Chapter Text
Fast Friends
1997
Piper walked into the Rogues’ hideout, full of excitement and confidence.
This was the first time he was going to meet some of the Rogues, his new partners in crime, and unknowing to all, including Piper, his future family in all but blood.
He fully expected the men to be lazing around, drinking their beers and chatting loudly with each other and the occasional insult that was tossed around.
What he wasn’t expecting, however, was the large pie that was thrown in his face as soon as he walked into the hideout.
Piper took a step back in surprise and went to wipe his face off, when a blond ran over, apologizing profusely. Something about a loose spring and a catapult.
But Piper just stared at the blond man.
My GOD was he attractive.
The stranger waved his hands wildly as he talked, his blond hair was short and wavy, and he seemed impossibly tan.
And oh, hey, he’s snapping his fingers in front of Piper’s face.
“Hello?” The blond waved his hands in front of Piper’s face a few times, snapping Piper back down to Earth.
“Huh?” Smooth Hartley.
“I said, are you alright? I mean, that pie hit you in the face pretty hard and by surprise... But it shouldn’t have hit you that hard…” The stranger pondered, looking back at his catapult, trying to figure out why it threw the pie so hard.
“Oh… Oh, no. It didn’t hit me that hard. Just by surprise mostly.”
The blond stopped his ramblings about what could have possibly gone wrong, and laughs.
“Sorry, I’ll get you a towel.” The blond ran off and returned a moment later with a towel, which Piper gladly accepted.
“Sorry about that again.” The blond said as he stuck a hand out to Piper. “I’m James, by the way.”
Piper wiped the cream based pie off his face and took the hand while saying, “I’m Piper.” But froze when he felt electricity run up his arm.
James laughed and held his hand up, allowing Piper to see the joy buzzer that was hidden on James’ palm, sending James a glare.
James laughed nervously at the glare but took the buzzer off and stuck his hand out again, which Piper took cautiously.
The blond laughed and shook hands firmly. “I also go by The Trickster.” He said with a blinding smile.
Well, that explained a bit.
“You sure you’re ok?” James asked. “You keep looking like you’re a bit dazed or something.”
“Oh…” Piper’s eyes went wide and cheeks a bit pink.
The truth was that he’d kinda been distracted with staring at how attractive the blond was, but he couldn’t say that so, “It’s nothing. Just blinded by your outfit.”
Piper hoped that James would go with it, as it wasn’t entirely a lie.
My god. Who told him that vertical stripes and those colors were a good idea?
Thankfully James seemed to but it, as he went into defensive about his wardrobe.
“Says the man wearing the big white polka dots!”
This was definitely the start to a glorious friendship.