Chapter Text
Sammy sat at their usual table, desperately trying not to look around the establishment. They were late, of course they were.
Why would anyone ever be on time?
They looked into their almost empty glass. They were off-duty today and thus could drink, but they didn’t want to get too much into it in case anything happened. Force of habit, you see. They made a face into the glass and looked up when someone stopped at their table.
Jace Badun.
And a ragged looking Jace Badun at that.
The not-so-gentle giant plopped down into his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose: looking bone tired as he did so.
Well, it looked like the lateness wasn’t entirely voluntary, at least, which earned Jace a small insignificant plus.
“What happened?” asked Sammy like the occasionally well-mannered gentle-pirate they were.
Jace gave them a look that could mean only ‘I’m not drunk enough for whatever is happening’, and waved at the server. Sammy immediately took the small insignificant plus away.
“Well?”
“Fucking Harry got in a fight with your Harry about their stupid nickname AGAIN .”
“I don’t know why you stop them. It tires them out and they can’t bother you like that. It’s mutually beneficial.”
Look, Sammy had opinions about the Hook siblings. Mainly, they thought they were fucking feral. Secondly, only they were allowed to say that out loud.
They looked at Jace.
Jace shot back a shot of dubious quality that he snatched from a nearby table and deadpanned: “I fucking hate you.”
Sammy shrugged. “Mood. Wanna order now or are you stealing tonight?”
Sammy didn’t care either way. Harriet was giving them extra money for these nights. Jace grimaced again.
“Order now. Talk later.” Jace sighed, waving a server down. The girl, dressed in something that was barely considered classy twenty years ago, unenthusiastically walked over to them:
“What do you want?”
“Just a beer for now.”
She scribbled that down on her pad and turned to Sammy. “Great. Anything for you?”
Sammy looked at their glass and shook their head. “I’m all set for now. I’ll let you know when that changes.”
“I have no doubt you will,” she more growled under her breath than anything.
Sammy suddenly felt a wave of compassion towards her.
“Will anyone else be joining you today, gentlemen?” she asked, looking around.
“One more. He's start off with champagne.” Jace added, grumbling. Before looking back at the blonde. “Uma said she can't come: her mom's running her ragged again.”
Sammy ignored the server, who looked way too pleased hearing Anthony will come, and asked: “Evie?”
Jace shrugged: “Who knows? She and Carlos are running around now, trying to get themselves killed with Maleficent Junior.”
Sammy nodded empathetically. They had withstanded one too many rants about certain purple haired dragon-spawn from Harry. “Or maybe Anthony will know more. You know, Villain kids. They would live at the Salon if they could.”
Sammy also knew way too much about Tremaine salon, thank you for asking. With that thought, they considered asking for another drink.
Jace, on the other hand, just sipped on his own. Clutching the glass tightly in his fist. “I know. I've had to help Yzla practically drag Zevon from there.”
There was no ‘practically’ about it.
They HAD had to drag him away from the establishment. Multiple times.
Usually on the threat of death from a more than mildly annoyed Anthony who was running on less sleep than Jace himself was.
And at least he didn't have to deal with CJ Hook of all people.
Usually.
As both younger Hooks took it as their personal challenge to annoy their sister’s totally-not-a-boyfriend as much as humanly possible. Sammy didn’t try to stop this, as that meant more peace for him.
And anyway:
“Speak of the devil,” Sammy nodded towards the entrance, where a certain Tremaine lord was just posing for everyone to notice.
“Please, let’s not,” groaned Jace, „I am not drunk enough to talk about the de Vils yet.“
Sammy inclined their head towards the entrance more empathetically to make the point, as if the particularly stupid and/or desperate boys and girls suddenly fluttering towards the area didn’t do it for them.
“Anthony, get your ass over here. We don't have all day!” Jace was five minutes away from ripping his own hair out. Or Anthony's.
Preferably Anthony’s.
That bastard would have it fixed by next morning anyway.
“ You don’t have all day,” corrected Anthony with a bloody smirk, “I do. And I believe Sammy has as well. Something about your day off and strangling me if– …I might have stopped listening at that point.”
Of fucking course he did.
He turned at the nearest server: “Would you get me a glass of champagne, sweetheart? To that table over there, with the two gentlemen that try to pretend they don’t know me.”
Several of the employees giggled, probably hoping for tips.
Then Anthony sauntered over to the table.
“You know I hate you, right?“ Sammy asked.
“I am truly honoured by that.”
“Bastard.”
Jace cut them off: “I already ordered for you.”
He rested his chin in his hand. Looking both bored and done with both of them at the same time.
“Oh, did you? That’s nice.”
“It just means you’re an alcoholic,” informed Sammy half-heartedly, definitely not thinking of Harriet and any other pirates.
Jace kicked them in the ankle. “Says the pirate.”
“I only drink when Harriet doesn’t!”
The brunette raised a brow. “Uh huh. Sure.”
“I thought we were supposed to be bitching about others and not at each other?” Anthony snarked, grabbing his glass of champagne. Which he got delivered with astounding speed, because of course he did.
Because of course little Lord Tremendous couldn't wait for anything, now could he?
The priss.
“Then shut up and get started,” Jace snapped. “Before I decide to stop wasting my time and leave.”
Anthony gave him a look: “You won‘t leave. You want to complain about your idiots too much for that. Speaking of that: Guess why Evie isn‘t coming?”
Sammy did not want to guess. They waved down one of the servers still hanging around and finally got a new drink.
So Jace bit the bullet and asked again. “Jay got caught stealing again?”