TIME WARP: A Host of Thieves (Odion)

[Odion Martins]

It was rare when these two really, really fought. They had their lovers quarrels, just like everyone else, but there was nothing to hide anymore. They were pretty honest with each other, even if the words might hurt. Odion didn’t want to be against Lani, he didn’t think the blonde was suspicious, unless of course he was trying to plan something, which Odion almost always found out about. When he was ticked though, most of the kids knew to back off. His prickles went into high gear and they minded their own business. Odion was still a hard person to understand by those who weren’t Lani.

Odion waved his hand in the air, dismissing Lani’s words. “Please, you really think I’d be talking to Trevor the way I talk to you?” No, those riddles were reserved just for Lani. Again, he didn’t think the kids would understand. And two, if they did, they didn’t need practice, not with him anyways. There were a few who were quick with comebacks, and this always made Odi grin. They were like tiny replicas of his personality. Wow, that wasn’t a scary thought at all. No, Trevor had left in a huff because he had a bad attitude, and couldn’t see past his own nose. Whatever the case, they would solve it together. He smiled at Lani. One step at a time. “Well I’m glad that’s resolved,” he sighed, “for now.” He knew people would always be changing around him, he just needed to stay alert and keep up.

“Yeah I know.” Really, Odion knew all about rough pickpocket gangs. He had been in one just like Lani, though that was a long time ago. Lani of course, knew about this already. It was just another reason to start up their own Operation. “Do you think we spoil ‘em too much?” His eyebrows buckled over his nose in worry. What if they all turned around on their leaders? Odi resisted the urge to peak into the future. Odion snickered. Trevor was definitely not starving for attention. “That kid thinks he’s hot stuff. He’s got a bigger ego than you.” That telltale smirk crossed Odion’s face. Lani was really one of the most genuine people Odion had ever met, and was rather humble once you got past all his hang-ups. Odion had never been the attention seeking type, not unless it was from someone specific. Shadows were his best friend. Odion picked his jaw up off the floor. “You can’t be serious?” He asked. No, he wasn’t going to fight Lani. Powers or not.

“Really? I’ll have to show you later just how clumsy you can be,” he shot Lani a wink. Everything seemed obvious in hindsight. Everything. Odion nodded vigorously in agreement. Yes, only someone who was stark raving mad would come up with the ideas they did. Well if this was crazy, he didn’t want to change a thing. It was a good thing Odi was so patient. Most of the teaching was left to him when Lani couldn’t take it anymore, leaving with his hands held up in defeat. Lani knew Odi’s teaching skills first hand. They were a little unorthodox, but they worked. And thinking outside of the box was their specialty.

It didn’t really annoy Odi that much when Lani turned possessive over a project. He just let the blonde sort out everything in his mind. Odi would just spend that time staring off into nothing, since time wasn’t really something that affected him, or he’d play cards. A pair of twins that passed through their hands had taught him some pretty cool tricks, which were all the more impressive when two people pulled off a combined trick. Lani had never really caught onto those; Odi still had to do his tricks by himself. Odion shrugged. It didn’t matter to him whether they robbed a bank, a museum, or an old folks home. Most of the planning was left to Lani, Odi just showed up when he was needed. Most of the time.

Rolling his eyes, Odi followed after Lani, shaking his head. “I was waiting for you,” he answered, his eyes trailing over Lani’s body freely. There was no need to be discreet about his feelings now. Odion took out the keys to lock up the building, nudging Lani’s foot out of the way. He punched in the two security codes and turned. They were ready to do their thing. “Remind me again why we’re wearing black in this climate?” He grinned, knowing full well why, he just needed to harass Lani, keep him on his toes. “How much gold is there? Can we take it back on our own?” Odion checked his watch again. “And what is it secured in? Vault? Laser beam grid?” Odi knew his stuff, thanks to Lani. Security cameras and guards were almost a given. Odion stared at Lani with a soft smile. Lani would know what the next question would be. How much time stopping did he want to happen, and how much of this heist did he want to pull off using his own magic?

[Lani Hunter]

Honesty seemed to have been the key to all of this. When they had finally broken down enough walls for the other to allow the rest to be let down things hadn’t been easier, but rather more precious. With Odion knowing him so well Lani really was hard pressed to surprise him with anything. The occasional gift or something but anything more elaborate got untangled quickly. Apparently his masks could fool other people but one look into his eyes and Odion knew something was up. Bickering was one thing, fighting was another. Lani smiled, he remembered one of the kids asking him why he and Odion fought so much. Lani had been confused, they didn’t fight. It wasn’t until a real fight broke out that the kid ever really realized what he meant. It was just in their nature to challenge each other and luckily their egos had found a way to make room for humility.

“I would hope not,” Lani teased with a wink, Odion had opened the door and walked right into that one. Riddles, those hadn’t stopped. If anything that kept their relationship interesting and every day felt like new. Lani would have thought that eventually they would run out of things to discuss but they still ended up staying up late talking about anything and everything. Good thing Lani had never needed much sleep. “For now,” Lani agreed. This wasn’t one of those things he expected to be easy. Oh no. This was going to be a long uphill battle. He felt like the kids kept him on their toes rather well. Especially now with Trevor deciding to act out. There was always some problem kids but they usually at least pretended to go along with it. Lani really didn’t want to have to kick Trevor out. Not after all he had been through. Yes Lani had a soft heart.

Lani had been surprised when he had first discovered that Odion had been in a situation like him. He had interrogated him about it trying to figure out how to get out of his own problems. It was a really good thing that Lani had accepted that he couldn’t rely on himself for everything. Lani smiled and nodded. “A little,” he said. He put a hand on Odion’s shoulder trying to ease the worry. “But I am not willing to go in that direction.” His eyes were serious and his joking put aside. His lips set in a hard line. He gave hell to people like that and he was not going to become what he had hated. Yes the kids needed to know how to defend themselves but Lani was not going to make them fear him and Odion. Lani laughed along with Odion loving that smirk he had. He made an amazed face. “No one has a bigger ego than me,” he declared squaring his shoulders. So sometimes Lani needed help fitting through doorways. Lani laughed at Odion’s expression. “Catching flies is for frogs, Odion,” he teased before he nodded, “I am serious. I’m not talking about flat out punching each other. I’m talking about being clever and it’s not like we can use the kids as demonstrations.” He pointed out. Though he could tell Odion was not as enthused by the idea as he was.

Laughing Lani shook his head. He still blushed whenever Odion winked at him. He looked away out the window. “Oh wait, I think I remember,” he said with a grin his face growing pink as he tried to avoid Odion’s gaze. Lani was more often than not more than happy to let Odion take over teaching. Lani was merciless and he just didn’t have the patience that Odion had. He accepted very few mistakes. He wasn’t sure how Odion had been so patient with him. If anything Lani had been more stubborn than all of these kids combined when Odion had first convinced him to train with him. And it had been even harder to convince him to actually lift Odion off the ground. But that moment had been magical and it had been worth giving in for.

There were times when Lani still wondered what life would be like if he had stopped stealing. Every possible situation he could come up with had him either in a suit and tie or a military man. And neither of those lifestyles fit him. If they needed to run an operation that required public appearances Lani still looked very uncomfortable in a suit. If they only required one person Lani let Odion take over that role and he was just as happy watching from the window. Lani’s pride was still very much a strong thing. He just loved proving people wrong and he still loved watching the news to catch any news on their heists. There was never any chance of them getting caught, it was always the same, shadows and no other evidence that anyone was there at all. And since they moved so much it was easy to keep people in the dark.

Lani smiled at the redhead ignoring the true statement. He felt a flash of pleasure as he caught Odion looking him over. Lani dropped the door from his foot and leaned against the wall his arms crossed as he waited for Odion to lock the door. Lani smiled and pushed himself off the wall to walk with Odion. “Let see, we’ve already established insanity… also, black is a good color, but I still like gray better.” He nodded looking down at himself. So many years ago a certain ginger had comment on how much he looked like a box and he had set out to change that. His clothing was more fitted now and just a little nicer, but the color hadn’t changed. “Gray is the color of shadows,” he reminded Odion. Odion was checking his watch a lot, Lani didn’t comment, probably just making sure he wasn’t getting lost in time again. “Oh yeah,” Lani nodded, “The collection itself is rather small, a collection of necklaces and bracelets, nothing too big.” Of course Lani had been through the museum before to know the answers to that. “There is a laser grid, nothing too complicated, cameras are set to swivel but nothing we can’t handle. Guards don’t go into the room because of the lasers, so that helps.” Lani wasn’t worried as he talked about this in a low whisper, anyone hoping to hear would have to be standing in the exact place Odion was walking. “The windows have sensors but I can trick those, and if you stop time long enough the alarm on the case won’t set off before were able to pop it open.” Lani took a turn down an alleyway as the street lamps flickered on.

[Odion Martins]

Walls were overrated in the end. Odion found he had spent more time trying to keep them up, when all Lani wanted was for them to be let down. Odion wanted the same thing, and once that was known, poof, walls weren’t necessary anymore. Odi just decided life was better lived not as a soap opera, but with purpose. Lani had given him purpose, drive, and courage when he had been the biggest coward to walk the planet. In a way, Rhett leaving so long ago was the best thing that had ever happened to Odi, though he couldn’t see it at the time. Some of the kids had asked Odion about his relationship with Lani, mainly “Hey, are you guys together, like, together together or something?” It always amused him, and once they were old enough to understand, he didn’t mind indulging such questions with an answer.

Odion smacked his own face lightly, shaking his head. But at least he was smiling. “I told him how it was, and he didn’t seem to like my being so blunt.” Odi would have no confusion in this matter, joking or not. He was loyal to Lani, and that was that. Besides, if he was going to cheat on him, it wasn’t going to be with some moron named Trevor. But luckily for Lani, cheating just wasn’t in the cards.

There were some differences in the gangs Odion and Lani started off in though. Lani had to really fend for himself, but emotionally he had his family to support him. For Odion, the small group of boys he hung out with and stole with were his family, they worked as a team, but emotionally he had no support. Together, they made the perfect thief, who had confidence and humility. Odion smiled genuinely at Lani. At least he was being honest. “Should we stop giving them cookies?” He asked, before chuckling to himself. Odion had been known to bring treats to the physical training days. He was a sucker in his own way. Lani always did look a little more attractive when he was confident. Odion laughed at him, enjoying the moment. “Oh now you’re just peacocking,” he said, shaking his head. Odion rolled his eyes. Yes yes, he knew he was a catupine, not a frog. But still, he wasn’t fighting Lani. “You want the kids to see us fighting each other? Come on Lani, that’s an awful idea,” he said. Hey, he could be honest as well.

Odion neared Lani, taking the blonde’s face in his hand and gently turning it towards him. “I don’t think you do,” he said in a low voice. Lani was so damn adorable when he was embarrassed and flustered. Odion gave him a kiss on the lips, reminding him of just how clumsy he could be when he wasn’t stealing or planning things out. His breath caught, and Odi pulled back and grinned at Lani, his equal. Really, they didn’t need to time travel to relive that memory. Hopefully this moment was worth giving in for as well. Odion loved their memories, but he loved making new ones just as much. Lani still riled him up. It seemed like there would always be a high chemistry between them.

Never once did Odion expect Lani to stop stealing, in fact, he didn’t want him too, and if he did, that would be his own choice. Odi liked Lani exactly the way he was, and honestly, wouldn’t ask him to change for him. Odion was only too happy to have an excuse to dress up, if only to keep up appearances. Yes, they still had their masks and knew how to use them against the rest of the world. No one would understand what they were doing other than them, and the kids. Caring thieves just didn’t make sense to anyone else. Honestly, when Odion buttoned up his silk shirts nowadays, it often startled him to realize he was doing a lot more with his life than he thought possible. He was still a thief like he always thought he’d be, but he was doing something good. And he was in love. And, and this was the most startling of all, he was genuinely happy. And as far as the public was concerned, they had done nothing, absolutely nothing.

“Grey has always been your color. Hmm, no, your shade,” Odion said, glad that they were still flirting, even on the way to a very serious heist. Stealing rare artifacts was no joke, and yet, here they were, joking away. It was nice. It was why he was so happy. And Odion had to agree, Lani was definitely not square in shape. Odion brightened a bit, wiping at his forehead in the heat. “Do I get to keep something?” He asked, still able to get giddy over little shiny trinkets. If he didn’t get to keep something, he’d be most displeased. They may have to make a pit stop somewhere else – a jewelry store perhaps? Odion made note of the traps set before them. “Laser grid, swivel cameras, stupid guards,” he smirked at Lani, “how is this going to be hard again?” It wasn’t, that’s how. They were the best. Not even fingerprints were a problem, especially when Lani could touch things with his mind.

Odion steered around the corner, remaining close to Lani. He liked making the jobs easier than they seemed, if only to boost Lani’s confidence. Add sensors and an alarmed case to the mix and they had a recipe for success. “Which window?” Odion asked. How they would get in and out was always important. They couldn’t talk once they were there, so, this was crucial to know. The museum came into view about five blocks from them, surrounded in bright lights. Odion’s dark eyes surveyed the area for the first time. He guessed they’d be going in from the back. “Oh,” he said, another question coming to mind, “is the gold in its own room?” This was important too, because if it was, Odi would have to stop the guards cameras from going to that room. Sure, he could paused time long enough for Lani to swipe the gold, but as soon as Odi let time pass again the cameras showed that room, the guards would notice immediately. Odion didn’t show any signs of worry, even though that’s what he felt, and hoped that the gold wasn’t on a pedestal.

[Lani Hunter]

It had been nice when the walls were let down. It hadn’t been easy though. A lot of sensitive wounds hid behind those walls and it had taken a while for those walls to come down and stay down instead of acting like gates that would swing shut suddenly on a secret. But there were no secrets, not anymore. And so there was no need for walls. Lani was hard pressed to remember what it was like to be at Hammel. He had had such a terrible start there, but the people he had met and the friends he had made. They had all been precious and still were but they had fallen out of touch. All but Odion but he had a feeling that even if love wasn’t their relationship they would still be here together making hell. Lani always found it amusing when one of the kids asked about their relationship. Lani was just glad that they didn’t come to him asking for relationship advice. If they did he usually sent them to Odion.

Lani laughed at Odion’s reaction, it was just as he hoped it would be. It was a poor joke and Lani knew that, but that didn’t stop him. “Good,” he said, “I think he needs a harsh dose of reality.” He nodded. Cheating was never something that was something that crossed his mind. Even when Lani had been dating Adrianna and the feelings about Odion had started he hadn’t acted on them. And neither had Odion. Loyalty was important, because if something bad happened that might really be all they had left. Besides each other, what would they have if they did get caught? No, Lani wasn’t going to cheat and he would trust Odion with his life and with his heart.

Lani smiled, Odion was his better half. And he was Odion’s. It was funny to think that they meshed so well after all that had happened and how rocky their friendship had started. Lani raised a brow. “You mean, should you stop giving them cookies,” he smirked, “No, I think they need that little bit of energy before we try to destroy them.” He smiled mostly because he liked cookies as well. Besides, he liked it when the foolish ones ate too many and they ended up not being able to keep it down. It wasn’t too long before they learned how to get a harder stomach or how to ration themselves. Lani’s eyes flashed with a feral light, no, that was something that time would never be taken away from him. He gave his best charming smile back at Odion. Lani laughed unable to stop himself. He broke his façade and clutched his sides. He shook his head at Odion an impish smile taking over his face. “It wouldn’t be the first time an awful idea turned out great.” He pointed out. He never had fully relented that his crazy power lifting Odion was a good idea.

His eyes turned toward Odion as he felt the hand. Lani’s breath held as he looked at Odion, so close. He loved it when all he could see was Odion’s eyes. Those blue eyes swallowed his entire being and he had never been so content to be falling. A lightning chill flashed through his whole body as their lips connected. He still couldn’t believe that his brain could abandon him so easily. He smiled at Odion as he drew away too soon. “No, you’re right,” he relented, “Now, I remember.” It had taken him a long time to realize, but it was this, these feelings. These feelings were real. Odion was still his best friend, but he was so much more to him now. Lani couldn’t imagine himself in a different life now, not without Odion.

There had been a mutual acceptance, both of them being thieves made it easier for certain. There was so much that they shared that it had been easy in the end for them to work together. There had been worries that extending their relationship would complicate things but though sometimes it had it had always been worth it. It wasn’t really often that a person could say that they don’t regret a thing, and Lani felt like one of those people. Even with his previous work and the chaotic conclusion to his high school year there wasn’t a thing he would take back. Lani was glad for the way their lives had gone. Through the bumps and the bruises they had always come out stronger. Not to mention his parents had taken the whole thing a lot better than he expected. Well his mother, at least. But his father had come around eventually. He had accepted Lani’s relationship, but he still didn’t like what Lani did but he kept his opinions to himself, at least until he got Lani alone. He liked the idea of helping children but he did not like that they were teaching them to steal.

Lani smiled. “Yeah I’ll let you deal with the colors,” he teased. At least when they weren’t working which had unfortunately been a lot. He liked it when Odion dressed up in his colors. Lani still loved to steal Odion’s hat whenever he chose to wear one. Lani’s bright eyes turned to Odion and he winked. “There’s a nice necklace that would match your eyes very well,” he said in answer. It really wasn’t like if Odion wanted it Lani would be able to stop him. But Lani was more than happy to indulge Odion’s love for shinny things. It wasn’t like they took inventory and if they buyer got upset it was oh so easy to lose something so small. Lani smiled a chuckle rising from his chest. “Cause the way of turning off said lasers is not in the museum,” he replied, “I hope you haven’t forgotten all of your acrobatics, this is going to be a fun one.” Sure Lani could always play with the wires and the angles but really where was the fun in that?

“Third from the right on the second floor,” Lani answered automatically without glancing up at the building. It was pretty easy to get in through the back, there was a fire escape running from the fourth floor down and the window they wanted was just a few over from that. They were going to get a workout tonight. Lani shook his head. “It’s in a case up against the wall in a room with other Grecian artifacts. It shouldn’t be too hard to get them stuck.” Lani laughed a little. “When I went in I stuck one of the camera and they came to fix it and the man oh so nicely pointed out that they got stuck all the time.” So long story short, by the time the guards were able to get the lasers shut off and come find the cameras and fix them Lani and Odion would be long gone. The night got darker and the brightest of start lit up in the night sky. Lani reached out and brushed Odion’s hand before taking it in his own. He missed sitting on rooftops watching the stars. He still missed the Pilot Ridge sky, it was so clear there were a million stars in the sky.

[Odion Martins]

Eventually, Odion stopped snapping on Lani for no good reason. Sure, he still snapped every now and again, but only because he had good reason. If Lani pushed buttons, Odion reacted. But now, almost any topic was up for grabs to talk about. Odion had nothing to hide anymore, nothing he couldn’t face. Yes there were scars from the wounds of the past, but they had healed rather nicely and Odion was done revelling in them and throwing pity parties. Life moved on, with or without him, and he chose to move with it, regardless of his past. Time would ever allude his partner, but with each passing day, Odi began to trust it more, and learn more about it.

Poor jokes didn’t stop either of them from trying. In a way, their awkward senses of humor meshed quite well together. Odion often thought he’d be hard pressed to find someone who appreciated his jokes as much as Lani did. Now whether he was actually funny or Lani had just gotten used to it was another story... “But it didn’t work Lani. He’s right pissed.” Odion said, his eyes wide. He was obviously worried about the boy, but trying to be nice to him hadn’t worked either. If this Fight Club thing didn’t work out, they were done for. Odion was all out of ideas for this case. The one good thing Rhett had given Odion, was an example of what not to do in a relationship if you wanted it to last. Despite how badly Odion had wanted to be with Lani while he was in his past relationship, he hadn’t acted on it. Humans were above hormones and immediate gratification. His stubbornness won out and he never regretted it. And Odi wasn’t a cheater. You couldn’t be romantic and a cheater. Those were two very different things.

The other good thing Odi had to thank Rhett for, was Lani. Had he not left Odion to fend for himself, Odi’s powers would never have gone out of sync, and he never would have met Lani in the training field that day. Odion laughed again. He was really quite glad for the cooking lessons from Avi. He had been awful to start, but practice made perfect. It was just like stealing really. You needed the right ingredients and technique in order to get the perfect results. If Odion could compare something to stealing, it all made sense in his head. Life and stealing went hand in hand. “Okay, because I could stop making them you know...” now he was just testing Lani. The blonde never complained about Odi’s cooking yet. And Lani still had that imp-like smile, which made his eyes light up with mischief and mirth. It was a smile worth remembering, and grew sweeter with age. Odion shook his head, knowing exactly what Lani was referring to. Odi’s ideas were pure genius. “I can’t fight you Lani. Not here, and not in front of the kids.” He couldn’t do it. Maybe in a past life, Odion would relish beating Lani at anything, but not now. “But,” and he said this just to show he wasn’t completely opposed to the idea, it just needed some tweaking, “we could show them how it’s done. Give them a sample. But I am not fighting you until someone wins.” He raised his eyebrows, hoping Lani would accept the offer.

Some things would never change. Odion didn’t plan things out, he went with the moment and made the most of it. It was why he could still catch Lani off guard. Odion liked hearing all the lovely things Lani had to say about his eyes, and the ginger could mention a few things he liked about Lani’s endless grey pools. Actually, Lani’s had to tell him to shut up a couple times. They’re only eyes, he had once said. But Odion knew they were more than just eyes, they were gateways, and they were beautiful. Odion just smiled at Lani, glad there was nothing between them but good things. He had proven his point and was ready to go, though now he really didn’t want to anymore.

Starting a different kind of relationship had been complicated. There was more drama to deal with, more emotional turmoil that needed to be dealt with. But once those lines had been crossed, neither had looked back. They were good friends, great even, but they’d always be better as a couple. Odion remembered having a conversation about regrets with Lani when they were younger. There were a lot of similarities between the two, and no regrets was one of them. Lucky for Odion, there were no parents to tell. He had never made peace with his birth parents, and honestly, he didn’t give a damn what anyone thought of his relationship. After a half life of being alone and afraid, he was finally happy.

“Colors have always worked for me,” he shot Lani a grin before shrugging, “must be the hair.” Lani still looked good in Odi’s hats. And on the odd occasion he did dress up, Lani looked absolutely dashing. “You sure?” He wasn’t asking about if it would go well with his eyes (as Lani often liked to mention). “It won’t ruin the set I mean?” He clarified, trying to avoid one of Lani’s clever quips. Odion sighed, shaking his head. “I’ve been boxing haven’t I?” He said in response, answering Lani with a question. Odion gave Lani a questioning look, wondering if he should ask where said off switch was.

Why there was a fire escape with such easy access, Odion wasn’t sure about. They probably didn’t think people would rob the place, and they also probably didn’t want to get sued for potentially endangering tourists. Ah well, all the better for them. Odi smirked at Lani. “Always with the history.” Odion hadn’t told Lani about this, but he had found a way to travel back into time periods that he wasn’t a part of. Lani could see things unfold for himself, but he would have to promise to keep his paws to himself as well. “Wonderful,” Odion said, his eyes set ahead of them. Odion didn’t miss a thing so long as Lani was with him, and right now, he was being held. Held in the present. He shot Lani a smile, squeezing his fingers. Lani was watching the stars again. Odion knew that fanciful look. The blonde was romantic in his own way. “I promise we’ll have some time off soon,” he said softly, trying to add to the moment and not ruin it. It would be sooner than Lani thought.

Pressing into the darkness, Odion was sad to let go of Lani’s hand, but they’d be hard pressed to pull of the job sticking together like that. Rounding into the back alley, Odion could see the exact window Lani was talking about. He lifted his arms into the air, and silently lifted himself onto the fire escape. He lowered a hand down to Lani. So far so good. Lani was the more nimble of the two, but Odion was a bit stronger. He wasn’t a fan of racing across rooftops anymore though.

[Lani Hunter]

Whenever Odion snapped at Lani now, it was because Lani deserved it. So usually if Lani were able to make Odion snap it was not completely intentional but Lani usually knew what he had said that had done it. The wounds had healed but some were simply not talked about. Some topics led to hard things to talk about but now they had no problem giving each other a share of their burden and their secrets. Lani was finally living by his apparently carefree motto. He was much better at living and not dwelling on the past now than he was when he was younger. Lani no longer wished to ask Odion to go back in time and let him fix something but time was something he always wished they had more of.

Lani walked over and put his hands on Odion’s shoulders turning him to face him. “So we’ll try again. He’s pissed, so what, he’ll get over it.” Lani smiled trying to quell Odion’s worries even though many of the ones he had were the same. “There is nothing we can do about it right now. I’ll talk to him tomorrow and we’ll talk about where to go from there. Okay?” He looked into Odion’s eyes trying to press on him that he would do his best to quell the situation and if that didn’t work then they could deal with what came after. “One step at a time,” he said pulling Odion into a brief hug. Odion really was beating himself up over this. Really if anything happened Trevor would simmer until Lani was able to talk to him. Hopefully Trevor would cool down a little bit and be more reasonable when Lani came to talk to him. But that had to wait, they had things to do right not.

Lani raised his brow and grinned wondering if he could call Odion’s bluff. Odion was the better cook. Lani would cook but he was very much a ‘follow the recipe on the back of a box’ kind of guy. Deciding he liked Odion’s baking more than his pride Lani smiled and shook his head. “Let’s not get irrational here,” he joked holding a hand up as if to ward off such an idea. Lani watched Odion and he sighed not as upset as he was pretending to be. He had never liked giving in, not even now when compromise was a regular part of life. He had gotten better, certainly but he still had a bad habit of being stubborn just for the sake of being stubborn. “Alright,” he agreed ready to go into his sulking mode. But Odion gave him an inch. Lani’s eyes brightened again, as he tried to take more than the given inch, but he knew that when it came down to it Odion was just as stubborn as he was. “Fair enough, a sample. No winner, no loser. But we could show them how to use a partner in a fight.” He said pressing the idea, “Like pair them off randomly with people they like and down like and see if they can put their differences aside long enough to take care of each other.”

Complicated, it had seemed like a fool’s errand at the beginning and Lani’s biggest worry was that something would happen and he would lose Odion for good. There had been a lot of collective problems with trust and with getting past the idea that they were giving a fellow thief all of this leverage. It had been hard on both parts to let the walls down and allow the other to see their real face. But once they had started to cross the lines and learn more about each other they had gotten closer and there was truly nothing that was beyond them. Discussing regrets had been a late night conversation fueled by the random desire to talk about their past mistakes and make some sort of atonement. There had been many nights like that. They would find each other and just talk about whatever came to mind. It was a constant stream of give and take.

Lani grinned at Odion. “It’s most definitely the hair, Red,” he said giving Odion a wink. Lani gave Odion a familiar look but luckily he added that last part. How much Lani would have loved to add in his quip. He nodded. “The buyer has never looked at the set, and his intention is to sell it off again to some rich folks. So just think of it as a little bit of commission.” When he had looked at them he had asked a million questions to the bored docent there. He had seen several he thought Odion might like so he had underestimated the amount of jewelry just for that purpose. None of the numbers were final until the product was shown so the buyer wouldn’t miss anything. Lani smiled at Odion. “I suppose that will do,” he teased and shook his head knowing what Odion was thinking. “The curator of the museum sets it up and takes it home to prevent potential thieves from shutting it off. He was a rather silly man.”

A grin crossed Lani’s face. “History is fascinating,” he replied, “It repeats itself over and over and surprises people every time.” If Lani knew Odion was holding that part of his power out on him he would have pouted about it. Lani would have readily promised to be good but he would so curious he would probably run around looking at things and getting into trouble anyways. His eyes turned away from the stars and back at Odion. “Good, I can’t wait.” His smile didn’t falter and he turned back to the stars. He chuckled a little to himself remembering times long past. Most particularly the time Odion had gotten accidentally more intoxicated than he had wanted to from that creepy guy. What was his name? Oh well that was unimportant. But watching the stars had always been one of his favorite things.

Lani released Odion’s hand with reluctance and the silence that passed between them was important. It was business time. Lani followed closely but meshing with the shadows moving slowly and carefully so not to disturb the shadows. He watched Odion lift himself and smiled a little to himself his eyes running over the clothing covered muscles. He reached up for Odion’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. With the help of his own hand on the bar and Odion he was up in no time. He slid his feet along the grates slipping past Odion toward the window. Lani’s power extended into the building as he pressed his hands against the wall. They would have to be quick, guards might not walk through the room holding the gold but they were walking in the two rooms right before them. He attached himself to the old brick sliding his feet along the small ledge. His power felt the feet of the guards and Lani passed the first window without any issues. And then the second. He came to the window they needed and moved to the other side to make space for Odion.

He peered into the window as Odion made his way over, of course the lasers were invisible. Good thing Odion had brought all of the supplies. With the jerk on his head he held up a hand to stay Odion where he was between window one and two. A guard was walking through. Lani felt the motion and he waited a while as the guard passed on before motioning that it was safe again. He waited to open the window until Odion had paused time.

[Odion Martins]

Odion faced Lani, a troubled look on his face. “How many times are we going to try for him?” Odion was stubborn, he didn’t like giving up on one of the kids, but if he did give up on Trevor, it wouldn’t be the first time it happened and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. At least Odi wasn’t turning to alcohol to sooth his troubled heart. He had Lani now. Odion took Lani’s comfort with appreciation, nodding a couple times. “Okay,” he said, trying on a smile for size. Odion hugged Lani back, feeling a little more at peace. One step at a time indeed. How many times had he wanted to hug Lani and couldn’t? No, he would take the opportunities as they came. “Think we can bribe him?” He asked as an afterthought, a sinister smirk on his lips.

Ha, sometimes Lani couldn’t even follow the directions for cooking. He insisted he knew what was going on until everything was burnt or ruined completely. Luckily, Odion could always go back in time and give Lani a second try. Odi giggled a bit, glad that Lani still liked his cookies. He patted his own stomach, which wasn’t as toned as it used to be in his twenties, but hey, it wasn’t bad at all. “I don’t know, maybe we should cut down on the sweets,” he looked at Lani with innocent eyes. Of course, that wasn’t going to happen – Odion wasn’t going to stop making cookies. He was, however, eager to see how Lani would react to this. Nodding a couple times, Odion was glad this whole compromising thing still worked. “Right, equals.” Lani took it another step and Odion could only smile. Leave it to Lani to push his luck. “That sounds great,” he said, a lot more willing to lay down his pride when Lani was determined about something. Odion had gotten the Operation after all, had gotten Lani to train with him. What was a small Fight Club in the long run? “We could also put on a real show, make them think someone’s going to win and then just end it,” he said, tossing the idea to Lani now. The question was, would they be able to stop on the agreed moment? Or would one end up wanting to win?

Lani had almost lost Odion for good once some of the secrets came out, the biggest one to start was Lani’s old boss in Boston. But both Lani and Odi had proved themselves, and though trust had been broken, it had also been fixed. These two would always be tearing each other down if only to build each other back up again. Sure Odion had been mad, hurt, and unbearably sad, but he had eventually forgiven Lani, and realized that had Lani told him about his ex boss right away, Odion would’ve walked away, because he had still been a coward. So really, Lani had done it right. He befriended Odion, taught him strength and courage, and then the inevitable happened and Odion could deal with it. He knew Lani well enough at that point to not be able to walk away, mad as he was. But that was all in the past, and felt like another lifetime. What Odion had now, was worth all the pain be felt before, by Lani or anyone else.

“And the fact that I’m soulless. I need a little color in my life,” he said, giving Lani a nudge. The blonde had wanted to add a little excitement to Odi’s life, and add excitement had had. Odion nodded a couple times, not trying to stop the sneaky smirk on his face. “Commission, I like that.” Why hide his excitement from Lani? It was good for the blonde to know what he liked, you know, for next time Odion wanted something pretty. Odion smirked, holding in a laugh as they neared the museum. “I don’t see you boxing with me,” he said, raising his eyebrows. Yes, this was a perfect moment to bring up the fact that Lani was absolutely unwilling to go with Odion. Weren’t they supposed to take in interest in each other’s, well, interests? Odion smirked, “And the curator told you all this did he?” He asked. Lani had a way with words indeed, and appearing innocent and simply curious often did the trick better than a mind game. “Where does our little friend live?” Odion asked, peeling his eyes away from Lani. Now was not the time to get distracted.

Odion sighed, shaking his head. “Tell me about it. Damn history,” he said begrudgingly, but was grinning as he spoke. He knew that phrase all too well. Why were humans so stupid and predictable? If anyone was watching the planet spin, they were probably laughing at the moronic nature of the human race. “Speaking of history, I have a secret to tell you later.” He smiled at Lani playfully. Lani wouldn’t forget about a secret. While Lani looked back at the stars, Odion just watched his mate. “Me neither.” Oh it was so hard keeping things from him! Odion never complained about watching the stars, because Lani was so distracted by them, Odion could just watch Lani like he wanted to, without reserve.

He also didn’t mind when Lani checked him out, it always made him smile. That smile was passed to Lani as they both stood side by side on the fire exit, but Lani wasn’t wasting time. Oh well. Odion followed Lani with speed and in silence. Odi was still quick on his feet. Granted not as quick as he used to be, but his nerves were on high alert. He could feel adrenaline coursing through his veins and listened for anything that might put them in danger. And as usual when they were carrying out a job, Odion could feel that familiar presence that was Lani’s telekinesis. Odion was used to it by now, but it still felt like putting on an old glove. It would keep him safe and warm, because it was an extension of Lani. Odion made sure no one would see him as he passed the first window. The second was a little more trouble because the guard was right by it. But Lani wanted him there it seemed, so Odion stayed put, his eyes never leaving Lani. He needed to stay focused here. But as soon as the guard had his back turned, Odi was quickly by Lani’s side.

The ginger did his thing. The guards were frozen in another room, and Odi and Lani were free to roam in this second. It really was a good thing that Lani’s power was still wrapped around Odion, and not trying to hurt him. The ginger’s dark blue eyes glanced at Lani, a small smile on his face. They were free to talk, but it just would feel the same, considering what they were in the middle of. Odion waited, perched by Lani, waiting for the next directions. When did they go to the curator’s house? Or were they going inside first? No matter what they did, Odi trusted Lani with the planning, it was never Odi’s strong suit anyways.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani frowned his eyes locking with Odion communicating wordlessly that he didn’t have an answer for that. If it was up to Lani it would be as maybe time as it takes, but they couldn’t do that to the other kids or themselves. It was a little insane how connected they got to these kids and sometimes it really hurt when their generosity and love went ignored. The last time they had had to kick a kid out Lani had been in mood for days. It just didn’t feel right. But they couldn’t save everyone. He still needed to learn that. Lani smiled, at least they had each other. Lani didn’t know what he would do if he didn’t have Odion to back him up. Well he probably wouldn’t be here. He’d probably be just as independent and delusional as he was when he was young. Lani laughed and shook his head at Odion. “Now there is a bad idea,” he smiled despite the seriousness of the situation. No bribing the kid would only give him what he wanted.

Stubbornness in life and stubbornness in cooking. Most of the time Lani really did think he had it right. There were a few things he did well. Burgers for one. After he had promised to cook some he had realized he didn’t know how and had had his father teach him. Besides that and his skill with pasta, not much skill required there, he was pretty much out of luck. Good thing Odion had picked up cooking so well or they would probably still be eating ramen all the time. And now that there were other mouths to feed it was just as well. At least Lani excelled at cutting vegetables. Not many people could say they could cut all of them at the same time. Lani let out a little gasp and looked down at himself. He wasn’t so much slim anymore but he didn’t think he had a gut. An irrational moment of terror made him cover his belly with his arms. He reddened and wrinkled his nose at Odion. Seeing that innocent look Lani caught onto the joke and realized once again it was on him. He had a terrible sweet tooth. Lani poked Odion in the stomach. “Cut down on the sweets and I might waste away to nothing,” he said dramatically. Lani guffawed and nodded his head enthusiastically. “Oh wouldn’t that just kill them? I think they’ve secretly been waiting for a show down.”

Lani did his best to forget that time. He reflected that he should have been more careful with a drunken wish. Things had been made right but the path there had been rocky and there had been the occasional bridge to cross and burn. He had to admit that with Odion hopelessness had grown and he almost crossed that bridge but he couldn’t make himself go to the other side. Lani had never thought things would get so far. He knew his boss wouldn’t let him go without a fight but he had never imagined that he would go after Adrianna and Odion. But things had worked out in the end. So Lani had done his best to forget and besides that he had learned to use his time there as a strength in sharing experiences in his stories and helping out the kids. No Lani would never tell them the details of how he had left but the point was that it had been hell. He was just lucky that his boss hadn’t wanted to come after him after things went down as they did.

Lani smiled at the old joke and he chuckled. “It keeps you from stealing the souls of little children,” he teased, “Besides I think a lot of things go well with red.” He ruffled Odion’s hair as if he were a child. The smile couldn’t be kept from his face; he knew how much Odion loved his shiny things, if the teddy bear wasn’t enough evidence. Besides if Lani did learn by now that if there was one fail-proof gift, it was a stuffed bear or a shiny trinket. He had steered clear of pocket watches though, those held bad memories. It wasn’t very hard for Lani either, get him a new or old book and he would shut himself off from the world happy as a clam. Lani shrugged innocently, “I could box with you,” he offered, “But I’d rather just run around a bit.” Lani really wasn’t big into working with weights and such. He would much rather run out his nerves or work on his acrobatics. He wasn’t as good as he used to be but there was a joy in scrambling up into the rafters and watching what went on. Lani nodded, “I’m just as charming as you are,” he winked. “Ah… but our friend did not supply this information. Not too far from the sounds of it. But nothing we can’t handle on our own. Unless you’re worried you don’t have the fancy feet for it anymore.” He smirked knowing that would goad Odion into a challenge.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” he quoted putting an arm around his shoulders, “Or at least more frustrated.” He shrugged, his quotes had been less frequent in arguments but they still came around. And as promised Lani had hit Odion with a few genuine Lani originals. Giving the ginger his space back Lani’s eyes lit up with a curious fire. A secret! There was nothing Lani loved more that unraveling a secret. That face meant that Odion would tell him later for sure. And if he didn’t Lani would make sure to remind him every hour, on the hour. Lani gave Odion a smile not willing to respond as they drew closer to the target. And up the ladder. Lani never ceased to get excited when they were starting a heist like this. His adrenaline pumped faster and his mind was clear and sharp. His power flexed and had truly become an extension of himself.

He felt the familiar warmth of Odion’s power as he stretched out a mental hand to his partner in crime and in life. Things went smoothly and he felt time slow as Odion stopped it. He was glad he had a good grip of the wall, he no longer felt like everything came to a screeching halt but he wasn’t as used to it as Odion. Lani smiled at Odion unsure if he was seen in the darkness. He reached inside the room and carefully moved all of the camera into an angle where they had stuck earlier. They wouldn’t move while time was still but they wouldn’t move after either. Not stuck as they were. Lani pressed n the sensors and made it think that the window was still closed. He was never really sure how much could be translated into real time after Odion had restarted time but he was better safe than sorry. He slipped inside silent and without more than a hush on the carpeted floor. He waited for Odion to join him and he closed the window. Odion had the bag so Lani would have to call the jewels.

He smiled finding their grid much less a challenge than he thought. It looked pretty standard but they weren’t going to be able to just stride on through. He gestured at Odion hoping he had brought the mist. It really was pretty simple, nothing fancy just some a little modification to the smoke bomb so they could identify the exact position of the lasers. All the really had to do was get across the room and back. Simply right? If Odion had it, it would be. If not… Well that would make things interesting.

[Odion Martins]

Odion knew he couldn’t save everyone, he still didn’t have that hero complex like Lani. He had learned that he couldn’t change people, or couldn’t even make them see what he did. He had learned this around the same time he and Lani became friends. Lani had to do things his own way, and sometimes it didn’t matter how much Odion spoke up against it, although he liked to think it helped at least a little. Odion shrugged, thinking it wasn’t such a bad idea. “Maybe he just wants a big payoff before he leaves.” Because yes, he was convinced that Trevor would bail as soon as he felt safe to do so. It was the outcome of so many different scenarios.

There were a lot of things Lani just couldn’t do, no matter how he went about them. Cooking was one of them. Dancing was another, and although he had improved quite a bit, he still wasn’t that great. Though Odi had to take back what he had said before about how dancing related to a lot of other things in life. Lani was quite good at many other things. Odion hadn’t really given cooking a shake until he and Lani were dating. He just hadn’t had the desire to before, because being at a boarding school and stealing money to eat out didn’t exactly instil cooking skills. But that started the ball rolling, and it proved to be something worth knowing. Honestly, if Odion could meet his past self and not regret it, his past self would laugh right in his face about cooking one day. Odion laughed at Lani. It was a very loving laugh of course. “I was only teasing, you look fine as usual,” Odi said, a bemused smile on his lips and happiness in his eyes. He held up his hand. “I swear that I will not stop making cookies, brownies, tarts, pies, cakes...” Hopefully Lani would be drooling at this moment, and if not, Odi would just keep listing things until he did. “I think we could give them one hell of a showdown, and while they’re busy being distracted, someone should steal their shoes.” Ten points to the soul that could do such a thing.

That particular time in Boston wasn’t something Odion would ever forget, but he was glad that Lani’s ex boss had never contacted him again, if he knew what was good for him. Odi smiled to himself, glad he had been a part of that threat.

“It’s a good thing then, otherwise our Operation would be pretty empty.” Odion grinned at Lani. “Yeah, blonde,” he said, swatting at Lani’s hand. “Hey! I was trying to look nice tonight.” Odi said, righting his hair, only making it messier. “Great, now it’s ruined,” he said, but he wasn’t mad, not in the least. Odion had never really cared about his hair and he wasn’t about to start now. Hence wearing hats. Once Lani tore through the books Odion had, the ginger had fun getting new ones. Lani especially enjoyed ones that made him think, like thrillers, but he also really liked ones about meta humans. Telekinetic meta humans. “You could,” Odi said, “but you won’t.” He was a little upset, but Lani could run in circles all he wanted. It was probably why he was still on the smaller side, not that Odion was super bulky or anything. Just, more than Lani was. Odion snorted. “Ha! Fancy feet my arse.” Of course he could do this, Lani knew that better than anyone.

Odion smiled thoughtfully at Lani, enjoying their closeness. He wouldn’t be as strong as he was now had he not gone through what life had dealt him. And all along, he had Lani. Hell, he wouldn’t be half the man he was now if it weren’t for Lani. Odi laughed at Lani’s newfound interest – the secret. It wasn’t anything big, just a trip to a very distant past. Okay, it was going to be a really huge deal to Lani, but to Odion, it wasn’t as exciting as the other secret he was hiding.

Unable to see the smile in the darkness, Odion waited for instructions. What? His power wasn’t night vision. Sharp blue eyes watched the cameras all turn away, as if something unspeakable was about to take place. Odi grinned a bit, thinking just how true his thoughts were. Lani soundlessly entered the room, and Odion made sure everything was going well first before doing the same. Nothing had changed, and Lani’s face still held a sense of calmness, but Odi could tell the blonde was also extremely excited. It was nice, to still get that rush from stealing. Once a klepto, always a klepto. Standing next to Lani, Odion returned the smile and wiggled his eyebrows. This was going to be fun.

Lani was making a spraying motion, and Odion quickly obliged. He crouched down and slung the bag to where he could see it. The mist was on the right side pouch. Odion knew the exact contents of the backpack, but he had to memorize everything. Lucky Lani knew what was in the pack just from feeling it with his telekinesis. Last time Odi forgot the mist, there had been hell to pay. He would not forget again this time, and with a little luck, everything would go off without a hitch tonight. Odion stood and handed the mist over to Lani, and packed everything up again. They’d have to get over this grid to wherever the next destination was, and Odi had to make sure time stayed still as they did so. But he was ready, waiting for Lani to take the lead.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani shook his head. “No,” he paused his eyes glazing over and a hum coming from him as he thought. “I don’t think that’s it…” He couldn’t figure out what it would be otherwise. In reality Trevor was terrifying because he was a messy mix of Lani’s worst qualities and Odion’s thrown into one. He had Lani’s arrogance and independent nature but he had Odion’s old tendency to live and let be and his spontaneous nature. Well, it could be argued whether or not spontaneity was a good or a bad thing but for someone who worried and planned like Lani things just weren’t spontaneous. Number one reason he could never pull the wool over Odion’s eyes even if to surprise him. Lani frowned he hated thinking about losing someone, even if that someone was Trevor. It was more the terror, what would happen, who would he tell? Lani now had a little more sympathy for the fear his old boss had, but that sympathy ended when he remembered how things like that were dealt with.

As much as Lani hated to admit it he was terrible at a lot of things. But there were plenty of things he could do that Odion couldn’t. Of course not a lot came to mind, save his lack of philosophy skills. Though they had gotten better Lani could ‘what if’ until the cows flew over the moon but usually it was until Odion got annoyed and told him to shut it in the kindest way possible. Lani smiled at the memory, he couldn’t even remember what the most recent one was, but it had ended quite comically with Odion pointing out the obvious ‘well why on earth would that happen?’ And that was that. Lani narrowed his eyes at Odion and fought the urge to stick his tongue out. He was too old for such childish things. Or was he? So instead he smiled softly his eyes warming as he looked over Odion. “Yeah, yeah,” he smiled that impish smile, “Flattery will get you nowhere, my charming friend.” Odion, if anything, had gotten more attractive the older he had gotten. He hadn’t gotten as tall as Lani but he had certainly gotten stronger. Handsome, too. And those intense blue eyes, Lani couldn’t get enough of them. Lani let out a pleasant sound as he started to list them. “Mmm, ok ok stop or I’ll make you bake something when we get back.” He declared trying to drive back the desire to ask if Odion had anything now. Lani laughed nodded enthusiastically. His eyes shone. “Trevor?” He suggested.

Lani grinned and a laugh was pulled out of him and he grinned conspiratorially at Odion. “One of the best combinations, I think.” Lani reached up again feinting one way then another smiling in good humor the whole time. “What on earth were you trying to look nice for?” He asked, it certainly wasn’t normal. It was just him and they weren’t even going out. “Oh,” Lani clucked at Odion and reached up fixing his hair for him for him. “See, it’s not the end of the world, peacock.” Lani leaned back as if checking his handiwork when the actual amount of what he did was as minimal as it got. This was one reason that Lani kept his hair so short. Really it just did what it wanted and Lani didn’t care. Lani looked at Odion. He knew that look. He shrugged. “You know what a terrible student I make.” He said, “Old dogs don’t learn new tricks very well.” He gave an innocent look as if that was a completely legitimate excuse for not boxing with Odion. A smile grew on his face, there was the Odion he loved! Really Odion had the fancy feet, Lani just went with the flow. Odion probably remembered several failed attempts at giving Lani dancing skills.

Odion might not think a trip into history was a bid deal but once Lani found this out he would go half mad talking about the things they could see. They could see the Boston Tea Party unfold. They could watch the courageous man that first signed the act of rebellion that created the place they lived. Most exciting they could go back and see the greats of their own trade. They could learn all sorts of tricks. So much was gained from history, and it was a shame that it was written from the winning side. Who knew how much was lost or covered up for the sake of saving space in a text book. Lani brooded over what this could be. What secret was it Odion was hinting at? Lani could hardly have guessed the truth. But history related maybe it had something to do with an artifact or some cursed trinket from Egypt. Lani smiled as he weighed all the possibilities.

Lani was glad when Odion handed him the mist. Oh he remembered that last time. He still didn’t let Odion forget it, it had been rather comical after the fact but they had tried to use a bit of a mirror to see the light but that had ended up taking too long and they had given up to come back another night. Now that was something that surprised both of them. They hadn’t lost their stubbornness but somehow in their years together figuring out compromise and giving and taking they had figured out when it was best to call it quits. And usually when Lani was poised with nothing but a piece of glass and his leg hovering over a laser that may or may not have been there was when it was time to call it quits. So Lani let the spray run form the can. The smoky air spread across the room with just a little help of stirring the air in the direction. The room lit up with faded red lines cross crossing here and there but Lani had been right not very complicated.

He handed it back to Odion and gestured with his chin for him to follow a smile on his face and his eyes alight with joy. ‘Race you’ he mouthed at Odion and with a waggle of his eyebrows he set off. He went over in a dive motion landing smoothly on his hands and twisting himself around so his feet fell on either side of a laser and he twisted his body between the invisible barriers. He slid smoothly under one and then over another one. He glanced at Odion to see how he was fairing. He smiled at the redhead. But there was a race to be won and so he pressed on. Over and under, twisting in and out. This was the closest the blond ever came to dancing as he hopped now and again and contorted in ways that would have made people not trained in their trade cringe. He reached the end with a breath of relief and his eyes lifted to look for Odion.

[Odion Martins]

The unsolvable mystery of Trevor would just have to wait for after tonight.

At one point, Lani was much better at the technological aspect of a planned heist, but he had taught Odion well. Lani was still better, but Odi was a close second. Lani was also far better at planning, at taking his time to make sure everything was perfect. Odion would never be able to do the heists Lani did on his own, he’d jump the gun. That’s why Lani had to take the lead with these things. Sometimes Odion indulged Lani’s strange thoughts, but mostly, he just zoned out and waited for Lani to ask him if he was still paying attention. And he would lovingly say he wasn’t. Still, Odion enjoyed Lani’s ridiculous nature. “Oh contraire,” Odi said, touching Lani’s hand briefly, “flattery has gotten me everywhere.” Odion wouldn’t say he had gotten more attractive over the years. He still had his freckles, still had that half smile, both of which he thought were imperfections, but it wasn’t like he had to stare at himself. That was Lani’s job. And Lani was very easy on the eyes, as usual, like he said before. Odion laughed again, a secretive grin on his lips. “Trevor could have fun with that.”

Who would’ve thought red and blonde went so well together? Odion laughed once. “You know I could hit you if I really wanted to,” he said, nudging Lani mid stride. Lani was still trouble, but it was much more lighthearted these days. Odi sighed, making an unamused face as Lani tried to fix his hair. “I’m glad you don’t care what I look like,” he said sincerely, before sighing deeply. “I guess I can keep baking then.” He laughed a bit at himself, wondering when he became so silly. “It isn’t about being a good student, it’s about spending time with me.” Odi said, raising an eyebrow at Lani. “We steal together, yeah? Maybe if you come to one of my classes, I can go running with you. Besides, I’m still learning. We could learn together.” Yes, he had this whole compromising thing down. Lani knew he hated running, and just because he could do it, didn’t mean he liked it.

This was why Odion didn’t tell Lani the secret at this very moment. Lani wouldn’t be able to shut up about it, wouldn’t be able to concentrate on what needed to be done tonight. It could wait, and Lani would have more fun with it. Besides, Odi wasn’t going to really tell him, he was going to show him. Lani would be propelled back in time with Odion, and before he knew it, he’d be exploring the Pyramids. Of course, they’d have to sneak around a bit, but that was their specialty. But all of Odion’s time travelling skills were being used tonight, and that show and tell party would have to wait. And Odi was happy Lani trusted him enough to do so.

Better to leave something for one night and come back for it later, than land in prison. Odion was stubborn, but he wasn’t as foolish as he once was. Still, he had a lot of fun stealing with Lani, so long as things went well. Odion paused time, Lani turned things upside down with his mind. Odi brought the supplies, and Lani, well now that he had hovering down to an art, could lift Odion to wherever he was needed. Odion just trusted Lani to lift him up, and it always worked. The mist filled the room and Odion could count the number of beams on two hands. He glanced at Lani, shaking his head in disappointment. Well that was a waste of spray. Odion replaced the spray can and looked back to Lani.

A sure fire smile spread across Odi’s lips as Lani’s wiggled his eyebrows. And they were off. Odi jumped over the first one in a long stride, landing on his feet. With momentum left from the jump, Odion propelled himself forward, in between another two lasers. It was perfect because it had to be. It was flawless because they did this all the time. He caught Lani’s smile and passed one back. This was far better than dancing with Lani. Odion had to press himself flat against the ground to get under one, and gingerly stepped over another one. Odion was right beside Lani as the blonde tried looking for him. Of course, this was serious business. “What are you waiting for slow-poke?” Odion whispered into Lani’s ear, happy they were across the grid. There were no winners or losers, so Odi didn’t gloat and didn’t announce who got there first. He nodded his head to the side, wondering if they were getting closer to the room. He was all smiles now.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani had been more than happy when Odion had come with him on his first big heist. He had a habit of jumping the gun a lot in the beginning so Lani had been more stressed about Odion than he was about actually getting the goods. Well, after he quit and had been able to get away from his boss for good the final product wasn’t as important as it had been before. Lani still loved the thrill of big moves more than anything else. He chuckled a little to himself at the memories. How many times had he desperately made a grab at Odion’s collar only to point at a camera positioned in that area? Odion was good but he had no patience and it was the little details that he missed at first. Now he was as sharp as Lani. Lani gave Odion a sly grin. “Maybe,” he accepted, “But my redhead is just as fine.” He winked. Oh Odion knew how much Lani loved to have his ego boosted. And granted it had gotten him pretty far in the past. A smile cross his lips, he knew Odion didn’t agree with him, but then he didn’t see himself the way Lani did. If Lani’s eyes could be mirrors then he might really see. Lani nodded his smile growing. That might not be a bad thing. “And if he can succeed there might be something else in it for him.” He shrugged unsure of what that would be.

“You could,” Lani agreed, “But you won’t.” Lani knew better than to put that past Odion. If Lani really deserved it chances were he would get it right in the nose. Perhaps not hard enough to hurt but just enough to remind Lani that his tongue was running away with him. Lani grinned at Odion’s face before giving him a mimicking pouting face. “But I do care,” Lani said confused for a moment, “I just think that sometimes you look a little too well put together.” He tugged gently at Odion’s hair giving him a teasing grin. “Now aren’t you grateful I introduced messiness into your life?” He asked knowing that would probably get a smart comment out of Odion. Yeah, Lani wasn’t necessarily the messiest person but he lived in a constant state of orderly chaos. Lani beamed at Odion, very, very happy that baking was going to continue. Ducking his head Lani realized that was what it was always about. They were both busy but they worked out in different ways so they couldn’t even be together then. So Odion offered a solution. Lani leaned back rubbing his chin and weighing his options. But Odion was flawless. Lani was surprised that Odion would agree to go running with him. If there was one thing that Odion went through kicking and screaming it was running. Running and burgers. “Deal.” He said sticking his hand out. If Odion was willing to run he was willing to learn something new.

Somewhere along the line Lani had obtained the ability to become annoying. When someone was keeping a secret and he knew it he was always there, mostly out of curiosity but sometimes out of concern. Wasn’t it one of the young women they were teaching that finally told him that yes she was seeing someone and yes he was four years older but she’d be legal in a few years. That had been a big fight and Lani had to point out that while he didn’t think it was a good idea he wouldn’t tell her not to do it but the legal system in the United States did and she had to be careful. So instead of a scolding she was expecting she got advice. Lani had been rather smug about that and he made sure to keep a close eye on her. He might not have been her father but he certainly acted like that. Or like an annoying brother. But secrets always got Lani’s inner detective going. It was only knowing that Odion would either tell him or he would never know that kept him from throwing a million questions at him.

Lani shrugged at Odion. Would he have rather done this blind? Though the challenge of that would be rather interesting he wasn’t looking for a long night tonight. Lani sometimes wondered if these short spans of time they moved through affected their age. Like if all their time spent in frozen time were added up would they actually be older than they thought, or did things not work like that? He didn’t know. He still had trouble wrapping his head around the whole thing though he was reading a rather interesting book about a time traveler. The lasers were no match for these two, not even out of their adolescent prime. They had physically not deteriorated very much, in fact they both could have been said they were at their prime by anyone. But they both knew that their days of slipping across roofs and jumping across buildings was beyond them. Well, not beyond them, they just couldn’t do so very quietly anymore. They also didn’t find it so enjoyable anymore, though Lani still loved the roof and standing watching the stars.

Lani didn’t jump when Odion’s spoke low but chills ran up his spine. It wasn’t fair that Odion still could do that to him. Lani smiled and nudged him with his elbow gently. He didn’t want to risk having Odion stumble into the lasers. It was so much more fun when they could be relaxed like this. The stress the first few times was so great that Lani almost scrapped the idea. Lani slid along the wall pressing his hand against a door and feeling the people inside. No one. They were lucky. He pressed his hand over the keypad and in a second the door swung open the light shining green welcoming their entry. And there they were. A relatively small display but it was worth far more than it seemed. He walked in melting into the blackness. Lani could feel the room with his power, the telekinesis painting a mental picture. He reached out to Odion wanting the comfort of having him here in the darkness. He still couldn’t feel living things, no one had ever figured out why. He picked his way across the room. He heard the door swing close and now it would be safe to pull out a light. Pacing across the room Lani came to a stop at the case knowing it was there without seeing it. “Would you like the honors?” He whispered gesturing in the darkness. Odion was just as capable as Lani was at getting into the case and with something so delicate he wouldn’t touch it with his power. Anyways his power would have to focus on making it think it was still tightly closed.

[Odion Martins]

Odion was better skilled at packing up the Operation and moving when things were getting too heated. He knew exactly how to pack, bringing only what was needed, and as little memorabilia as possible. He was fast, and liked getting the job done as much as he enjoyed doing it, whether moving, stealing, or anything else in life. Odion was a little oblivious to the bigger heists, all the mechanics and things to remember were so confusing, it made his head hurt. No wonder Lani had to take so many pills, never mind his powers. After that day, Odi’s respect for Lani had only grown tenfold. And the fact that he was willing to teach the fiery redhead? Even more respect. It made Odi glad to know that they could be on equal ground, no matter what. “Your redhead am I?” Odion giggled a little to himself. “You always were a bit possessive over me,” he mused, only trying to harass Lani further. He needed Lani to keep telling him how attractive he was, it was basically what Odi lived for. “What else can we give him?” Odion asked, only mildly curious compared to his previous thoughts.

Odion grinned his little grin, the one that said, damn right without actually having to say anything. If Odi did decide to deck Lani, it would be the first time, because he still preferred not to use physical force. He blamed those reactions on hormones back when he was a teenager and didn’t know what to do with all the extra testosterone, didn’t know where to channel it all. Odion practically snapped his neck when he looked at Lani. “Oh? I thought looks didn’t matter,” he mused, and then sighed deeply, “there went my plans for gaining all kinds of weight.” Of course, he would never do that. He gave Lani a curious look. “What do you mean, put together?” Odion did try to look nice by his own standards. Showered at the very least, dressy when he was really trying. Odi blushed a little, smiling a little more. “I’m just trying to look nice for you,” he said, wondering if being blunt still startled Lani at all. Running and burgers – Odion didn’t think that was a good combination. Odi smiled, taking Lani’s hand and giving it a firm shake. “Lovely.”

Annoying was just another synonym for Lani, and Odi as well. They were both eager to find secrets about others. They loved gathering information as much as they loved gathering objects, and one would be foolish to give them an inch without realizing they wanted the whole mile. Odion only spent time with people he found interesting, where there was more than met the eye. Lani continued to be one of those people, and Odi was happy to be with someone he was never bored with. Odion had taken Lani’s side on one young woman’s love life once Lani told him the story, but ultimately it was her choice, though he did find the whole thing intriguing. Why did girls always fall for the bad boy? Or well… Why did he? He smiled at Lani reassuringly. All would be told in a few hours.

Time was a fickle thing. Fast forwarding affected their age, but not pausing time and going back in time, so long as they returned to the present. Returning to the present time was key, and Odion hadn’t aged any differently than Lani. Odi didn’t bother explaining this to Lani. Why? Well, Lani hadn’t asked, probably because he believed Odi would tell him off, and keep his philosophical meanderings to himself. Lani was probably right. Odion still had a way of boiling things down to their bare bones and making sense of it, no fluffing philosophical stuff necessary. The only thing Odion endured for Lani, was the stars, and even he found them quite wonderful every once in a while.

Odion was beaming. It wasn’t every day that he could beat Lani in a race, especially when the other was better built for such a task. Odion smiled and chuckled to himself as Lani nudged him. It still tickled a bit, but Odi wasn’t ticklish to begin with. He remembered the first time Lani had tried tickling him, only for him to stare at the blonde with confusion. What was he trying to do, feel him up? Odi did his best not to laugh at the memory, they were a bit busy at the moment for such memories. As soon as they decided just to be themselves while stealing, was the moment things went well, and Odion stopped being such a klutz. Oh how Lani had made him nervous those first few times. Odi walked up behind Lani, peering into the room with glee. There it was, the grand prize, the big payoff. They were one step closer to being done. Odion felt his power slip a little from excitement, and he had to hang onto the doorframe for balance, a hand to his head. “You better,” he said to Lani, forcing a smile. Multitasking was never Odi’s strong suit. He knew he could do it if he had to, but losing track of time, literally, was not an option right now.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani smiled at Odion and shrugged innocently. Of course he thought of Odion as his. It wasn’t possessive… was it? “What? Possessive? Me? No,” he shook his head but the smile showed the truth. That was a little true and a little false at the same time. At first Lani had been very possessive, even as just friends. He had had Adrianna but he hadn’t wanted to give Odion up either, to Rhett or to anyone. He winked at Odion, “Besides, I didn’t think that bothered you. And someone’s gotta make sure that no one else snatches you up. Remember you’re the one that brings everyone around when we go out.” He smiled remembering all the times they went out together. Friends or not people always seemed to bother them. Odion was a lot more attractive than he thought. Lani shrugged, “I don’t know. Do you think a gold star would do it?”

Lani had to admit that between the two he was the more combative one. When he was younger he would never have hurt someone, unless they really deserved it. But something had changed and what people did to ‘deserve it’ had taken on a new definition. Before it had been only for Caroline, then for Adrianna and now for anyone he cared about. If someone messed with one of his flock they had better watch their back. The protection aspect of Lani hadn’t changed, he didn’t go looking for trouble but he was always there even if he had to fight with his hands instead of his voice. Odion was better at that anyways. Lani chuckled at Odion’s reaction and winked at him. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to try very hard.” He laughed harder when he talked about gaining weight. He didn’t think that was possible. Even if Lani didn’t care, Odion would. “I mean you look good with messy hair,” he grinned. Odion was sweet and romantic and Lani wouldn’t want him any other way. Lani pulled Odion into a hug and gave him a gentle kiss. “Like I said you don’t have to try,” he said before drifting away so they could focus on work.

Lani smiled and after the fact pondered what he had gotten himself into. Boxing, that wouldn’t be too bad. Not if he could spend time with Odion. But at least Odion knew that frustration made Lani throw himself into something with determination. It was with a heavy heart that Lani had given up on being a good dancer. He had settled on decent. But he was glad to have a running partner. It was fun, really. Being outside and in the clear air. Not to mention Odion didn’t know many people around them. A lot of them were very kind and it was about time they met the person he was always talking about. At first Lani had been wary but time after time he had realized that getting to know people around him was more normal than being secretive. Every place they went Lani did something different. Sometimes he worked for security other times he worked night shifts at private companies. People didn’t ask many questions.

Not smiling wasn’t something that happened often anymore. It used to be the other way around where a smile from Lani was less frequent than a solemn expression but now to find the trickster without a grin was rare. The world had opened up once he stopped limiting himself and with Odion by his side there was no heist they couldn’t pull off. No challenge they couldn’t overcome. Lani had never thought relying on someone would have been so beneficial, made him so much stronger. He had always thought if he couldn’t do it himself he was weak but now he realized how wrong he was. So into the darkness they traveled and Lani was unafraid and actually pleased with the lack of lights.

He grinned in the darkness as Odion chuckled. He wondered if he had hit one of the few places Odion was ticklish. He never thought it was fair that he was so much more ticklish that Odion. Needless to say once Odion had discovered that Lani had lost that battle. Very badly. Lani gave Odion a curious look and shrugged. Perhaps it was losing track of time that made his nervous. “Taking a small flashlight from his pocket he lit up the room with a dim beam of light. It was really good there were few windows and the case was in the corner far from any windows. He wiggled himself under the case and held the light between his teeth. He frowned at the complex lock. He took out his lock picks and his power took hold of the flashlight moving it so he could better see. Then his power went in and worked on tricking the lock. A push here a twist there when Lani pried open the key card swipe. He looked at the mess of wires and sighed. Here was the real challenge. Forget laser beams and timed alarms. Lani smiled when the case came unlocked. He gave Odion a thumbs up to slide open the case and take the loot. Lani was going to lay here and recover from this pounding headache and wait until he had to put the lock back together.

[Odion Martins]

Odion laughed lightly, shaking his head. “It’s alright, I like you being possessive and all.” Really, it was one of Lani’s better attributes. If Lani wasn’t possessive over him, well, then he really didn’t like Odion. It’s not like the ginger didn’t return the sentiment. It was sweet, in a weird, twisted way that only they could really understand, and in the end that was all that mattered to Odion. “I don’t think anyone else would put up with my antics, Lani,” Odi said, before flushing furiously. This was an argument he wasn’t going to win. “They do flock, don’t they?” He asked. It was true, every time they went out, someone was talking to him and Lani was standing a little ways away looking ignored and hurt. Odi was such a flirt. He gave Lani a sheepish glance and sighed. “I only have eyes for you,” he smiled softly, “you and your stars.” Odi really didn’t care about Trevor at the moment.

Trouble usually found Lani, one way or another. It was like the blonde couldn’t keep his hands off of trouble. It was alright, Odion had learned to accept how Lani cared for others, and just how protective he could be. Lani wasn’t someone you should double cross. Odi smirked a bit, “I think you’d notice if I stopped trying.” Lani was a details kind of man, and if Odion stopped being himself, Lani would notice. He was almost willing to bet on it. Taking a compliment was still really hard to do, but Odi had done it before and he would do it now as Lani claimed he looked good with messy hair. Dirty boy. Odion sighed and looked ahead after the kiss that didn’t last long enough. There’d be time for more banter later, though it was nice to have now. It felt like they didn’t do this often enough anymore. That was something he did miss about high school – having so much time he didn’t know what to do with it all.

Odion watched Lani approach the case, time still in the palm of his hand. And then a frown took over Lani’s face and the redhead stepped forward. But then Lani seemed to have things under control and Odi just watched. Lani had a certain grace about him that others would kill to have. He was intricate and meticulous and did things just right, and made it look easy. It made him a good thief and a good lover and everything about Lani screamed fluidity and perfection when he was at work. Odion kept his thoughts to himself and his mind in the present as Lani worked, watching his friend’s nimble fingers to make sure he was still keeping track of time. A thumbs up was given and Odi moved in, opened the case, and removed the small amount of gold that was worth far more than its apparent size. Odion stashed it in his backpack, and while he had it opened, removed two pills and passed them over to Lani with a small smile. The night was still young. Odi would hold time as long as it took to get the job done. He looked at Lani with questioning eyes – was there anything else he could do?