughtfully while he rolls the little gadget in his palm. He gingerly places it in his ear.
"Hello?" he tries.
"Hi," Hale answers from right in front of him and also inside his ear. London knows how weird it is at first, definitely exacerbated by them sitting so close together.
Sebastian raises his eyebrows. "These are excellent quality, well done."
Hale flushes again, ducking his head and grinning.
"Right," Frankie says, clapping her hands. "That’s the earpiece sorted. And you’ve met everyone.”
Sebastian nods slowly. “Hale the Tech Guy,” he says in his oddly deep voice, “with the nifty little gadgets. London the Thief and..." He trails off, smiling at Amelia like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.
Amelia just looks at him, everything from her designer shoes up to her perfect, and no doubt expensive, hairstyle, spelling out her dislike. London resolves to steal her another bracelet, one to match the two she’s already wearing on her wrist.
“That’s Amelia,” Frankie says. “She –”
“I fix things.” She flicks a few loose strands dark hair out of her face to better look at him. “Which is why I don’t appreciate people who break stuff to begin with.”
For the slightest second, Sebastian’s gaze flicks to London.
Frankie claps her hands again, a desperate edge to her tone. “Right, so. Tomorrow at eleven!”
London is early for once, but only because Frankie wanted to go over some of the details. Now he’s bored and pestering Hale.
"Hale… babe," London whines while crawling into Hale's lap and wrapping his arms around his neck. "You should be nice to me. It’s my birthday."
"Why?" Hale asks, angling his neck to look at the huge screen behind London's head. They’re in Frankie’s office, so he doesn’t have his usual screens to work with. "It's not really your birthday."
Shit, right. For some reason, London keeps forgetting that Hale knows more actual facts about his life than anyone else in the world. Bloody hackers and their access to bloody everything.
London leans back, fingers interlocking behind Hale's head and letting him take the brunt of his weight. "It shouldn't have to be my birthday for you to be nice to me."
Hale smiles his gentle puppy-dog smile, the sides of his eyes crinkling. "And you shouldn't try to tell people seven times a year that it's your birthday."
"Mm, but I like presents."
Hale snorts. "You buy yourself enough presents."
London's playful pout slips off his face. He clamps his knees tighter around Hale's middle and holds his head between both hands. He gives him a deep scowl until Hale starts shifting uncomfortably.
"Have you been spying on my bank accounts again?"
"It's not spying, it's quite literally my job."
"Your job is to watch my money? Funny, I don't remember hiring a banker."
Hale rolls his eyes but still places his hands on London's hips when he's about to slide off. "No, my job is to make sure that everything is safe and sound
from the tech side of things. That includes suspicious activity on your accounts."
London's eyebrows rise of their own accord. "Suspicious activity?"
"Don't worry," Hale says and twists his lips in a rather dirty little smirk. "The credit card charges to your favourite sex shop don't count as suspicious."
He looks almost smug after delivering his line. London is proud of him, it took him long enough to get that particular side to emerge. But it wouldn't do for the student to outshine the teacher.
He leans in, mouth close to Hale's ear as he whispers, "If you're interested in my dildo collection you should have just said. You know I'll show them to you whenever you want… Privately."
He can feel the heat in Hale’s cheek, even if he can't see it.
He hears a drawling voice, which cuts off abruptly when Sebastian walks into the room. He stops in his tracks, some sort of smoothie clutched tightly in his large hand, knuckles turning white around the cup.
"Oh. Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt."
London might be a lesser man for admitting it, but the uncomfortable look on Sebastian's face, the way he quickly brushes a strand of light hair behind his ear, paired with the clear signs of jealousy, are soothing balm to his heart.
He wraps one arm around Hale's neck and slides the other one provocatively down Hale's side. He feels Hale’s muscles jump under his touch.
"You weren't," London says easily, cuddling closer. And it's a testament to how long London has been doing this and that their physical contact has become second nature to Hale when he wraps one arm around London's back. London thanks all his lucky stars for the hours and hours of subtly getting Hale used to human touch. It had been fun at first, seeing him flinch whenever London so much as touched his arm. After hearing parts of Hale's back story, of how he was not unloved but still neglected as a kid and bullied in school, London had made it his mission to get him to stop flinching. It had been a bit of a surprise for both of them when it turned out Hale was actually quite the cuddler.
The fact that it now fuels some sort of jealousy on Sebastian's part is an added bonus.
"We were just talking about my dildo collection and Hale's keen interest in it."
"London," Hale wheezes, cheeks tinting even darker.
Sebastian's entire face shuts down.
London couldn't have planned for a more perfect situation and he will damn well make the best of it now that the universe has presented him with such an opportunity. He knows it’s petty and that it makes him a shitty person but right now, he couldn't give a flying fuck. He wouldn't be where he is today, doing the job he does, if he wasn't able to capitalise on what he had been given. So he leans in to pinch Hale's burning cheek first, his nipple second.
"No need to be so embarrassed, love. I'm sure Walker – are you still going by Walker? Walker here has seen a dildo once or twice before."
London cuts a look over to where Sebastian stands rooted to the spot. He looks – well, he looks good. Skin-tight jeans and a striped coat, paired with a long scarf almost trailing the floor. It’s all black and white, which sets off his light skin and lighter hair. It should look ridiculous but it doesn't. Instead he looks good, the arsehole.
London raises a sardonic eyebrow and yes, Sebastian blushes. Of course, London doesn't really know what's going on in Sebastian's mind. If he did, maybe there'd be less resentment festering inside of him. But he knows one thing for sure: Sebastian is no newbie when it comes to sex toys.
Sebastian clears his throat and points over his shoulder. "I'll just wait out here, give you two some privacy."
"Sebastian!" comes Frankie's cheerful morning voice from outside. She claps Sebastian on the back, effectively stalling his exit.
Sebastian looks from Frankie to where London is still perched in Hale's lap, his expression pinched.
London cuddles closer.
Amelia walks in behind them, dressed in all black, the look topped off by a black leather jacket and high heels. She looks fantastic, and Hale doesn't miss it either. London feels his back go rigid underneath him and pats his shoulder comfortingly.
She greets Frankie with a quick nod. Hale gets an upper arm squeeze that has him freezing up completely. And then she leans in to kiss London's cheek. He preens himself at the special attention, smiling brightly.
"You're a sight for sore eyes, darling. Love the bracelet."
She looks at the bracelet he gave her for Christmas last year and smiles. "It's pretty."
London nods in agreement. He never told her where he got it or how much it's worth and Amelia didn’t ask. She isn't dumb and he is on the payroll as a thief, after all. Anyway, London doesn't usually steal for anyone but himself, so the bracelet definitely has a personal note.
The same goes for Hale's back door into Scotland Yard’s database. Instead of stealing something, London had planted a virus on their servers instead. But considering he'd had to break into the headquarters for it, he still feels it has enough of a personal touch. Hale had certainly appreciated it.
After quick hellos and Amelia very pointedly ignoring Sebastian, something London is totally on board with, Frankie gathers them all around, looking at each of them like a proud mother about to send her children off to university.
"Well, it's good to finally have the gang together."
Hale and Amelia groan in tandem.
London glares at Frankie immediately. "Oh my god, shut up. That's bloody offensive."
London twists around in Hale's lap, almost accidentally kneeing him in the balls. He presses back against Hale’s chest and wraps Hale's arms forcefully around his torso, all the while muttering under his breath about how Frankie is a loser stuck in primary school. He settles back against the hard lines of Hale's chest, entwines his fingers with Hale’s larger ones and rests them against his stomach, underneath his shirt. When he's comfortable he looks up, all three watching him.
"What?" he snaps.
Frankie looks patient as ever, supremely unhurried and ready to indulge London's every whim. London gives her an extra long smile. Amelia is just looking on fondly, the way she does when she sees them interacting like this. He winks at her. It's enough these days. Enough to remind them both of the hour long conversations they'd had about Hale's behaviour, his inability to get physically close to people without getting nervous and fidgety.
Sebastian looks – well, either he's gotten himself under control, or, after the first shock had worn off, he'd noticed that while London is very tactile with Hale, the sexual charge to these touches is nonexistent.
London snuggles in closer and suppresses a smirk when Sebastian's hand twitches almost imperceptibly. Almost, but not quite.
"The plan?" London prompts and nods magnanimously at Frankie.
"Right! The plan. The plan is to steal a large amount of diamonds from a huge corporation that pollutes nature, doesn't pay minimum wage and gives its CEOs a new business car every six months."
"Oh goody," London says and Hale nods in agreement.
Sebastian looks at them incredulously.
Amelia rolls her eyes and pushes aside the gaudy painting of dogs playing poker to reveal the huge screen hidden behind it. She hands Frankie the remote and moments later, a 3D blueprint of a building with several floors appears.
"If everything goes according to plan, this will be pretty easy."
Sebastian clears his throat and London clutches Hale's fingers tighter in preparation for that slow, deep drawl. "What if it doesn't go to plan?"
Frankie's happy expression doesn't falter. "Then we switch to a backup plan."
"Oh?" Sebastian asks, leaning forward now. "How many are there?"
Frankie thinks for a moment. "Several."
"Several?"
"You just look pretty, or whatever it is you do," Amelia says, and her tone makes it clear that it’s not a compliment. “And let Frankie here worry about the plan.”
Sebastian shoots her a hurt look before getting himself under control again.
How he ever manages to convince his marks of anything is a mystery. But then again, he did have London convinced that what they had was more than just sex.
"The likelihood of success for this mission is well over eighty percent," Frankie assures Sebastian before turning back to the screen. "Okay. Basically the diamonds are kept in a vault at the centre of the building on the seventh floor. Apparently it's a lucky number, and it makes it impossible to drill up from underneath without standing on someone’s desk. There are motion and heat sensors, the combination on the digital keypad changes every thirty minutes and there are two guards patrolling out front. That's not considering the other guards that are stationed around the building at all times. Furthermore, everything is covered by security cameras with at least one guard in the tech room watching the feed twenty-four hours a day."
Frankie pulls up an invite on the screen. It's to a diamond exhibition held on the ground floor of the same building at the beginning of the coming month.
"Because having money is nice, but showing off is even nicer, the cooperation is holding a diamond showing to impress potential new investors and to maintain the relationships with international buyers around the world. Basically this is a get together of the who's who of the international, illegal diamond trade."
"But it's a public company?" Amelia asks.
"Yeah," Hale rumbles from behind London, his breath tickling London’s ear. "About ten percent of their dealings are legal, which gives them the perfect front for all the equipment and security. That also means that only roughly ten percent of all the diamonds present at any time are insured."
Hale finishes his short speech by shifting, curling in on himself, like the stares make him uncomfortable. He tightens his arms around London though, making sure he doesn't slip. London squeezes his fingers comfortingly.
"Which means," Frankie says, easily pulling all eyes back to her, "If we steal all of the diamonds, they'll have a loss of ninety percent."
Her grin is a bit manic when she looks at them, but London is so on board with the entire heist that he can already feel his fingers itching. He cheers appropriately.