Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warnings:
Category:
Fandoms:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2026-07-23
Completed:
2026-07-25
Words:
4,985
Chapters:
3/3
Comments:
2
Kudos:
13
Bookmarks:
1
Hits:
271

The lost Art of keeping secrets

Summary:

Courtland goes to visit an old friend in a time of need. the choice is with the other man whether he wants to take him in or leave him bleeding on the stoop.

Notes:

(Kind of loosely related to a series I'd been writing, Tangerine's name in this AU is Theddeus "Teddy" Ryder, he and Tom are twins, He's an actor, but he's a retired MMA fighter, and Court met him because of a mission)

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter Text

I never planned on Showing up outside of Teddy's house. I was actually planning on dying in that gutter, to be frank. I'm mad that I probably have a broken nose and a few deep gashes, and not my demise.

He just wrapped filming of his big Movie, " Bullet train".

Ironically, he more or less played me. He played everything he wasn't, confident, patient, self-assured...

and I'm almost 47, running around, still working as a Sierra. I feel it in my bones that I need to give up, but I don't know how. I don't know how to live a life free. and I'm sitting here on the stoop of a 42-year-old who knows how to undo me completely. I'm a trained fighter, and yet he knows every off switch on my body. he's one of the only fighters I'm actually scared of. and even though he hates me, I still respect him enough not to barge in. but I need to, if he won't come out soon. 

and I, uh, I didn't stay in my lane, like he told me to. I double dipped. I slept with his ex. it's not my fault though, I didn't know they were exes until he told me later on. 

That's how I accidentally slept with and met a man named "Lady bug". he was a subpar at best lay, and I prepped for nothing, so that sucked.

and even though I messed up, I still need him. he sets my mind straight. in my life, I have almost no control, but with him, it's at least pleasurable. and yet, as I'm sitting here, I could give less of a damn about Ja- LadyBug. 

I need him to fuck some reason back into my life. nothing makes sense anymore. 

I need to quit this fucking Job. I have enough dirt on everyone to do so. I have a family now. I can't do this anymore. 

And I'm sitting here feeling bad for myself when he opens his door, throwing a towel at my back, "Why're you here, Court."

I turn around, "how'd you know I was out here?"

He's doing something, just inside the doorway, and it hits me that he's only wearing boxers. it's 2am, "You're a fucking dumbass, I have cameras. come inside before I get some sense."

I pick it up, sticking it under my nose "you're, letting me in?"

he's looking at me with a god-awful frown, "don't get too excited. I'm still not over that shit. but you were getting blood on my stoop." 

I'm smiling a stupid ass smile, looking at his lovely back muscles as he's walking down his entryway hallway, "c'mon, you still like me, you could have just told me to get off of it."

he turns around, glaring daggers at me, "the stupidest thing I fucking did, was getting to know you, Courtland."

Mmmm so this isn't just about my little sexcapade with Ladybug. Shit.