vigorli

Author: Lara
Rating: I guess R for language
Disclaimer: The use of real people in a fictional setting based on a fictional movie = not real.

THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS
Three

“And then he fell in the bloody river!” The man let out a cackle before finishing his beer. His friend glared at him.
“Only because you moved the gate at the last minute, you git.” He flicked a coaster at the first man’s face.
“Oi! That coulda been my eye!”
“I wish it woulda been your big mouth.”
“Now, boys,” the bartender said. “No fighting. I don’t want to have to kick you out again.”
“We’re not fighting!” The Coaster Thrower said in shock. “This is playing! I love my cousin!”
“The next round’s on me.” Sean Bean laid a twenty-dollar bill on the bar. “Keep the change.”
“Thanks,” the bartender said, quickly putting the bill in the register.
The two men turned to thank their benefactor, but stopped with mouths open when they saw who it was. “Come with me, boys.” Sean led the way out of the bar.
“Beanie!” The Coaster Thrower jumped into Sean’s arms.
“Quiet down, you idiot!” Sean growled. “Dominic, you are a physical danger.”
“No he’s not,” the other man said. “Not unless he’s on a surfboard.”
“I surf better than you, Boyd,” Dominic said angrily.
“Why did I let Viggo talk me into this?” Sean rubbed at his forehead wearily.
“Vig? Where?” Billy Boyd looked around.
“Not here. Like we can really appear in public together.”
“There was no way those charges would stick, Sean. He’s too good,” Dom said.
“Well, you never know.”
“Did he send you?” Billy asked. Sean nodded and Billy grinned. “A job, then?”
“Yes.”
“What’s in it for us?” Dominic crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Sean. “Another broken arm?”
“You’re such a baby,” Billy said.
“Am not.”
“Are too!”
“Am NOT.”
“Are too.”
Dominic grabbed Billy in a headlock and wrestled him to the ground.
“Dammit,” Sean muttered, grabbing Billy by the nape of the neck. He dragged Billy away and shoved Dominic aside. “Do you two EVER stop?”
“He started it,” Dom said.
“In answer to your question…how does ten million sound?” Sean asked. The men froze.
“Like music,” Billy said.
“Like…Mozart,” Dom added.
“Beethoven, even,” Billy continued. They looked at each other.
“McCartney,” they said in reverent unison.

Sean put the cousins on the next flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas. He sighed with relief once he saw the plane go into the air. He himself had to quickly get on a flight to Denver.

“Listen, kid, lemme tell you something.” The obese man sat down on the nearest chair. “Keep working as I talk.”
“Of course, Lou,” the younger man said with a sigh.
“Ya can’t let these people think they’re better than you. Work hard, and you’ll show ‘em.”
“Right.” The younger man wondered if Lou had done a hard day’s work in his entire life.
“I knew soon as I seen ya that you and me’d make good partners, Astin.”
“Right,” Astin repeated. He crawled out from under the desk. “Computer’s ready to go, Lou. You sure there isn’t a job somewhere I could be doing? I’m a certified electrician.”
“Nah, I need you here,” Lou said, his eyes running over Sean’s body. Sean shivered.
The door over the bell tinkled, and Sean gratefully went to greet the customer. His eyes bulged, and he remembered himself just in time. “Can we help you?”
“Yes, I have an emergency. Something blew in my house, and I can’t get a damn thing to turn on.”
“If you can wait a few…” Lou began.
“No. I need someone NOW. I live in Sierra Hills.”
Lou gulped. Sierra Hills was a new, expensive, ritzy development. “Well, the kid here can hook ya up. He’s new, but I think he could handle it.”
“Follow me?” The customer said. The younger man nodded and went for his toolbox.
“Astin. Sean,” Lou said a bit louder. Sean Astin hurried over. “Bill him double. He looks like he can afford it.”
Sean Astin nodded, wanting nothing more than to get out of there.

“I will give you everything I have in thanks for that,” Sean Astin said as soon as they left the electrician’s office.
“He looks like an idiot,” Sean Bean said, smiling.
“Oh my God, if you only KNEW. If it wasn’t the fact that he didn’t check my references…”
“I guess he thinks you don’t know what you’re doing?”
“You could say that.” Sean Astin crawled into his truck. “Where are we going?”

They drove a few blocks down the road to a small park. Sean Bean sat on a bench while Sean Astin bought a hot dog from a nearby vendor. “Don’t see how you can eat that shite.”
“I’m hungry,” Sean Astin said, inhaling the sandwich. “What’s up?”
“Viggo has a job for us in Vegas.”
“Vegas?” Sean Astin wrinkled his nose.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing…nothing at all. Just never liked it down there.”
“Will ten mil make you like it?”
Sean Astin almost choked on his hot dog. “For ten million, I’d like Lou.”