OOM: Resolution

[latino_menace]

It's mid-morning when they finally make it back. They're filthy and pissed off and obviously haven't enjoyed their 'orienteering exercise'. But more than that, they seem determined...well, Rafael does anyway. Raul just looks resigned. He still follows his older brother though, as they avoid the front door and instead head for the back, where the guns are kept.

* * *

Normally, he'd have been awake about four hours by mid-morning. This weekend though, lying in bed has become appealing. Not just for the obvious reasons but also because sleeping has turned out to be a really nice thing. Which is what he's doing, one arm casually hung over Mary Anne's waist, as the bedroom door edges open, pushed by the barrel of a shotgun.

One thing Rafael seems to be naturally good at is stealth. He makes virtually no noise as he crosses the room, holding the gun steady in two hands, just like he was shown.

Comments

[latino_menace]

'You know it can.'

He laughs again and lets her go. After giving her a slap on the ass for good measure, obviously.

'Just have to clean up this mess first. I'll go find him and then hopefully we can leave.'

[song_tra_bong]

Mary Anne jumps, nearly slopping coffee down her front.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

[latino_menace]

He nods and heads out of the door. Raul is nowhere in sight at the front of the house, or the back. The only thing for it is to go and look so he heads out into the forest.

It takes about half an hour but he finds him eventually. He's at the makeshift shooting range. The place is ringed with trees and Raul is squatted down with his back against one of them, staring out over the targets that have mostly fallen to the ground. There's a gun in his lap; he holds it loosely with his finger lying over the trigger. Ramon stops when he sees him, internally sighs at the sight of another weapon. The only thing to do, given Rafael's mood this morning, is err on the side of caution - he pulls his own from his waistband and keeps it in view, resting down at his side. 'What are you doing out here?'

Raul doesn't look at him or even move. He just asks, 'Did you kill him?'

'No.'

The boy doesn't look relieved but a bit of tension seems to leave his shoulders. He looks down at the gun in his own lap. 'I told him not to, papa. He wouldn't listen to me. He...told me stuff about you. No one's ever talked to me much about you before.' He looks at his father now, disconcertingly calm. 'I think, if he'd done it, you might have deserved it.'

Ramon shrugs and simply replies, 'If you say so. Whether you think I did or not doesn't matter to me.'

'Nothing we say matters to you.'

'No, not really.'

Raul seems surprised at the honesty but then shrugs one shoulder and looks away. It's silent for a while, then he asks, 'I wouldn't have cared if he had. I don't think I'd really care if you'd killed him, either.'

That's something of a revelation. Ramon's eyes narrow, then he goes over and sits on the ground next to his son. 'Give me the gun.'

Raul hesitates but sees that he's not the only one carrying and decides not to press his luck. Ramon takes it, empties the ammo out of it, then hands it back. 'You keep that.'

'...thanks.'

Again, it's quiet. If there's one thing Switzerland is good at, it's quiet. A few birds caw every now and again but that's about it, until Ramon has thought about what to say.

'How long has it been since you've been to Colombia?'

'About six years.'

'You should come out next summer. We'll see what you think of it.'

The boy looks...surprised. And frowns. 'I thought you'd lost it all. Rafael told me you were in prison. That's why he was so pissed that you showed up; he'd thought he'd be all grown up before he saw you again.'

'Wanted to meet me man to man?' Ramon laughs sarcastically; he doesn't believe Rafael will ever be the man he is. 'I was in prison for a while. I have powerful friends though. Things aren't stable at home but they will be soon - so, do you want to come or not?'

Raul looks at the ground, thinking. 'I don't know.'

'Why? What's the problem?'

'You're not very nice.'

'Who said I had to be? You want to grow up, you have to stand on your own two feet. I'm not promising I'll ever be nice to you, Raul. That doesn't mean I couldn't find a job for you in the organisation if you want one.'

'Can I think about it?'

'No.'

'...if I say no, you'll disappear again, wont you? Take us back to school and we'll never see you again.'

'Probably.'

More silence. Raul seems stuck - part of the offer appeals to him. Parts of it really don't. But he'll never get it again, so what has he got to lose (apart from life, limb and liberty).

'Alright. I'll come - I finish my exams in June. I can always come back here if I don't like it, can't I?'

'...sure.' The reality is no, he probably can't but Ramon's hardly going to tell him that. He stands up now, business concluded. 'Come on, you need to go pack your stuff up.'

They're walking back in silence when something occurs to Ramon. 'Who's been telling Rafael all this shit, anyway? I know he hasn't talked to Hector recently, seeing as he's dead.'

'Sabel.'

'Ah.' Right. He scowls. 'Your sister needs to learn to keep her mouth shut about things she knows nothing about. Typical fucking woman. Where is she?'

'Brasil.'

Good to know. He's still turning that over in his head when they get back but puts it aside when he they get through the door. Ramon tells Raul to get on with packing, then goes to find Mary Anne. 'Kid give you any trouble?'

[song_tra_bong]

She's finishing up her second round of coffee.

"Which one, Rafael? Haven't heard a peep out of him."

[latino_menace]

'Good.'

Quiet is definitely good. And now there can be breakfast!

'Is there any food left?'

...what? He doesn't want to have to make it himself.

[song_tra_bong]

"I think the milk's still good and there's some bread that hasn't turned green," she says, going to take a look in the pantry.

"And...ooh, muffins."

She doesn't like cooking in the morning any more than she has to.

[latino_menace]

He takes two and makes more coffee.

'They wont be long getting their shit together. I need to go clean up properly. Can't take them back to school looking like crap. Are you coming on the drive back or leaving from here?'

He takes a huge bite of toast. Mmmm toast.

'If you come with us, you'll save me from extreme fucking boredom. It wont take too long.'

[song_tra_bong]

"I'd hate for you to be bored."

Blueberry muffin--awesome.

"And I can just leave the bike here."

She's not that attached to it.

[latino_menace]

'Excellent.'

Muffin = good. Coffee = better. He smiles at her, puts his breakfast down and gives her a kiss.

''K, I'm going to hit the shower. Take about an hour to shave properly. You need to pack up?'

[song_tra_bong]

"I need to round up my stuff, yeah."

She loops her arms around his waist.

"Shouldn't take too long."

And yes, that is a hand on his ass.

[latino_menace]

The smile turns into a grin and he kisses her again.

'Just cant get enough, can you?'

[song_tra_bong]

"What can I say, near death experiences turn me on."

She kisses him back. "And I don't hear you complaining."

[latino_menace]

'Do I ever?'

He walks her backwards until her butt hits the back of the sofa, then a leg nudges between hers.

'Don't know if we've got time though.'

[song_tra_bong]

"Probably not."

She hooks a leg around his hip.

"But just how roomy is that car? Could make up for lost time later."

[latino_menace]

'Plenty big enough.'

He leans down and nips her neck, kissing the spot afterwards.

'Got a thing about cars though? As soon as we've dropped them off, we can go anywhere you want. Get a hotel room with a hot tub, if you like.'

[song_tra_bong]

"Lost my virginity in the back of a truck."

Her teeth scrape along the corner of his jaw.

"But hotel rooms are nice."

[latino_menace]

'Really?'

He laughs.

'What an American cliche. Was it any good?'

[song_tra_bong]

"For extra cliche points, it was to my boyfriend right before he left for Vietnam."

She shrugs. "Not too bad.

[latino_menace]

'Next thing you know, you'll be a...what do you call it?...soccer mom and help out at those things where everyone sells cakes. And have a white picket fence somewhere.'

He grimaces. Not at the cliche, though that's bad enough. Just at having to use the word 'soccer'. It's so wrong.

'...maybe you already do have a white picket fence. WHere do you live, anyway? When you're not at the bar?'

[song_tra_bong]

"I've got a house in Greece, pretty little two story up on a hill. And, sorry, no picket fence."

[latino_menace]

'Greece?'

Hmm.

'You'll have to show it to me. Unless...does he live there with you?'

[song_tra_bong]

"Sometimes. Could probably time it around when he's not there, if you want."

[latino_menace]

He shakes his head.

'No. If its your place with him, I'm not interested.'

He really does think Ruin is a complete asshole. Also...he doesn't know. Going to her home with someone else just feels wrong.

One more quick kiss and he disengages himself (somewhat reluctantly).

'OK, really going to get ready now.' He smirks. 'And we can go for it in the truck later, for the sake of your nostalgia. I promise you I'll be better than 'not too bad'.'

[song_tra_bong]

"I'd expect nothing less."

He gets a parting slap on the ass, then she hops down off the back of the couch to go find her stuff.

[latino_menace]

'You've seemed to enjoy yourself pretty well so far.'

That would be a very smug look he's giving her over his shoulder as he heads away. Heh.

It takes all of five minutes for him to pack because he simply dumps all his dirty clothes in the bin. Pretty much everything else too. When he emerges from the bedroom twenty minutes later he's clean shaven, hair tidy and dressed head to toe in black, in the form of $5000 worth of Armani. There's no way he's turning up at that school looking anything less than he's worth.

He bangs on the boys' bedroom door as he passes it, telling them to get their shit downstairs. A phone call is made to a contact, arranging the removal of the weapons out back and the full clean-down of the cabin. And then he's ready to go.