Rhiannon Faust

“I saw her loss on live television, she seemed like she was crushed. I was surprised to find her outside of the fighting game, instead of sticking to her guns she started protecting people. I mean, it’s not an uncommon path for those trained in martial arts she just… had more ambition than that, I thought.”

[sebastian-lam-blog]

Changing Winds|| Open

Sebastian did not understand why he always gravitated towards roofs. Somehow he always found a way to get up to him. Whether it be one of his old foster homes, the fight club building he spent so much time in, and even in New York City, he found an apartment building with roof access.  Sebastian guessed perhaps it was a way where he could still be included in the bustle of life despite not wanting to always converse with people. Leaning against the railing, Sebastian could hear the cars drive by and the smallest whisper of conversation as people walked. It didn’t hurt that roofs always had a view.  So even if he was in London, a feeling of deja vu coursed through him as he stood on a with clouds heavy overhead.

There had been so much going on lately and Sebastian was at a loss. He knew what Maisie would say. To get out of his own head and focus on the now. He had been particularly bad at that recently, staying present. His thoughts were continuous and all-encompassing. 

 A sudden bang shook him slightly from his thoughts. Sebastian turned around looking towards the now open rooftop access door as well as the person who had opened it. 

“Didn’t expect anyone to come up here. Is something wrong?” 

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

Rhiannon had no idea what drove her to wanting to see the other hitter, but she had found herself using the very minimal hacking abilities that she had picked up on from Ace in order to locate where she could find Sebastian. Rhiannon didn’t necessarily have a reason to track the man down, but she figured that he wouldn’t mind the company and if he did then all he had to do was say something and she would leave. She hoped though that offering up alcohol would at least warm him up to the idea of not being alone with his thoughts since she knew just how dangerous that could be as a hitter.

She had to admit though that she hadn’t expected to find him alone on a roof, but she wasn’t sure where she had expected him to be either. Rhiannon was just thankful that the night was beautiful as she took it in silently for a few moments. Of course the stars were dim as they were this close to the center of the city which was honestly a shame. It was the only benefit to having grown up in a smaller city. At least when things got to be too much she would simply spend a few hours outside starring up at them because at least they were a constant no matter what home she was in. She could always count on the stars to be there for her.

Rhi’s lips twitched up into a slight smile at the comment. It did seem like anytime she saw anyone there was bad news attached to it. “For once the only news I brought comes in the form of alcohol. I figured after spending the night on a job running around like crazy maybe we should bond over how fucked up that job was,” She offered holding up the bottles that she had been carrying.

[nathmxnroe-blog]

Gathering the Troops || Nat, Parker, Scout, Rhi, Athena

[athenaganero]

scoutprewett‌:

parker-mehta‌:

nathmxnroe‌:

@parker-mehta, @scoutprewett, @rhiannon-faust, @athenaganero

The first step of any con was getting her people together, which was admittedly, a relatively easy task. A brief text message with a time and a location was all Nat needed to do to gather them. Back when they’d been in San Francisco it had been even easier, usually just a time and whatever emoji she’d felt like using that day. Today wasn’t an emoji day and the tiny conference room of a local library wasn’t nearly as cushy as she’d have liked. But they were on a time limit and honestly, Nat just wanted to get it all on the table as quickly as possible. She’d arrived first, mostly because she found she was nervous and unable to relax. Being nervous was ridiculous though, one failure does not a pattern make, but she couldn’t shake the general unease.

Armed with her coffee and a magazine she settled in to wait for the others. This meeting was going to be quick and dirty. The faster they got their hands on the goods the sooner they could get the funds. It didn’t take long for people to show up, she hadn’t expected it to really. She smiled at each of them, easily covering up any sign of her nervousness. This was the Monroe crew of San Francisco. A phoenix from the ashes. They had this.

“Our absent friend James Vincent has proposed and idea.” She looked around the room as she spoke, taking in the reactions of her team. “A little… competition you could say. And I don’t know about you lot but I, for one, am not about to get shown up.” She sniffed haughtily, if a little playfully. “We’re going to steal ourselves the Samson and Delilah. The plan is simple enough. We’re going to steal the ink copy from a private collector, replace with one of Tony’s creations, and ransom it back to them. Quick and easy.” She smiled wide. “What do you say to that?”

He really had to start offering his grifting skills from some of the more … mundane parts of being a crew. Next time, if Nat told him before hand, he could probably get them a bigger room, some place with good acoustics, a private bar. Anything was better than this room, but he stifled the sarcastic remark and settled into a seat with his coffee hand.

As soon as Nat had finished describing the event, Parker shook his head. “I cannot believe that we’re engaging in a competition so soon. But .. it does sound fun.” He smirked at her, before leaning back in his chair. “Isn’t there a big painting of the Samson in a museum somewhere? Why go for the ink copy, if we could sell a forged version, for the full thing?”

Was this the first time she was actually in a room with everyone from the crew? Maybe. At least she hadn’t planned to do anything else today (though when was there ever anything planned - and her computer back home was humming away nicely), so she pulled out her laptop from her bag with ease, automatically checking local networks and fortifying her own.

She nodded along at the explanation, not surprised at the mention of a competition. (Though it did sound completely unnecessary. There was no specific client this time, nothing outside of boosting their own egos. Could they band together and find Carter?) “Museum online security is always really easy to get, so I can be monitoring anything you need me to. Do you need me to?”

Athena was lingering towards the back, her arms crossed defensively. She still wasn’t sure where she stood in the crew, and this plan was something she’d honestly rather not be doing. It had been a while since their last job, but it had ended so disasterously, they were still feeling the echoes of it well past the summer. Why did they need to do this now? Couldn’t they just let it go?

Of course not. You don’t even really want them to. Think of your pride.

“I’m assuming that there’s not much in this plan that actually requires a driver, huh?” She said simply afterwards. Why was she even there? Would they ask her to grift again, because the last time she tried that… she ended up ramming into some asshole at Buckingham Palace.

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

Rhiannon was nothing if not dutiful. If Nathalie had asked her to jump all that she would have asked was how high. Honestly she should have probable rethought how loyal she was to anyone, but Nathalie had earned this much from her. Although she had wished that she had at least reached out and asked for Rhi to find a better location for a meeting. Planning in a library? Honestly it didn’t sound like the smartest plan even to her, but she supposed that Nat knew more about it than she would.

Her eyebrows raised at the very basic plan that was laid before them. A competition certainly piqued her competitive nature, but considering how divided things felt after the last job she wasn’t so certain that it was the best call. Or maybe it was exactly what they needed. “I mean I don’t know how much help I can be, but you know I’m in. Whatever the crew needs.”

[acezimmermans]

bitter failure | open

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

acezimmermans‌:

Ace had plenty of patience– he had to, considering the people he was in love with and the people he worked with. More often than not, he was the quiet sound of order and reason in a room full of maniacs, trusted to keep his cool and remain objective– and above all, patient.

But, as Rhiannon and Dallas had so frequently demonstrated, it was entirely possible for his patience to snap as though it had never existed in the first place, leaving him a messy puddle of want and now and please please please. Dallas had perfected dancing on that bit of thread years ago and Rhiannon was an avid student, holding him together by the seams as she stood there, purring in his ear and making promises he knew she intended to keep, but he still wanted her to keep them right goddamn now.

“Rhiannon,” he whined in her ear, the air leaving his lungs in a woosh as she ran her nose up his neck and it felt like she was unzipping his skin, turning him inside out, laying him bare for the world to see. The fingers on her hips trembled and he gripped her just a little harder, holding on as though she’d dance away from him and leave him wanting. Which, that was more Dallas’ game than Rhia’s, but they both were known to switch it up sometimes. Ace didn’t like it. (He loved it so very much, loved them so very much, when does this elevator finally reach the damned floor–)

“Baby, if you want to tell me things and you want me to actually hear them, y’gotta let me breathe,” he begged, even though his arms tightened around her and he dipped his head to nibble at her neck– only to let out a sound of relief as the elevator doors opened and they were revealed to a thankfully empty hallway. “Jesus Christ, thank you,” he whispered, now moving to manhandle Rhiannon out the elevator and blindly into the direction of the room– of course, taking the wrong side for all about five steps, before letting out a yelp of surprise and rushing the other direction. 

He all but stumbled into the room and kicked the door closed behind them, before leaning against the door itself and pulling her to him, hands slowly drifting lower than was strictly polite. A chuckle vibrated in his chest and he eyed Rhiannon with a warm look. “Y’had something to tell me, pretty lady?”

It was always a game for Rhiannon to see how long it took to break Ace’s patience. Usually it wasn’t much, but especially when they both so desperately needed to be wrapped up in each other after the last job. They were both tense needing only what being near each other would give them.

It was all too entertaining to watch the way that Ace reacted to her, and it wasn’t even just today. In fact it was nearly a daily activity that Rhiannon would tease him wondering just how far she could go with him before he would snap. Tonight was understandably much easier than usual which had her feeling a little more cocky than usual as she kept her hands on him smirking at his reaction.

Having his breathless words in her ear had the hitter shivering in desire. There was nothing more that she wanted than to pin her beautiful man to the bed and have her way with him, but the elevator was playing with the two of them. There was no question that they could have made it to the room if they took the stairs, but then she wouldn’t have been able to pull out the teasing.

It wasn’t every day that Ace manhandled her, but every time it happened the more turned on that she became. Even if it was more so out of his own desperation to get the two of them into their room than it was anything else. “You’re one to complain about breathing,” Rhiannon teased him happily allowing him to take the lead for once rather than being the one to make all of the moves.

“I do have something to tell you,” Rhi promised with a playful hum feeling the way that his hands slipped down her body only pulling her closer. “But I’m not going to tell you against a door,” She decided to use his shirt against him as she forced him onto the bed wanting it to be as perfect as she could possibly make it for either of them knowing that she couldn’t redo this memory for either of them.

Teasingly slow the hitter shifted in order to straddle his lap, her favorite place to be, as she leaned over him studying his face. Every single part of her knew what she was about to change was a good thing, and for the first time there wasn’t a wavering hint of doubt. Slowly she ran her hands down his chest with a small smile as she studied his face. “Ace?” Rhiannon’s voice was quiet as she leaned in a little closer, “I’m in love with you. Do you know that?” 

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

Quiet time | open

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

nathmxnroe‌:

Nat was not the sort of person that like punching and she had never been particularly good at it. That’s why she had Rhiannon anyways. But what Nat did like was exercising, especially when she felt like she was crawling out of her skin. Jame’s had a great idea but Nat was still trying to pull her crew back together after the failure that was the last con. She’d run out her frustrations and make a plan of attack as she ran. She’d only been there an hour before she was dripping in sweat and feeling almost back to normal. Almost. And the last thing she’d expected to hear behind her was Rhiannon. Granted, Nat was pretty sure of all of her people finding Rhi here would be more likely than, say, Jana. But she still jerked a little.

“Running.” She smiled. It was a pretty sad answer but Nat didn’t think she needed to explain herself much more than that anyways. Brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear Nat stepped off the treadmill and grabbed her towel, wiping down her face a little. “And what are you doing here?” She smirked, pretty sure she already knew what her answer was going to be anyways. “How’ve you been, Rhi?”

.Seeing Nathalie wasn’t something exactly unwanted, but Rhiannon wasn’t honestly sure how to feel about the mastermind being present. On one hand she always craved being near her. She felt like home after all. It was after the job that everything around her felt like it was falling apart except for Ace. Failure wasn’t exactly a new feeling for the hitter to suffer through, if anything she was a little familiar with it, but she felt like she had failed the people she swore she never would. And now being face to face with the woman she considered to be...well she wasn’t sure what she considered Nathalie, but it was something so much more than her boss. If she was forced to name it though it would be something akin to motherly.

“Oh,” It was a short answer, one given in disappointment. She was hoping that maybe a part of Nathalie was actually looking for her. “I needed something to focus on. What’s better than giving my brain a physical focus?” She asked curiously putting her bag down as she looked for her gloves. “I could be a lot better, what about you?”

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

Quiet time | open

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

athenaganero‌:

Athena stuffed her hands in her pockets. She did go to the gym, but mainly for cardio and general toning, nothing like what she was requesting from Rhiannon now. She’d been toying with the idea for ages, joking about it every so often, but it never felt more important to her than in the wake of the last job. She’d been helpless. And had she actually been able to catch up to the thieves and murderers, there wasn’t anything she could’ve done about them except hit them as hard as possible with her car. But, with Scout as her back up, she would have had to do most of the actual fighting. And… well, she probably would’ve died trying.

“Looking for you, actually.” She stuffed her hands in her pockets and prayed to God that Rhiannon didn’t hate her or blame her for the way the last job went. “I was hoping you could teach me how to defend myself. And how to fight if it comes down to it.”

Rhiannon didn’t blame Athena for the way the job went. She understood all too well the reason that the drive abandoned the job to chase after the boy she loved. If the positions were switched there wasn’t a doubt that she wouldn’t have gone after Ace or Dallas herself. She was afraid however that perhaps the friend that she considered to be her baby sister hated her for not having her back. All she had wanted to do that night was do damage control and try to keep as much of Nathalie’s heat off of her. Facing Athena though wasn’t something she thought she could handle yet in the chance that she was still angry with her.

Being face to face with her was a completely different story though. She was completely relieved that she seemed to be in a somewhat good place at the very least. “Really?” She asked her curiously almost relieved that she was coming to her about this. “Of course I will! I’ve been dying to teach you especially because jobs can go wrong at any point and it’s always good to have something you can fall back on. You will always have your physical strength if nothing else.”

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

Quiet time | open

There was one thing that Rhiannon wasn’t able to handle and that was down time. It made her feel uneasy. It filled her with a weird energy that nothing seemed to fully get rid of no matter how many hours she spent in the gym or how much time she spent with her boys. Oh she loved them and being able to spend days on end with them without too much concern for the world, but she knew that even Ace could only handle her for so long. It wasn’t so much an itch for another job that got under her skin so much as an itch to feel needed by her crew. 

Deciding the best course of action was to try to use the gym to work out her frustration, even if she knew it was a fruitless search, as she dropped her bag on the floor looking around the large space trying to see who had shown up that day knowing everyday there was someone new either there or missing. Today though she spotted a familiar face that caused her to raise her eyebrows. “What are you doing here?” She asked curiously.

[acezimmermans]

bitter failure | open

[acezimmermans]

rhiannon-faust‌:

Rhiannon was all too use to Dallas using his smooth words and gliding touch to gain a reaction from her, but to have the same being used by Ace? It sent her body into a confusion, but she had to admit that she liked it. It was something different from the usual awkwardness that he usually exuded, something that she personally loved and found to be just as equally a turn on as this side of him, but it was working for her. He was getting the exact reaction that she knew he was looking for as she nuzzled along his neck while he laughed soundlessly against her. There was something comforting about it mixed with this different side of him that she was enjoying. He was still her Ace, but seeing him actually confident made her heart swell with joy along with a few other bodily functions.

“Hmmm?” she hummed happily against his skin unable to hide the own tug of her lips enjoying the fact that she was getting a reaction from him even with the simplest touch against his body. “I only ever said that you had to behave yourself. I said nothing about myself. I just don’t want you to ruin tonight for yourself before you get to know what I have in mind.”

Rhiannon listened to what Ace had running through his mind as she always did with either of her boys always enjoying the fact that he never hid anything from her, but also enjoying the small tidbits that Dallas would give to her. Each moment was something new that she could learn about them, and she never took them for granted. Of course though his focus was on her which brought up a different side of her. No one besides her adoptive mom ever felt like she was deserving of anything, much less everything, at least until the boys came along and wanted to give her the entire world much she knew it easily went both ways though. All she ever wanted was to give as much as she could to them. “You already give me the world, Ace. As long as I have you and Dallas I have the entire world everything else is just a blessing even though I know you two will do whatever it takes to give me more,” She promised him earnestly as she moved to press him against the wall of the elevator once they were alone needing him to know that she was being serious in the moment. “My mind?” She asked him curiously tipping her head with a full blown smirk now, “My feelings about you. It’s all that’s been on my mind for the last few days.”

Ace laughed soundlessly, his gentle fingers moving to pinch a little bit of skin above the waist of Rhiannon’s pants. “Cheeky,” he reprimanded without meaning it in the slightest, the grin on his lips entirely disarming and warm. “I’ve got you right here, how on earth would I ruin this night for myself? Pretty damn sure that’s impossible,” Ace said, laying it on a bit thick and fluttering with his eyelashes– a compliment not aimed to make her swoon, but one to make her laugh.

Endlessly fond, he regarded her as the doors of the elevator closed, knowing that she meant every word– Rhiannon was never one to demand much, always seemingly content as long as there was proof of their affection for her there; which, Ace understood. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to get thrown into an already existing relationship, having to carve out her space between them in a way that satisfied all three of them. Ace thought they had been pretty accommodating, but communication, if anything, had always been the weak point in their relationship.

What with Dallas and Rhiannon sharing their disdain for honest emotional conversations and Ace loving them too much. 

“You know how extra we can be about these things,” he said then, eyes warm as he let himself be manhandled against the wall of the elevator. Ace was not new to letting himself be arranged to the liking of either one of his lovers– he had long ago learned that going along with them was only for his benefit.

“Is that right?,” he asked then, throat a little dry as his hands found their way to her hips, squeezing for barely a moment– he dipped his head to brush his lips against hers, already only half-listening. “Something I should know there?,” he wondered, mind already moved on to different things as he traced the bit of skin between the hem of her shirt and her waistband.

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

The problem with Ace was that he was never trying to get her to swoon and yet more often than not it was exactly the reaction he gained from her. Not that it was a difficult one for either man to pull from the hitter all too often they had to only bat their eyelashes towards her and she was a puddle for them. She wasn’t too prideful when it came to letting them know just the kind of reaction they earned from her, but especially when it came to Ace. She knew that being with herself and Dallas couldn’t be easy for someone as loving and open as their hacker was. Being with two people that often struggled to voice how they felt had to put at least some kind of insecurity in their head, but it’s why Rhiannon never shied away from the physical side to make sure he understood that while she couldn’t say how much she loved him didn’t mean that she didn’t. “That’s because you don’t know what’s in the works for you tonight, and if you did you’d be rushing us to the room.”

That fateful night that became so much more than any of them could have dreamed about. It was meant to be one night of mind blowing sex that she would walk away from the moment it ended or once the boys were asleep. Somehow, she knew exactly how whenever she looked at them, it became so much more. They became her life and more importantly the pair of them had become her family. Rhiannon struggled though in figuring out where she fit in with them, and if she was ever fully honest with either of them there were still moments that she wasn’t sure that she did fit in with them. In those moments though she simply clung a little tighter to them and perhaps tended to leave her physical mark a little more often on those days. She wasn’t sure if they noticed, but if they did they never mentioned it to her.

“You mean how extra you are about everything?” She asked him curiously running her nose along his neck wishing that she had him alone in their room. It seemed as though the elevator had to be the slowest moving one she had ever been on or perhaps she was just being more impatient than usual. “I love how you though. I want you to be extra about every single thing in your life, but especially when it comes to us and how you are with me at the very least.”

Rhiannon’s eyes drift closed as she slowly brushed their lips together as she let out a perfectly content hum. “Only something I would hope you already know, but if you don’t I plan on making sure that everything is clear once we’re in our room locked away from the rest of the world so that it can’t ruin our night together.”

[acezimmermans]

bitter failure | open

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

acezimmermans‌:

Laughter rumbled in his chest a little, vibrating his entire torso as he chuckled into her hair soundlessly– it was a thing he did sometimes, his shoulders would shake and he would laugh without a sound, content and happy and warm like the sun. “Hm, well, whatever you want from me, baby, you got it,” he promised then, sincerity in his words as he eyed her with amusement, already knowing that for all her talk of behaving, he’d be pushed flat on his back not before long. Patience, Rhiannon had in spades– but Ace knew which buttons to push, which looks to give. 

Dallas was the grifter, but Ace too knew to tease.

The warm circles her fingers drew against his back had tingles rush up his spine and his skin erupted into goosebumps. “Mixed signals, sweetheart,” he muttered, the fingers laying against her arm, from where he had his arm around her shoulders skill, gently brushed against her skin– mimicking her own touch. 

The hotel stretched out before them and soon the two of them were back inside the cool building, the foyer wide and gorgeous and of course– nothing but the best. As though Rhiannon deserved anything less. “I’m thinking you deserve everything in this world you could ever want,” he answered earnestly, waving to the man behind the reception in hello before leading Rhiannon over to the elevator, his free hand stuck in the pockets of his pants. “What are you thinking about, pretty lady?”

Rhiannon was all too use to Dallas using his smooth words and gliding touch to gain a reaction from her, but to have the same being used by Ace? It sent her body into a confusion, but she had to admit that she liked it. It was something different from the usual awkwardness that he usually exuded, something that she personally loved and found to be just as equally a turn on as this side of him, but it was working for her. He was getting the exact reaction that she knew he was looking for as she nuzzled along his neck while he laughed soundlessly against her. There was something comforting about it mixed with this different side of him that she was enjoying. He was still her Ace, but seeing him actually confident made her heart swell with joy along with a few other bodily functions.

“Hmmm?” she hummed happily against his skin unable to hide the own tug of her lips enjoying the fact that she was getting a reaction from him even with the simplest touch against his body. “I only ever said that you had to behave yourself. I said nothing about myself. I just don’t want you to ruin tonight for yourself before you get to know what I have in mind.”

Rhiannon listened to what Ace had running through his mind as she always did with either of her boys always enjoying the fact that he never hid anything from her, but also enjoying the small tidbits that Dallas would give to her. Each moment was something new that she could learn about them, and she never took them for granted. Of course though his focus was on her which brought up a different side of her. No one besides her adoptive mom ever felt like she was deserving of anything, much less everything, at least until the boys came along and wanted to give her the entire world much she knew it easily went both ways though. All she ever wanted was to give as much as she could to them. “You already give me the world, Ace. As long as I have you and Dallas I have the entire world everything else is just a blessing even though I know you two will do whatever it takes to give me more,” She promised him earnestly as she moved to press him against the wall of the elevator once they were alone needing him to know that she was being serious in the moment. “My mind?” She asked him curiously tipping her head with a full blown smirk now, “My feelings about you. It’s all that’s been on my mind for the last few days.”

[acezimmermans]

bitter failure | open

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

acezimmermans‌:

Ace wiggled his eyebrows theatrically, a grin stretching slowly on his face as he regarded his girlfriend (yes, girlfriend, damn it, even if both her and Dallas avoided such specifications as though they’d break out in hives if they didn’t)– this teasing, it felt natural, real in a way that Ace could never describe. Love, his brain supplied helpfully and he moved to brush an affectionate kiss against her cheekbone. You’re in love with her.

Well, it wasn’t like that was news.

Her words had Ace squawk in indignation, pointing at himself, flabbergasted. “Me? Behave myself? I’m exceptionally well-behaved. You’ve told me I’m a good boy no less than ten times,” he insisted, eyes sparkling– the reminder of when exactly she had told him that and what they had been doing in those moments caused a faint blush on his cheeks; thankfully, she couldn’t tell.

His arm snaked around her shoulders and Ace briskly moved down the streets– he wasn’t drunk by any means, merely felt a little tingle on the back of his neck; he hadn’t had much to drink anyway, more like stared at his drink as though it was the root and solution for all of his problems. (He had been drunk plenty of times, but drinking to forget never helped– he merely got more melancholic, more sad, more tired of everything. Well, it didn’t help.)

In a surge of affection, he pressed a kiss against her temple, a warm rumble in his chest– he was like a content cat in that moment.

There was something about the ease, and the level of intimacy, in which Ace pressed kisses into her skin that lit her entire body up. It may have only been to her cheek and temple now, but every bit of her skin knew what those lucious lips felt like being pressed against her. Physical affection came with being with Ace whether it was the way he would lift her wrist to his lips as she made coffee, or that he would press the faintest kiss along her shoulders. That wasn’t to say that Dallas wasn’t just as physical with his affection his just tended to be much more passionate and deep while Ace’s was absentmindedly as if it was just natural that he gravitated to being near the people he cared about.

Rhiannon’s lips twisted up into a wicked smile as she turned her head in order to meet those dark brown eyes that instantly warmed her heart, “You’ve been a good boy much more than only ten times, but that’s not the kind of behaving I need from you for at least ten minutes.” She reached up resting a hand just underneath his shirt on the small of his back so that she was able to rub small warm circles against his skin. If everything went according to her plan there would be more than enough time for him to prove just what a good boy he was for her.

There were very few moments in her life that she was actually thankful for her darker complexion hiding just how fiercely she knew that she was blushing but this moment would be one of them. Having a drunk Ace was never a bad thing though. His level of affection just went up even more, not that she thought it was possible before she witnessed it for herself, she just reveled in his attention. “What’s going on in that incredible mind of yours?” She asked curiously as they entered the hotel she had found.

[acezimmermans]

bitter failure | open

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

acezimmermans‌:

Ace was prone to sulking– it was rare that he got upset to the point that he needed to sulk, but once he was in the mindset, it was difficult to dig him out of it. It seemed that Rhiannon had a talent to do just that though, grabbing him by the scruff and pulling him right out of his misery– all the while making him feel as though it was his idea in the first place. It was genuine too– that was the whole thing, she was just so genuine about it all, Ace couldn’t help but gaze into her eyes and wonder what the hell he did to deserve both her and Dallas. 

But really, he wasn’t gonna complain about it.

For a moment, he looked at her, barely-there mischief in his eyes as he leaned forward and muttered “You sure? I can think of something better than talking–”. Oh, Ace could be charming– for all but five seconds. Shy he was not, but once the incredible charm of Dallas and/or Rhiannon were directed at him– then he tripped over his words like a school boy, fidgeted and tried to wave them off.

He himself could very well put out a few lines– and they worked, on occasion.

But readily enough, he got to his feet, a mild smile on his face. “Whatever you want baby.” For the rest of this evening, he’d try to forget about the day– the hacker that had bested him with little to no effort, the con that had gone completely awry if not for the mild success of getting back Fitz (who they shouldn’t have lost in the first place).

It was all he could do, unless he wanted to go insane at this point– tomorrow, he’d perhaps worry about it again, rethink his actions and try to find a way to better himself. But tonight– well. Rhiannon seemed to have something in mind and he’d never been one to deny her anything.

It was hard to take Ace sulking. He was the natural ray of sunshine that seemed to fill their lives, and when he was anything less it fell to her shoulders to pull him back up. Not that she ever minded. Not when it was truly the least that she could do in order to help him when all he ever seemed to do was hold her up. It was also idiotic for Rhiannon to expect anyone, especially him, to be happy all the time. After the night that they had though it was hard to keep certain words to herself any longer. Not when she knew that they were true or how much happier he would be to hear them.

“Oh could you now?” Rhiannon couldn’t help but practically purr to him as she leaned in close enough to just barely brush her lips against his. She knew just how charming Ace could be but it wasn’t the charms he thought of that made her heart race against her chest. It wasn’t the smooth moves that came second nature to Dallas, or even the purposeful flirting that Ace attempted with them. It was always the moments of awkward flailing that tended to come out often with him or when she was able to render him speechless that sent the butterflies fluttering about her rib cage.

The hitter liked to believe that she tended to have a solid head on her shoulders, but even she knew there was no doubt that she could easily bend either boy into doing at least almost anything for her. Ace was the exception though because she knew he’d do anything for her especially if it meant making her happy. Maybe she was exploiting that tendency, but at the end of the day it was truly for his own good that she was. Rhia would make it up to him fully as she always did.

“Now once we’re in the hotel room you’re going to have to behave yourself,” Rhiannon knew that shew as toying with him, but his reaction was going to be priceless. It was something that she even had dreams about witnessing and now she was only minutes away from actually seeing how it would come to be. Something about that terrified her, but at the same time with Ace’s presence she was instantly soothed. 

[acezimmermans]

bitter failure | open

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

acezimmermans:

Rubbing his hands over his face, Ace could do little but bask in his misery– it felt like he had been dragged through the mud and left there, unable to pick himself up from this. Failure was an unexpected taste on his tongue and it tasted like bitter poison, that kind that made him rigid and unable to move. “Rhi–,” he began than, voice quiet but rough around the edges– he would not cry, not because of this. Clearing his throat roughly, Ace moved forward and placed his hands on the table for a moment before taking Rhiannon’s between his own, pushing barely-there kisses on her knuckles.

It felt grounding, warm, like he’d feel better if he only stayed this way with her. How Rhiannon managed to hang the sun back into the sky during the deepest night, he’d never understand– but he would always be grateful.

“I’d never blame you,” he muttered, his thumbs mapping out the rough skin on top of her knuckles, proof of her strength, proof of her skill. “But… baby, I have never had… this. I can hack my way out of anything. At least I thought I could.” Shaking his head, he pushed his forehead against her hands, still captured in his own. Ace had always prided himself on his intelligence. What use am I if I’m not even that anymore?

Her words seemed so… filled with conviction, as though they were true, inevitable facts that he couldn’t even talk himself out of if he tried. He would get that hacker, he would improve– at least in Rhiannon’s eyes, that seemed to be the truth. He looked up then, holding her gaze with something like wonder in his own, before he nodded. “Yeah,” he croaked then, not sure if it was a question or a statement or a bit of both. Yeah, he’d get them back. Yeah, he’d get better– next time he’d run a circle around them.

At least, that was all he could do.

Swallowing, he moved over, slowly, brushing his lips against Rhiannon’s– and with an almost wounded sound, leaned in closer, pressing a warm kiss against her. “God, I–” love you. He didn’t say it– and in that moment, that ached more than anything else.

It wasn’t much but the tender brush of his lips against her fingers filled her with the tiniest bit of happiness. She just wished that it could give him the same sense of contentment as her, but she knew better than to ask too much of the universe at the moment. The small moment would just have to be between herself she would have to find another one for him, and she was determined that she would. It was all too easy for Rhiannon to push her own emotions to the side and put her focus on him, exactly where her attention should be when he very clearly needed the support she could give him.

Whatever the moment was though at least brought him down somewhat as she shifted to stand up again leaning against her sturdy boyfriend before resting her head against his. Nothing could be wrong as long as she could go home to him after a job.

“And none of us are blaming you,” Rhiannon reminded him quietly as she turned her head in order to kiss the top of his head tenderly for a moment before she sighed wishing that she could take his pain from him. “You found someone that will make you better is all, because you will do this.” her hands reached down rubbing along the tense muscles in his back tenderly wishing she was able to fully relax him. He deserved it after all.

The smallest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she watched the way his brain seemed to be accepting what she was saying. For her it wasn’t a question. She knew for a fact that he would become the best hacker there was, because he wouldn’t rest until it was the truth no matter how much she would beg for him to return to bed with her. “See? Sulking in a bar isn’t going to get you there though,” She reminded him hoping for the slightest budge in getting him to the hotel.

It felt as if her entire heart was on fire the moment he laid his lips on hers. They shared thousands of kisses before, but for whatever reason this one, this one was different. She blinked slowly as she pulled back from him finally allowing herself to smile as brightly as she could possibly manage because she knew exactly what words he was about to say. It wasn’t the place though. “I know. Do you think I can drag you away now I have something I’d like to say myself,” She admitted.

[acezimmermans]

bitter failure | open

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

acezimmermans:

He didn’t flinch– even though he had the spatial awareness of a newborn and hadn’t known that it was Rhiannon who approached him, Ace didn’t flinch when her arms closed around him, enveloping him in warmth and the familiarity of a scent that almost had him sobbing in relief. Or guilt. It was hard to tell right now.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out, fingers clenching and unclenching as he nudged the glass of luke-warm (Whiskey? Hell if he knew, he hadn’t paid much attention, it really could be anything right now) away from him, shaking his head as though to shake off his thoughts. Ace had barely had time to change out of his clothes– he was reasonably certain he was wearing Dallas’ shirt right now; it was a bit snug. Rubbing both hands over his face, it took him a moment to look at Rhiannon– it took him another to not start crying when he did.

Failure was a taste Ace wasn’t accustomed to– especially not in a field where he thought he ruled supreme. “I should’ve… been more specific about where I was, I’m just–” A moment of silence and he huffed out a bit of laughter. It was not the amused kind. “Hiding, I guess. God damn it, Rhiannon, how the hell could I have messed up this badly?” Huffing again, he looked at the glass with an urge to either empty it or toss it against the wall. Ace did neither– he was never one to lash out in anger.

“Nothing I did worked. Nothing. Whoever that person was, they were ten steps ahead of me. It was like they were running marathons and I was barely past the crawling stage. I’ve never had that and– we lost. Sure, we got Fitz back, but we lost. They played us for fools.” And wasn’t that the worst part? Ace had never been stupid his entire life, but sitting in that basement fighting tooth and nail to not be tossed out of his own goddamn system– he had felt dumber than ever before. 

“I’ve disappointed everyone– I mean, I lied to my friends, my crew, the people that I love and now? It was all for nothing.” Swallowing hard, he looked up at Rhiannon, exhaling slightly. It was rare that the façade cracked as much as it did now– it was rare Ace wasn’t the one smiling. “Rhiannon, I’m sorry.” For his failure, his lie. All of it.

Rhiannon tried to not take it too personally that her favorite human hadn’t been aware enough to make sure that it was her that even approached him. It would have been all too easy for it to be someone else, more importantly someone with a knife to his neck rather than her tender arms. There was already too much on that precious mind of his though for her to hold it against him. It only added to her reasons for keeping him under lock and key in a room with her while Dallas was away getting the air that he needed.

Seemingly with an absent mind the hitter ran her hands along the bulging muscles of Ace’s arm. She enjoyed the way the tight material grabbed his body, but as much as she wanted to openly appreciate just how incredible he looked there was something much more important that needed her attention. Him. “Never apologize to me, babe. I don’t need them what I need is to have my Ace. What do you need from me?” Rhia asked him quietly allowing her hand to drop from his arm.

There was no hiding from the fact that if a job went side ways on his side Ace was going to shoulder the blame. Never mind the fact that it wasn’t always entirely on his shoulders there were two other hackers that could just as easily be blamed if you asked her, but she supposed seeing him hurting and angry made her protective over him no matter how much she loved Scout and didn’t truly blame her either. “I wish you would have just brought me with you rather than me having to chase after you,” the words were meant as a joke but she was sure they wouldn’t be picked up. Not tonight. “You didn’t screw up this badly. Not every job is going to go to plan. Would you blame me if something went wrong?”

Making Ace feel stupid wasn’t an easy feat. This mysterious hacker seemed to have dug their way under his skin, something that was completely unacceptable to her. “I know you, Ace. You’ll get back at whoever this asshole is even if it isn’t tonight. They’re going to regret ever crossing you, because you’re going to become a better hacker because of this job,” Rhiannon was passionate as she leaned in whispering to him, because for her it was obviously so true. There was no way that he would ever back down from proving himself.

“You didn’t disappoint me,” Rhiannon assured him fiercely, “You didn’t let me down in the slightest. You’re carrying the entire world on those shoulders of yours when you weren’t the only one in that job. I’m sure even that Russian princess can’t blame you for how things went.”

[acezimmermans]

bitter failure | open

Location: a small bar near Mickey’s hospital

Time: a few hours after the escape from the chateau

He was rarely ever the irresponsible one– in any situation, Ace could be trusted to be the one in control, the one who kept his head in the game, who used his logically inclined mind to find creative solutions to any situation given; 

Well. At least so far the theory.

Not much of a drinker usually, Ace was still nursing his first drink, the glass past the cold, damp stage and having moved on to being uncomfortably wet to the touch. His drink was slightly warm already, but Ace didn’t change it, merely taking minuscule sips from time to time as he stared into space, trying to think where he had gone wrong.

It had all been going– well, shitty, really. The con had slipped past his fingertips in mere moments, where he had gone from being confident to completely overwhelmed within the time span of one blink. So, no. This was not his evening, not at all. 

Thus, the cowardly disappearance to that bar– Ace had done his best to avoid Sabina (something he had never done before) and managed to find himself a lonely seat at this seedy bar all by himself; the fact that he didn’t speak french didn’t help, but at least it kept people away while he organized his thoughts. Rhiannon was the only one he messaged– a short text about his whereabouts and that he was alright, merely needed some moments to calm down.

How was he to face Sabina? Scout, Madison? Or, hell, Rhiannon? Failure of such a spectacular extent was not something Ace was accustomed to dealing with, so here he was, wallowing and drowning his sorrows in a luke-warm drink he didn’t even like. With a sigh, he continued, lips pressed tightly.

Truth was, they had gotten lucky. And Ace hated nothing more than games that were based on luck rather than skill.

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

Rhiannon knew that there was no way that Ace was handling the end of the con well. He often carried too much responsibility on his shoulders, and while she completely knew that she was a hypocrite since she did the same thing herself, all she wanted was to take that from him so he could relax. No one in their right mind could blame him, or even Madi, for the way the job ended. There was only so much certain people are capable of doing, but knowing the stubbornness that ran through his body there was no way that he would see that easily.

She knew that he had told her he was alright, but Rhia knew him better than he seemed to know himself and read between the lines. He was struggling, and he might not think it or believe he deserved it but she knew she could help him. Especially when there was something on the tip of her tongue that she wanted to say to him.

Spotting a gorgeous hacker in a seedy bar wasn’t difficult to do even if he was slumped over focused on a spot in front of him. It was all too easy to ignore the stares or words that seemed to follow her as she walked up behind him before she draped her arms around his neck from behind him. “I hear your girlfriend misses you,” Rhiannon whispered quietly in his ear hoping that even in his state that he would pick up on the fact that she gave herself a title. Something that often frightened her even with him.

Rhiannon slowly moved to take the stool beside him crossing her long exposed legs once she was seated facing him. There was no smile, just simple concern for the man that had her heart (or at least a portion of it). “You don’t have to hide from me. If you want to mope there’s a rather large bathtub at the hotel I reserved for us and we can order all the alcohol you want.”

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

Text: Via & Rhi

Nathalie: Via. Go to the bathroom. Meet us in the basement. Look for Ace.

Nathalie: Rhi. Are you safe?

Rhiannon: I'm alive.

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

On the roof | Self

There was no plan just running on hope that Rhiannon’s mind could move fast enough to make the split decisions she knew she’d have to make after a long night. She was hoping that Isabelle could be talked into siding with them and helping take out either of the cars. It was just a matter of hoping she could word it all correctly. Rhiannon was hardly known for having a way with words, it was much easier to get her point across with her fists. It was obvious even to the hitter though that if she could persuade Isabelle to their side then at least they’d have a sniper on the cars and a hitter chasing after Jack and Madi so that they’d have back up when they caught up with whoever had the egg. 

Rhiannon held back from stepping onto the roof until she heard another gun shot. Taking one last breath to steady herself she finally cleared her throat as she stood behind the woman. “Who’s the target?” She kept her voice as steady as she could manage deciding to play it off with ease hoping it was the best approach with the woman.

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

Rhiannon wanted nothing more than to cringe when the shot went wide, but she kept complete composure as she tried to play it off. If she had known the woman was going to get another shot off she would have let her, but there was no way for her to know exactly who she was going to target. “At least your boys will have some company to help with whichever one has the egg,” She could have easily told her the truth about what was in her car, but she wasn’t going to take the only advantage they had and give it away for nothing. “We have two cars going after the one you’re claiming, and as soon as I’m sure you won’t be shooting at the wrong people we’ll have more than one going after the other to be sure.”

She was never more grateful for Dallas teaching her how to keep a straight face no matter the lie she was trying to sell. Instead she allowed for her eyes to look over towards the city. “We both want the same thing. That egg back and out of those bastards’ hands.”

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

On the roof | Self

There was no plan just running on hope that Rhiannon’s mind could move fast enough to make the split decisions she knew she’d have to make after a long night. She was hoping that Isabelle could be talked into siding with them and helping take out either of the cars. It was just a matter of hoping she could word it all correctly. Rhiannon was hardly known for having a way with words, it was much easier to get her point across with her fists. It was obvious even to the hitter though that if she could persuade Isabelle to their side then at least they’d have a sniper on the cars and a hitter chasing after Jack and Madi so that they’d have back up when they caught up with whoever had the egg. 

Rhiannon held back from stepping onto the roof until she heard another gun shot. Taking one last breath to steady herself she finally cleared her throat as she stood behind the woman. “Who’s the target?” She kept her voice as steady as she could manage deciding to play it off with ease hoping it was the best approach with the woman.

[rhiannon-faust-blog]

Text | Ace

Ace via his tablet: Right back at you, babe. We're going on vacation, remember? Gonna do it in one piece, too.

Rhiannon: I wouldn't even mind a staycation at this point.

Rhiannon: But I wouldn't be wearing a one piece.