Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Are you fuckin kiddin' me, Pearce?"

"Why are you acting this way? Can't you just leave me alone?!" Aiden said.

JB Markowicz, also known as Defalt, has been following Aiden Pearce for a while, he said for studies purposes, which was irritating the Fox quite a bit. What made him even angrier, was that that guy was the first one he couldn't beat up for good; JB always managed to escape somehow and now, when he finally got to capture him, Pearce wasn't going to let him go.

"I told you, it's studies reason! Nothing more!" Defalt continued.

"Am I an object to study to you? You got yourself in a bad situation, you know that?" Aiden said, while advancing toward JB. "Do you even know?"

"I know that you wouldn't hurt someone who hasn't don-" Aiden punched him and that hurt a lot. JB doesn't even remember the last time he got beat up, he was an escape artist, he could say. He even survived the last time he fought against T-bone.

"Do you remember the taunting you did to me at the Ambrose? You did nothing to me?" He took JB by his neck and was looking at him with infuriating eyes. "Those words hurt more then any bullets that got through my body. You don't have any respect for someone who lost someone dear to them."
JB laughed.

He knew what Aiden was talking about, what he's said was unfair for sure, but it was to get him mad and lead him to chase him. How laughable when Aiden discovered he followed a fake Defalt and that JB was still at the club. He went back to the Ambrose days after to finish his work but failed to catch Defalt several times.

"Aiden, can't you just forgive me? I am young...and childish." Jb smirked. He knew how to get on Aiden's nerve for sure.

Aiden was the type who kept cool most of the time, but when someone touched his family he always got anxious and irritated. Irritated, maybe not the right word to use when talking about Aiden, JB thought.

"You are an idiot." Aiden said.

"How mature of you, Fox. Callin' me an idiot, well..." JB caressed Aiden's cheek. "What do I expect from someone that impulsive."

"I swear, I will make you suffer so-"

"I know I know why you're so angry." JB got himself free from Aiden's hand.

"And please, don't ever put your hands on my neck again, it's rude."

JB now walked a bit, then he turned around to look at Aiden again. "You can't stand someone you can't beat, Fox." Aiden squeezed his eyes and then slowly approached Defalt. "You are so used to win, that you forgot how to lose." Aiden reloaded the gun. "But you know what?" Now the gun was pointed right to his head. "I think we are even."

"What are you talkin' about?" Aiden said while in shock.

"I mean, you have your datas back, took your revenge on Lucky Quinn, no? You've beaten the shit out of me several times." Defalt didn't bat an eye, as if the gun pointed at his head was normal.

"You are a fucked up, you know that? All this time..." Aiden removed the gun. "All these years, not even one has dared to not even bat an eye with a gun pointed at them."

"I know, everyone shake in fear when they know Aiden Pearce, the Vigilante, is coming for them! But you know what? I think you do like me a lot! You're complimenting me, Pearce! You can't even look me in the eyes." Now JB's eyes are looking for Pearce's. "This adds to my studies, you like someone you can't catch, such a masochist."

"Shut up."

"You like the taunting? That adds too."

"Stop making fun of me."

"The eye contact is making you uncomfortable, Fox?" Defalt noticed how Aiden started to look somewhere else from time to time. "You can't do that! You're a professional, no? You can't look somewhere else when your enemy is here, right in front of you."

Aiden looked at him for a few seconds, before pointing the gun at JB again.
Defalt didn't even bat an eye again.

"What the fuck..."

"You like it, fox?" Defalt moved backwards. "Do you know why I stole your datas that time?"

"I don't know if I wanna, but c'mon, just say it." Aiden sounded pissed off, he really was.

"Clara kinda made you think that she found the bunker and I got pissed off. So, I decided to reveal her secret. The datas were just there and I needed to catch your attention somehow." He says walking down the stairs.

"Where are you going? And why did you need to get my attention?" Aiden followeed him.

"You still do not realize, Aiden." Defalt stopped walking and turned around to look at Aiden.

He looked in Aiden's eyes for a few seconds and then spoke. "We both don't belong anywhere. We are just existing and getting involved in the fight between Dedsec and Blume. We could destroy 'em both together, no one could stop us." JB started laughing. A broken and creepy laugh and then walked towards Aiden again. "Let's destroy them all, I know you want it."
Defalt gave Aiden a creepy stare for a few seconds, until Defalt laughed again and continued to go down the stairs.

"You are a fucked up."

"I know, Aiden."

Aiden followed JB and took him by his arm. "Don't you think I will let you hurt anyone. I am the Vigilante, I stop people like you."

"Yeah, that's funny." Defalt's eyes looked at the ground. "I told you not to be rude, by the way. Stop pulling at my arm, thanks." JB said. "Bye bye, for now Aiden..." before turning the corner Jb continued. "Oh err..right, don't follow me, or I'll have fixers take care of you. No wait, you would probably take care of 'em, but you know, at least they can slow you while I escape."

JB showed Aiden the middle finger before turning the corner.

--

"T-Bone, we need to talk!" Aiden screamed at the phone.

This last few days, Aiden has been following Defalt around to try and catchi him, but somehow, that rat was always able to escape. Ray, after so many times of tracking Defalt down, and that wasn't really the easiest thing to do, just accepted his destiny in helping Aiden on his stupid Rat hunting mission.

"Aiden." Ray was on his bed, with a hand on his face. He was so done with this situation. "You should stop thinking about that rat and go on with your life. Didn't you say you wanted to start again somewhere else?"

"Not before I get my vengeance!" Aiden screamed again.

"Hey hey, I just woke up so please, no screaming on the one." Now T-bone was sitting on his bed. "And please Aiden, we've already been there. Just ignore him, okay?"

"He wish!"

T-bone sighed. "Okay then, listen, this is the plan..."

Chapter Text

"My friend, you're too nervous about this," said Jordi, drinking his beer. "You need to relax, or you'll get wrinkles." Jordi laughed, checking the time on his phone.

"He gets on my nerves!" Punching the table, Aiden made Jordi's beer fall. "Aah, sorry."

"Oh don't worry, I almost killed you for money in the past, this is just beer."
Jordi called a waiter to get everything cleaned and Aiden stood up, putting some money on the table. "My part." He patted Jordi's shoulder and started to walk towards the bar's door; Jordi followed him outside just to see Aiden sitting on a bench nearby.

"So, now you're staying here like an old man? The night is young, my friend!" Jordi stood in front of Aiden, arms crossed. "Still thinking on how killing rats?"

"Actually, this is a bar outside the city he always goes to, at 11pm and right now it's 10pm." Aiden said and Jordi dropped his arms to the side. "He studies at university, psychology, which is ironic I would say, has one friend only, name's Amy and he has a second house somewhere in Chicago." Now Jordi looked at him with a perplexed expression and then smirked.

"Seems like he studies psychology, and you study zoology, specialized in rats." He started laughing loudly and that was pissing Aiden off.

He knew he stalked Defalt a bit, but it was for studies, as Defalt himself would say. Aiden had to study this person if he wanted to finally eliminate him, the DJ was a smart one.

"Maybe, I might help you in this, it's becoming entartaning. Maybe we can kidnap his only friend?" He questioned, hand on his chin.

"Jordi, please tell me you're joking."

"Yeah, yeah. You should know me by now!"

"I know you perfectly well, that's why I doubt you." Aiden stood up to stretch a bit.

"Ooh, by the way!" Jordi said in a cheerfully way. "That's why you changed your usual clothes? So he won't recognize you? That won't work, who wouldn't recognize this grumpy dude wanting to kill them."

"FIRST..!" Aiden almost screamed, high-pitched voice. "This is my usual clothes, you just rarely see me in this." White t-shirt, black jacket and blue jeans, Jordi looked from head to toes, he was giggling at that point. "SECOND, he should know. I want him to know I am keeping him under control, that I always can track him down and stop whatever he is planning in that rat head of his."

"Ooh yeah, sure. Okay, so not kidnapping the friend? I think that's a good idea, we shouldn't involve other people in this toxic relationship of yours."

"Fuck you!" Aiden spat. "I am gonna call Ray on the phone, so I can ignore your bullshit."

--

"Oh dear God, not Aiden again!" Ray said, throwing his phone on the side.

"He's still thinking about it after months? He's a very determined one, I'd say." Clara was still recovering from all the bullets she took a few months back and she was still trying to track whoever helped Lucky Queen to find her and send her fixers to kill her. "I mean, I can see why. Everytime someone touches his family he's difficult to deal with. I still don't know if he forgave me." Clara said with a sad tone.

"I think he did, he just doesn't know how to express his emotions. He was very worried when he knew you were in danger." Ray put his legs on the table. "I don't think he's angry with the rat either, he's just obsessed."

"Hahaha! Wait- what?" Clara was surprised by that.

"You see, Aiden has been a fixer for a while, he's one of the best ones. He's used to win, he's used to see people shake in fear when they know he's coming for them. Then he meets Defalt, who I know is a fucked up, I never saw him scared, just that time I thought I killed him." T-bone takes a sip of his glass of whisky. "I mean, Defalt always is capable of running away, he isn't scared of Aiden and Aiden isn't used to this, so it triggers him, because even us, his only friends, doubt him sometimes, but Defalt just knows Aiden won't kill him."

"So, why?" Clara crossed her arms and relaxed on her chair.

"Why what?" T-Bone continued drinking.

"Why won't he kill our dear rat Jay?"

"Would you let go a person who doesn't make you feel like you're a monster, for once?" Ray finished his drink. "Or maybe Aiden doesn't really want to change his life and finally have a normal one." T-bone's phone rang again.

--

"He doesn't answer!"

"Man, you called him a thousand times, at this point it's obvious he's ignoring you!" Jordi pulled at Aiden's left arm. "C'mon, we're gonna get more drinks if you want to wait for the musician rat."

"Stop pulling me, Jordi!"

Jordi was forcily making Aiden to go inside the bar again, then Aiden saw a familiar figure looking at them, looked like it was laughing. The figure started moving towards them and at some point it started waving, greeting them.

"Hi Aiden, it's been so long, as if you didn't stalk me to uni yesterday." JB smirked.

Jordi let go of Aiden's arm, making the man run to Defalt that at this point was dying of laughter for pissing off Aiden so much. "I have to thank you Defalt, I have been having my best days seeing Aiden acting like he's dealing with his first crush."

"Ooh that's so cute! You think he actually likes me? I think he does too."

"Fuck you, both! I just wanted you to know I can track you anywhere, you never have to feel safe, just so you know, I am always around. You taunted me at the club, you liked it? So now you deal with this. And stay away from Clara." Defalt's eyebrow twitched, something was bothering him. "If you touch her, I swear I won't go easy on you."

"Clara, the woman who sent people to kill your family?" Defalt put his hands in his jacket's pockets. "I see. So what, I have to get rid of your sister to make you like me?" That was the moment where Jordi's face twisted in disgust and Aiden snapped and took Jay from his jacket's collar, threw Jay to the bar's wall.

"Listen, you little piece of shit." Aiden spat. "You leave my sister out of this, you leave every one of my friends outta this. You understand that? Or you'll regret it." Aiden threatened.

Jay smirked. "I want to know what it's like to regret this, Aiden." Defalt whispered and then smirked. And then Aiden threw him on the cold ground and kicked him on his stomach many times. He then stopped just to watch the DJ's body twisting for the pain inflicted, but Jay laughed. He was laughing loudly.

Defalt tried to stand up, he was staggering. "I told you once, at the club. I am sure you know binary code." Defalt barely managed standing in front of Aiden. "Rolling on floor laughing, that's how much fun it all is for me." Jordi giggled at this.

"Bye bye Aiden, see you, it's been fun." Defalt staggered towards the bar's entrance.

Chapter Text

Aiden entered in the bar again, followed by Jordi, both scanning the place to see where Defalt was sitting, but they couldn't find him; then they checked the toilets too, but there was no trace of the dj.

"He tricked us, I can't believe it!" Aiden punched the wall. "This guy, he's getting on my nerves!"

"Calm down, Aiden." Jordi said. "We should check outside again, no?"

"No, I am sure he's here somewhere, he's just hiding, as always." Aiden says.

Then someone kicks the toilets door open, and Jordi and Aiden turned around. "I can see you know me very well, Aiden. I kind of expected it because you've been following me around like a dog for months..." JB smirked. "I mean, I don't really mind it, for once someone is going crazy over me."

"Okay, I am gonna leave you guys alone, so you can have some alone time together." Jordi laughed loudly and decided to get other drinks.

"Jordi, where the fuck-" Jordi closed the door. "I hate him, fuck!" Aiden groaned.

"He is so funny!" The dj exclaimed.

Aiden looked at him, kind of irritated. He didn't know why but JB's comment made him feel something in his heart, like something was crumpling it up like paper, and then he got angry because he couldn't explain this feeling. Aiden didn't like when he couldn't understand what he was feeling, because he didn't feel in control.

There's nothing worse than not feeling in control for someone like Aiden Pearce, he was the strong one, the one who always had control over others, the one who scared others, he was never scared, but lately has been different, Aiden was scared. He wasn't in control, he was scared that someone could die, that he could die. He didn't know why he felt like this.

"Tell-tell me." Aiden hesitated. "What did you mean with taking down Blume and Dedsec, what do they have to do with you and me?"

"Ooh I like that you're actually interested, I wonder why though." Jb was standing with his arms down his hips, he looked at Aiden questioningly. "Dedsec and Clara did something they didn't have to. And I don't know, don't you fight Blume?"

"Blume is one of the many things I fight, JB. I don't really have something with them right now."

"What if I tell you that you should be fighting them? Some people are disappearing mysteriously. Aren't you at least a bit interested in solving this case?" Aiden now looked at him confused.

"What does it have to do with you following me around and needing to catch my attention? You were doing that just to ask me to work with you?"

"For those answers, I think you'll have to chase me a bit more, Aiden."

"I won't follow you anymore from now on, Defalt. I understood that you're playing with me at this point, I was just an idiot blinded by rage."

Now Defalt was looking at him angrily. Defalt didn't like people rejecting him, he was the one rejecting others or cutting them off of his miserable life.

"I didn't want to use this card with you, Aiden. But I will tell you." Defalt was considering how he could tell Aiden about it. He thought he could somehow understand, but probably Aiden would tell him to move on, to not even try.

"I think that..."

"Okay, you know what? I don't really care, Defalt, I don't have time to lose with someone like you.
You're probably just faking this all so you can probably get your revenge on Dedsec. Now that I remember about it, T-bone told me he saw a video of you and Clara with some Daves. They didn't accept you, so now you want to get them. But I don't wanna get involved in this, Ray was right, I have to move on and..." Aiden sighed. "...try to have a normal life."

At first Defalt remained silent, he was hurt and he couldn't even remember the last time he felt like someone made him feel broken like this. No, kind of could, everytime his father beat him up, everytime his mother rejected him for who he really was, and when his brother went missing.
His brother suffered of depression but somehow managed to find a job and get him and JB as far away as possible from their parents. They went to New York, found a decent house in the worst street possible there. Then his brother's depression worsen and his brother thought that it would have been better if he went to some place and take care of himself. They were keeping him on watch, Defalt could go and visit him, and he would do that, everyday. He would go visit his brother to read him books, making him listening to some music he created when he was still at the beginning. Then his brother died and Defalt, at the age of 14 years old was left alone.

"His name was Alec."

"Who?"

"My brother's name."

Aiden looked around for a few seconds. "Why are you telling me this?"

"He was killed by Ray. He told you about everything but that, I guess."

"You're right, he didn't tell me."

"I think, that...that my brother's still alive."

Chapter Text

"What-" Aiden was starting to feel uncomfortable. Didn't all the people from the blackout die? How could Defalt think that his brother was still alive? "
That doesn't make sense." Aiden said. "Listen to me." He continues, now looking down at Defalt who still was in need to know what Aiden was gonna say.
Aiden didn't want to be cruel, he knew how losing someone dear to you was, but Defalt was still living in the past and someone needed to tell him that. "Defalt, all the people from the Blackout died. They died, you have to accept it. It's been a long time." Aiden takes a few steps back. "Move on."

The DJ's face was twisted but Aiden couldn't quiet get what emotion it was trying to communicate. Disgust? Hate? Sadness? Or all of them together.

"He's..!" JB stuttered, he was trying to not cry. "He's still alive, I just know, a brother knows it. We always could feel if one of us was in danger, or sad, or angry. We just knew." Jay looked up to meet Aiden's eyes, they were glowing with the light coming through the toilets' window. "I can feel he's still alive."

"Okay, okay...let's say that-" Aiden moved next Jay, who was leaning on the wall. "Let's say that I believe you and I want to actually help you, what do I gain from this? And what do you want me to do?" Aiden looked interested and it gave the DJ hope.

He wasn't used to that, hope. Jay thought it was something it didn't exist at some point. His life was fuckin' miserable and where was hope. There wasn't any when no one loves you and you're left suffering all by yourself.

"I can give you all the money you want, any amount. You just have to go to a place in Pawnee and look for my brother there. I think I have an idea of where he could be." That's the moment he gets very near to Aiden, and Aiden just froze in place.

"Can- can you not do that?" Aiden says.

"Do what?" Jay was literally leaning on him now. "Ooh, the getting too close? I- I haven't done that on purpose, sorry- err...you don't-" Jay was way too embarrassed to even finish a whole sentence that made sense.

"Don't worry, okay?" Aiden moved away. "I don't care about the money, I am just gonna help you."

"Wait, you don't want me to pay you?" Defalt was in shock.

"I am not a fixer anymore, I am not the Vigilante either. People thinks it's a legend and I am gonna let them think that." Aiden says, hands in his jacket's pockets. "I am looking for a job, a honest one, if a DJ of my acquaintance needs, I don't know, maybe a bodyguard or just someone looking out for him?" Aiden took a few steps back. "I don't know, I am trying but, okay, this thing of following you was just out of pure habits. I am used to follow people, get to know them and get rid of them."

Jay laughed. "Why are you laughing?" Aiden did a little laugh too.

"That's funny because...aah, I am glad you didn't get rid of me to be honest." Jay smiled, it was a sincere one. Aiden thinks he never saw Defalt do that.

"First, I want you as my bodyguard, can you even imagine how cool I will look?!" The DJ said with an happy, high-pitched voice. "And second, as you can see, I am trying to live normally too. I go to college, have one friend only, as you like to say as if I don't know already I am a loser, have a second house, a normal one where I can invite mine, as you said, only friend Amy. And, now I can invite there my bodyguard too." Jay leaned on the wall again. "When I am Defalt I am not getting involved with Dedsec anymore, but I need them to disappear, I don't trust any of them. I think they're plotting something big." Jay said with a crazy look. "Free to believe me or not, Aiden."

"I believe you." Aiden simply said.

"What?" The DJ was shocked and he let out a laugh. "You believe me?"

"Clara quit dedsec a few weeks ago, I don't know why, she told me that that's nothing I have to worry about. I tried asking T-bone but he said he knows nothing which, you know, I don't really think so."

"They know something?" Jay asked.

"I think they do." Aiden's gaze was somewhere on the wall and then he looked at Jay again. "Can I ask you something?" Aiden asked.

"You're already asking me something." Jay laughed.

"Shut up." Aiden was getting annoyed again. Amusing, Jay thought. "What did Dedsec do to you? I don't actually think what I said earlier, that you want to kill them just because they rejected."

"Yeah, that's because I would be trying to kill you too." Jay said.

"What?"

"What?" Jay repeated.

"Be serious, please!" Aiden said.

"Okay..." Jay now was walking to the door. "Follow me."

Chapter Text

"Can I ask you why you needed to catch my attention, by the way? I feel like the Dedsec thing is not really the only thing about it." Aiden said.

He told Jordi he was going with Defalt and not to worry. Now they were in the Dj's car and they've been driving for a while. It's been awkard for at least 20 minutes now, in silence and just looking at Jay being deep in his thoughts while driving.

"Let's start from the fact that you trusted me. I never thought you actually would do that." In his creepy voice, it seemed that there was a sarcastic but uncertain tone to it.

Maybe he wasn't used to people trusting him, which was obvious considering he was Defalt. "I almost lost my sister, I know how it feels. I wanna give you a hand if your brother really is alive, but JB, I want you to be honest with me..."

"Yeah, you're right, I am sorry, it's not even something serious, you know, the thing of why I needed your attention. I would just forget it and," he stopped for a moment, looking down once he parked the car. "We arrived."

"Oh nice, it's an old building. Are we here so you can kill me? I don't think it'll happen." Jb turned around fast, just to see Aiden smirking and letting a small laugh out.

"For a moment I thought you were serious, damn." Defalt laughed. "You almost got me."

In that moment Defalt took Aiden's hand in his. "You wanna know why?" But then he stopped and released his hand. What if Aiden was like Defalt's parents? What if Aiden would be disgusted by him? He would lose him and even lose the chance to have his help to save his brother. No, he couldn't risk this much. "I was joking, obviously."

Aiden didn't have any kind of expression on his face, he was unreadable and that made JB even more worried.

"I understand now." Aiden said and the Dj felt a sense of shame burying him. "Don't worry, I don't hate you; there are many other reasons to hate you. We can ask Ray, if you want?" Aiden laughed again and then hugged Defalt.

He knew what it felt like to be alone, to be rejected from everyone, the sense of shame and the emptiness when you lose everyone you love. Defalt and him weren't that different, they both tried to hide their true selves for one reason or another, it was a must to survive.
Now that he thinks about it, he never really thought about love or anything like that either, but he knew something, Defalt was young, they were like 15 years apart, and he also was really fucked up in the head. Even if he wasn't that bad person he liked to show, he was still too fucked up and Aiden was too.

Two fucked up individuals together. "You know it can't happen, right?" Aiden said. "It's not that you're...ugly." Defalt covered his face.

His face full of scars, the reason he wore the mask. He must have felt too ashamed of his face, which Aiden thought that it wasn't as ugly as JB thought. He was beautiful; white skin like porcelain, light-blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was a very handsome man, he could find someone way better than Aiden if he tried.

"I know that one of the reasons it's because I am a man, and well, my ugly scars don't help but," Defalt sighed. "It's not like I didn't expect for you to reject me, so please, let's just focus on finding my brother." They both got out of the car and entered the building.

"This is my house, the one I use as a university student. Amy will come here later." He went to the fridge to get some food. "I'll cook something, so please, take a sit."

"When does she come? So I can go in time."

"You don't have to, she knows I am Defalt. She's the only one who knows, and you too."

"I see. You trust her a lot." Aiden sat down and opened his phone. "So, what's the plan, rat-man?"

"Aah, let's talk about it while having pancakes in a few minutes."

"Sounds nice, I'll call Ray then. I'll update him." And that was when JB punched the table.

"Why would you do that?!" He screamed. "So he can try finally killing my brother for sure, this time?!"

"Calm down, he might be useful for us. He actually feels bad, Defalt." Aiden stood up and tried to calm him down. "You have to calm down, okay? We can work, as a team. You, me, Jordi and Ray and Clara. It'll be easier with all of us."

"You don't know what I went through because of him, why would he care? He ruined my life already!"

And then someone knocked on the door. "It-it must be Amy. Let's not talk about it in front of her, okay?" His voice was shaking and he knew he was showing himself vulnerable again. He shouldn't be doing that, he really shouldn't. Aiden knew already too many things that could make him beat him.

"We could really use their help though, think about it Jay, you don't have to give me an immediate answer. Don't worry, take your time."

And as Aiden finished to talk, Defalt just nodded and went to open the door.

"Jayy! I brought you some cinnamon rolls. Let's eat together." She just entered without even giving any more time for Defalt to say if she could enter or not and well, it was too late, once she saw Aiden she dropped the bakery package and stood in shock.

"Oh. My. God." Amy regained herself and turned to Defalt. "You-you-you have company! I AM SORR-"

"SHUT UP." He screamed and became as red as a tomato. "Please, just shut up and sit down. Pick the cinnamons from the ground too." And then he went back to what he was doing, cooking the pancakes. He heavely sighed. "He's Aiden Pearce, my bodyguard. Since you're my manager I thought it would be good for me to introduce you both."

"Nice to meet you."

"Ooh, nice to meet you too, Mr. Bodyguard." Amy still looked at him as him and Defalt were hiding something. Well, they were, actually, but not what she was thinking about. "Yeeah, bodyguard-man." Amy giggled. "You're his bodyguard. Defalt's bodyguard. He doesn't need one, please. Don't lie to me." She then put a hand on Aiden's shoulder and that was when both Aiden and Defalt looked at her in some kind of shocked expression, thinking that there was no use to try to convince her it wasn't like she thought. "Where did you guys meet??"

Aah, Defalt thought, that's a long story.

And <<What did I put myself into?>> that was what Aiden thought.

Chapter Text

“So, that’s how you guys met, seriously?” Amy said disappointedly. “C’mon, I expected some crazy stories with hunting and guns!” Amy bit on a pancake as she said that.

They obviously didn’t tell her the truth, JB always looking at Aiden everytime he could’ve made him look bad in front of Amy.

“And how did you meet JB?” Aiden was, instead, trying the -flat- cinnamon rolls that survived the ground.

“Oh, well, it’s not that exciting, we met at a therapy group. I lost my sister last year.” Amy rested her cheek on her hand, looking away with a nostalgic look. She then looked at JB. “But life goes on, doesn’t it?” JB hesitated, but he then nodded.

“Yes, moving on…” JB grabbed a cinnamon roll after finishing two nutella pancakes.

“That’s rough, losing someone we love.” Aiden then added, his eyes were a bit lost but he tried to keep the feeling of crying to himself. “But we must move on, realize that they wouldn’t want to see us sad.” Aiden grabbed the cinnamon roll from Defalt’s hand. “Too many sweets.”

Amy let out a small chuckle. “I agree on that.” She stretched and got up, setting the coffee machine. There was something oddly domestic about it, Aiden thought. He missed Nicki, when they used to make coffee every morning, together.

A few minutes later, when they were still silent, Aiden started to smell the coffee. “It makes me think that I can’t even make a decent coffee. My sister always bullied me over my cooking skills.” Aiden laughed lightly, Amy chuckled with him, but Defalt knew that look. He just looked down at his own hands.

An hour later Amy went back home, leaving JB and Aiden alone in his apartment. Aiden poured himself some other coffee and JB started to wash dishes. Aiden started to look at him differently.

“This felt so…weirdly domestic.” Aiden whispered without thinking, he then sighed. “So…” Aiden moved to the sink, his hand on the side of the counter, his body facing Defalt. “Dedsec talk.”

Jay rolled his eyes, he spoke in a sarcastic tone. “Dedsec talk,” and he faked a smile. “What did they d to me, uh? Well, everything. They tried to ruin my reputation and I think that Blume got someone from their team into Dedsec.” JB said that with a serious, flat tone.

“What?” Aiden said backing off a bit.

“Some people that worked for Blume at the time when my brother died, got into dedsec now. Which is ironic.” Jay said while drying the plates. “Listen. Some people in dedsec are good, but some…are not.” Then Defalt arched an eyebrow. “She must know, your sweet Clara.” Something in Jay’s tone had bitterness. Oh, right…

“I don’t like her, she’s with Ray.” Aiden sat down on the chair. “You’re jealous?” Aiden smirked, teasing him.

“No, no, I’m not.” Jay tried to hide it. “That would be your loss, anyway. I’m way better than her.” Jay sighed, he then scoffed. “I know it can’t happen. The age gap, the fact that I look like I look, because I’m a man and that I’m fucked up in the head. But who made me fucked up in the head?” Jay was now leaning on a counter and sat on it, he looked into Aiden’s eyes.

“My father used to beat me up bad too.” Aiden admitted, that left JB in utter silence. “My mother at some point, somehow, got us away from him but…I became just like him.” Aiden heard a loud hit on the counter.

“You’re not like him. Yes, you killed people, bad ones and it doesn’t justify your actions. But you never hurt the good ones, your girlfriend or wife or your kids and if you had wife and kids, I don’t think you’d be the type who would do that. My dad and…maybe your dad too, they were…merciless, monsters.” JB stopped and then sighed. “And I’m a monster too.”

Aiden raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, he then changed subject. “So, you want to attack dedsec, you have to do it from the inside, make them trust you.” Aiden said as he relaxed more on the chair. “Maybe with a fake identity, as JB instead of Defalt.”

Jay grabbed a can of beer from the fridge. “Let’s move to the couch and tell me what you have in mind.”

Defalt lead Aiden to the couch, they sat down comfortably and as a bit of rain started dripping against the window and Jay turned on the TV, Aiden felt like he was back in some familiar place, a place that made his heart warm up.

“They could never know it’s you if you created a complete new identity and you know how to disappear, so it won’t be difficult.” Aiden takes a sip of his coffee.

Defalt smirked and then laughed with a creepy look. “Damn, yeah. I could do that.” Jay then looked at his can of beer on the coffee table. “I feel light-headed.”

“You didn’t even take a sip, man.” Aiden laughed.

“No, no.” Jay shook his head. “It’s the kind of light headed state that you’re in only when someone makes you feel so well after a long time.” Jay smiled sincerely, but Aiden’s smile dropped. “Calm down, I’m not asking you to marry me,” Jay chuckles. “…yet.”

“I’d happily decline.” Aiden looked at the TV without really watching it. “I had just one girlfriend, it was pretty serious.” Aiden at some point of the night said.

“And what happened?” Jay rested against the couch, his body half turned towards Aiden.

“I…wanted to get more money, tired of the life I was leading and that was when I met Damien.”

-

After that night, Aiden slept on Defalt’s couch, while JB went to rest on his bed, leaving the door half open with the light of the hallway on, so it could go in a bit. Aiden found difficulty falling asleep because of that, but succumbed to sleep after a while. When Aiden woke up, the sunlight was hitting his face. He brushes his eyes with his hands and can smell coffee. He got off the couch, just to see Jay warming up the pancakes from the night before and making fresh coffee.

“Good morning, honey.” Defalt teased Aiden. “It’ll be a rough day, bodyguard.”

Aiden crossed his arms. “And why’s that, rat?” He said irritated.

“Oh, woke up on the bed side of the couch?” JB chuckled.

“So, what’s going on today?” Aiden ignored Defalt’s question. “You put pancakes in a microwave?”

“Oh, cmon, you wanted me to throw them?” Defalts got the pancakes out of the microwave and served them with coffee. “So, listen.” Jay took a seat at the kitchen table and Aiden followed him and took a seat as well. “I’m nominated for a prize for my music. It’s a very big one and you and Amy will be there, as my bodyguard and manager, no?”

“Okay, but why do I feel like there’s more to that?” Aiden bit down on the pancakes.

“Because there is, smart little fox.” JB smirked, Aiden rolls his eyes. “There’s this guy, name’s Arthur, he’s quite known in my world. So, this guy, is ten years older than me, it means that when I was 14, he was 24, when my brother died.”

Aiden looked up at JB. “He’s involved?”

“At the time he wasn’t popular, he was a worm in the music industry. He was my brother’s best friend and worst enemy, I guess.” Jay took a sip of his coffee. “It needed more sugar, damn.” JB put down the cup on the table with a loud sound. “I thought he could help me, but when I asked him help, last year, he just avoided me. I then researched him and saw…he was working for Blume at the time. My brother…was investigating Blume, and was friends with this man!” Jay’s hand was tight on the cup.

Aiden listened carefully, he then noticed something. “Your brother was investigating Blume? Was he a journalist? I saved a guy who was a journalist from Blume, a long time ago.”

“No, he was a detective.” Jay stopped, thinking.

“So, Arthur?” Aiden said.

“He’s a great musician, but not my level.” JB said without any sarcasm, he just had a big ego as usual. Aiden rolled his eyes.

“Cmon, I’m joking!” Jay crossed his arms. “I’m gonna take a shower, there’s a second bathroom down the hallway, you can take a shower there if you want.” Jay said as he disappeared behind the bathroom door.

But Aiden didn’t go to the bathroom, instead he went to Jay’s bedroom. He enters, the window shut down with wood, the bed a mess, cans of energy drinks on the ground and just a bedside table on one side. He opened it, finding a picture of a younger Defalt with an older man, assuming it’s his brother. “But, this man-” Jay opened the door abruptly and took the photo from Aiden’s hands.

“What are you doing in my room? You should be showering. Get out.” JB pushed him out of the room and slammed the door closed.

Aiden stayed dare in awe, he knew who Defalt’s brother was.