Chapter Text
Simon was a free man. He had been free for the last eight years, and for many of them he has been with his lovely partner. He had finally found a comfortable routine, he had friends who had adopted him as one of their own, he had a cat named Ellie he found on the streets, she was messed up but he loved her, he had a job, an apartment and he had Ryland. For the first time in his life, he was happy. But the foundation of his life was about to shake.
When the incident as he lovingly called it happened, he had only been nineteen. Turns out growing up in a mountain top cult, (with only one nearby village, that honestly was probably its own cult), can get you to do anything. Simon had thought that it would just be a normal raid of the nearby town, to steal supplies, in and out. Boy, was he wrong. They had given him a box earlier in the day; it had a panel of buttons on it. He was told that if something goes wrong, press the button and run. He thought- well, what did he think? The truth is that he didn't. He had full faith in his brothers to be quick, but when the first ring of a shotgun rang out, he pressed the button. He ran for cover and hid. That was the last time Simon saw many of his brothers alive.
The bomb went off, and Simon looked around, all he heard was screams. He saw the bodies, saw the blood, and ran. He wasn't proud of it, but he ran. Simon’s arm was gone; he was in so much pain! He could feel his face burning as his skin began to peel.
For three months he ran, he survived in the forest with skills his mother had taught him, he was just skin and bones, death was fast, but Simon was faster. Eventually he was caught. The judge took no pity on him; he was sentenced to forty years and no chance of parole. In prison he was graciously given the name ‘Butcher.’ He hated it; it was a constant reminder of the lives he had taken. The only good thing to come from prison was him learning that the cult was wrong about a lot of things; nothing they said was true! It was not a sin to eat meat! It was not bad to listen to the radio! He stayed in prison for a few years, until one day a woman walked in. She gave him an offer, work for her and earn his freedom. He agreed.
That was how he ended up working for Ava. For a few years, Simon was her go to man for any dirty work. She never told him much, but he knew she was involved with the American government. Simon has killed for her, kidnapped for her, stolen for her, he had done everything he could do, until he had a month left of work to do for her until he was free.
It was the middle of the night, he was on one of his last assignments, when from out of the shadows came a man. He was taller than Simon and was looking right at him. He was armed, “It's over Butcher.” as he drew his gun. Simon knew that voice. It was Six. They had worked on a mission together, but as Simon guessed before, his loyalties lied to whatever task he was given. Simon was good at his job, but not Seirra Six good. He whispered a prayer to a god he didn't believe in and he threw his knife. It landed straight in Six’s thigh, it certainly wouldn't kill him, but it would throw him off. He got up, pressed the ‘Emergency retrieval’ button on his phone, and he ran. A bullet grazed his arm just as another agent came to save him. He thought that would be the last time he would see Sierra Six.
After he no longer had to work for Ava, he moved to San Francisco. He was hired by a lovely person named Adrian, despite his face of scars and missing limb, they became fast friends. Adrian had hired Simon to work at their flower store, and from then on, Simon's life was looking up. When Adrian had hired him, he had been sleeping in his truck, Adrian wouldn't stand for this and insisted that Simon move in with them and their husband Rocky. Simon and Rocky hit it off fast; they had shared an interest in engineering, and soon enough, Simon had gone from zero friends, to two! Then he met Ryland and from there, sparks flew. He always thought Ryland looked a little familiar but could never place his finger on it. Ryland talked a lot, and Simon was always happy to listen. Six months later, Simon moved in with Ryland, and a month after that, he found a cat on the side of the road.
Three years after that Grace purposed, and Simon said yes. During their engagement, Colt, Rylands’ twin brother had reached out and said he wanted to be in Ryland’s life again, after an argument they had had years ago, and Ryland, like the kind person he was, had said yes. Rocky was Ryland’s best man at the wedding, and Adrian was Simons best person. Ellie was the ring bearer. It was a small reception, with only Rocky, Adrian, Colt, Jody, a few of Rylands work friends, Ryland’s uncles and his cousin, some of Rylands coworkers, Simon's friend Jack and a few other friends. It was a beautiful ceremony, but there was one man missing. Ryland and Colt’s older brother Court, who had saved them from their abusive dad when the twins were young, and ended up in prison, and then had died in a prison riot. He knew how much Court meant to Ryland and wished he could bring him back to life.
Well! Four more years later, Court is alive! And had a kid? He had messaged Colt and Ryland and told them he was alive, and that he wanted to meet and that he could explain everything. The twins had agreed and had set a date for him to come to Ryland and Simon’s apartment, to see the twins again and to meet their spouses.
That was where they were now, sitting in Simons living room, on one couch, Ryland and Simon and on the other Colt and Jody, and they waited. Ryland and Colt were both fidgeting, wow they really were twins, and the atmosphere was tense. Simon went to get a bottle of wine for everyone, then there was a knock on the door.
Ryland and Colt raced to the door and pulled it open, they immediately pulled their big brother into a group hug, not even noticing the teen girl behind him who had a soft smile on her face.
Then all hell broke loose.
Court opened his eyes and was clearly crying. As he moved to motion to the girl behind him, Simon walked into the living room and froze.
Court put his arm out and stood in front of his brothers and the girl and he pulled out his gun,
“Butcher!” Court yelled.
At the same time Simon yelled,
“Six!?”
The room froze.