A Kept Thief

Summary: Tag to the movie. A 'missing scene' between Michael and Briar
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for the whole movie; probable AU; some mentions of violence; some brief swearing
Pairing: Briar/Michael - slash
Author's Note: I liked the idea of doing the month of mini-ficlets and writing in different fandoms. Since I am in so many different fandoms, I thought I'd do sets of twenty one-shots that are all connected in that they contain some form of spanking... but can each stand on their own and are a variety of different fandoms and pairings.
Feel free to make requests. If I feel inspired by any ideas, I'll give credit to the reader whose idea I'm using... and even if it's not a fandom I write in, I always add more to the books I read, movies/television series I watch... etc.

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Fleeing had been a mistake. Just one more mistake in several days... but when Michael stared at the chip in his hand, knowing he would never have to steal again... he didn't feel the sense of relief he'd been expecting to. He had enough money that he could do whatever he wanted... but when he'd been working with Briar (even though the other man was dangerously reckless), he'd been doing... something. Something worthwhile.

It had become clear to Michael that Briar? Well, the guy was a loose cannon and Michael was certain he didn't have any problem with 'collateral damage' (call it a hunch), but they had connected while working and Briar had trusted him... well, insomuch as he could trust anyone, Michael supposed.

And he hadn't been lying when he'd talked about wanting a job. They'd worked well together, at least as far as Michael could tell. Once he'd got past the initial problem with being arrested and accused of something he wouldn't have ever even considered being a part of. He'd been able to do something worthwhile... and he wanted to continue doing that.

Was Briar likely to come hard after him? It was likely. Michael knew he wasn't going to get a free pass just because the two of them had worked well together. And that was why he knew he needed to be the one to reach out to Briar. Because if he left it up to the other man... Briar would be there, guns blazing, shooting first... asking questions never.

Most of Michael's bridges had been burned. Almost everyone he'd tried to sell to had refused to touch him, he was too hot. Even if Michael had been a part of trying to put things right... people had still died. And it still killed him, even if he had been just focused on saving his own skin for a long time. As soon as he stopped and let it, the guilt crashed down on him. If he hadn't thrown the bag in the trash... if he had thought to wonder why a woman had been carrying an old, tattered teddy bear...

Well. Maybe people still would have died. But maybe it wouldn't have been quite so many. Maybe... just maybe... things could have been stopped before they reached the point of no return.

As he entered the apartment building, Michael pulled his hood further forward. He didn't think there was an APB out on him anymore... but it couldn't hurt to be safe. Besides, there was still the chance someone would see him... call the police; and Michael was certain it must have gone higher up than those he'd seen at the banks.

It hadn't been hard to find out where Briar was staying. The American was an obvious presence and the fact he hadn't left Paris yet suggested he knew he had unfinished business... whether with Michael, or with the authorities.

The smell of pizza wafting from the box he held made Michael's stomach growl. He'd avoided most stores, only buying a small amount of food when the hunger became too intense. It wasn't as if he wanted to die, after all. Still, passing by the back of a delivery truck had been too good an opportunity to resist... and even if he couldn't sell anything now, it wasn't as if Briar could blend in. Michael had put out feelers... which was why he was now here.

Stepping out of the elevator, Michael paused outside the door to Briar's apartment, for a moment considering turning round and leaving. With a sigh, he knocked lightly on the door. "Pizza delivery."

There was silence from the other side, but Michael imagined he could hear the safety being clicked off a gun. He had just enough time to think he should have found a way to call first, considering Briar's hair trigger finger, when the door was opened and he found his jacket gripped tightly.

Briar jerked Michael into the apartment, with enough force that he nearly dropped the pizza and would have lost his balance, were it not for Briar's grip on him.

Shoving the door closed, Briar turned on Michael, dragging him closer. "Do you have any idea how many people are looking for you?"

"You told them about me?" Michael was surprised at the note of betrayal in his voice.

"Your face has been plastered all over the news since the bombing. Everyone's looking for you. Why did you come to me?"

"I brought pizza."

Briar released him. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"

Michael placed the box on the table and resisted the urge to smooth his jacket down. "Why do you think I came here?"

A wary look came over Briar's face. "I'm not going to help you escape with all that money."

"If you really thought I would do that, you would have shot me by now."

"Don't push your luck."

Michael waited, but when it seemed Briar wasn't going to ask, he changed the tone of his voice and prompted, "What are you doing here?" Shifting back to his normal voice, he said, "I'm glad you asked, Briar. I really want a job."

"I'll need that chip." Briar held out his hand.

"I think I'm going to need to hold onto it. For a while."

"And how am I going to trust you to hand it over?"

"I came to you."

"And you want me to trust that you won't disappear again," Briar said. "Why shouldn't I make some calls and have you locked away?"

"Because that's not how you operate." Forestalling whatever Briar was about to say next, Michael added, "And without me, you won't be able to reach it at the source. We both know the team was only one rung in the ladder."

"You're assuming too much."

"I'm guessing you're pissed at me for bailing."

"What was your first clue?"

"You want to take a swing at me?" Michael spread his arms. "Go ahead. Get your anger impulses out of the way and then we can talk and plan. And if you really want to call someone? Better make sure it's someone we can actually trust."

"We aren't partners." Briar stepped closer to Michael.

"Not right now... that doesn't mean we can't be." Michael couldn't help but tense up the closer Briar got to him. He'd never been punched before. He prided himself on never having been caught before Briar had come into the picture. Well... before he'd been partially responsible for the bombing, at least.

Instead of throwing a punch, Briar gripped Michael's shoulder. Pulling him close, he pressed his lips against Michael's in a hard kiss.

Surprised... though not unpleasantly so... Michael pressed closer to Briar, though the other man didn't let him take control of the kiss. Briar's grip on his shoulder wasn't comfortable... and Michael could feel Briar's beard scratching against his skin.

When Briar separated from the kiss, Michael found it hard to speak at first. "That was unexpected."

"I'm not going to hesitate when I want something."

"Or someone, I guess." Michael pulled gently at his shoulder. "Are you going to let me go?"

"Not yet." Briar led Michael over to the couch, his grip strong enough to force Michael to step along with him if he didn't want to risk being choked. More concerned with not tripping over his own feet, Michael didn't realise what was about to happen until he found himself off balance and upended, suddenly staring at the carpet... which, this close, looked much less clean than it had at first glance. "Didn't you clean this when you moved in?"

"That seems an odd thing to be asking me when you're in this position."

"There doesn't seem to be much point in asking what's happening when it's quite obvious." Michael rested one hand on the carpet, avoiding the worst stains, and placed his other hand on the couch. He couldn't help feeling a little dazed... not to mention this felt embarrassing... but it was probably better than getting punched in the stomach. Or whatever else Briar might have done.

Michael jumped when he felt Briar's fingers slide between his pants and bare skin. He felt the other man tugging and automatically lifted his hips, making it easier for Briar to tug his pants down. While he wasn't looking forward to this... he'd rather get it over with.

With his pants and boxers pushed down, Michael felt himself flush as Briar pushed up the edge of his shirt, baring his entire backside, from the crest down to mid-thigh.

The cool air ghosted over Michael's backside for only a few seconds before the first smack landed with considerable force. Michael jerked and hissed out a breath... then couldn't help groaning as Briar landed another swat next to the first and then two more just below them.

As the smacks landed down to his thighs, Michael couldn't help squirming over Blair's lap. He tried to hold still and accept what the other man clearly felt he deserved... but it was hard as Blair started over from the top and Michael began squirming as his backside was heated up under the hard smacks.

About halfway through the second circuit, Briar began speaking. "If you hadn't decided to come and turn yourself in to me, I would be hunting you about now. With extreme prejudice."

"Good job I made the right decision, then," Michael gasped out.

Briar's hand began coming down a bit harder and faster... though whether it was in response to Michael's comment or not, he couldn't tell. "You've made a lot of bad decisions since dumping that bag. One good decision doesn't negate all of those."

"Don't I get any credit for working with you in the first place?" It was hard to focus, even though the smacks weren't very hard. There were swats to his sit spots and thighs that his legs kicked in response to.

"Yeah... but you came into the bank after me. I told you to stay safe."

"I didn't have a choice," Michael muttered. "Besides, if it wasn't for us... you would have been shot."

"It wasn't your job to put yourself in danger. It's mine."

Michael twisted his head round to stare at Briar. "Are you serious? You had no problem threatening my life several times!"

"I would never have actually done it. I take unconventional methods to get the job done, it's true. But I'm not as trigger-happy as my file suggests."

Michael snorted softly and looked back round, though he was relieved to have that reassurance. He winced as the spanking resumed, trying not to act like it hurt... but it didn't take long before he was squirming once more.

"I'm not making any promises on you working with me... but from now on, you will listen to what I tell you to do. If I tell you to stay somewhere, you will stay there. And if you take off again?"

"You'll shoot me?"

"No. I'll take my belt to you."

Michael winced at the threat... but was soon wincing as Briar's hand landed on the creases between his sit spots and thighs. "I get it!" he hissed out, startled to realise his eyes were beginning to fill with tears.

"Good. I'd hate to think I couldn't trust you."

Michael swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat. "You can trust me..." he said softly, realising how close he was to breaking down. But he knew that, despite the attraction between them, he hadn't exactly proved himself willing to stay and work with Briar. There was no reason for the other man to trust him... not until he earned it.

Michael drew in his breath sharply as he felt his eyes grow damp. The first quiet sob caught him by surprise... and perhaps it did Briar as well, because the spanking came to a stop and Michael felt his back rubbed gently before he hissed as his underwear and pants were pulled back into place.

No longer held in place, Michael carefully pushed himself up from Briar's lap. Before he could straighten fully, though, his arm was grabbed and he was pulled off balance, landing on Briar's lap with a sound that sounded like, "Oomph!"

Anything else Michael might have said was cut off by Briar's lips pressed to his once more. Shrugging, he decided catching the official could wait a few minutes longer and situated himself closer to the other man, pressing in close as the kiss grew deeper and became more intense.

The End