The House Always Wins 14/?
Jun. 22nd, 2005 10:30 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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vigorliAuthor: zebraljb
Rating: An average PG-R
Disclaimer: I don't know them, and I totally stole the idea from the amazing writers of "Oceans 11."
One Week Later
“Okay, let me see it.” Viggo crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Dave. Dave smiled, closed his eyes, and got his balance. In one fluid motion, he bent down, drew himself up, and executed a flawless flip through the air, bare feet slapping onto the cabinet with a satisfying thwap. “Nice,” Viggo said, giving him a rare smile.
“Thanks.” Dave sat at the edge of the cabinet and swung his feet, nodding his head at Dominic, Billy, Elijah and John, who were applauding enthusiastically.
“Can you do it after being cramped in there?” Viggo motioned to the small box nearby. Dave would have to vault from the top of the box, which would be on the surface of a table, over to the top of the cabinet without setting off any sensors.
Dave looked around the perfect replica of the vault as he cracked his neck and stretched. “You said I’d have five minutes, right? That’ll be enough time for me to stretch a bit.”
“Good.” Viggo nodded in agreement. They looked at Bean, who was deep in conversation with Ian. Bean glanced at Dave, then quickly looked away. “He’s worried about you.”
“Yeah, well, he shouldn’t be,” Dave said with a sigh.
“Everyone gather round,” Viggo called, and the small group was soon standing around him in a loose circle. “I just wanted to thank everyone for all the hard work you’ve done. Before we know it, this will be done, and you can retire to the Caribbean or Australia or Europe, living in style.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Of course, the other scenario is rotting in jail, so everyone better keep their mind on their job.”
“God, Viggo, no pressure or anything,” Sean Astin moaned.
“Hey, at least you’re not shoved in a box,” Dave pointed out. “Your job’s easy.”
“No, I was just smart enough to find a job where I can use a brain,” Sean Astin retorted.
“Hey, knock it off,” Bean said angrily.
“Quit sticking up for him,” Sean Astin snapped.
“Everyone, stop!” Ian growled, and there was immediate silence. “Viggo is right. If we do this correctly, and no one makes a mistake, then we will be richer than our wildest dreams. There is no room for error, and no one’s job is any more important than everyone else’s. Two days from now, we could be wealthy for life, or, like Viggo said, we can be spending the rest of our lives in pretty orange jumpsuits. I, personally, would rather not rot in a jail cell. So please make sure I don’t, understand?” Ian looked from man to man. “Good. Anything else, Viggo?”
“Uh, no, that’ll do it,” Viggo said, trying not to show his amusement.
“Are you sure you can get through this with an impartial attitude?” Bean leaned against the small desk as Viggo pulled on a well-worn suit jacket. “You’re sure Orlando won’t be getting in the way of your better judgment?”
Viggo raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think you have room to talk,” he said softly, his eyes on Dave, who was fooling around with Billy and Dom.
“That’s not the point here,” Bean said. “I didn’t devise an impossible plan just to win him back.”
“That’s not what I did and you know it!” Viggo snapped. Bean sighed and held up his hands.
“Truce, mate. See you tomorrow.”
“I say we go out and get rip-roaring drunk tonight,” Dom suggested.
“What?” Billy called from the driver’s seat. He turned to glare at Dom. “Are you insane?”
“Hey! Watch the road!” Dave yelled from the passenger seat of the van. He grabbed for the wheel.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m scared shitless about this job,” Dom said. “I think I’ll be paying more attention to my hangover and less attention to the fact that I may sit in jail the rest of my natural born life…so I wanna get drunk.”
“That makes sense, strangely enough, but I have to have all my wits and health,” Dave said
apologetically. “Sorry.”
“I’m in,” Sean Astin said, to everyone’s surprise. “What? I drink!”
“Bills?” Dom said.
“You’re daft,” Billy said to his cousin. “But I can’t let you get drunk without me, so, yeah, I’m in. ‘Lij?”
“For a bit. I have a date,” Elijah said, blushing slightly.
“Ah, a little bit of Irish ass before the big game, huh?” Billy asked him, making Elijah turn redder.
“Beanie?” Dom called back.
“Uh, no, thanks. Second in command and all, can’t be hung over,” Bean said.
Billy parked the van in the central area of The Strip. Everyone piled out, with the younger men making loud plans to get wasted. “I guess I’ll see you around, then,” Dave said to Bean.
“Would it be detrimental to your health and wits to have dinner with me tonight?” Bean asked. Dave smiled.
“I’m pretty sure that the night will end up in heavy physical activity, so I think it might just be beneficial to my health. Yes, I’ll have dinner with you, Sean.”
“No. Not there. NOT THERE!” Orlando yelled, waving his clipboard in the air. “Do you KNOW what’s in that box? Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of antique books. If they sit in the sun…” Orlando didn’t finish the sentence. “Just MOVE them, please? I do not want to have to be the one to explain to Mr. Urban why that much money suddenly went up in smoke!” He shoved one hand in the pocket of his blazer and waited.
“Yes, sir,” the workman growled, obviously displeased but moving the box anyway.
“Thank you,” Orlando said, huffing a sigh.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you put your foot down like that,” Viggo said quietly.
“When I need to prove a point, and get the right thing done, I can put my bloody foot down,” Orlando said without turning around. “I did it with you. What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to apologize.”
Orlando finally turned around, snorting. “Oh, really? You’re about two years too late for that.”
“Just hear me out, okay?” Viggo asked. Orlando crossed his arms and waited. “I was wrong. I never meant to hurt you in any way. I just…I wanted you to be happy, wanted you taken care of. The last job would have kept us safe and comfortable.”
“And we would have been on the run forever,” Orlando pointed out. “I didn’t need all that, Viggo. I was happy working in a bookstore, because I’d have you at home waiting for me at the end of the day.”
“I know that now,” Viggo said softly. “And again, I’m sorry.”
“Apology heard, but not accepted,” Orlando said. “You should go. Karl won’t like you hanging around here.”
“We definitely don’t want to upset the big bad boyfriend.” Viggo held up his hands.
“Stop. You don’t even know him,” Orlando reminded him.
“Do you really know him?” Viggo asked. Orlando blinked. “Hey, I’ll go. One last hug?”
“Fine,” Orlando sighed. “You and your hugs.”
Viggo put his arms around Orlando’s slight body, his hand coming up to cup the back of Orlando’s neck. One finger twirled through a curl as he said, “I still love you, Orlando. Never stopped. Never will.” He pulled back, giving Orlando one last smile. “Goodbye.”
Rating: An average PG-R
Disclaimer: I don't know them, and I totally stole the idea from the amazing writers of "Oceans 11."
One Week Later
“Okay, let me see it.” Viggo crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Dave. Dave smiled, closed his eyes, and got his balance. In one fluid motion, he bent down, drew himself up, and executed a flawless flip through the air, bare feet slapping onto the cabinet with a satisfying thwap. “Nice,” Viggo said, giving him a rare smile.
“Thanks.” Dave sat at the edge of the cabinet and swung his feet, nodding his head at Dominic, Billy, Elijah and John, who were applauding enthusiastically.
“Can you do it after being cramped in there?” Viggo motioned to the small box nearby. Dave would have to vault from the top of the box, which would be on the surface of a table, over to the top of the cabinet without setting off any sensors.
Dave looked around the perfect replica of the vault as he cracked his neck and stretched. “You said I’d have five minutes, right? That’ll be enough time for me to stretch a bit.”
“Good.” Viggo nodded in agreement. They looked at Bean, who was deep in conversation with Ian. Bean glanced at Dave, then quickly looked away. “He’s worried about you.”
“Yeah, well, he shouldn’t be,” Dave said with a sigh.
“Everyone gather round,” Viggo called, and the small group was soon standing around him in a loose circle. “I just wanted to thank everyone for all the hard work you’ve done. Before we know it, this will be done, and you can retire to the Caribbean or Australia or Europe, living in style.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Of course, the other scenario is rotting in jail, so everyone better keep their mind on their job.”
“God, Viggo, no pressure or anything,” Sean Astin moaned.
“Hey, at least you’re not shoved in a box,” Dave pointed out. “Your job’s easy.”
“No, I was just smart enough to find a job where I can use a brain,” Sean Astin retorted.
“Hey, knock it off,” Bean said angrily.
“Quit sticking up for him,” Sean Astin snapped.
“Everyone, stop!” Ian growled, and there was immediate silence. “Viggo is right. If we do this correctly, and no one makes a mistake, then we will be richer than our wildest dreams. There is no room for error, and no one’s job is any more important than everyone else’s. Two days from now, we could be wealthy for life, or, like Viggo said, we can be spending the rest of our lives in pretty orange jumpsuits. I, personally, would rather not rot in a jail cell. So please make sure I don’t, understand?” Ian looked from man to man. “Good. Anything else, Viggo?”
“Uh, no, that’ll do it,” Viggo said, trying not to show his amusement.
“Are you sure you can get through this with an impartial attitude?” Bean leaned against the small desk as Viggo pulled on a well-worn suit jacket. “You’re sure Orlando won’t be getting in the way of your better judgment?”
Viggo raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think you have room to talk,” he said softly, his eyes on Dave, who was fooling around with Billy and Dom.
“That’s not the point here,” Bean said. “I didn’t devise an impossible plan just to win him back.”
“That’s not what I did and you know it!” Viggo snapped. Bean sighed and held up his hands.
“Truce, mate. See you tomorrow.”
“I say we go out and get rip-roaring drunk tonight,” Dom suggested.
“What?” Billy called from the driver’s seat. He turned to glare at Dom. “Are you insane?”
“Hey! Watch the road!” Dave yelled from the passenger seat of the van. He grabbed for the wheel.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m scared shitless about this job,” Dom said. “I think I’ll be paying more attention to my hangover and less attention to the fact that I may sit in jail the rest of my natural born life…so I wanna get drunk.”
“That makes sense, strangely enough, but I have to have all my wits and health,” Dave said
apologetically. “Sorry.”
“I’m in,” Sean Astin said, to everyone’s surprise. “What? I drink!”
“Bills?” Dom said.
“You’re daft,” Billy said to his cousin. “But I can’t let you get drunk without me, so, yeah, I’m in. ‘Lij?”
“For a bit. I have a date,” Elijah said, blushing slightly.
“Ah, a little bit of Irish ass before the big game, huh?” Billy asked him, making Elijah turn redder.
“Beanie?” Dom called back.
“Uh, no, thanks. Second in command and all, can’t be hung over,” Bean said.
Billy parked the van in the central area of The Strip. Everyone piled out, with the younger men making loud plans to get wasted. “I guess I’ll see you around, then,” Dave said to Bean.
“Would it be detrimental to your health and wits to have dinner with me tonight?” Bean asked. Dave smiled.
“I’m pretty sure that the night will end up in heavy physical activity, so I think it might just be beneficial to my health. Yes, I’ll have dinner with you, Sean.”
“No. Not there. NOT THERE!” Orlando yelled, waving his clipboard in the air. “Do you KNOW what’s in that box? Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of antique books. If they sit in the sun…” Orlando didn’t finish the sentence. “Just MOVE them, please? I do not want to have to be the one to explain to Mr. Urban why that much money suddenly went up in smoke!” He shoved one hand in the pocket of his blazer and waited.
“Yes, sir,” the workman growled, obviously displeased but moving the box anyway.
“Thank you,” Orlando said, huffing a sigh.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you put your foot down like that,” Viggo said quietly.
“When I need to prove a point, and get the right thing done, I can put my bloody foot down,” Orlando said without turning around. “I did it with you. What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to apologize.”
Orlando finally turned around, snorting. “Oh, really? You’re about two years too late for that.”
“Just hear me out, okay?” Viggo asked. Orlando crossed his arms and waited. “I was wrong. I never meant to hurt you in any way. I just…I wanted you to be happy, wanted you taken care of. The last job would have kept us safe and comfortable.”
“And we would have been on the run forever,” Orlando pointed out. “I didn’t need all that, Viggo. I was happy working in a bookstore, because I’d have you at home waiting for me at the end of the day.”
“I know that now,” Viggo said softly. “And again, I’m sorry.”
“Apology heard, but not accepted,” Orlando said. “You should go. Karl won’t like you hanging around here.”
“We definitely don’t want to upset the big bad boyfriend.” Viggo held up his hands.
“Stop. You don’t even know him,” Orlando reminded him.
“Do you really know him?” Viggo asked. Orlando blinked. “Hey, I’ll go. One last hug?”
“Fine,” Orlando sighed. “You and your hugs.”
Viggo put his arms around Orlando’s slight body, his hand coming up to cup the back of Orlando’s neck. One finger twirled through a curl as he said, “I still love you, Orlando. Never stopped. Never will.” He pulled back, giving Orlando one last smile. “Goodbye.”
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