Chapter Text
Dallas, 1973
Swan hasn't seen his cousin in over three years, something that was fairly normal for him since he didn’t really talk retain any contacts from ‘back then’, let alone in this silly city with the hootin’ and the hollerin’ and cowboy culture…most of which was prevalent at the event Little Enos has suggested they met at. 'It's a charity thing me and the big guy are doing at the Enos Ranch' he'd said. 'It'll be right up your alley.'
He looked with disdain at two men close to him on the verge of getting into a fist fight as 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown' played in the background, giving the occasion more of a hootenanny feel then something 'up his alley.'
“I can’t believe this is where you used to live.” Philbin cracked, and Swan gave him a scathing look.
“Why don’t you make yourself useful and get whoever's in charge of the music to change it to something that doesn’t make me feel like I’m stuck in the movie Deliverance.”
When he left Swan waved dismissively, looking away and getting back to his thoughts. No, his cousin was different then everyone else he'd left. Like him he rose above his surroundings.
The music changed to a nice rendition of ‘Jambalaya’, but before he could sigh in relief a familiar voice starting whooping and hollering on the other end of the party making it’s way to him.
...Granted his cousin did simultaneously manage to remain firmly a part of his surroundings.
“Oh fuck me.” Swan muttered, lifting program he'd been holding up to his face self consciously as Little Enos elbowed his way through the last couple of folks in his way.
"Step the hell aside, watch it!" He jeered, brightening up when he saw Swan. “Hey don’t act like you don’t see me Cuz!” exclaimed, grabbing his arm and giving him a little shake.
“I’m not, I’m just abhorrent to the possibility of people taking pictures of us together, specifically myself."
“Oh right, you’ve got that weird thing about photography. Don't worry, I'm practically invisible without Big Daddy towerin' over me."
Swan groaned. "I hate that you call your brother that."
"What? It's a nick name. I've called him that since I was in high school, even before we pretended he was my Pop."
"I can't believe you've kept up that freakshow act up all these years, I was hoping you'd grow out of it."
"People get a kick out of it, and it makes the big brother happy alright?"
“Very well.” Swan said haughtily. “But how are you doing, you certainly look like your…I guess aging with grace would be a polite way to put it.”
“Well at least I’m not desperately swinging at it with a surgical knife.” Little Enos shot back as he lit a cigar. “…Though I must give credit where credit is due, you’ve got one hellva guy. Who are they?”
“Just for the rib I’m not gonna tell you. Besides, I don’t think you could afford him.”
The aforementioned haughtiness was replaced with a grimness, something that made him drop the subject. “…We should get going, least we miss the show. Big Daddy say’s we can use his big red Caddy."
“Fantastic.” Swan said flatly.
Despite Swan being reluctant to be in something so tacky he had to admit it was nice, driving through Dallas with the top down so they could enjoy the evening air.
“Christ this city's changed.” Swan said as he looked around. “Though I suppose not so much to you given how you never strayed too far.”
“Oh god, don’t start.” Little Enos grumbled as he watched the road intensely, no doubt related to how 'Big Daddy' had cautioned him to be careful before handing him the keys, a warning that seemed almost laughable to Swan given how if anything deserved to be totaled it was this.
“I can’t help it, we used to always talk about how we were gonna make it big.”
“Wishful thinking to distract us from a dismal situation.” Little Enos said. “…And we can’t all be teenage prodigies.”
“So I was able to make my wishful thinking a reality. I always came back to visit didn’t I?”
“You certainly did. At least once a year, I was surprised. Little homesick for ol’ Dallas?”
“I couldn’t give a shit about Dallas.” Swan said grimly. “It’s like we always said: Cousins stick together.”
“…No matter how far apart.” Little Enos said with a reminiscent smile.
---
1946
Eleven year old Swan sat pouting on the couch as his mother packed boxes, occasionally sighing to get her attention.
"Would you stop that? You should be happy, our ticket finally came in with this new job for your father, in Los Angeles of all places. It's a new era!"
"But it's so far away." Swan whined.
"It'll be good, I promise."
there was a banging on the screen door, Little Enos staring through the mesh. He was four years younger then Swan but they were still best friends.
"...Can we take him at the very least?" Swan asked weakly, and his mother chuckled.
"I don't think your aunt would be very happy about that."
"What's it matter what she thinks?" Swan demanded.
"...Here's some money, why don't you boy's go see a movie?" She said instead of answering that troubling question.
They rode down to the theater on their bikes, with Little Enos as per usual talking a mile a minute, today in particular partially on the new Charlie Chaplin movie playing though mostly about his older brother.
"I tell you..." He said as the chained their bikes up. "I'd like to kick his ass, just once."
"He's bigger then you, plus he's on the football team." Swan pointed out.
"Well still, I'd like to do it." The seven old insisted.
As they watched the film, he could feel Enos squirming in the seat beside him as they watched the movie, this one in particular about a black widower, and could sense he might not be enjoying it.
Sure enough, when they exited the ornate theater into the bright sun he proclaimed: "That was horrible! Murdering nice old ladies for their money..."
"Oh it wasn't that bad-" Swan insisted. "It's a comedy, just a joke."
"But what if it was my Mama, or yours?"
"Those woman were gold digging succubuses, you can't feel too sorry for them." Swan shrugged it off.
"I guess." Little Enos relented.
Swan sighed. "Listen, there's something I gotta tell you."
"Is it about you movin' away?" Little Enos asked.
"Yeah how'd you know?"
"Mama told me, I was hoping it wasn't true."
Swan sighed, shaking his head. "No, it is."
"Maybe you could just stay here?" Little Enos said hopefully, but Swan burst out laughing at that.
"Stay here? And what, live with you, in the same house as that stinky brother of yours? No thanks." Enos wilted a bit at that, so Swan flashed him a reassuring smile.
"...I'll visit, alright? Often as I can, at least every summer."
"Really?" Little Enos asked skeptically.
"Of course." Swan said. "Cousin's stick together, no matter how far apart."
Later Little Enos was sitting on the back steps, sniffling to himself. He looked up alarm when the back door opened, scowling when he saw it was his older brother as he swiped at his face with dirty little fists. "What do you want?"
"Nothin', I just saw you sittin' all alone out here, figured you'd want to talk." He said as he sat beside him. "That you'd be upset about your friend moving away."
"What do you care?" Little Enos snapped. "You never liked him."
"No, I always thought the s.o.b. was creepy, don't ask me why. But I know you like him, and that counts for something. I uh..." He laughed uncomfortably. "I know I haven't been a very good brother, but I'm here for you alright?"
"Alright." Little Enos said quietly.
There was a long silence between them and his brother huffed nervously, starting to get up. "Well, you probably want me to go-"
"No!" Little Enos quickly said. "I mean, I wouldn't mind you sitting with me for a bit."
"Okay." His brother said, siting back down with a smirk. "We can do that."
Notes:
Thanks for reading! If you like it I always appreciate a kudo
Chapter Text
Present Day
They had a bit of time before the movie started, so they stopped at a road side taco stand that Little Enos swore were ‘Just like the ones we had growing up’. Messy cheap foods weren’t usually something he indulged in, but for today he didn’t mind rolling up his sleeves and hope he didn’t stick out too much
“I have to say…” Swan said, looking at the sign from the picnic table they sat at. “I think his is the place we used to go: Toucan Joe’s Tacos.”
“It is? I could’ve sworn that it was like...Parrot tacos or something like that.” He said with a frown as he whipped off his mustache.
“What? Who would call their establishment that? It sounds like they serve parrots.”
Enos chuckled. “I don’t know… think I must’ve been real distracted around that time, parents were goin’ through a nasty divorce on account of mutual unfaithfulness and it affected me something fierce, recon I was stoned half the time. Not to mention I was planning for college and the business me and Big Daddy were planning on going into, it was all so crazy."
Swan rolled his eyes angrily. “Christ, I still don't get how you can call yourself business partners."
Little Enos snorted. “You’re just mad because you were jealous.”
“I’m not…I mean, I wasn’t jealous.”
“Right. The great Swan doesn’t have a jealous bone in his body.” Enos said airily.
---
1957
“-And we’re gonna be called ‘Enos’, big and little Enos.” Little Enos exclaimed to Swan who sat there boredly. He’d come for a visit, a visit he’d hope would be just the two of them and certainly not include the big brother.
“Ain’t that clever? I came up with that, that way it'll be Enos's name even though it looks like I'm in charge” His older brother chimed in proudly. Swan narrowed his eyes at the man, he could never stand being around the big dumb lug and time away hadn't changed that. In fact Swan could swear he’d gotten dumber and more insufferable as time wore on.
“It’s certainly something.” Swan said icily.
Emmet sighed. “Big Daddy, I think we’re gonna need a minute.”
“Yeah, right…” The man said uncomfortably as he got up and left. When he did Emmet gave Swan a look.
“What?” Swan asked.
“What the hell is your problem?” Emmet. “He was very proud of coming up with that.”
“My problem is you’re the real head of whatever the fuck this is. You’re like me, you have the natural instinct of a good business man, you’d be better off shedding the dead weight.”
“First of all: I've told you before won't stand to have my big brother disrespected so you best shut your mouth. Second of all I know it sounds odd, but think about it. I’m good with business, but no one takes me seriously. He’s a lovable moron but he’s a good front man.”
“Christ your too trusting, what if he fucks you over?"
“He’s my brother, he's family.” Emmet insisted.
“I’m more family then him.” Swan couldn’t help but snarl. “You should’ve come and work with me when I asked.”
“Hell…is that what this is about?” Emmet said smiled in disbelief. “Because I wouldn’t come work with you when you asked a few years ago?”
“Oh what, you don’t trust me?” Swan asked.
“N-no, course not.” Emmet said nervously. Though the truth was he didn’t, he didn’t know how to explain it but something changed in Swan ever he’d turned eighteen. Something...wrong he just couldn't explain. “It’s just…I was fifteen!”
“So? I was twelve when I started.” Swan said with a shrug.
“…Still had school, friends, and I wasn't about abandon my Mama with all she was goin' through.”
“You we’re always getting into fights with her though, with everybody. I wanted to take you out of all that.” He gestured to Little Enos’s brother, who’d gone outside and was talking with a neighbor. “…You didn’t even get along with him.”
“I know…but I eventually got to know him, he’s an alright dude. But I promise, I didn’t replace you.”
Swan tusked with annoyance. “Who said anything about replace?"
---
Present Day
The two of them sat in the empty theater, twin cigar smoke plumes curling up in the projector light as ‘Live and Let Die’, a James Bond film, played though neither of them paying much attention.
“…I can’t believe they’re closing this place.” Swan said.
“It’s a damn shame.” Emmet agreed. “We’ve had some good times here haven’t we? Even after I left.”
“I remember…” Emmet started. “I remember you used to say you loved coming back to Dallas because it made you feel normal. I used to fantasize that somehow that might make you want to stay.”
“Part of me wanted to, but that would’ve meant giving up my career.”
“…I know it sounds bad, but sometimes I secretly wished it had gone bottoms up.” Emmet said in a hushed voice.
“Eh, you weren’t so secretive. But I didn’t hold it against you, you were a stupid kid.”
“Honestly sometimes wonder what it would’ve been like if things had been more…I don’t know, normal for you.” Little Enos said stiffly, resenting being called a stupid kid. “We’d have grown up here together for real, graduate, maybe start a business together as a team.” Maybe you would've turned alright then, he thought to himself sadly.
“Well that’s why I’m a legendary producer, and your still here, playing second fiddle while some fat fuck gets all the credit for your genius. Fuck, I can’t take this anymore…” Swan huffed in frustration, getting up to walk out of the theater, while he did he added: “It’s a god damn waste.”
“Say what you want bout me, least I ain’t no monster!” Little Enos blurted as he stood up suddenly.
That stopped Swan in his spot, turning back with the movie projector playing across his shocked face. “What the hell did you just say?”
“You fucking heard me.”
“Oh, come on.” He flashed Little Enos a weak smile that looked so familiar, the idea of his cousin rather than the one he knew, it broke his heart a little. “Is this about the last time we saw each other, when you came to LA?”
“Something like that.” Little Enos said apprehensively.
“So I like to play games with people. So what, so do you.”
Little Enos shook his head. “…Not like you, you take it too far.”
Notes:
to be continued (obv.)
Chapter 3
Notes:
I might've gone a little 'crack' side with this last chapter...I regret nothing.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Los Angeles, 1970
“Why do you always have to be in a crummy mood when you come here?” Swan asked when they'd returned to the Swanage after dragging his cousin to various exclusive clubs and lounges.
“I don’t think you want to make me say it.” Enos said in a huff.
“What, is it because you don’t have your precious brother with you?” Swan said scornfully.
“No…It’s because of why he didn’t want to come, it’s a town of assholes with no sense of hospitality or common courteousy.” Enos replied.
In truth Big Daddy had wanted to come but Little Enos had insisted otherwise
‘Come on, it’ll be fun, you always come back miserable from trips to that garbage city, maybe me coming with could change that.’ The big man had pressed when he told him no.
‘Look, I’ll cut to the chase, I don’t trust the guy.’ He said. ‘I know the bastard doesn't particularly like you and I just don’t know if his good will towards me can protect you.’
‘I’m your big brother, I should be the one protecting you.’ He said wistfully.
That used to be the case when they were younger and he helped him weather the storm of his teenage years, but as they got older their roles gradually changed, and his big brother gradually became more and more vulnerable in the adult world far from the simplicity of the quarrels of youth. As the one more affluent in business arrangements, he became the one who looked out for him.
Enos smiled encouragingly. ‘And you do Big Daddy, but LA and that bastard cousin are bigger and scarier then you could ever be.’
‘What about you?’
Enos smirked dismissively. ‘You kidding? I’m safe, we've been friends forever.’
… The fact was he didn’t truly safe himself, but he considered himself a man who could fend for himself.
“Look, if you want to go back to your hotel you can a skip the orgy I had planned-“
“I’m so not in the mood alright? I know you act like your fancy ass male and female ‘escorts’ are better then our whores and gigolos-“
“Christ you’re such a fag.” Swan grumbled, rolling his eyes.
Enos stared him down for a moment, wanting to tell him to fuck off so bad but instead said: “Yeah, I’m goin’ back to my hotel room.”
He got lost in the Swanage at first in an attempt at finding his suit blazer he'd left there, and managed to find the entrance out just as a tall ungainly looking young man was getting thrown out.
“What the the Hell did he do?” Enos asked, following them. One of Swan's 'hell's angels' esk security men tried to stop him, saying: “Swan is only seeing female auditions today, creep tried to sneak in in drag.”
"Is that right? Outta my fucking way." Enos said in his fiercest voice.
When Enos got to him two other of the leather coated fuckers had started to beat the poor fella “Whoa whoa whoa, hold on…” He interjected. “There’s been a horrible mistake. He’s with me.”
“He is?” They asked.
“Yes, he’s a friend of mine who can be...troublesome...but please, let me deal with him."
When they did Enos said: “Come on, we should bolt just in case that fucker called the police.”
“Bolt? Police? Wait, what’s going on?” The man said as Enos dragged him to his car.
---
“So you aren’t Swan?” The man, ‘Winslow’ as he called himself asked. His face looked a little worse for wear but it didn't look like he'd be scarred up too bad.
“What in good hell makes you think I’m Swan?” Enos said, emphesizing his southern accent as he drove them down the road, peering over the wheel of the Corvette.
“…Well obviously I don’t think that so much anymore but why did they listen to you?”
“I’m a relative, I was visiting.” He said. “Could pull the wool over their eye for a moment, at least, though I’m sure the bastard wouldn’t be too happy about me intervening so I’d rather he not find out. What the hell did you do?”
“I don’t know…there was a misunderstanding about my music and I was taking measures to try to explain-“
“Is that why you’re dressed like that?”
“It was the best idea I could come up with." He said sullenly.
“Whatever, there’s some clothes in the back seat that I think might be your size, why don’t you hop on back there and change?”
Winslow did so, and halfway through asked: “Wait, why do you have men's clothes that aren't you're own?”
“You certainly ask a lot of questions for someone who needed to be saved like a possum caught in a trash-“ He cleared his throat. “I-I mean, they're my brothers old clothes, I was gonna take em to the salvation army but wouldn’t you know it, I forgot.” He doesn’t need to disclose his brother has literally never been near thin as Winslow, and they'd actually been accidentally left by a fella who he'd given a ride to the first night he'd stayed here. What they got up to specifically after that... well that was his business wasn't it?
“Why did you get so defensive then?”
“I’m embarrassed about forgetting.” He insisted. “Why don’t we focus on the fact your punk ass was getting kicked out of the Swanage.”
“Twice, three times if you count when I was kicked out of death records.”
“God damn mister…your either real brave or real stupid.” Enos said. A police scanner attached to the dash board chirped and warbled out reports.
“But my music-“
“Do you know how powerful that son of a bitch is?” Enos snapped as he drove. “So here’s the plan: we’re gonna drive around awhile to make sure your in the clear and then I’ll drop you off."
"You could just drop me off now-"
"Shh!" Enos commanded, turning up the police scanner.
‘-Suspect heading west in a blue 65 corvette, thought to be armed and dangerous proceed with caution‘
Enos had gone white at that announcement. "God damn mother fucking fuck," He muttered. "Like to kick his ass just once..."
"...I take it that's us?"
“Yes, god dammit…just give me a second and I'll figure out what to do.” He said, pulling over into an empty parking lot next to Mexican grocery store with an number of trucks outside, which he eyes, chewing his lip in thought. “Okay, think I’ve got an idea, but it's a little out there. How do you feel about stowing away in one of them trucks?"
“What are you nuts?”
“Do you want my help or not?” Enos said as he grabbed a couple of things from the car including the police scanner before hustling towards a driver, calling out to him enthusiasticly in Spanish.
“What about the car?”
“I left the keys in the ignition, some thug is bound to get rid of it for us in no time. You coming or not?” He called over his shoulder, and Winslow growled, running after him.
---
The two of them sat side by side behind some boxes of evaporated milk and caned chilles, swaying with the motion of the truck. Winslow looking wrought with worry and Enos sitting there nonchalantly as if he did this every day.
“-So according to the driver, this truck is headed to Nevada. Texas would be preferable because I’m untouchable there but once we get there we’ll at least be out of California jurisdiction.”
"What the hell gave you the idea to get a ride this way?"
"I'm from Texas, people stowing themselves away in trucks to cross the border is common place there...thought I'd take a page from their book."
“I’m just sorry you had to give up your car.” Winslow said.
“Oh, that was just a rental I got at the LAX travel agency.” He dismissed.
After a moment Winslow said. “Wait I thought you said-“
“I think you know very well I was lying about that, and that it's my personal business. Why don’t you keep in mind I have the police looking for me because I just had to help you.”
“Why did you do it then? I didn’t ask for your help.”
“Because it’s the decent fucking thing to do. And honestly I was oblivious enough to think he wouldn’t go after me given how I was kin.”
They sat swaying in silence before Winslow asked: “So who’s clothes am I wearing if they aren't your brother's?”
Enos sighed begrudgingly. “Guy I picked up on the boulevard, alright? I treated him to a shopping spree and he might’ve accidentally left his old clothes.” When Winslow looked at him strangely he added: “He was cute, I thought he deserved some new duds."
“So you’re some kind of –“
“Watch it fucker, you’d still be in that Mo-mu from the Sears bargain bin if it weren’t for me.” Enos said fiercely
"...I was going to say some kind of sugar daddy?" Winslow continued.
"Oh..." Enos laughed. "Well I'm okay with that. I wouldn't say it's all that applicable to myself, but it's decent of you to say."
“I see.” Winslow said, and they continued to sit in silence.
---
They waited at a dusty old motel, Enos occasionally peering through the blinds. Winslow dozed off on one of the beds, waking a few hours later.
“Look whose up.” Enos said dryly."How you feelin'?"
"Like a truck hit me, but otherwise good."
“Good to hear. Big Daddy sent a guy in the area to get us from here to Texas by the way. I tried to tell him no but he insisted.”
“What’s this we?”
“You can go any time you want.” Enos said. “But given how you won’t stop bitching about you’re music I’m worried you’ll make a beeline back to California and get arrested, and then what would've been the point of all of this huh?”
“It’s my life’s. work.” He said through gritted teeth. "Don't you understand-"
“And you shouldn’t have just given it to him!" Enos retorted, throwing up his arms. "But look on the bright side: you can write new stuff, something that'll it’ll be harder to do behind bars, or whatever Swan intended for your sorry ass.” Enos said as the sound of a hotrod neared, and as he checked out the window he groaned with dismay. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What?”
“My fucking brother sent the the god damn Bandit.” Enos growled, storming out of the room.
“The who?” Winslow asked as he followed him.
“He’s some jackass the big brother and I knew back in highschool.” Enos said with exasperation as the bandit’s car rumbled to a stop and the 'Bandit' got out, as strikingly handsome as he was all those years ago. And as arrogant.
“Big says you got yourself into a bit of trouble.” The Bandit called out, shit eating grin on his face.
“Yeah well if I’d know you were the 'guy in the area' he was talking about I would've been more insistent against him sending you.” Enos shot back. "I'd even hazard to guess that's why he didn't say."
“Oh come on, I know your glad to see me.” He said as he chomped on a piece of gum. He noticed Winslow for the first time and added: “This uh…that friend of yours he mentioned?”
"That'd be him." Enos said grimly. "I know he's a bit leggy-"
"Oh I'm sure he'll fit in the backseat okay, iffin' he sits sideway." Bandit said.
"You know...I really think be fine from here." Winslow insisted.
Enos sighed, rolling his eyes. "Listen, I didn't want to say this...but if you're that hot and bothered about that motherfucker stealing your music me and Big Daddy got some Nashville connections. It may not be what you're looking for-"
"-But beggars can't be choosers." Winslow said grimly.
"I was gonna say it's better then nothing." Enos said testily. "But sure."
Winslow laughed helplessly. "I don't get it, why would you do all of this? What's in it for you?
“Because you made me see a side of Swan I’ve been ignoring for a long time, I figured it was time I took a stand."
"Well... thank you."
"Is that a yes? I haven't got all day." Bandit said.
"...Yes."
"Then get on it. You too sweet cheeks, gotta get you back to Texas!” Bandit said.
“Oh bite me!” Enos said as they got into the car.
---
Present day
Enos boiled out into the Lobby in a blind terror, Swan following him.
"Oh come on, don't be like that." He said. "Christ, you seriously didn't think I knew you helped that Leach fellow get away?"
"I was hoping you hadn't. These last few years...I've reasoned with myself you or your people sent the cops after the blue corvette because you didn't think I was in it."
Swan chuckled. "Come on, I knew you'd be fine, especially with that little police scanner that you had because you were paranoid about the city. Besides, you got that Leach fellow off my case. Where did you hide him away?"
"I didn't hide him, but he's somewhere you'll never find him." Enos said fiercely.
"I don't know, in my business things have a nasty habit of resurfacing."
"Well for your sake you better hope he doesn't 'resurface', because it won't mean anything good for you." Enos scoffed, shaking his head. "Goodbye Swan."
"Wait! Wait..." Swan pleaded. "You're right, I've done...bad things, but surely you can't think I'm that bad if you agreed to meet today. Surely you must trust me on some level."
Enos threw up his arms in frustration. "I don't know Swan...I guess I had to see you one last time. All that time I thought I could save you...I had to see if I could still reach that and well I just don't think I can."
"What about cousins sticking together?" Swan said almost accusingly.
Enos smiled sadly at that. "Yeah, I've been thinking about that, you were the one that left me Swan...and I wasn't willing to follow where you went. But a time does still exist where we were just two inseparable kids. We'll always be together in that regard." His expression soured and he added with disgust: "At the very least you can't fuck up that," Before getting into the Caddy and driving away.
Swan laughed dismissively, standing in the empty theater entrance, hollow music coming from the lobby. "He'll come calling again," He insisted. "He always does."
He looked up as a country song started to play, 'Here's another fine Mess'. He was familiar with it, it was by a up and coming artist in the genre who called herself 'Phoenix'. He'd been trying to get her on his label for months, that was part of the reason he'd come to this neck of the woods. But they hadn't even been able to see her so he could make his pitch.
'Here's another fine mess and not my choosing, we loved for awhile you can't call that losing, if I knew our love was gonna end this way...I'd live it over and I wouldn't change a day...' She sang in a haunting voice that rivaled Karen Carpenter's, and he shook his head in frustration.
"Waste of a trip," he muttered before going back into the lobby to call a ride.
Notes:
Sure, I'm aware there might not be much of a intersect between phantom of the paradise fans and smokey and the bandit fans, but none the less I wanted to write it. At the very least I think I've satisfied my need to write it with this, I'm certainly not going to write the sequel where Winslow and Phoenix go country... that would definitely be taking it too far...
Thanks for reading, if you liked it I always appreciate a kudo!