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So, the thing about the Fakes is that they are all meddling assholes.
Jeremy learned that on day one, when Gavin-or Golden Boy, as he knew him at the time-greeted him into the crew by trying to convince him that having cameras in his room was totally normal and that he really should thank him for putting it there. Then again two weeks after that, when Michael started trying to trick him into getting rid of the mask that hid his face from the rest of the crew, using such subtle tactics as throwing food in his face and then claiming he just had to take the thing off on that exact instant or else it would stain, and smell, and his whole criminal reputation would be ruined.
And he noticed it again when, five months back, he had drunkenly confessed his love for Ryan to them and thus began a very intricate and complicated plan to get them together by creating a number of schemes where the crew would basically force Ryan and Jeremy to confess their "gay undying feelings for each other"-as Geoff had so kindly put it.
Another important thing to know about the Fakes was that, for a bunch of criminal masterminds, they were unbelievable dumb, because on the day Jeremy drunkenly confessed to them about his big awkward crush on Ryan, he also confessed to the man himself and thus, they started dating.
At first, they didn't tell the rest of the crew because they didn't want to put a name on the relationship, fear of their little Bonnie and Clyde romance crashing and burning before it even started. It was all too new, there was so much to explore, none of them wanted to freak the other out with labels they might not be comfortable with, or show each other just how desperate they were for this relationship to work. And boy, they were desperate, because all too soon they were making it official, the words 'I need you' becoming an all too familiar substitute to the words they wouldn't, they couldn't say.
And when they did start dating, both of them realized that it would be better if they didn't tell anyone, not because of shame or fear of how their co-workers would react, but because it was just too fucking funny not to. Their friends were so desperate to play cupid that they didn't even notice when the battle buddies' friendly banter became actual flirting. Because of them, at least once a week they'd walk into a room and the doorknob of the exit would 'mysteriously fall off', leaving them both into a forced Seven Minutes In Heaven that they were more than glad to participate in. Whenever Jeremy walked out of a room, Jack and Geoff would start in-depth conversations about how good the lad's ass was looking that day and beckon Ryan to share his own thoughts about it, which, most of the time, were just comments about how they desperately needed to hire an HR team.
At the end of the day, it gave Jeremy and Ryan something to laugh about and bond over, it was something that they could bring up when they got home after a long job to cheer the other up or something to mock over Chinese take out on lazy weekends where they barely even left the bed. It was something extra just for the two of them, and if the worry of what would happen when it was finally gone crossed Jeremy’s mind from time to time, he’d never admit it; too busy making sure everything was absolutely perfect to focus on his own insecurities.
So he thinks that, in a way, he should be thankful for the crew's new 'masterplan'.
Well, masterplan might be giving them too much credit, it was a plan for sure, and a convenient one too. A big name in arms dealing was throwing a fancy gala to raise funds for a fake charity or another, a money-laundering scheme just barely hidden under more money and appearances that most high society couldn't see past. Geoff didn't care about any of that, he was more than fine with watching rich people throw their money down the drain, but he did want to know what secret meetings were going on behind closed doors and where the man's loyalty really lied.
They weren't invited, but that was an easy fix; invitations weren't hard to forge and, if it came to it, they could always bribe a guard. The real problem was deciding who would crash the party and what their disguise would be for doing so. A single person would stand out like a sore thumb amongst a sea of couples; however a large group would raise suspicion. It was simply best to have two people go in as a couple of newly wedded heirs while the rest of the crew stayed out in a nearby parking lot and monitored their movements through the cameras, telling them what to do or say.
At the time, Jeremy had rolled his eyes, and now-as he stood arm in arm with Ryan in a lavish grand foyer, both wearing matching suits and rings on their ring fingers, as well as soft blushes on their faces-he did so again.
" You two in?" A voice in Jeremy's ear called, standing out from the soft music echoing around them. The man straightened up, fixing his orange tie and shooting nods and fake smiles to random people around them.
"Yup." He replied, leaning against Ryan and giving his arm a squeeze, so it would look like he was talking to him instead of speaking to the air. "Remind me of the plan again, dear ?"
Loud snickering filled their ears, and Ryan immediately tensed up and looked away, a bright blush in his face that made Jeremy wish they were anywhere else so he could cup his face and hold him in peace. But he didn't move, keeping their arms linked in an all-too-forced display of affection as another, more British voice, answered his question. "Alright, all you have to do is follow the blueprints you studied and find this guy's office. Should be on the second floor if I remember correctly." Gavin supplied, a smile clear on his voice still. "Then, you'll hide the bug I gave you somewhere secluded, but where we can still pay close attention to whatever hes planning."
The small mic, hidden in his wallet, seemed to burn inside Jeremy's jacket pocket. He missed the days where stealth came as easy to him as breathing, but since he joined the Fakes he had prioritized brute force over it and a part of him feared he had lost his touch for infiltration. "Also, there are cameras on the first floor but not the second," Gavin continued "so the minute you guys climb upstairs I won't be able to guide you or keep overwatch. You'll be on your own."
"Roger." Ryan replied, looking around to see if he could spot any cameras the crew might be watching them from.
"Oh, and don't forget to mingle," the original voice added, sounding amused. "It will be too suspicious if you guys just go upstairs then bail. Gotta keep up the appearances and all that."
"Geoff-" Ryan started, his voice a low hiss under his breath.
"Good luck, you two." Geoff cut him off, leaving no room for interjections. Jeremy and Ryan couldn't help but let out long sighs.
This was not going to end well.
"Oh, an open bar? Hell yeah!" Jeremy smiled, quickly attempting to dart towards it only for Ryan to grab his arm. "Aw, dude."
"No drinking on the job." He said simply and Jeremy rolled his eyes, but made no move to move away.
"Geoff told us to blend in, and what's a better way to do that then by sitting at the bar?" The man pointed out, pulling his arm away so he could cross it. "I'm drinking for the job, really.'
"You don't need to drink to socialize; I don't drink and I'm-" Ryan stopped in his tracks, as Jeremy began snickering. "What?"
"It's just- yup, that's definitely what I think when I see you. 'Ryan Haywood, master extrovert." Jeremy descended into another fit of giggles and now it was Ryan's turn to roll his eyes, but with no real malice behind it as he was starting to smile as well.
"Shut up, I'm not that bad." He replied, only for Jeremy to give him a pointed look. "I said shut up! And there are other ways to do our job that don't involve alcohol."
"Like?" Jeremy asked, noticing a soft smile take place on Ryan's lips.
"Well," he started, pulling Jeremy closer to him. "We are in a party, and there is a ballroom-which is clearly necessary for every twenty first century household--"
"Obviously. "
"So, what do you say we do what everyone and their mistress is doing, and dance?" He asked, placing his hands on Jeremy's hips and giving him a warm smile that made his heart melt. "What do you say?"
"The crew will see." Jeremy said simply, looking over Ryan's shoulder, directly at the camera looking over them.
"We can dance in the bathroom, no cameras there." Ryan shrugged, making Jeremy let out a laugh. He was already swaying them to the beat of the music, humming the tune under his breath. "C'mon, please?"
Jeremy sighed, placing his hand on Ryan's shoulders and allowing himself to be guided to the center of the room, where other couples were already swirling around, all so careless to the world around them.
Jeremy, however, was painfully aware of the cameras watching their every move and the couples surrounding them. This wasn't like them; this wasn't dancing at two in the morning to High School Musical because neither of them could sleep, or singing off key to pop songs while Ryan rolled his eyes at Jeremy's over the top impressions of the video clip. This was real, too real, and at the same time too fake.
"Are you okay?" Ryan asked, his voice low and eyes filled with concern. He gently ran his hands up and down his spine. "You're as stiff as a board."
"I just…" Jeremy trailed off, sighing. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts away, Ryan's hand being the only thing grounding him. "This, this whole thing-the suits, the dancing, the PDA-it isn't us, y'know?"
"Well, can't it be?" Ryan shot back, frowning. If Jeremy didn't know him he'd say he looked hurt even. "I mean, at least for tonight, can't we act like a normal couple, for once?"
"Ryan-"
"No, really!" He hissed, pulling away slightly so he could look Jeremy in the eye. Some of the people around them gave them odd looks but he ignored them. "Because, it's hard to love you when you act like you are embarrassed to be around me and-"
"What ...what did you just say?" Jeremy asked, a shocked look on his face, for a second Ryan looked at him questioning before his own words hit him and his eyes became as wide as saucers.
"Shit, that's not how I wanted to say it." He cursed under his breath, looking to the ground in disappointment before turning his attention back to his partner, a pleading look in his eyes. "Just...forget I said anything, please? Let's get back to dancing."
"Actually, I think we wasted enough time here." Jeremy says simply, pulling away. "We should get to it."
"Jeremy-" Ryan pleaded, but the man had already turned away, quickly making his way out of the room and back into the foyer. He tried his best to ignore the footsteps following him as he climbed the grand staircase leading to the second floor, giving only one quick glance around to make sure no one was watching him do it as he marched with newfound determination to complete their assigned mission.
He barely registered the voices in his ear, the crew inquiring what had happened, if they were compromised, if they were still going to follow through with the plan. Ryan did his best to answer them, but his tone was rushed and his words brief which only seemed to bring more confusion. That too was ignored by the lad. He had a job to do; nothing else mattered, anything else could be solved later and maybe, just maybe, if he focused hard enough on it, everything else would fade away.
Suddenly he stopped, recognizing the room before him from the numerous plans he had memorized on the weeks prior. Behind him, he heard Ryan catch up, his breathing slightly labored and uneven but Jeremy still didn't turn to face him as he opened the door and stepped inside.
“Keep watch for me.” He told Ryan, trying to close the door behind him but before he could, a hand grabbed his; Jeremy shot up in alarm, only relaxing when he twisted back to see a pair of baby blue eyes pleading at him.
“Jer, please,” Ryan asked, his tone close to begging, he gave Jeremy’s hand a small squeeze. “Talk to me. I just want to know what I’m doing wrong.”
Nothing! Jeremy wanted to cry. You're perfect! Too perfect for me!
Instead he just sighed, pulling his arm back from Ryan’s grip. “Just...just be on the lookout, okay?” He pleaded, voice low as he turned back towards the empty office in front of him-ignoring how his boyfriend’s face fell when he did so and the way his eyes, which usually could gaze into the depths of Jeremy’s soul, seemed so lost and helpless.
He was relieved to close the door, so they wouldn't bore holes through the back of his skull while he worked.
Jeremy took a deep breath, trying to quickly recompose himself, before he pressed on. The room, much like the rest of the house, was quite grand but it took only a glance to see how artificial it all was; the leather-bound books that adorned the shelves on almost every wall were thick and old, but the fine layer of dust that discreetly covered them showed their disuse and abandonment, the desk-made out of dark mahogany and with golden details and accompanied by a large, red, leather chair-looked almost imposing, but with one quick tap of his foot the man could tell that it was hollow, its insides probably concealing drugs and stashes of stolen cash. But what really brought the whole thing home was the immaculate state it was in. There were no papers lying around, no contracts waiting to be filled, or even a single pen out of its proper place. No, it was clear that the deals in this room were carried over as quickly as possible, with rushed tones, and a brief handshake when it was all done, then never mentioned again.
Jeremy twisted his nose at it all. The crew often took pride in the fact that, despite their name, they were quite honest to themselves and each other.
Well, most of the time at least.
The man shook his head, clearing away his thoughts. This wasn't the time to beat himself up, he had to figure out where to put the bug before someone climbed upstairs and caught what would probably be one of Ryan's poor attempts of acting casual.
He gave the room a quick scan; there were no lamps or landlines, which were the usual spot to hide them, and he wouldn't be able to reach the light hanging from the ceiling without climbing something which was way too humiliating. He could hide it under the desk or in the stuffing of the chair but the risk of it being found right away was high. Finally, Jeremy's eyes fell on the untouched books; they were a bit far, but maybe…
The man pressed on his earpiece, activating it. "Hey, Gav, do you copy?" He asked, moving towards the shelves and picking up one of the books.
" Lil J!" Gavin cried, making Jeremy cringe at the volume of his voice. "Are you alright?! When you stormed off we worried something happened-"
"I'm fine." Jeremy replied, rolling his eyes at the man's sudden concern. He pulled out his wallet, taking out the small mic hidden in its credit card pouch. "Listen, I need you to activate the bug. I'm not sure if the place I put it in will pick up any talking so I want to be sure."
"Oh...sure." The hacker said, sounding somewhat disappointed. Jeremy, however, paid him no mind as he glued the device to the book's fore edge before quickly putting it back on its previous position. He took a few steps back to admire his work before his com sprung back to life. " Uh, seems we have some technical problems. Stand by."
"Everything alright?" Jeremy inquired, raising an eyebrow.
" Yeah, we are just having some trouble getting a stable connection." Gavin brushed him off. " I'll ask Jack to bring the car closer to the building, should be fixed in a bit."
"How long?" A different voice asked, and Jeremy couldn't help but grow stiff as he realized Ryan was the one speaking.
"A few minutes or-"
Jeremy couldn't hear the end of the sentence due to Ryan storming in, a determined look on his face. "We need to talk." He said simply as he slammed the door behind himself, giving his partner nowhere to run from the argument they needed to have.
Jeremy tried anyways.
"Ryan, is now really a good time-" he started, shaking his head but his partner stopped him, stalking forward.
"Yes, Jeremy, I think now is the best time to do this." Ryan hissed, and Jeremy couldn't help but hang his head as a long sigh escaped from his lips. He leaned against the desk, watching wordlessly as Ryan began to pace. "No cameras, no crew, and no voices in our ears to tell us what to do; maybe you can finally stop acting like you are ashamed of me so we can have a goddamn conversation for once!"
"I'm not ashamed of you!" Jeremy shot back, feeling regret sink down his stomach. There's no way Ryan actually thought that, right? He had to know how much he meant to the younger man.
"Yeah?!" He all but screamed in return, and Jeremy couldn't help but wince at his tone. "Is that why you hide our relationship from the crew? Because you're so fucking happy to be with me?!"
"Hey, you thought it would be funny!" The man in question reminded him, but Ryan rolled his eyes at his remark.
"Yeah, for like a week! But then you said we should keep doing it and…" Ryan trailed off, his eyes cast down and arms hugging himself. He didn't look angry anymore, just tired, and when he spoke again his words were as soft as a whisper, "Listen, if you want to keep this casual or if you want it to stop I-I get it. But I really care about you, and I thought you cared about me too-"
"Of course I care about you!" Jeremy said, shooting up from where he was leaning. He tried to cup Ryan's face in his hands but the man moved away, a sad but questioning look on his face.
"Then why?" Ryan pleaded, his eyes begging. "Why don't you want to be with me?"
“Because you deserve better!” Jeremy let out, feeling tears threatening to spill. It hurt to say it but he had to, Ryan needed to know. "One day you're going to realize that I'm not good enough for you and you'll leave and I...I don't want to get hurt like that."
For a moment, there was silence-only interrupted by a couple of sniffles coming from Jeremy and the distant sound of music downstairs-as Ryan took in his partners words. Shock took over his features before his expression fell into sadness and pity, which only made Jeremy let out a choked sob.
"Great," he mumbled, looking down to his feet in shame, "Now you think I'm pathetic."
"No! Of course not!" Ryan was quick to say, moving forward to cup Jeremy's face in his hands; he gently caressed the man's cheek with his thumb, not moving away as it became wet with tears. "Jeremy, I meant what I said down there-I love you, and I promise I don't plan on stopping any time soon."
"But-" Jeremy attempted but Ryan was quick to cut him off once more.
"No buts." He said simply, as he tilted Jeremy's head up so their eyes were locked. Ryan planted a chaste kiss on his lips. "I love you, Jer, and if you can't love yourself right now I'll do it for the both of us." He gave Jeremy another kiss, this one longer and more passionate, their arms wrapped around each other in a warm embrace that made the shorter man feel safe and cared for. He couldn't help but chase his lips as Ryan pulled away once more. "This doesn't have to be perfect, dear; it just needs to be the two of us making an effort and right now, that's good enough."
Jeremy couldn't help but stare lovingly into Ryan's eyes as his chest seemed to fill more and more with unadulterated adoration for the man staring back at him. "I love you." Jeremy whispered, feeling his cheeks heat up and his face split into a grin as the words left his lips. He watched as Ryan's eyes lit up, an almost child-like excitement and wonder painting his features.
"I love you too." He replied, kissing the top of Jeremy's head.
"Awn, I love you guys too!" A third voice chimed in, making both men groan. Apparently they weren't the only ones as several disgruntled ' Gavin!' s filled their ears, followed by loud squawking.
"So, when did the bug start working?" Jeremy asked, slightly annoyed by the interruption but not really upset.
"Sometime around all the making out." Michael chimed in, his voice somewhere between amused and annoyed. Jeremy whined and rested his head against Ryan's chest, who snickered in return. "So you two fuckers wanna share with the class when you guys started dating?"
Ryan and Jeremy shared a look, a silent conversation happening with a single look, before Jeremy shrugged, a hint of a smile growing on his lips. Ryan broke into a huge grin.
"About five months ago." He answered, trying to sound nonchalant, only to immediately cringe when disgruntled shouts and demands filled both of their coms.
Jeremy watched as his boyfriend laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls and making the man feel weak on the knees. As they tried their best to answer the questions the crews were shouting in their ears, he couldn't help but think that maybe it wasn't perfect.
But it was damn close.