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Jordan exhaled slowly, momentarily entranced by the thin puff of cold air that he produced. Although Los Santos was known for its heat, (and high crime-rates) it was a bit of a chilly, weekend night. It wasn’t enough to make him regret wearing his signature green shorts though. He did decide to comply with the weather and sport a plain black hoodie, however. His hands seemed to remain burrowed in his pocket there.
Despite the fact that it was a Saturday night, this part of town was relatively quiet. Save for the few gunshots and sirens he heard about ten minutes ago. He remained un-bothered by it though and kept casually strolling past the run-down homes and abandoned warehouses. Soon enough, his brown eyes were illuminated by the bright, neon-teal sign that flashed outside of a convenience store.
Before entering, he parked his heels by the curb for a moment and glanced around at the empty street. The silence was almost eerie, but was quickly broken apart by the sound of people arguing a few houses down. Deciding he’d heard enough after a minute or two of non-stop cursing and shouting, Jordan grew bored with their drama and stepped inside the dusky store.
It wasn’t impressive by any means, but he really didn’t care. The shop-owner gave him a slight nod as he entered, which he returned with a small grin. Absentmindedly, he began to walk through the various aisles, searching for nothing in particular. After a few minutes, his eyes seemed to want to peruse the candy section, so that’s where he headed. A slight buzz vibrated in his pocket, alerting him that he had a new text message. It went unnoticed though, as Jordan continued to stare down at the assortment of sweets below him.
He could faintly hear the sound of a bell dinging as the front door opened for a customer. Not even seconds later, he felt an arm slide around his neck, holding him in place. Behind him was the body of another man, pressing his chest up into his back. A cool, metallic object was being pressed against his temple.
“I want all the money in the register, now. If you try anything, he’s dead .” Jordan’s heart thrummed heavily as the man’s grip tightened.
“Please, please… just do as he says!” He pleaded and watched as the store-owner’s eyes widened.
“Move!” Suddenly, he was being shoved ahead towards the counter. Handfuls of cash were being stuffed into a paper bag with a shaky hand. Jordan licked his dry lips and tried to steady his breathing, but he was too riled up. As any sane person would be, given his position.
“T-That’s it, that’s all of it.” They stuttered out, quickly sliding the bag across the counter towards Jordan.
“Pick it up.” Jordan complied and grasped for the paper bag. In an instant, he was spun slightly, just enough so that the man holding him captive could begin to make his getaway. They were almost to the front door, so close to the exit, before Jordan caught sight of the owner reaching below the counter.
It all happened so fast, it seemed to blur in his mind. He could recall seeing the barrel of a shotgun being drawn out, and without thinking, he pulled out the pistol that he had stashed in the pocket of his hoodie. Within a split second, he fired off a round which pierced straight through the owner’s chest, then spun around to shoot out the security cameras. He heard the heavy clunk of the firearm hitting the ground and then the doorbell ring once more before they made their escape.
“Damn it, Tom. You weren’t supposed to turn your back on him!” Jordan shouted angrily, furious with the way his partner handled the situation. He could be so careless sometimes.
“How’d Dianite like it if he knew you got clocked by some convenience store-owner, huh?” He didn’t mean to be so aggressive, but the thought of Tom taking a hit just to catch an adrenaline rush upset him.
The arm around his neck had long since been removed, but seeing the way Tom was glaring at him now almost brought back feeling of being choked. They’d already managed to scurry into a back-alley where their getaway vehicle was parked before Tom spat back at him.
“Don’t you dare bring him into this. It went fine. We’re fine.” His voice seemed deeper than usual as he said this. Jordan could easily feel the heat from his narrowed gaze. It reminded him that they both needed to keep cool until they could get to their safe-house.
“You’re right and I’m sorry. It’s just… that could’ve gone so wrong.” And I care about you, idiot. He failed to mention the last part as he climbed into the passenger seat. And although it was faint, he did notice Tom’s gaze soften as if he understood what he meant.
The ride back to the Crew’s hideout was quick (and sloppy). Jordan often wondered why Tom was always the one who ended up behind the wheel. His need for speed and adrenaline was certainly going to be the death of them one day. It was his fault they decided to rob the pitiful little store anyways.
“Oh, come on. Don’t you want to feel that rush? It’ll be real simple, in-and-out. Just the two of us.” Tom suggested with a sly smirk.
It had sounded so tempting at the time and since the rest of the crew was out doing their own business, they really had nothing else to do. Of course, that was just Jordan trying to provide a reason. In reality, he was just so damn easily persuaded. If something sounded decent, he might as well roll with it. Perks of neutrality, he supposed. Though he doubted that Ianite would really approve of him hitting up small shops just for fun.
It was just their luck that the owner of the store hadn’t recognized them. Which was odd, since their faces were plastered on nearly every surface of this town. These days, it was becoming increasingly more difficult to wander about in public. Maybe he shouldn’t had laughed at Wag when he suggested that they all wear masks. Maybe he should’ve listened. As Jordan weighed the pros and cons of sporting a mask, he almost didn’t notice that they’d reached their hideout until Tom softly punched his arm.
“Come on,” He said as he hopped out of the car, “Let’s go count what we got.”
“Pfft. A hundred or two, if we’re lucky. That was such a cheap dump.” Jordan replied, before following his partner inside with the bag in hand.
“Yeah, well… it wasn’t really the cash that I cared about.” Tom retorted, tossing his gun on the couch. Without hesitation, he made his way into their small kitchen, which was open towards the living room. Jordan was prepared to scold him for being so reckless with his weapon, but decided against it. He’s had enough excitement for one night, better just to let it go.
“How much is it?” He’d just dumped the money out onto the table as Tom approached him from behind. There was a distinct pop followed by the sound of fizzing. Of course, he headed straight for the alcohol.
“Looks like… barely anything.” Jordan wasn’t disappointed, though he may have sounded like it. He knew not to expect much from this little stunt.
“Oh well, it was fun anyways.” He tried not to scoff at Tom’s response. They were standing shoulder-to-shoulder now, dimly staring down at the small lump of bills on the table.
“I could practically hear your heart racing once I grabbed you from behind. I think you secretly liked it too.” He didn’t need to see his face to know that his partner was smirking.
“Absolutely not. You’re sick,” Jordan mumbled, but deep down inside he knew that maybe his friend was right. The thrill of being completely captive to Tom, totally unable to do anything. He had zero control in that moment… it was quite an experience. Though, he’d sooner die before he actually admitted it.
“Hmm, maaaaybe,” Tom teased. “Still, you love me regardless.”
“I don’t think love’s the word I’d use…” Jordan said with an eyeroll. He began to scoop the money back into the bag, trying to ignore how Tom was inching closer to him.
“Oh, don’t be a dick, Sparklez .” He replied, punctuating the nickname with his accent. Jordan drew in a breath.
“Why not? I know it’s what you’re into.” Jordan was proud of his own sassy remark and he showed it with a smug grin. He glanced to the side, wanting to see Tom’s reaction, but the man was completely behind him now. The can of beer was set on the table beside the bag.
“You’re right, but it also seems like we have a common interest.” Tom whispered, blowing cool air across the back of his neck. His heart was racing as hard as it was earlier. He knew Tom was still riding that awful high of nearly getting caught, but Jordan would be lying though if he said he wasn’t feeling it too.
And then, there was a slender hand wrapping itself around him. It first pawed at his abdomen, slowly sliding up underneath his hoodie. The careful touch sent shivers up his spine, which was now pressed against Tom’s chest. It then travelled lower, stopping to play and nip at the waistband of his shorts. Aside from the rustling of fabric, only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard. Lower , still. That devilish hand was creeping towards his thigh now. Teasingly dragging his fingers up, until he was being cupped through his shorts. He blew out a harsh breath, but stifled a moan.
“How much time do we have before the others return?” Jordan was so enthralled in the high, that he craved some release. And he knew that Tom was feeling it too.
“Enough.”
That was all it took for Jordan to abandon the money they’d stolen, choosing instead to drag Tom by his shirt into the nearest bedroom.
Although the night definitely didn’t turn out as he planned, Jordan did learn something from it all.
Sometimes, it’s worth it to chase that high.