#tw: mob violence

[halyasgirl]

Thinking of a decidedly non-fixit Arcane AU where Silco and Vander both live, but now have to navigate negotiations with Piltover for the nation of Zaun, and the fallout in their families.

Eight years ago, when Marcus spirited Vi away to rot in prison, unbeknownst to anyone he managed to take a just-barely-alive Vander, too. Vander remains Marcus’ best-kept secret, but after Silco and Jinx are arrested, he’s yanked from the bowels of Stillwater and reinstalled as leader of the newly declared nation of Zaun.

Reeling from his change of circumstance and the paths his family has taken during his imprisonment, Vander must now navigate the aftermath of the very different plans Vi and Silco have laid for an independent Zaun. 

But after five months of negotiations, all Zaunite prisoners are released from Piltovan prisons, and Vander and Vi must confront their siblings, and grapple with the base violence necessary for change. Takes place at the end of an alternate Act III.

Vander survived like Vi did, but Vi does not realize this at the time. She spends her entire time in Stillwater believing he died of his injuries.

Shimmer did allow him to survive, but he remains Vander rather than Warwick the robot-zombie-werewolf/living embodiment of the Hound of the Underground he will almost certainly be in canon.

The plot of Arcane proceeds pretty much normally. Caitlyn does not initially learn of Vander, as he wasn’t involved in the incident with Silco’s henchman. Few Piltovans know about Vander, and prior to Jayce and Mel’s initiative, even fewer care enough about Zaun to bother with him. After Caitlyn and Vi address the Council, Marcus’ dealings are discovered, and the idea of Zaunite independence is floated, some rusty gears start turning, but Jayce isn’t privy to this and still attempts to negotiate with Silco.

Silco still spirals when offered independence at the price of his daughter, and still monologues to Vander[‘s statue] about it. However, word of the terms, and Silco’s refusal of them, somehow gets out to the other Chembarons, and then to Zaun at large.

Fortunately, this manages to head off Jinx’s tea party of horrors.

Unfortunately, this leads to a (very understandably) enraged mob of Zaunites willing to drag both father and daughter to the bridge of Piltover for the price of one, and/or stone them in the streets.

Silco has precious few moments to assure Jinx he’d never forsake her. When the mob comes for them, he tells her to go and tries to cover her escape, but Jinx refuses to be separated from him. The mob washes over them.

Jinx, as she always does, fights like a woman possessed. Silco may be rusty, but he is and will always be a son of Zaun, and he is scrappy. When a man cuts off one of Jinx’s braids and starts tearing at her clothes, Silco stabs him to death with his own knife. But when the first stone is thrown, at the foot of the Bridge, all he can do is throw his scrawny body over hers in a desperate attempt to shield her.

Meanwhile, Cassandra Kirammen has just seen fit to reveal Vander’s survival to Caitlyn, who races to tell Vi (who is in Zaun hunting Sevika).

Vi is nearly overcome with joy at his survival and the prospect of rebuilding Zaun with a stable adult, and almost as pleased when they hear an angry mob has come for Silco. However, her joy turns to horror when she realizes Powder is with him, and Jinx is just as much a target of the mob as Silco is.

Vi races over the rooftops in the mob’s wake trying to reach her sister. She’s horrified to see a dead man, stabbed and trampled and still clutching a bright blue braid.

The mob surrounds Silco and Jinx at the Bridge, hurling stones. They are dispersed by a warning shot from Cassandra Kiramman, backed by a squad of Enforcers. The first thing Silco sees, when he’s able to lift his head, is a Piltovan gun pointed at him and his daughter.

Vi arrives at the rooftops overlooking the scene to hear Cassandra Kiramman tell them that Violet was right, their own people did turn on them. The anguish in Jinx’s cry as she buries her face in Silco’s chest and he tries to comfort her will haunt Vi for years. For a moment, Silco sees Vi above them, and the accusation and rage on his face as he holds his battered, traumatized daughter is chilling.

Cassandra then drops the bombshell than not only has Vander survived, he’s now poised to become the new leader of Zaun (provided cooperation with the Council). Cue Silco breakdown.

Vi watches the Enforcers arrest Silco and Jinx as Zaun processes this news. Having all but traded places with her sister after all these years, her reunion with Vander takes a bittersweet cast as she, Vander, and Ekko set about rebuilding Zaun and dismantling Silco’s Shimmer empire.

The chembarons put up a fight, but not as much as they might’ve, at least openly. Sevika managed to avoid the mob and she quickly emerges as one of the voices Vander knows he’ll have to negotiate with. Ekko and especially Vi are not happy with this, but the fact remains that Zaun is sorely lacking in any remaining competent leadership who’s been in the Lanes for the past 8 years and is even remotely trusted by the people.

Meanwhile, Silco and Jinx have had near-simultaneous breakdowns with the reveal that Vander is alive, Vi “betrayed” them to Piltover, and both of them are now working with Topside for the independence Silco’s (allegedly) been working for for the past 8 years. Convinced more than ever that everyone else betrays them, they become, if possible, even more codependent.

They are separated during intake (Jinx’s other braid is cut so she's not lopsided), and their frantic reunion in the canteen attracts attention, and some crude suggestions that Jinx should find herself a younger man. Silco, disgusted, says she’s his daughter.

Silco has failed to stand up to Piltover, failed to keep power in Zaun, and now apparently failed to kill Vander. His single-minded devotion to Jinx is all that stands between him and a complete breakdown, but his power to protect his child is severely limited in prison; in Zaun he was a king, here he’s just a sump-rat. And he’s fading.

Like the mutant fish that prowl the waters, Silco is adapted to the chemicals and pollutants in Zaun, and when cut off from the Shimmer, like a fish out of water, he gets very sick, very quickly.

Silco and Jinx see each other at meals and outdoor hour (no effort is made to separate men and women), but otherwise prisoners are left to rot. Neither engage with any other prisoners, even their henchmen. But Silco gets weaker, and as the months turn colder, he becomes too sick to leave his cell. When he doesn’t show at the canteen, Jinx takes it upon herself to go to him. She locates his cell and sneaks in at night (with some lockpicking help from Mylo’s ghost?). She can evade the guards, but she tells Silco they’re more concerned about keeping prisoners in Stillwater than what they do in there. Silco is more concerned about the implications of who might be able to get into his teenage daughter’s cell.

Silco is not doing well. Guards bring food to his cell, but don’t bother to see if he eats it. He can’t keep it down, and he’s becoming too weak to try. He tries to give it to Jinx, telling her not to waste it. It’s the only thing he can do for her.

He’s dying, and despite his attempts to reassure Jinx she’ll be alright, he’s terrified at the thought of leaving her alone. Jinx is determined to keep him alive though.

She makes it to his cell every night, rumors be damned. When he becomes too weak to eat, she feeds him, doing everything she can to keep him fed, keep him warm, keep him breathing through the night. Fluid fills his lungs, leaving him in a state of constant drowning. He lapses into delirium, raving about Marcus and Vander and Vi, about Piltover and Shimmer and the nation of Zaun. Eventually, he can barely keep down water, and all Jinx can do for him is draw sharks on the walls and ceiling of his cell, to guard him when he’s trapped in nightmares he can’t wake from (she gets it.)

After five months of negotiations (~December?), Vander and Vi secure the release of all Zaunite prisoners from Piltovan prisons. What to do with them presents a challenge, as Zaun has no criminal justice system and next-to-no legitimate economy. Many of the prisoners are petty criminals by Piltovan standards, but ordinary citizens caught by Topside in Zaun. Then there are prisoners like Silco and Jinx, considered personae non gratae even (or especially) in Zaun. No one knows what to do with them, but it’s agreed they should face Zaunite justice.

Piltover knows that “Zaunite justice” could involve another mob, but they don’t care enough to object. Vi and Vander also know this, and care very much.

Vi is still in denial that Powder/Jinx is hated as much or more than Silco.

The prisoner transfer comes with little warning in the bowels of Stillwater, as the guards round up all the “sump-rat” prisoners one morning and send them to the Bridge, where the leaders of Zaun have assembled.

Vi is overcome with relief when she sees Powder among the released prisoners, but Jinx can’t find Silco.

He’s at the end of the crowd. As per the agreement, Piltover will release prisoners at the bridge, but he must cross it himself, and he’s barely able to walk. When he tries he immediately slips on the icy ground and doesn’t get up. Guards are laughing, Jinx is becoming frantic, and Sevika senses danger. 

Lying face-up on the bridge, Silco looks up at the flag of the new nation of Zaun and almost gives in. And then he hears Jinx screaming his name.

Silco can’t walk and Jinx can’t carry him. But she won’t allow anyone near, and Vander and Vi just agitate her more. Sevika finally steps forward to carry him to a van that will take him and Jinx back to Zaun.

Sevika takes a moment to assess their condition before making the executive decision to drug Jinx unconscious and carry Silco into the Last Drop

 Vander takes one look at him and calls for a doctor. When it becomes clear that Singed expects him to die and is a little too enthusiastic at the prospect of dissecting his eye, Caitlyn offers her father’s services as a doctor and escorts him to Zaun.

Vi stays at Powder’s bedside. When Jinx wakes asking for Silco, Vi tries to assure her she’ll never have to see him again, only for Jinx to punch her in the face and rush to Silco’s bedside calling for her father.

The first thing she sees is Vander standing over him, and she wrenches him away with strength that shouldn’t be possible. When Vander comes face to face with his youngest daughter after 8 years he can’t help but flinch.

Powder was the kindest of his children, the sweetest, gentlest, always trying to please. Jinx looks at him with rage and fear and accusation and betrayal and hate. She looks at him with Silco’s eyes, the last time he saw him.

Then she has him on the ground, too fast for him to react, going for his knife as Vi and Sevika try to separate them. Jinx and Vi briefly square off to defend their fathers, before Silco stirs.

Tobias Kiramman arrives to find the leader of Zaun battered and brooding, Caitlyn comforting a tearful Vi (who’s sporting a black eye), and Silco and Jinx reuniting for the first time in an independent Zaun. Both are weeping. It would be touching, if they weren’t who they were.

He recognizes Singed as a disgraced former doctor turned serial killer, and is concerned by the Zaunites’ unsurprised reactions. He’s the only doctor in Zaun, and the good ones wouldn’t come to the Undercity if they had any choice.

He’s also disturbed by the condition Silco’s in. It should have been obvious he was ill, but it’s clear he received no medical care in prison.

When Vander slashed his face open, chemicals in the water leached into the wound, formed crystals in his flesh, in the back of his eye. His eye’s turned black, the flesh of his cheek underneath caved in and rotted away. What was in that water? Singed would love to find out! Some phenol maybe. Shimmer kept its spread at bay, but now…

He’s so weak Tobias warns Vander he may not live, but Vander tells him he will, because Silco’s a survivor, for better or worse.

Silco and Jinx’s move back in the Last Drop goes about as well as Sevika expects. They put Jinx in Powder’s old room, leading to disturbing, violent meltdowns that Vi and Vander are unprepared to deal with, while Silco’s health crashes several times in one night.

Vander concedes that it’s unsustainable and, on Sevika’s suggestion, eventually puts Jinx with Silco over Vi’s objections, as he’s the only one who can halfway calm her during meltdowns and she's the only one with experience with his healthcare.

Jinx has become Silco’s sole motivation to go on, and their dynamics subtly reverse. Clinginess and insecurity are traits readily associated with Jinx, but not obviously with Silco. Jinx has always been dependent on Silco, but in Stillwater and after she cared for him. This wasn’t to pump up her feelings of importance, or even a child’s desperation to avoid losing another parental figure; Jinx sincerely cared for her father out of concern. When he tells her she saved his life, she tells him children can take care of parents when they grow up. 

The threat to their relationship was never Vander. Vi is another story, but Silco is Jinx’s father, not him.

Vander is unwilling to ask anyone else to care for Silco, and whatever Jinx can’t do Vander does himself. Silco alternates between vicious cruelty and such obvious physical and mental agony it’s impossible to fake, and he can swing unpredictably from one to another. He doesn’t need to accuse Vander; he knows.

Silco’s necessarily feeling overwhelmed and emotional after learning of Vander’s survival and Zaun gaining independence. He’d finally understood and and even forgiven Vander when he believed him to be dead, but the reality of confronting him alive is very different.

Vander: Sweeps in to gain independence and claim leadership of Zaun after 8 years in solitary confinement 🙌

Silco: half-carried out by his teenage daughter after 5 months in prison

Yeah, Silco doesn’t like that.

On one night, Vander freezes outside Silco’s door, listening to his brother curse Marcus and his deception, writhing and crying in pain from the wounds Vander gave him as Jinx tries to soothe him by describing how she killed Marcus in graphic detail, and offering to kill his 5-year old daughter. He curses Vander too, and Vander flinches when he hears Powder offer to kill him as well, if it would make him feel better. But even wracked with pain, Silco realizes how dangerous this could be and that he needs to be the adult in this situation. He declines, and tells Jinx to be absolutely sure he’s lucid before carrying out any hit jobs he issues. 

On another night, Vander finds Silco passed out covered in vomit and carries him to the bathroom to clean him up; as he puts him in the tub Silco comes to and panics at the combination of Vander and water, struggling violently enough to injure Vander and himself. Vander in frustration finally asks if he would burden Jinx with all of his care, and Silco begrudgingly surrenders. When Vander makes him admit he hasn’t kept any food down all day, he brings him new food to eat and watches him eat it. Silco tries to tell him not to waste it and give it to Jinx, but Vander snaps at him that it’s not a waste.

They begin to speak, a little, about their children. What to do with Jinx? Redeem her as Powder or prosecute her as Jinx? Silco credits Jinx’s theft of the Hex gem and threat to Piltover for Zaunite independence, the base violence necessary for change. She’s perfect, he tells Vander, a true daughter of Zaun. She’s done what we never could.

Vander’s learned a lot about the things Jinx has done, what Powder’s turned into. He can’t tell if Silco is truly that blind to her faults or if he’s in denial. When he presses Silco about what role he played in making Jinx, Silco riles, but not at the accusation he corrupted her. He genuinely believes that becoming Jinx was the only way to heal Powder from the pain of betrayal, something he knows well.

He tells Vander that after Vander tried to kill him, he returned to the mines, through paths even Vander never knew. He stumbled for days (though he admits he might have been hallucinating, as there are things in the mines that can make you “see things”) before he came to an underground clearing filled with impossible flowers sustained by a mysterious glowing fluid. He collapsed there, and it was there Singed found him. Singed asked him if he wanted to live, and Silco tells Vander he wanted revenge.

Vander’s heard enough and turns to go, but Silco becomes more agitated, snarling at Vander not to turn away from him, to look at him. But to Vander’s surprise, her doesn’t seem motivated by anger or possessiveness or a disagreement in ideology; he’s terrified for what will happen to Jinx if they try to force her to become Powder again, reduced to begging Vander not to do that to her.

When news comes that Piltover has officially recognized the nation of Zaun, most of the surviving adults of the rebellion generation are overwhelmed with emotion at the news. Silco breaks down as Jinx comforts him and Vi finds Vander weeping in the Last Drop and goes to him. Caitlyn spies Sevika crying quietly in a back room and slips away before she sees.

Silco and Vander have achieved everything they once wanted with the nation of Zaun, but they cannot share this victory together, not now. The truth they are unwilling to concede is that Zaun’s independence took both Silco and Jinx’s “base violence necessary for change,” and Vander and Vi’s diplomacy and compromise with Piltover. They need to be united, as they once were, as they always planned to be, if they are to move forward. But they won’t. They can’t. Not anymore.

Vander was never meant to be the diplomat. Silco was supposed to be the clever one, the negotiator, who wove his way through a trail of paperwork and legalese, who’d gain the respect of the Pilties once Vander was done cowing them from the Undercity. It takes more than a revolution to build a nation. Vander needs his brother now.

But that’s just it, isn’t it? Silco’s there, he’s right there, down the hall, on the other side of the door! But his brother is gone.

On top of that, wanting Silco dead is one of the few things that unite most in Zaun (and Vi and Ekko aren’t inclined to deny them). Vander insists he will stand trial once he’s strong enough to stand, but many would prefer a quicker end to justice. Fear of Jinx is all that stands between Silco and a very easy death.

Sevika: You’re welcome to try. It’s just a matter of how many of you Jinx will take with her.

Vander is between a rock and a very hard place. One night, Silco wakes to Vander crying silently over him, but gives no indication that he’s awake. Silco and Jinx are monsters, but they are monsters of Vander’s own making. It is not possible for Vander to pursue justice for Zaun without betraying his brother and his daughter, again.

Silco gradually becomes aware that a significant factor in independence negotiations was the return of the Hextech gem to Piltover, and it hasn’t been returned yet, because Vander and Vi can’t find it in the Undercity. When Jinx confides that she hid it before the mob took her and knows its location, for the first time since Stillwater, Silco has some hope.

 For better or worse, Silco is back in the game. He starts to pull himself together. His hair’s grown out, hanging unevenly to his jaw, clipped back with Jinx’s sparkly barrettes. He's lost so much weight his dress shirts no longer fit, so he wears them wrapped around, held in place with a belt that needed a new hole worked into it, and what look like pinstriped pajama bottoms. Tobias Kiramman hears one Zaunite comment that “at least he’s dressing normally now.”

At one point he also watches in horror as Silco, barely strong enough to walk, lights up a cigarette. When Dr. Kiramman protests, citing his lungs, Silco coolly asks Jinx to open a window, allowing a haze of greenish smog to enter. As Tobias chokes and coughs, the two Zaunites remain impassive, and three glowing eyes stare at him through the haze.

Sevika also pays Silco a visit. She denies being a traitor, as she worked for Zaun, not Silco, but tells him she wasn’t the one who exposed his deal with Piltover to the Chembarons and to Zaun (That was Renni, and I honestly can’t blame her). She also tells him he looks like shit, but more like himself than he has in years.

Silco’s plan is to use knowledge of the Hex gem as a bargaining chip. Not to avoid prosecution, he knows that’s impossible, but his goal is to get a sentence that’s survivable rather than being left to rot in Stillwater, with a guard bribable enough to allow Jinx visits (and potentially explore other means of leverage).

He also seeks to shield Jinx from prosecution, taking all blame for her crimes however implausible. Everyone in Zaun knows it’s a lie, but Silco’s hoping that apathy will save them rather than ignorance. 

Ironically enough, his and Vi’s goals are completely aligned, had they ever considered coordinating their assertions that Jinx was blameless and acting solely on Silco’s orders.

However, all his plans fall to nothing when, on trial by the leaders of Piltover and Zaun, Jinx lives up to her name, threatening them with Hextech weaponry in a bid to protect Silco. Sevika later finds him crumpled in a corner, helpless and out of options to save his daughter or himself.

(This family is so doomed by the narrative).

[mikkomacko]

Him and I- Loose Ends

Pairing: Nico Hischier x Reader, Mob Boss! Nico

Warnings: smut, violence, weapons, mentions of blood, alcohol use

Previous chapter

A/n: Just as a PSA for my own piece of mind, the characters that are Nico’s family in this story do not at all reflect them in real life. They only share names and looks, and I am in no way making claims or assumptions about who they are in real life. Whoo, now that that’s out there, I hope yall enjoy and please let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!

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Nico’s always been a simple man.

It doesn’t take much to keep him happy. All he ever wanted was his own life, his own business. And while the execution of that wasn’t necessarily simple, once he did it, it was all a piece of cake.

His favorite days were the ones where he got up, met up with Timo for a morning run and breakfast or coffee, and then went into work. Didn’t matter the job or place he was at for the day, all that mattered is that he was getting to work with his best friends in a new city he loved.

He thinks he’s gotten even simpler since meeting you. He’s got a lot of favorite things now, all of which revolve around you. The smell of your hair after an everything shower, the way your hand feels in his. The color of your lips and how it feels when they kiss him, how his whole body turns to goo. How your eyes sparkling when they look at him.

Even just the sound of you breathing next to him is enough.

“Nico,” He especially loves the way his name sounds coming from your lips.

So yeah, Nico is a simple man.

“Shh baby,” he breathes into your temple, “I’ve got you.” He’s simple in the way that all he needs, all he’s ever going to need is you. And he thinks this trip to his home has more than proven that.

Your fingers stroke through his hair, soft and gentle compared to the way your thighs are squeezing around his hips, knees biting into the bone. Flexing, you try to pull him in, to no avail. Nico laughs under his breath, calmly rocking back into your dripping pussy.

“Nico,” you whine again, a pathetic sound hiccuping directly into his ear. “Schoa, please.”

Pressing a kiss to the hinge of your jaw and then your lips, Nico rolls his hips back into you, dick twitching when your eyes roll back.

“Let me take my time,” he tells you, and you blink up at him with glossy eyes. You’re not gonna argue with him, not gonna demand he fuck you into the mattress. He knows (and loves) that you get whiny and blubbery during sex, no matter how he does it. So he doesn’t have to say it scoldingly, no he just has to talk sweet to you.

You love when he’s soft and sweet, preening and puckering your lips at him. Nico kisses you, lazy and lackadaisically, focusing more on the feeling of your lips rather than the feeling of your pussy clenching around him.

God he could die kissing you. Every bone in his body broken, every inch of skin battered and bruised, every sense destroyed. The most horrible death imaginable, and as long as you were there, kissing him, he wouldn’t care. He’d simply move on, wait for you impatiently in the next life just to do it all over again.

“You’re so perfect,” he whispers into the skin of your cheek, “so perfect, ya know that?”

Your fingers tug on his hair, the other tickling down the side of his ribs and he shivers, drops more of his weight into you.

“Shut up and let me come,” you reply, a teasing lilt in your tone. When he pulls back, you’re smiling, face sweaty and pink. “Please Schoa?”

Yeah, you’re perfect.

“Thought you were supposed to be sweet,” he taunts, kissing the corner of your mouth. Settling into the cradle of your thighs, he switches the pace to something slow and sensual, more grinding than anything else.

A broken moan touches his lips, the new pace adding more pressure to your clit than before.

“We both know you’re the sweet one,” you mumble, the words more spoken into the scruff of his cheek than the air around you two. He presses forward, knees digging into the mattress and you stutter out his name when his cock brushes that spongey spot.

“Just for you baby,” he swears, then he’s kissing you again, wiggling a large hand between the two of you. His thumb finds your clit, rubbing tender circles while he grinds into you, deep and slow.

Hips tilting up and thighs tightening around him, Nico swallows every broken whimper that leaves your lips.

“Fuck, you sound so pretty.” He pants into the kiss, eyes squeezing shut when his orgasm burns at the base of his spine and the pit of his stomach. “That’s my girl, give it to me baby.”

You tug at his hair, nails biting into his skin as he tips you over the edge. Warm and slick walls pulsing around his cock, Nico bites at the side of your neck as you milk his own orgasm out of him. He grinds through it, thighs sore and tired, hips aching from the way you were fighting him to go faster and harder earlier but he doesn’t care.

Everything feels so good now, so hot and sweet. He can’t tell where his limbs end and yours begin, or which heavy breaths are his or yours, or even which pounding heartbeat is his.

Perfect, you’re so fucking perfect.

Nico presses a sweet kiss of apology to the red bite mark he’s left on your throat, tilting his chin up to catch your lips. You kiss him back, humming contently.

“Marry me Nico,”

Blinking his eyes open, Nico looks down at you in confusion. He heard the words, feels them in his chest, but his brain is fighting to comprehend them. Especially here, like this.

“W-what?”

“I said no last time and then it got fucked up,” you explain, dropping your hand to feel his chest, pressing into the skin like you’re trying to touch his heart. “I feel like I’ve waited my whole life for you, I don’t want to wait anymore.”

It takes his breath away- you take his breath away. He could say yes, lean down to kiss you and tell you he already has colors and flowers picked out. He could get out both of his rings and take you to the courthouse right now. It’d be a dream come true.

But it wouldn’t be what you deserve.

“Well you’re gonna have to,” he answers quietly, a loving smile on his face. He doesn’t have to worry about you taking it the wrong way because you know him. You’re the other side of the same coin, always right there with him. “Because I’m doing this right.”

You pout, blink up at him sadly but you’re still smiling. Glowing, radiating, whatever you want to call it. “Fair enough, I suppose.”

“You suppose?” He chuckles, kissing at the corner of your mouth. “How do you know about the other one anyway?”

“Timo told me,” you mumble, then pause like you’re thinking. “He also told me to say no to any proposal in which someone is naked and/or you’re inside of me.”

Nico laughs. “Two-for-two this time huh?”

“Yeah,” you giggle, eyes going tender and warm as they examine every inch of his face. “I really am sorry about that day Nico.”

The air shifts, any playfulness or teasing that existed before being sucked up and out of the room. Nico swallows heavily, heart thumping in his throat. It hurts him to think that his carefully timed and planned proposal got hijacked, but he doesn’t blame you. He could never blame you.

It just wasn’t meant to be that day.

“It’s not your fault,” he promises. “And m’not too torn up about it, I swear. You and Timo are crazy if you think I don’t have a million different ways I want to ask you to marry me.”

Your eyes, still heavy with sleep, twinkle with intrigue. “Really? Like what?”

“Well a few of them resembled our current situation but if Timo is vetoing them…”

“Aw screw him,” you grumble jokingly. “I think we should explore said situations a little bit more.”

And they say Nico’s the dirty one. “Yeah?”

“Mhm, we do have all morning after all.”

Nico could’ve sworn he had plans for this morning but he can’t for the life of him remember what it was. Oh well, he’s got better places he could be.

~~~~

Luca, unlike Nico, has a lot of friends. And not just friends within the business, but like actual friends. People from school, people from hockey, people from just living his whole life in the same town.

It’s funny to see. Luca has his men working, stationed around the bar as security and extra security. Usually nights out and celebrations back in Jersey are with the boys. They’re yours and Nico’s friends, and unless they request time on the clock, Nico doesn’t make them work.

“Whoa,” Luke breathes, taking in the crowded bar. Casual, is what Nico told all of you. It’s a causal get together with friends. Luca being casual with this many people is mind blowing.

“How’d you end up being the anti-social Hischier?”

Nico glares at Jack, the look being answer enough for why Nico has a small circle. Ushering the group of them into the corner booth, away from the music and bar, you make all the boys sit down. Well, all except for Nico who stands by your side, arms crossed over his chest.

“Alright, I’m saying this once and only once,” you begin, making sure they’re all looking and listening. “Do not leave the bar tonight without telling someone. Unless Luca tells you that you can have a drink on him, you order on our tab. No going home with Luca’s friends,”

You pointedly look at Jack, who frowns in offense.

“We have a flight in two days. Which means first thing tomorrow we’re up and packing and cleaning up the house. No whining.”

Four heads bobble in agreement, intent eyes locked on yours.

“I don’t care how much you drink, I don’t care who you hang out with here in the bar. But best behavior and no fighting-“

“Especially you two.” Nico interjects, pointing a finger at Jack and Luke. “We clear?”

“Yes boss,” they say in unison. Easing up, you smile and nod towards the bar top and pool tables.

“Alright, go have fun.”

Like horses out of the gate the four younger boys trip over each other to scramble away from the table. Timo snickers as they go, tripping Mercer on his way but that does nothing to deter him.

“Hm she’s strict Neeky.”

Turning, Luca and Maja are behind you now, double fisting drinks. Maja has a couple of those sweet cocktails you’d had the last time you were here and your mouth waters when she holds the glass out to you.

“Good cop, bad cop,” Nico replies, taking the beer Luca is handing him. “She’s all talk, I’m execution.”

Catching the straw in your mouth, you take a sip. Nico holds his hand up and you high five him, not even having to look at each other. It makes Luca laugh, the way it seems rehearsed and you giggle too.

“Not enough hands for me, or what?” Timo complains, motioning to the drink Luca didn’t bring him. Luca laughs, lightly shoving at Timo and the two boys start bickering in Swiss German.

Lost on the conversation, you press into Nico’s side. “Neeky?” You grin, running your hand up and down his lower back. “Why didn’t I get to call you that?”

“They called me that when I was a baby.”

“And now, when you’re not a baby.”

He huffs, taking a swig of his beer. The question has been on your mind ever since you got here and heard him first answer to the name. You and Jack had been the ones to first call him Schoa, delirious and giggling in the bar after Timo called him Hischow. Those were his only nicknames, everything else was Nico or Hischier or boss.

“I don’t know,” he shrugs. “S’just an embarrassing childhood nickname I guess.”

Rising to your toes, you tuck your nose into the curve of his jaw. “I think it’s cute,” you punctuate the promise with a kiss to his neck.

“Yeah?”

“I like the Swiss bits about you,” you say, sipping your drink. Timo, still chattering with Luca and now Maja, raches out blindly and you hand it to him. The free hand lets you plaster yourself to Nico’s torso, hugging his slim waist. “I wish you spoke it more, at home and stuff.”

His cheeks tinge pink, something like shyness settling into his gaze when he glances at Timo and his brother. “My accent gets thick,” he says quietly. “Jonas says half the time he doesn’t even know what I’m saying. And then it messes up my English too because I get all slurry.”

Frowning, you try to think a time he’s been weird with his English. Sometimes he speaks more formal than most Americans would, or he stumbles over a pronunciation but you’ve always known what he was talking about.

“That’s not true,” you insist. “Well I don’t know about Jonas’s claims but I always understand you. And I like your accent.”

Shaking his head, he smiles, a little bitter. “S’not exactly the kinda accent you want to hear in bed, is it? Not like yours.”

You can’t believe you didn’t know this about Nico. That him not making the language mandatory for the boys, him not speaking in his native tongue or sharing his childhood names, or even calling you sweet pet names in Swiss German is all because of this.

He’s embarrassed about his accent.

“Nico,” you murmur, dramatically pouting your lips when his gaze falls to your mouth. “I love your accent.”

He hums, low and quiet, like he’s embarrassed to be asking for the reassurance but wants it anyway. Luckily for him, you’re always down to praise the ground he walks on.

Lowering your voice, you tuck into his shoulder to hide your words from his family. “Especially when it’s telling me what a good girl I am.”

A shuddering breath leaves his lips, wetting them with his tongue. He wraps his arm around your middle, dark eyes meeting yours.

“Fuck, what am I gonna do with you?” He mutters more to himself than you, but you’re pressed up against him so tightly it’d be impossible for you not to hear.

You smile, “kuss?”

Nico chuckles, leaning in to kiss you. You cup the back of his neck, drawing him closer and tease the seal of his lips with your tongue-

“Hands off her Hischier!”

Disgruntled, Nico pulls back and looks over your head. His eyebrow pinch together, lips pursed and your heart stutters in your chest. You know that’s his mean look, the grump face Jack is always talking about but you think it’s so cute.

Turning, you rest back on Nico’s chest and he wraps his arm across your chest. Flattered, you hold onto his bicep, blinking innocently at Jack and Dawson.

“You two are not allowed to drink with her,” Nico dismisses before they can even ask. Timo rolls his lips, trying not to laugh as he hands your drink back. Luca, not bothering to uphold his brother’s authority, laughs anyway.

“Uh-oh,” he teases, “what trouble did the kids get you into?”

Blushing, you ignore Luca in favor of taking another sip. Luke’s face brightens, already fishing his phone out of his pocket.

“She drank the whole bar out from under Jack,” he snorts, scrolling through what you know is his Snapchat memories. The stupid app where the videos of you on the keg and Timo’s shoulders live. “It was the first time she hung out with us without Nico.”

He hands the phone over, Luca’s face cracks open into a delighted laugh that sounds a lot like Nico’s. Grumpy, you tilt your head back to look up at Nico.

“Can we go practice pool?”

Nico licks his lips again, smiling as he nods. “Lead the way baby.”

~~~~

Fiddling with the empty shot glass in front of you, you blindly nod along to whatever story Nina is sharing with the table. It’s not polite, you know that, to pretend to be listening when you’re not. Especially if you’re doing a shit job at it.

But it’s like Nico is telepathically beckoning your eyes to be on him all night.

He looks so good, squinting in concentration at the game of beer pong in front of him. Luca is muttering something in his ear, obviously strategizing on how to make sure the Hughes boys don’t catch up and win.

If Nico can feel you watching him, he doesn’t show it. He keeps his eyes on the makeshift table, what was obviously the other pool table but now has a plank of sanded and glossed wood on top. Luca pats him on the back, takes a step to the left and then Nico is holding up his ping pong ball, his large hand and fingers dwarfing it.

God, he’s so hot, you think and Nico bites his lip as he aims, turning to find the right angle and you almost die when he juts his ass out just the slightest bit. Maybe he does know you’re watching him.

“Hey,” an elbow bumps you, Nina’s you think. “stop drooling over Nico. Your bestie is trying to talk to you.”

You’re not even embarrassed about being caught staring (and drooling), but you are a little embarrassed that Timo is now standing at the end of the table. You hadn’t even noticed.

You do notice the red head by his side though, everything about her even more beautiful up close. She’s got Timo’s hand in hers, a blue drink in the other and you immediately smile in greeting.

“M’not even sorry,” you say to Timo, who looks unimpressed. “He’s so hot.”

“I’m not surprised,” he counters, “you do this every time you drink around him.”

Maja and Nina snicker, and you shrug. A proud smile pulls at your lips and you lift your drink in cheers to him. “Guilty.”

Timo laughs, shaking his head and then he’s letting go of the girls hand to hold her waist. “Anyway, this is Amelia-“ even her name is beautiful. “-is it ok if she hangs out with you guys?”

Nina is immediately scooting down the table to make room. “Yes of course!” She exclaims, “it’s so nice to see you again.” Timo whispers something in Amelia’s ear before she sits down, smiling shyly.

“M’up next for pong,” Timo explains, making a face at you. “Pray Luca gets worse as he drinks because Nico does not.”

You sip your drink, glancing over at Nico. He’s laughing at whatever Jack just told him, solo cup in hand. You meet Timo’s gaze again, his eyes wide in expectation.

“Oh,” you say, already knowing what he’s not asking. “Yeah, just give me like a nod or something and I’ll take care of him.”

Timo reaches across the table and you high five him, laughing. “That’s what I’m talking about.” He cheers, then he’s pressing a kiss to Amelia’s head.

“See ya later!” He darts away from the table, heading down for his turn of pong.

“What was that about?” Amelia asks, the first words she’s spoken to you tonight. Nina is looking to you for an answer too but by the way Maja is smiling in amusement, you have a feeling she knows.

“I help Timo win at pong when he plays against Nico,” you explain, tentatively. “Not like cheating but Nico gets really good aim the drunker he gets so I just-distract him.”

“That’s one word for it.”

The table goes silent at Maja’s words, wheels turning until Nina’s eyes light up in understanding. Almost immediately she’s frowning in disgust.

“Oh ewwwww,” she mutters, taking a large swig of her drink. Amelia laughs, looking over her shoulder towards Timo and then at you, shrugging.

“If it works,” she says quietly, making you and Maja giggle. “That’s real friendship.”

Jack and Luke come grumbling by, pouting and petulant. It’s obvious they’ve lost their game to Nico and Luca, and when you look over their shoulders Timo and Mercer are starting their own matchup against the brothers.

“Hey,” Jack stops as he walks by, eyebrows pinched in annoyance. “He’s getting too cocky over there, boss.”

He jabs a thumb over his shoulder to Nico.

“Yeah,” Luke adds, “go make him lose, please?”

You look around, confused by the lack of the fourth boy they had at once been with. “Where’s Alex?”

Jack huffs in annoyance, a hand on his hip. “We sent him for the next round, on Nico of course, now are you gonna fuck with him or no?”

“Oh my god, yes. Now go.”

They turn to leave, Luke stopping last minute and raising an eyebrow at you. “Are you gonna tell him we asked you?”

“Oh yeah,” you snort, “but I won’t let him get mad so it’s ok.”

Luke brightens at that, shoving Jack forward and towards the bar. Focusing back on the girls, you tune into Maja asking Amelia about herself. It’s bad, but you find yourself zoning out in favor of watching Nico again.

It’s a view you can never get tired of.

You stay like, half tuned into the conversations between the girls and watching the game of beer pong. So far it’s pretty neck and neck, Dawson having aim almost as straight as Nico’s. Probably because of his height, you theorize. Him and Nico are both tall.

Though you suppose Timo is too.

He doesn’t feel as tall as Nico though. Something about his presence, his personality is just bigger than life. It probably aids his role as boss, the fact that he looks and feels so intimidating.

Timo catches your eye, tilting his head ever so slightly and you realize Nico and Luca have gone on a heater, clearing away all but three cups on the table.

“That’s my cue,” you say to the table, downing the last watered-down bit of your drink. Nina’s nose scrunches in disgust and she shoos you away.

Nico sees you coming right away, stretching out his arm for you to fit yourself under. Fiddling with his pendant, you press your chest into him, looking up at through your lashes.

“Enjoying the view?” He teases, confirming that he did in fact know you were watching him the whole time.

“Yeah,” you rise to your toes, lips close to his ear. “They sent me over here to sabotage your game.” Nico hums in acknowledgment, excited butterflies swarming your stomach. You love when the boys try to make you pick them over Nico, when you can mess with them under the pretense of teasing Nico.

They should know by now that you’re always on his side.

“I think it’d be more fun if you won though,” your voice is low, sultry and you can hear how hard Nico swallows.

“What do I get if I win?”

Pressing in closer to him, you smack a sloppy kiss to the soft patch of skin below his ear. “You get me any way you want Boss.”

Nico sinks the next three shots, and Timo doesn’t even get a chance to whine before your boyfriend is dragging you off to the back rooms of the bar.

~~~~

Fingertips and toes fuzzy from alcohol, you blindly paw at Nico. He backs you up into the edge of the sink, the porcelain pressing into your hip just rough enough to leave a bruise in the morning.

Nico’s hand drops your thigh, hitching one leg up over his hip. Unashamedly, he grinds into the newly available space.

“Fuck me,” he groans, doing it again, the bulge in his jeans growing harder with each rut into your covered core. It’s stupid and childish, like horny teenagers sneaking off at prom to grind in the janitors closet.

But it’s making Nico weak in the knees, strained noises of pleasure and teasing whimpers, all muffled by your lips. Listening to him, you slump back until your head bumps against the cool glass of the mirror, and Nico attaches to your jaw and neck.

Nipping and biting, his messily shaven beard-mustache combo scratches at your skin, just on the pleasurable side of rough.

It’s like he’s feral, lost in his own head as he marks your skin with his teeth, desperately dry humping into your overly warm body.

“Nico,” you run a hand through his hair.

“Hmm?”

His teeth nip below your ear and you hiss, digging your nails into the fabric of his flannel.

“Let me-“ you pant, cut off when he abruptly kisses you again, licking into your mouth. Kissing him, you shove at his hip with your knee until there’s enough room to get your hand down there, reaching for the button of his jeans.

“Nico,” you manage to get out, laughing when he shudders as you wiggle his button open and paw at the zipper. “Back up for a second baby.”

Eagerly, he steps back and you drop down from the sink. Nico’s panting, cheeks flushed and pupils blown when you calmly crowd into him, pressing a sweet kiss to his jaw as you get his jeans loose. You wiggle them down his hips, your knees going with them-

“Wait,” Nico catches your elbow and you freeze, peering up at him. He hastily plucks at the buttons of his flannel, quick but uncoordinated until the fabric comes loose and he shrugs it off.

“Here baby,” he murmurs, laying it out in the floor by his feet. Butterflies fluttering in your chest, you kiss him in thanks.

Even when he’s about to get his dick sucked in the bar bathroom he’s a total sweetheart.

You drop to your knees, Nico’s flannel thick and soft where it’s bunched under your weight. Grabbing the sides of his jeans, you yank them the rest of the way down his thighs until they rest around his feet.

Biting at your bottom lip, you push the edge of his shirt up with one hand and latch onto his boxer briefs with the other. His breath hitches, stomach clenching under your fingers when his cock skips free.

Thick and red, the blunt head dripping, you take him in your hand. Above you, Nico takes a deep breath, gathering your hair gently in his large hands. You lean in, by passing his hard cock in favor of kissing at the scar on the v of his hip and down his thigh. The muscle twitches under your mouth and you smile.

If the setting were better, you’d take your time teasing him. Kiss all over his thighs and hip bones, nose and lick at the underside of his cock where that stupidly sensitive vein runs under the smooth skin.

But there will be more chances for that so you don’t dwell on it.

Wetting your lips, you take his cock into your mouth, sinking down until he rests heavily on your tongue. A wrecked moan punches out of his chest, fingers tightening in your hair and you’re ready when he subconsciously urges you to take him deeper. Nothing if not predictable, methodical.

Holding tight to his thigh, you take deep breaths through your nose and swallow him down. The head of cock prods at the back of your throat, makes your throat tighten around him instinctively and Nico shudders, goosebumps rising on his skin under your fingertips.

You back off, mouth parting to suck in air while he still teases at your lips. Panting, you look up at Nico to find him already watching you. His hair’s a mess, eyes glassy and pitch black and he’s breathing heavily.

Swiping your tongue through his slit, you take him back into your mouth, watch the way his eyes flutter and his jaw clenches. You blink at him, fingers gripping his rucked up shirt tighter and you relax your jaw and throat.

Go ahead, Nico.

Like always, he can read you perfectly. His lips curl ever so slightly, the scar on his cheek dimpling. He smoothes your hair back again, lips puckering as he takes another deep breath.

Slowly, he presses his hips forward and holds you still, guiding his cock back down your throat. You let your eyes close, focusing on breathing and the sounds of his breath, the taste of his skin and come, grounding yourself.

He takes it slow for a second, easing himself in and out of your throat. But the appropriate timing to leave a party is dwindling down and Nico is getting desperate. You can tell by his gasps and whimpers, by the way he’s holding your head.

His thumb brushes the corner of your eye, the words going unspoken. You tilt your head up just a bit and Nico takes that as his go-ahead.

Rough and sloppy, Nico fucks into your mouth relentlessly. He never takes it to far, somehow always knows how to use you in a way that feels so good. You tongue at the underside of his cock, drool dripping out of the creases of your mouth.

“So good for me,” Nico groans above you, cock hitting the back of your throat and he moans when you gag around him. “Taking me like a fucking pro, like it’s your job, huh?”

You dig your nails into his thigh, choking in breathes through your nose and Nico caresses your face. “Like you meant to do this, yeah? Meant for me?”

Blinking your eyes open, Nico comes into view, blurry and watery through your eyes. You hum in agreement, his cock twitching in your mouth. Unable to answer him in words, you instead slip your hand down between his legs. He widens his stance for you, a sigh of content leaving his nose when you cup his balls.

He lets up, pulls himself all the way out of your mouth and you gasp for air, lungs burning. Gently, he swipes at your messy mouth, cleaning it up for you and you bat your eyes at him.

“Thanks baby,” you whisper, voice rough and strained. Nico simply smiles, a hiss leaving his lips because you’ve begun fondling him, lips dropping open to welcome him back into your mouth.

Nico doesn’t have to be told twice. He picks up where he left off, fucking your throat while you tease at his balls. He turns into a blubbering mess above you, Swiss German leaving his lips in a drunken slur and you’re caught off guard when he stills, cock all the way down your throat.

You grab his thigh again, whining as he spills into your mouth with a low grunt. His hand has gone slack, enough for you to pull back until just the tip is resting between your lips. Tenderly, you suckle at him, swallowing the mess he’s left behind.

A sound bordering on pain rumbles from deep in his chest, breath heavy when he mumbles, “please baby.” Dropping him from your mouth, you sweetly kiss at the scar on his thigh before rising to your feet. Nico drops your hair, taking a hold of your elbows to haul you up.

He’s all dimples and red cheeks, calloused fingers swiping under your eyes to wipe away the tears. “My pretty girl,” he whispers, kissing between your eyebrows.

You snuggle into his hold, taking a few deep breathes until your racing heart has calmed down. It hits you that his flannel is still lying rumpled on the bathroom floor, pants around his ankles, softening cock out, and you have try really hard not to laugh.

“You are so spoiling me tonight,” the thought makes you giddy, mind already conjuring up all the ways your gonna pillow princess on him later.

“Yes I am.” He says cheekily, squeezing you. Then after a beat of silence. “Fuck I need to put my pants back on.”

~~~~

You could blame the alcohol for the way you press back into him, arching your spine just enough to have the curve of your ass fit into the front of him. Truth is though, you don’t need to blame anything, don’t need to justify yourself to Nico.

He’s just as bad as you, grabbing your hip in his free hand and pulling you back into him. Leaning over you under the pretense of helping you line up a shot. Teasingly, you pull the stick back far enough that it hits his hip, fighting back a laugh when he lets out a quiet “oof.”

“Hey,” Luca scolds, and you take your shot, banking the cue ball off a solid that goes rolling into the corner pocket. “Keep it PG over there, Jesus Christ.”

Nico snickers and you straighten out, stepping away from him to hand over the pool stick. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nico insists, raising an eyebrow at his brother. “M’just being helpful.”

Luca smirks. “I was talking to her,” he points at you, and you giggle innocently.

“Me? What did I do?”

He turns, putting his back towards Maja. “I know that little move,” he bends forward, shoving his ass into Maja to the point that she stumbles away from him, drink sloshing onto the floor.

“How attractive,” Nico deadpans, and Maja starts bitching at Luca in Swiss German, laughing as she does so. You turn back to Nico, hands coming up to rest on his chest and he smiles lazily.

“Yes my baby?”

“I’ll be right back,” you say, and before he can ask, “I need the bathroom. For real this time.”

Satisfaction shines in his gaze, eyes crinkling when his smirk widens. It’s an attractive look on him, this cocky and carefree Nico who’s having fun with his family. You want him like this all the time, you decide. Smiling that wide, knowing that you’ll always be here to make sure he feels good and loved.

“Yeah ok,” he agrees, “be careful.” You nod, turning to walk away and he swats at your ass as you go. You scurry away, hands covering your butt until you can no longer hear Luca gripping Nico again for being handsy.

Making your way through the tables, you come up short when you spot an eerily familiar looking group. Struck by Deja Vu, you freeze on the spot just as the group of girls in line for the bathroom turn to you.

It’s them, all of them. Lena’s friends from that first night at the bar, all the girls that stood there and let her spew lies about you and Nico. A part of you wants to yell at them, to shame them for supporting a woman that could do something like that to another woman, could do that to Nico.

But you’re smarter than that, and scared, and the logical part of you knows you need to turn around and go back to Nico. You need to tell him, to make him take you back to the private bathroom from before and then make Luca kick them out.

You don’t move though, and neither do they. At least for the moment. A short girl with mousy brown hair moves first, stepping towards you and you tense.

“Sorry,” she says, wincing. “I didn’t-we didn’t mean to put you on edge.”

“Yeah,” you laugh bitterly. “Can’t imagine why I’d be on edge around you.”

They all share guilty looks. “We didn’t know what she was gonna do, what she even did. We just heard something had happened to you and Lena had disappeared.”

“Don’t say her name to me!” You hiss, angry and embarrassed that even these stupid girls know about it. Not all of it, it seems. But enough.

“Sorry,” the girl says again and this time it’s a blonde that speaks up.

“We don’t know what happened,” she starts, tentatively and something about her tone makes you stop. She sounds…genuine. “And we don’t really want to know. If it was bad enough for her to be…gone than she probably deserved it.”

Yeah you’d say she deserved that. Actually, she probably deserved worse but you can be too nice sometimes.

“Nico may be scary, but he’s not unfair and cruel.” Another adds. You don’t bother telling them it was you that decided what happened to Lena.

“Anyway,” the mousy haired girl sighs. “We just-we wanted to make sure you knew.”

“Knew what?”

“She was making a deal with someone. On the inside. She never said who, but she bragged a lot about how she was getting her second chance.”

A cold chill pricks at your neck, creeps down your spine and you have to swallow down the lump of fear rising in your chest. Get back to Nico, you need to get back to Nico.

“Ok,” you choke out, willing yourself to calm down. They probably mean Marcelo, the person on the inside that was working with her. Nico and Luca would’ve caught on if someone else were involved.

Abruptly, you turn, head spinning as you make a beeline back to the pool tables. Lena made a deal with someone, they had said. Not the other way around. Marcelo said he’d been offered a deal by Lena, you saw the message. No one ever said anything about her being offered a deal.

There’s nothing to do about the Lena thing right now, not that you even know if it’s true. Maybe they misspoke, maybe they’re somehow in contact with Lena and are messing with you.

Whatever it is, it’s tomorrow’s problem.

~~~~

“Look at that,” Timo sings, bumping his shoulder into Nico. Looking over at his friend, Nico follows his line of sight to you and Amelia. You’re showing her something on your phone, smiling wide and laughing together.

You look like you’ve known her your whole life, and something aches in Nico’s chest. Anyone you would have known your whole life is no longer in your life, and that fucking sucks. And it sucks that between your family and the friends that dropped you, there’s enough lingering pain to keep you from having real friendships.

Of course you’re Nico’s best friend and he knows he’s yours, but it’s not the same. He’ll never tire of you, never wish you had more friends to be around so that you’re not around him. But a part of him thinks you miss that, miss having girls around that feel like genuine friends.

You’ve never said it, but he knows you’re too scared to try and get close with the other Jersey girls.

Maybe Amelia is what you need. A real friend.

“They’re getting a long well.”

Nico looks at Timo questioningly. “You thought they wouldn’t?”

He shakes his head. “Of course I knew they would. It’s just…nice to see I guess.”

Yeah, Nico mentally agrees. It is nice. “When are you going to ask her to come to Jersey?”

Timo scoffs, elbowing Nico and narrowing his gaze. “Like you’ve got room to talk. When are you gonna ask her to marry you?”

Nico has to bite his lip to stop the smirk that rises on his face. His body warms, arousal stirring in his belly as he mentally relives this morning. “She asked me,” he laughs, “but I said no.”

“What? What is wrong with you?”

Timo smacks at his head, Nico ducking to get away. “It’s your fault. Thought there was some kinda rule you gave her about accepting proposals.”

“Huh?” Timo frowns, then sags in disappointment. “No, she didn’t ask you during sex did she?”

Nico laughs, not even needing to answer and Timo groans, painfully. “Jesus fuck, you two really are meant for each other huh?”

“Yeah,” Nico hums, heart fluttering. You are meant for him. And he’s meant for you. He can feel it in the way his entire being is always craving you, how he always feels like he’s missing something when he’s not with you. Even now, with you twenty feet away, it’s like he’s missing his right arm.

A piece of himself he didn’t know was gone until he met you.

“M’gonna ask her tomorrow morning,” Timo finally answers. “I know it’s last minute but that’s just how it worked out I guess.”

Nico looks over. Timo is nervously biting at the corner of his thumb, staring off into space as doubts swirl in his head. Clapping him on the back, Nico nods. “Whatever you need to do. If we gotta hold the flight, we can. If you need to stay longer, I’ll send the jet back for you. Anything Timo, I mean it.”

Then Timo is hugging him, squeezing Nico around the chest just like he used to do when they were younger. When they played hockey together and Timo would shove him into the boards, smacking him over the head and squeezing him tight.

Nico was smaller back then, but the feeling is all the same.

“Thanks man,” Timo mumbles, pulling back. “Same goes for you, anything I gotta do to help just please put a ring on that poor girl over there already.”

Nico laughs, squeezing Timo’s shoulder in thanks. “Don’t worry,” he assures, “I’m already on it.”

Him and Timo share a look of understanding. This is it, these next two days will change everything. Timo will either be walking away with the love of his life, or trying to find a way to finally move on. And Nico, well that little picture he’s had in his head of you in a white dress, swaying in his arms under the stars will be right there.

It’ll all be within reach.

Nico spends the rest of the night picturing that wedding ring on your finger.

~~~~

You should be running errands, should be gathering things and getting ready for the trip home. God knows you’ll have to triple check everything the boys pack, make sure they’re not leaving anything behind or forgetting passports.

It’s a long flight with a lot more people this time.

But you can’t bring yourself to move, to make your way downstairs and busy yourself with something else before Nico gets out of the shower.

Something’s not right. You can feel it, like a heavy weight on your chest, a crawling feeling on the back of your neck. Even before Lena’s friends mentioned it, the unease was there. Call it paranoia or intuition or whatever, but you know you’re right.

Just like you were right that day Lena and Marcelo were following you.

The texts, the plan; It doesn’t add up. Nico may believe that at the end of the day it came down to her wanting his power and revenge for leaving her. But Lena’s father worked with Rino. Even after Nico left she had stake in the business, she had been sworn into the family even before Nico knew of their arranged marriage.

She wanted something else.

Inhaling deeply, you pick up the phone from your nightstand, sliding open the screen now that Nico has disabled the password. The screen is a photo of her, a champagne flute in her manicured hands and long hair hanging over her shoulder. She’s on a balcony, the mountains green behind her. It was taken in the summer obviously, and she’s wearing a long satin dress that dips low down her back.

It’s a beautiful picture, really. But the background is what gets you. It was taken at Nico’s house, from the large open space that overlooks the grounds. He had told you that a pool was up there and in the summer they used to grill and swim a lot.

You pull up the camera roll, swipe through her photos. There’s no need to linger on them, Luca went through all the albums. At least that’s what Nico said.

It doesn’t take long to find the wallpaper photo. It’s fairly recent, taken just a few week before the cold started to settle in.

Lena had been visiting Nico’s home recently. You swipe to the one next to it. She’s not in it except for her hand, holding the champagne flute out over the balcony. It’s from the spot overlooking where you and Nico went on a walk your first day here, where you’d tackled him in the snow and goofed around until it got too cold.

You think back on the moment, on the way the air made you shiver. Was it the cold? Or was it something else?

Huffing, you drop the phone onto the bed and run your hands over your face. The tender spot on your temple aches, overwhelmed and confused. But you have to do this now, before Nico comes back to the room and realizes you’re still caught up on the stupid phone.

You don’t need him worrying over you, thinking that Lena is still haunting you and making you stress.

Picking the phone back up, you stare at the photos app. Why was she at Nico’s house? Luca runs majority of the business now with Rino acting as advisor and figurehead. There’s no business to be done at that house, it would be at Luca’s office.

Unless it was business Luca didn’t know about.

You click back to her albums, reading over the titles of them all. It’s funny how organized girls phones usually are. Nico’s camera roll is a mess, mostly pictures of you, or you and him, or you and Moose. And he doesn’t sort them or delete them. Hell he didn’t even know you have to delete photos twice….

Fingers trembling you scroll down until you get the last album. Lena’s sorted it at bottom, the recently deleted album hidden from anyone not looking for it.

Someone like Nico.

You click the album, holding your breath when random screenshots and selfies come up. Scrolling, you pause when you get to a screenshot of a text thread, all the way at the top meaning it was deleted recently.

The phone number isn’t saved but you can tell it’s a local one. There’s not a lot to the thread but panic seizes at your lungs when you read the first text.

The code is on my desk, everything is set to go. Don’t disappoint me Lena.

She hadn’t responded to it, only liking the message. The number had texted her again the next day.

Timo’s party, she scares easily.

This is who was following you that day, not Lena. And whoever it was had seen everything, knew you were freaked out and pushing Nico away. They knew exactly how to get you to run right to them.

Meaning they were familiar and experienced in this practice. Marcelo, maybe. You don’t know how long he worked for Luca, if he had been there since Rino was running everything-

Rino. Rino who has a desk and an office in that house. Rino who had picked Lena for his son. Rino who has does his very best to make you uncomfortable this whole trip.

Oh no, you think, this can’t be true. But you know it is. There’s no other way Lena and Marcelo would’ve known how to do this. Nico said it himself, they were sloppy and messy with you once they got you. But the plan leading up to that point had been flawless. Executed by someone pulling the strings from afar.

Lena had a deal with someone on the inside.

You swipe to the next photo, swallowing heavily when you realize what it is. Lena had taken a photo of the code, the one mentioned in the texts. It’s sitting on a placard, shiny and silver on an oak desk.

Anyone not looking for it would think it’s simply an interesting desk trinket, a creative nameplate. Pieced together Scrabble tiles, oddly clumped together and made of more than just letters.

R1N067

The numbers are odd, mostly because there’s no numbers in Scrabble. The tiles could be from somewhere else, not that it really matters.

What actually matters is that Nico and Luca missed a huge piece of the puzzle hidden in this phone, one that you’re not even sure you can reveal to them.

Rino tried to have you killed.

~~~~

“You ok?”

Nico tucks into the top of your head, laying a sweet kiss on your forehead. You blink, distracted and continue folding the freshly washed clothes.

“Yeah m’fine,” you respond casually, tucking socks into the extra pair of shoes had Nico brought. Sneakers that sit at the very bottom of his suitcase.

He grabs his jacket from the bed and shrugs it on, looking you up and down through his dark eyelashes. “Got some last minutes things before the flight I gotta take care of,” he says, adjusting the collar. “Which of the boys do you want me to leave?”

You don’t have to think about it long. It’s a no brainer. He’s already proven himself once this trip, got the boys together and ready for an international flight without you and Nico. He’s the one that picked you from the hospital, that effortlessly fit into the spot by your side, a seamless second hand man.

“Umm, Mercer?” You reply, as if it’s a question. The last thing you need is to look suspicious to Nico or at all nervous. He’ll drop everything to be that person for you, but this isn’t something he can be a part of.

You can’t let him.

“Not Holtzy?” He jokes, working on the buttons of his coat. “You’re trusting me with your precious baby Alex?”

Nico fits himself to your back, arms around your waist and his chin presses into your shoulder. “Think he’s hurt that you weren’t on his pong team last night. He needs bonding time with his father.”

Nico pinches your hip and you squawk, jumping away from him. Not that you get very far with him holding you to his chest. “That kid is all yours.” He chuckles and you roll your eyes. You can’t see it, but Nico’s smile widens, already knowing that you’re silently giving him attitude.

“Get out of here,” you mumble, “M’trying to pack.”

He smacks a kiss to your temple before stepping back. “Text you when I’m heading home,” he says, and you can hear him gathering his keys and phone off the dresser. “Do ya need anything?”

Yeah I need a whole day of you distracted with no questions asked, please.

“Ummm I don’t think so,” you turn to look at him, smiling at how cute he looks tucking his hair up into a beanie. “Oh actually, if I send you some stuff to get at the store will you pick it up for me?”

He frowns. “What kinda stuff?”

“For the boys,” you reply, casually. “Snacks and stuff to keep them busy on the flight.”

“They’re not five-“

“Do you want to entertain them the whole way then?”

Nico’s mouth stamps shut, lips pursing in thought and then he shakes his head. You fold the long sleeve in your hands, placing it neatly in his suitcase with a knowing look.

“Yeah ok, text them to me ok?”

He takes your arm, leaning down to press a kiss to your cheek. “Ok,” you agree, and he squeezes your bicep before heading towards the door.

“Be safe Nico!” You call last minute, anxiously biting at your bottom lip. His heavy footfall pauses on the stairs and then faintly you hear him call back, “Yeah you too!”

~~~~

It takes Nico another half hour to wrangle together Alex, Luke, and Jack. Timo left this morning, looking far too nauseous for you to believe his claim that he’s not hungover.

Once the house has fallen silent, you go to work. Nico’s freshly washed black layers, you slip out from where he watched you pack them in his suitcase. You didn’t bring your usual mission gear, so instead you dig out black jeans and Nico’s long wool coat, laying them out on the bed.

“Dawson!” You call, collecting your boots and the holster you’d taken from Luca after the hospital. From down the hall you hear Dawson lumber towards the bedroom.

“What are you doing?”

He’s in the doorway, knowing eyes looking over the array of clothes you’ve got on the bed. When he looks at you, it’s like he already knows exactly what you’re gonna say.

Dawson’s always been smarter than he’s given credit for.

“There’s something I need to do,” you begin, “before we leave tomorrow. And I want you to come with me.”

“What about Nico?” He asks incredulously.

Shaking your head, you say, “He can’t know. You have to promise me you won’t say a word to him Dawson.”

He’s hesitant, you can tell by the way his whole face wrinkles with uncomfortableness. Even the breath he lets outs is iffy, like his whole body is unsure of this. “I don’t know…”

“Nico can’t know.” You insist, approaching him. “I’ll tell him when it’s right, but it has to be me.”

Dawson lets you take a hold of his shoulders, your gaze reassuring and certain when you look at him. “If you’re not comfortable with that, you need to tell me. I won’t be mad, but I can’t bring you into this if you’re not certain.”

You can almost see the neurons firing in his brain, eyes sweeping over your face like he’s waiting for you to laugh, to tell him this is all a test or a joke or something. After a moment, he straightens his shoulders.

“I’m with you,” he nods, “number one priority is you, that’s what Nico always says. So yeah, I can do it.”

Smiling, you ruffle his hair. “Atta boy, go get your gear on. I’ll debrief you before we go.”

Dawson’s entire body goes point straight, face hardening and he brings his fingers up to his forehead. “Sir yes sir.” He salutes you, a toothy smile cracking on his face when you shove him out the door.

He may not be the most serious and mature of the boys, but he’d sure as hell make a good second in command.

~~~~

“I should’ve known that was you.”

You don’t turn to look at him, humming in acknowledgment as you continue to look over the items meticulously placed on his office shelves.

It wasn’t hard getting Rino out of the house nor was it hard finding exactly where in the mansion he does his work. Mercer simply called the number from Lena’s phone, his voice gruff as he threatened Rino over the phone while you tracked its exact location. The pin locked, Rino took down the fake address Mercer fed him for ‘negotiations’ and you two slipped into the house while he was out.

“Where is he?” Furrowing your eyebrows in confusion, you look to Rino. “My son?”

He looks amused, like he thinks this some kind of joke, you being here. He was expecting Nico probably, not you.

“You’re sloppy,” you say instead, “all the scheming and lying, and you didn’t even make an effort to hide it?”

Something dark and mocking settles in his eyes. You wonder how ever compared him to Nico, this man. Any sense of resemblance they once held now ceases to exist. “I think that’s enough, this playing pretend.” He waves a dismissive hand at you. “You’re not meant for this life so let me speak to my son now.”

Anger boils in the pit of your stomach, for you, for Nico, for this whole family. This man has got it all. Money, safety, power, but most importantly he has three incredible kids. Kids that should mean the world to him, that should’ve been his priority.

Instead, they were his property.

“You’re stupid if you think I brought Nico here.” Keeping calm, level-headed. That’s how you stay ahead, even if you’re angry or scared. They’ll never know what to do with confidence, Nico had told you once. Even if they have the upper hand, pretend you do.

“That’s fine,” Rino shrugs, “it’ll be easier to get you out of my way if you’re alone.”

His boots are heavy when he crosses the room, stomping against the hardwood as he stalks towards you. Swallowing down the spike of fear in your chest, you tilt your head at him. “Who said I’m alone?”

Mercer takes his cue, slipping in the door behind Rino as the man comes to a halt. The melted snow on his boots squeaks against the pristine floor, and you look over Rino’s shoulder, silently shushing him with a cocked eyebrow.

Rino’s already heard him though, whipping around to find Mercer in the doorway, rifle in hand. Stiffening, Mercer raises the scope and aims it at Rino’s head.

“Oh great,” he deadpans, ignoring the gun on him and turning back to you. He’s close enough now that you can see the sweat beading on his face, the coldness of his gaze. “Another American I’m supposed to be afraid of.”

“I’m Canadian,” Mercer mutters behind him at the same time you say,” Supposed to be? You are scared of me.”

It’s almost funny the way Rino stops, taken an aback by your words and you use the moment to do more damage. “That’s why you made that deal with Lena. Nico was already your wildcard child, and you didn’t like that he brought in someone new. Someone he actually delegated power to.

“Because I don’t sit back and pop out three babies for him, and because I actually care enough about him to show up here and put a gun to your head.”

If possible, Rino’s face hardens even more than its usual stoic nature. “I had to make sure my son wasn’t making another mistake!” He bellows, and it echoes throughout the large office.

“He went against everything I ever taught him, everything that was ever ingrained in him from birth. Last thing I needed was him losing what little he has to a can’t-hack-it!”

“You ingrained in him?” You scoff, moving around the desk and towards Rino. “Everything good about Nico came from the nannies and baby-sitters. You had him simply because you couldn’t handle it, you couldn’t do what he does now.”

You’ve gotten so close to Rino you can feel his anger fueled breathes on your face, smell his oaky cologne. “It’s a good thing you were never around, weren’t here to teach him how to be a fucking coward-“

Rino cuts you off with a stinging backhand, the ring on his finger catching your bottom lip and the coppery taste of blood spills onto your tongue. Before you can even think of swinging back Mercer is kicking Rino’s legs, forcing him to his knees.

“Stay right there,” Mercer spits, eyes ablaze with anger. He shoves the scope of his rifle into the back of Rino’s head. “Touch her again and I’ll fucking kill you.”

Rino laughs humorlessly, glaring up at you as swipe at the blood on your chin. “That’s how it is in Jersey? You throw on red colors and get Nico’s men to kill for you? Act like you actually do something?”

“As opposed to what?” You spit at his knees, watered down blood staining the floor. “Making my kids hate me so much they push me out of the business? Pay my son’s ex to kidnap his fiancé and leave the blame on her and some random man? Hide behind everything?”

Rino opens his mouth to speak but you’re tired of hearing his voice, his excuses. “You’re a coward,” you continue, kicking at his thigh. “You have the most amazing family and you’ve thrown it all away. You don’t deserve to know Nico let alone be related to him.”

You take a step back, collecting yourself with a deep breath. Rino stays silent for the first time all day.

“Which is why you’re not going to know him anymore.” It’s the only real solution you can think of, the only fitting punishment besides death. You can’t kill Nico’s father, but you can keep him from hurting him.

“Nico is never going to see you or speak to you again. You’re not to come around my family under any circumstance.”

“You really think he’ll let you do this?” Rino mumbles, “Nico?”

“I don’t need his permission,” you say firmly, “but it’s actually insane that you ever thought you could lay a hand on me and Nico would want to be around you.

“In a way, it was merciful of me to come here instead of him. Father or not Nico would’ve torn you apart with his bare hands. I guess you wouldn’t know that though, seeing as you don’t know anything about him.”

Rino’s shoulders sag, hunching in on himself as your words sink in. It doesn’t take a genius to realize you’re right. Nico has left his family before, gone out on his own. He’d sure as hell do it again, especially for you.

“What do you want from me?” Rino finally sighs, defeated.

“I’m so glad you asked,” you faux smile at him, digging into your pocket for your phone. The voice note app is already up and you hit record. “I want to know why.”

~~~~

“Hey, we’re at the house. Where are you guys?”

Dawson glances at you, wincing when he returns his gaze back to the road in front of him. Dabbing at your busted lip with your bandana, you shift uncomfortably.

“We’re on our way home,” you say vaguely, stomach cramping. Nico’s gonna see right through it, is going to know something is wrong.

“Where did you go?” He asks, an edge in his tone.

Fluttering your eyes shut, you beg. “I can’t tell you right now, but I need you to please trust me Nico.”

All background noise that was previously filtering in through the speaker cuts off. He’s moved into another room, he’s starting to worry.

“Y/n,” he says, the use of your full name making your tongue heavy with guilt. “What happened? Are you ok?”

“Yes,” you assure insistently. “I’m fine, I’m with Dawson and he’s fine too. We just-I can’t say this to you over the phone, ok?”

Nico’s quiet for a moment. “Ok, yeah.” His voice sounds small, like it’s stuck in his chest. It’s the tone he gets when he’s overthinking, when he’s letting himself spiral. “You promise me you’re ok?”

“Yes,” you say, smiling a bit. Sometimes you don’t understand how Nico got so good at his job because he can be way too sweet for this world.

“A-and Dawson is too?”

You can see the surprise on Mercer’s face at the question, wide eyes falling to the screen of the car where Nico’s name and image is displayed.

“Yeah he’s ok,” you promise. “We’re only a few streets away so I’ll see you soon, ok?”

“Ok,” he says, sighing again. “Be safe.”

“We will.” You hang up the call, slumping back in your seat and groaning. How the fuck are you supposed to do this, to tell him that the man that was supposed to protect him has done the exact opposite.

“Y-you can’t tell him,” Mercer mumbles, and when he looks at you it’s with a sadness you’ve never seen on him before. “How the fuck are you supposed to tell him?”

Your thoughts exactly.

~~~~

Nico and the boys are in the kitchen when you and Dawson come in from the garage. At the sight of Mercer in his combat gear and the case of his gun on his shoulder, they all scramble to their feet. The sound of barstools scratching across the floors is loud in the now silent room.

“What the fuck happened to you?”

Nico is on you in an instant, the door barely being shut behind you before he’s crowding you against it.

“I’m ok,” you say, but he’s grabbing at your face with soft fingers, crouching down until those big brown eyes are right in front of yours. The sight makes emotion swell in your chest, and you have to try hard not to cry for him.

“Tell me who did this?”

His thumb brushes over the wound and you hiss, squeezing your eyes shut. Behind him, Mercer drops his gun onto the counter, beginning to unstrap his weapons.

“I will,” you swear, “but I need it to be just us, ok?”

Nico’s jaw clenches, eyes sweeping over your face and he rises to his full height. “Everybody out,” he calls over his shoulder. “Now.”

Jack and Luke grumble something unintelligible but they shuffle out of the kitchen, dragging Alex with them. Mercer finishes dropping his gear onto the table, casting you a long glance before he too makes his way to the dining room.

“Nico,” Mercer says softly, caught in the doorway. That sadness from before bleeds into his eyes, and he takes a slow breath. “I-I love you, ok?”

He’s caught off guard by the sentiment, blinking in confusion but then he’s nodding thoughtfully. “I love you too Dawson.”

It’s not something the boys say to each other often, the statement going more shown than spoken. The boys used to tease him when he’d say it to you, joke that they didn’t even know he knew how to say those words.

The kitchen falls silent after Dawson leaves, and then Nico is looking back at you. He looks…sad. Everything about him is droopy, the pout of his lips, the way his eyes have gone all big and moony.

“Y-you didn’t call me,” he whispers, breaking your heart. “Why wouldn’t you call me?”

He stumbles back when you throw yourself at him, locking your arms around his neck and tucking your face into his shoulder. But he doesn’t hesitate to hold you, arms wrapping around your waist and squeezing you into his chest.

“I’m sorry Nico,” you mutter, “I’m so sorry.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he says fiercely, “just tell me what happened? Who touched you?”

You close your eyes as if that’ll shield you from the next words out of your mouth. “It was your dad, Nico.”

His whole body tenses, a stuttered breath leaving his lips and you can feel the way his hold on you slackens. “What?”

“It was Rino,” you pull back from him, digging into your pockets for your phone and Lena’s. “All of it was him.” You hold them out to him, avoiding looking into his eyes as he takes them from your hand.

“It was in her deleted photos,” you explain, “texts with Rino, the code off his desk. He was the one that instructed her to take me, he set it all up.”

A hand cups your jaw, urges you to look up at him and you suck in a nervous breath. It sucks and it’s gonna hurt him, but he has to hear it from you. “I-I don’t want to see it on there. I want you to tell me what happened.”

So you do. You tell him about Lena’s friends at the bar, about how they seemed to be warning you of her deal. Then you tell him about the phone, about how you kept it because you still didn’t understand how Lena and Marcelo got the plan and resources to kidnap you. That you went through it this morning when he was in the shower, that her camera roll was filled with photos of her recently at his parent’s house. That it felt like someone was watching you that day you were there.

And you tell him about Mercer. That you sent the other boys with him because you needed someone who would follows your orders perfectly, who would be smart and loyal and strong. Someone who would lie to him if needed for you. You lay out the details of how you got into the house and found his office, how Rino came in and fought with you, slapped you. That Mercer made sure he didn’t do anything else.

Lastly, you tell him the why.

Rino had kids with the intention that they’d uphold his reputation, they’d keep his values and beliefs in mind always. And when Nico left, he disgraced them. That to Rino, that was a shame on the whole family. Nico had gotten lucky with his success there, but Rino didn’t think it would last.

And he thought it’d be you that ruined it. Because romantic partners, husband and wives are not to be mixed in with it. They’re meant to be seen and not heard, meant to be symbolic in the business of old fashioned values.

Nico was going to ruin his success, the family he built by letting you have a real role in the inner workings.

So Rino got ahold of Lena the night he heard Nico brought you to Switzerland. She had been staying at the house, was wanting to have a role in the business again. Rino offered her the role Nico was originally supposed to have in Germany, but first she needed to get you out of the picture and Nico back to Europe.

It was her trial, her test into getting back in. And it was Rino’s test of you.

Nico, to your surprise, doesn’t react at all as you talk. He’s like a still oil-painting, one hand clutching yours and the other holding the phones. The only giveaway that he’s still listening is the way his eyes shift between yours.

“What did you do to him?” Nico asks after you’ve finished.

“I-“ you swallow heavily. “I told him that if he ever came near you or our family that I’d kill him. And if he doubted me, he shouldn’t doubt you’d do the same thing.”

Nico blinks, a deep sadness settling into his gaze. It’s a different look than his usual grumpiness, like it’s heavier. You’re not sure what reaction you were expecting, maybe anger or vengeance. But not this.

This look that makes him appear so small, like a child that’s lost his mom in the grocery store. Lost, he looks so lost.

“Your poor face,” he whispers, glassy eyes falling to your lip. His thumb strokes next to your mouth again, careful to not disturb it. “I should kill him.”

You don’t say anything. You don’t know what you could possibly say to that. Nico doesn’t seem to be looking for a response though, continuing on under his breath.

“He deserves it. No one hurts you and gets to walk away, no one gets to treat you like that.”

Nico brings you into his chest again, caging you in with his thick biceps. You hold him tightly, trying to ignore the fact that Nico isn’t really coming to terms with what happened, and on top of that, you’ve gotta find a way to break the news to Luca and Nina.

And worst of all, Katja Hischier.

[laithraihan]

[mickules]

An alternate epilogue for A House Made of Cards

A Breach of Trust might be @phantomrose96 's best known mp100 fanfic, but A House Made of Cards is such a solid punch to the gut, I often find myself returning to it. The slowly mounting dread when you realise exactly what is being going on, just enough to haunt you, and your imagination supplies the rest.

But, I'm a baby, and because where the fic leaves off is agonising, I had to indulge in a little alternate post-script, exploring a different possibility.

The actual fic is not so kind . . .

[quirkle2]

[zombie au] the image is too big for tumblr i had to cut it in half GVEAUYGV (please for the love of god zoom in)

[teenage-mutant-ninja-freak]

Hi, I hope you're doing well. Could you write how and when the mob!boys killed for the first time? I'm sorry if it seemed confusing, English is not my native language, I love your writing so much!

just a quick warning for this one, they were *all* children when they killed for the first time. Their backstory is being held prisoner and forced to perform in an illegal underground freak show until they were freed by activist, and later friend, April. This one will also, by the very nature of the question, be super dark (esp Mikey's) so if kids killing or murder or descriptions of violence makes you feel bad things, please skip this one x

Mob! Leo

He was about 13 when he killed for the first time

it was during the scuffle to free them and forcibly disband the freak show they were being held in

the activists had come with weapons and liberation equipment but the people running the show weren't gonna let their main act go without a fight

It was the save his father, Splinter, that he killed

he didn't mean to, he was only 13

Splinter had to fight his way out once the alarms sounded and people realised they were getting free

3 of the security guys were trying to take on Splinter, he'd gotten 2 of them off and knocked them unconscious but the third one was on his back, wire around his neck, choking him

he couldn't get him off

Leo, seeing his father failing, picked up a piece of broken glass and ran over

he plunged it into the guys side over and over

he didn't realise it punctured his lung in several places

filling with blood, the guy started spluttering and rolling around in agony

Splinter rushed Leo away and got him and his brothers out before the guy actually died but that was Leo's first fatality

Mob! Raph

Again, he didn't mean to

he just gets so angry!

it's like he sees red and then his brain doesn't connect to his fists and then hell breaks loose

it was one of the acrobats apprentices, their new trainee

Raph was about 8 at the time

and always had a short fuse when it came to sharing or being poked fun at

so when we was outside playing and this teen (yes the apprentice was a teen, maybe 15?) came over and started calling him every name under the sun and kicking at the rock formation he was building, Raph just lost it

the final straw was the kid leaning in a sneering "you know they're gonna make you fuck your brothers next, right? That'll be your new act!"

he picked up one of the biggest rocks there

and smashed it across the boy's temple as hard as he could

yelling "fuck you! fuck you! You're a liar!"

it caved in the kid's skull

Raph has never known his own strength

Mob! Mikey

((another warning, poor baby has a horrid backstory because I'm evil))

he was 5

bless him he was 5 years old

he wondered into a tent because he couldn't sleep and the lights were on past curfew

he just wanted to make a friend

they were filming something

it's mostly a blur to him, his brain's way of protecting him from the memory

she was so pretty

and her hands were soft and warm

she stroked his cheeks and smiled at him, no one else ever smiled at him

then there was yelling

and screaming

and a knife

and the camera was still going

and someone was pushing his hands...

the next thing he really remembers he's being held by Splinter, his tears wiped away (he doesn't really remember why he's crying) and there's blood all over him

he hasn't let go of the knife

Mob! Donnie

He kind of knew what he was doing

he knew he wanted to hurt them, hurt them bad

he knew he didn't want them to get back up

but he'd never really been close to human death before

the animals the show runners made them kill for entertainment were different

he was just coming up for 12 years old

some of the other acts at the freak show were constantly tormenting him and his brothers

the last straw for Donnie was them getting Splinter whipped within an inch of his life for standing up for this sons and them giving Leo a bloody nose when he tried to stop the whipping

they had this one security guy, a sadist, he dealt out the punishments

seemed to like getting his hands dirty

he snuck into the guy's trailer after picking the lock one night as he was sleeping

tried him down

whipped him, cut him and then shoved the handle of the whip down his throat and left him there

he didn't realise the guy would choke to death, honestly he didn't think about it

he didn't really care either

Splinter gave him shit for it after the news got round the guy was dead

said Donnie shouldn't be meddling

"you didn't give Leo shit for-"

it didn't matter to Splinter, Donnie fucked up and that was that.

[jung-shook-iieee]

Pairing : mafia boss jk × chef reader (f).

Genre : oneshot, mafia au, yandere.

Warnings : mafia Lord jk, he's really rough tho, smut (dub/noncon, facefucking, unprotected sex, degradation, spanking, bruising, slightly public sex, humiliation, light daddy kink), he's kind of obsessed with y/n , graphic descriptions of violence & gore, slapping, unhealthy dynamics,

Description : you stumbled upon something you shouldn't have, and now jungkook needs to make sure you stay silent.

Word count: 3.2k (of pure filth.)

A/N : it's dark for some readers so please do not read if you're not comfortable. But if you like it then please do vote and comment. Thank you. <3

A/N : well I do think this one needs a little editing here and there but I'll just leave it here as it is, maybe I'll edit in future. Please enjoy and do tell me what you think about this one. 💛

___________

Working here, in Jeon Mansion as a head chef was and a golden opportunity for you. The pay was good, the ambience was soothing providing a great warmth while working, the people were good. There weren't many rules and regulations for staffs but a few were to be strictly followed.

One of the most important rules for all the staff was to not enter the basement of the mansion. This rule was set way past before you joined here. You've never seen the basement, only saw a few people go down.

The mansion was glorious by all means, decorated just like you've heard in the old tales but with the twist of modern taste. The mansion had two large floors, at the roof top there was small setting similar to an expensive restaurant. The first floor consisted a number of large rooms and a gym. And lastly the ground floor, where you were assigned to spent you working hourshours. It had a beautiful, spacious kitchen, dinning hall, gaming room and a drawing room. It felt good to work there.

It was past 12 AM, you just wrapped up, logged your shift and cleaning the mess you and your coworkers created while preparing for a small get together party, which your boss had hosted.

Wiping your hands off with a wipe placed inside of your apron, you head towards the bathroom, down the back and to the right. The blocked off stairs are just next to the door, your hips practically bumping the sign as you head towards the door.

A faint, distant scream jolts you out of your movements.

You pause, hand frozen above the door handle, chest heaving with your breaths that grow in intensity. You go still, listening for another sound.

All you hear is faint yelling, yelping and shuffles, all coming from the exact same place.

The stairs stare back at you with a vengeance, begging you to step over the locked chains.

It's only when the noises cease that you find yourself complying.

You manage to get over the chains, gown riding up as you slide your legs over, trying your best not to trip on the narrow stairs. You keep quiet, practically tiptoeing down each stair.

You can feel your heart racing, beating, like it's about to pounce out of your chest, an overwhelming sense of dread flooding your senses and drowning you in it.

As you head pass the top of the railing you see a very weird and scary surrounding, there was a door in front of you and when you turned the nob to open it, you see a hall of glass walls. the inside of it bar-like and art deco in design, red neon colored lighting illuminating the dark space. The doors are triangular in shape, coming together with a white tile as the top.

You're attention quickly wavers as you heard another loud growling and whimpering sound. It was rasped, a male voice. You walked in more and the voice only grew louder and clearer until you see.

7 men, standing close to a figure, all dressed in suits too fancy for a diner, bending over the frame like they're inspecting it. You're frozen, desperately trying to figure out what's below them, but one of them moves-

It's a man. A man you saw earlier in the evening. The man who barely eaten anything. The man who just sat at the dining table.

He's lying down on the floor, crimson blood staining the white of his button down. You can see his face is battered, beaten to a pulp, one of his eyes swollen over from the beating. There's a hole in his side where the blood is pouring from, and he's clutching it, gasping for air with a desperation you've never seen before.

The man above him has a gun, small enough to be concealed but large enough for you to notice- and he's clicking with it like a taunt. The man below him is fading, slowly losing himself, hand shaking above his fatal wound.

Tears are streaming down your cheeks. You don't even notice them, too locked in on the sight before you, the feeling of them dampening your hand as it covers your mouth the only real inkling of your physical reality you can hold onto. You're breaking out of your frozen state, turning to race up the stairs, but your own frenziedness breaks you.

Before you can even yelp, you trip, walking backwards and colliding with the hard door. The noise you make is loud enough for anyone to hear, and you cry at the realization- eyes wide like saucers.

They're staring at you. All seven of them. Eyes deadlocked on your shaking form.

One of them is... familiar.

You don't get the chance to react, before one of them is heading towards the door. You grab onto yourself, hoisting yourself up the stairs with desperate cries of fear, tears still falling down your red cheeks, you quickly tried to jump over the railing and run for your dear life but....but he grabs you. His tattooed hand have you by the ankle, pulling you down the stairs and pinning you against them.

"Please," You cry, broken sobs ringing through your chest, "I won't tell anyone, I swear. Please don't kill me, please, please."

His hand gravitates towards your throat, turning you around to face him with your back facing the stairs. He lands a slap to your face, piercing your skin in pain as your head retaliates with the force.

You whimper as he grabs you by the cheeks, squeezing them while he pulls you to look at him.

It's him.

It's him.

Jeon Jungkook - your owner, your boss, the man who hired you, the man who pays you. The man who was nothing but sweet and kind to you from the beginning, the man who always tried lifting your mood while you cooked for him, the same man who gave you extra money as a bonus whenever he felt that you've exhausted yourself way too much.

" I fucking told you not come here down. " He growled angrily squeezing your cheeks toughly. " Can't you listen this one thing huh? "

You sob, mumbling a multiple apologies. You don't even know why are you shaking your head. You gasp and breath, all together was getting difficult.

You hear shuffling sound and with one look you saw two of those men were dragging away the

Body to another room.

" Make sure she stay silent, jeon. We don't want any trouble from your side. " One of them with brown hair and dragon eyes walked towards you and he warned your boss.

" Don't worry hyung, she's a smart girl. She won't say a word to anyone. And if she does, then I'll take the responsibility. " He explained to him with stern eyes. Even though the person who warned Jungkook looked slight older, but still you could sense who's holding the actual power.

Jungkook turns back to you, he took in your condition, shaking from the fear and tear soaked face, eyes. His grip softens as his facial expressions calmed too.

" Honey- " He cooed, stroking your hair back from your face. He softly held your tiny face, " You have to calm down baby. "

When you're still hyperventilating, still sobbing and pleading, he lands another slap to your face.

"I said fucking calm down."

His voice is surprisingly calm. Deep and raspy, like he's talking from the back of his throat. He strokes the inflamed mark on your abused cheek, watching as your violent sobs turn into sniffles and whimpers.

" I'm not gonna kill you. " Jungkook promises as his doe eyes stared back at you, still wiping your fresh tears from your cheeks. " I just have to make sure you nothing about this right.? "

" I-I won-t. Don't. Prom-is-e. " You Hiccuped, too scared to even form a correct sentence. He tsked at your choice of words. He knew you were a smart girl, but you aren't even looking at him how can he trust you?

" Baby, are you sure? How can i trust you hmm? " He said softly patting your head, like you were a pet to him.

Your eyes widened with fear and you quickly shake your head, " No-No... , you can, I promise you can, please, please, I promise I won't tell anyone- I-I swear, please... " An ugly sob left from your mouth as you tried to make him believe you.

He stares at you, silent, pondering, doe eyes boring into your skin like the sun. They fold back up towards your eyes, but settled.

"I know you're not gonna say anything," Relief washes over you. "'Cause I'm gonna make real fucking sure you don't say a goddamn thing.

Fuck. Fuck. Your heart is going so fast you think you might faint, cries escaping your lips once again, fearful of what weapons he has in his mind and in his pockets. You subconsciously started dragging your body backwards. But he quickly notices and this time he didn't gave you a option and carried you like a sack on his shoulders. He walked out of the basement and took you to his room on the first floor.

He threw you on his bed, you scurried back like a scared cat. He stood there, starring at you, his thoughts conflicting whether he should do something or not. But he knew no matter what he did, he fucked up. He can't no longer hide his true self from you, and your too scared from him.

You held your down on your knees as you sobbed and mumbled sorry over and over again. It was making him frustrated even more. That's why he never wanted you to see the real him, you were too pure for that. But you chose this upon yourself, he can't help now. Can he??

" You know, we could have done a lot better. I had different plans for you. But you... " He sighed as palmed his face. You could see his brows furrowed like he was regretting this.

" You just had to go down there and witness all of that. You should have listened to me honey, just like every one does. " He sighs as he walked towards your side. " Don't move, be a good girl now. " He warned as he noticed you were ready to move back.

Just like a good girl you were, you listened. " Come here. " He said and you crawled towards him. He leans down, pushing more hair away from your forehead, lips pressing against the skin there: "Be good, and nothing bad has to happen. Okay? "

You nod, lips tightly pressed close, a whimper left from your throat as you see him Unbuckling his belt. He unbuttoned his shirt slowly and the taking the black shirt off. He leaned down pressed his lips on your trembling ones.

"Good girl."

Jungkook's hands reach down beneath his trousers, pulling out his cock, already half hard. He gives it a few strokes until it's at full mass, continuing to stroke the top of your head with his free hand.

"Open wide. "

With a shaking mouth, you comply. He growls with the first slide of his cock in your wet mouth, letting out a holy curse to whatever higher power there is. He's practically too big to fit inside, your jaw crying with pain at the sudden stretch.

"Suck."

You whimper, palms clutching hard against your nails. Your tongue slides around his shaft as you suck on him, his groans and curses echoing in your head.

"That's a good girl," He praises, "Wasn't so hard, now, was it?"

You continued whining despite tasting the saltiness of his precum at the back of your tongue. He threw his head back, feeling the texture of your velvety tongue on his hard cock. God!! He imagines this moment so often, countless dreams of you sucking the life out of him. He just want to relish the moment

He slowly and carefully holds on to the back of your skull, " this is nice baby... " He furrowed his brows as he guided your head a little faster. " But i think I'm gonna need a little more, you gonna do it for me? " He asked as he collected your scattered hair in a ponytail. You could only blink away the fresh tears forming, unable to do anything but nod.

He started moving his hips, thrusting mildly. But no matter how careful he went you still gagged on his dick, spit flowing over your chin then rolling off to your clothed breast. You were ruining your clothes.

" You're not gonna say anything now, are you??" He grunts as he started thrusting his hips faster, " You'll let me ruin you, right? I know you will not disobey me again. God!!! " His thrusts pick up pace, his heavy balls quickly slapping against your chin with each movement. You cry out with each thrust, gagging and spitting around his head- but it just makes him harder.

But to your surprise , he pulls backback, slipping his cock out of your mouth.

Jungkook grabs onto his shaft, stroking himself with fast pumps, before letting go to rub his cock up and down your face. The wetness of your own spit slathers your skin, your eyes closing instinctually.

He slaps his cock against your face, tsking at the sight. Your mascara ruined, black tears running down your cheeks, spit and cum coating your chin completely. You felt filthy.

"You look like a fuckin' whore honey. " He says, as he wiped the mess he created on your face. Before you could react he tore off your dress making you gasp in fear. He then quickly turned you around on the bed raising your ass up in the air. He smacked your ass a few times before plunging his thick tattooed fingers inside your pussy making your cry on the bedsheet.

" Fuck.. I have to taste you before I go insane honey. " He mumbles as he crouched down to your already bend form level. His face just a mere inches away your cunt, you felt exposed.....he blew his warm breath on your wet skin making you shudder with sensitivity.

He licked a long stripe of your essence and you heard him growl. He never knew you could taste this delicious. He could eat you everyday like this, only if you would let him. He was eating and slurping messily making you arc your back and eyes roll to the back of your head. You didn't wanted this, but you can't stop the butterflies you were feeling. The feeling he was giving you was new, no one has ever went down on you. And this feels heaven to you.

" Ahh... Jung- please.. No.. Stop... " You blabbered too lost in the pleasure. Your mind was turning blank, the pleasure was increasing making you loose yourself.

Jungkook ate you a good few minutes then pulled away his face and stood up. He came out of his trousers and stroked his cock a few times before rubbing it on your entrance. His dick was soaking up all your juices. " I've always wanted to fuck you like this honey. Walking in here all pretty, all shy, all polite- kept makin' me think how good it would feel to ruin that pretty little head of yours. Make you my own little fucktoy- so polite, so willing, so obedient, just fuckin' made for this, made for me..just me..weren't you?"

You whine out a " no-no. " And shaking your head.

"No? " He asked sarcastically, " You're saying that you never wanted this? Never wanted me to ruin you pretty? Because your pussy is saying otherwise honey. " He taunted, you felt shameful because he was right. Your cunt is drowning his cock with your wetness, It's humiliating, how your body reacts, how your pussy clenches around nothing, how your slick drips down your leg and onto the bedsheet. It's fucking humiliating and depraved.

" I think you fucking want this honey, don't lie. It's useless. " Jungkook grunts as he slipped his tip inside your heat making your wides with a gasp following soon. He was huge, so much bigger than you've imagined before. Yes, you did imagined him with you in this position but maybe under some other soft circumstances. Not like this, you never wanted him like this.

You're gasping, whimpering, whining as his cock slides inside of you, bottoming out within seconds. The stretch burns, his cock thicker than anything you've had before, practically tearing you open from the inside. " See baby I fit so well inside you, just I knew I would." He starts to move, too fast as soon as he starts. His balls smack against your ass with each brutal slam, cock hitting your cervix in a way that has you sobbing- mouth wide and agape, unable to control the noises you're admitting.

That's it, baby," Jungkook's grunting, head tilted back in pleasure, "Take this fuckin' dick, all up in that tight little pussy." jungkook leans his body and wrapped his hand around neck to arc your back a little more. You gasp as his hold get tighter with each thrust.

You didn't even fight," He muses, "Didn't even fight to keep me out of this dirty cunt. That's how I know you're made for this. You already know what you're good for."

You gasp, letting out "ah, ah, ah's" with each rough pound he lands inside your pussy. Your knuckles are turning white from how hard you're grabbing the bedsheet unable to stop the way your body reacts to the stimulation.

"God, you're gonna fuckin' cum, aren't you?" He groans, smacking your ass, his rings leaving a nasty mark- "I've beaten the shit out of a man- I'm still fuckin' covered in his blood and sweat, and you're about to come? Fuck, you're such a whore, a good little slut for me."

You don't know why that builds you up faster. You're disgusted by how that makes you climb faster, how that makes your cunt clench, how your orgasm starts slicing through you like a knife- it's intense, how you come. You're twitching and trembling, he's barely able to hold you still with both hands, still fucking into you like his life depends on it.

"God, fuck yeah, gonna cum up in that cunt," Jungkook's grunting, moaning, cock twitching as you clench around it, "Gonna fill that little pussy up so fuckin' nice, never gonna want another cock. This pussy belongs to me, now, honey, and you're gonna fuckin' let me use it whenever I want."

His pounding gets sloppier, messier- and then he's yelling. His cum spills deep in your cunt, so much that you can feel it filling you up from the inside. He's left panting, moaning and gasping, still clutching onto your waist.

Jungkook pulls you up by your neck to sit up, level at height with him, pressing his nose against your neck.

"Mm," He moans, "Not gonna say a fucking word, are you, honey?"

You shake your head. Still shaking. Still trembling. Still processing.

He slammed his lips on yours and devoured you until he was sure he made you dumb.

"That's what I thought." One last peck on your lips and he says "You're learning fast. We're gonna have so much fun."

_____________________________________________________

Masterlist

@yellabella77 @taegularities @emojkluvr

[screamingcrows]

mob boss!Pantalone x hitman!reader in fast bullet points

MINORS AND AGELESS BLOCKS BACK AWAY - you will be blocked

Note: This has been rattling around in my brain and I needed to flush it out. This is a very watered down version compared to how dark it is in my mind. Mostly because a lot of the heavy stuff would take too much setup compared to my energy level.

Warnings: dark content, guns, murder, violence, manipulation, coercion, gore, brief allusion to noncon, female reader, 'little girl' used once as petname, vague torture mention,

See any tags you don't enjoy? Don't read beyond this. Simple as that

Pantalone is a mob boss and you're his most priced hitman. Came from bad circumstances, got into worse company and ended up owing the wrong people a lot of money.

Luckily, you met Pantalone. And who would he be to turn down a young woman desperate for protection and help?

Turns out you have quite the flair for subtlety and one hell of an aim. His favorite mix of young, talented, and obedient.

He always assures you that taking someone out is a last resort. Reserved for the truly vile and irredeemable. And you trust him, you've yet to catch him lying after all. It's just…

There are a lot of bad people? A lot of dirty work to do. And suddenly you've killed more than you want to count.

What about that guy last night? With a little kid who came in and saw your target their father in a pool of their own blood?

Pantalone tries to shield you that much is evident. But you start noticing the cracks in his smile. How the little gifts and words of affirmation only come when you've been a little too distant.

You steal some cash from Pantalone that night, the moon your only witness as you bolt towards a promise of freedom in a new city.

Freedom lasts about four days before his men have tracked you down and dragged you back. They ripped out your fingernails in the car on the way, something about "making sure a feisty kitten is declawed"

"I'm disappointed in you. And you of all people should know what happens when someone disappoints me," he glances down at the pistol in his hand, letting out a tired sigh.

He offers you a deal to pay back what you'd taken. But just paying it back with cash wouldn't be enough. No, he had no real use for that.

His eyes hold no small amount of disgust as they look down at the shiny metal reflecting your bruised body. Your lip was bleeding, as was your left temple, that eye too swollen to properly open. Skin on your wrists raw and bloody from the rope. One of your shins broken. His gloved hand grabs your chin and yanks your head up to look at him, his expression cold and detached. Before you can plead for mercy he's already shoved the barrel past your lips, his nose crinkling when you try to scream around it.

"Usually this would be it. But I'm in a good mood. And it pains me so see my little girl like this"

You'd work it off of course. His smile too wide paired with those cold eyes when he assures you that it "won't be like that"

Pantalone just wants you back where you were. With the exception that you don't get to leave unaccompanied anymore. And you only take orders directly from him. Which means you have to stay at his mansion of course, he doesn't have the time to seek you out, you'll be ready at his disposal when he needs.

Promises you'll negotiate your freedom once the debt is repaid, and when has he ever lied to you?

The deal he has you sign doesn't specify the nature of his orders. But you'll find out soon enough exactly what he had in mind.

And so what if he deliberately provided the chance for you to run once he'd begun suspecting you were having doubts?

You were his now, and the ends always justify the means

[brown-little-robin]

okay so @quirkle2 sent me an ask about the aftermath of the Teru vs. Mob fight, and I went and wrote out the whole fight in the ask. I'm moving it to this post so that I can answer the Actual Question in the Actual Ask like a normal person. anyway here you go

Teru's Series of Really Bad Decisions

or, How Mob Came Out Of the Teru vs. Mob Fight Completely Unscathed

So here's the thing. Mob's zombie disease colony is pretty invested in keeping its host alive, so even while the fight is happening, he's healing really fast. And despite his top-dog persona, Teru doesn't actually enjoy injuring people. (The sensation of touching another person bothers him—that's why most of his attacks are things like slaps or punches, where he's only in contact with people for a moment before the force of the blow shoves them away. He'll kill or torture people, but he subtly avoids extended contact with them while doing so. It makes him nervous to resort to hands-on violence, because that's how a zombie fights and for his own survival, Teru HAS to act like he's above zombie behavior.)

So it takes Teru a while to work himself up to the point of actually committing to injuring Mob. At first, Teru is just punching him in the chest and stomach, shoving him (he pushes him into the school swimming pool at one point and then has to pull him back out because Mob never learned to swim and is drowning. major L for Teru's pride), taunting him, using blunt force and watching in disbelief while the other boy just takes it and breathes through the pain. He expected Mob to hit back right away, and then Teru would use a bit more strength and intimidate his opponent so much that he'd admit Teru's strength is way beyond him and then they'd be on amicable terms. But that doesn't happen.

Also, Dimple isn't back yet in this AU, so the fight takes place mostly in silence, which weirds Teru out. He's used to fighting with people yelling and screaming around him, and hearing nothing but pained noises and a few confused questions out of his opponent really bothers Teru. He grabs Mob and shakes him, asking why won't you fight back??. He's definitely like Teru! he's got the misty eyes and he's breathing out miasma and he has the healing ability to jerk his arms free of the ropes he was tied with and have the raw rope-scrapes on his arms heal over a minute later, but he won't! fight! back!!

Meanwhile, as Teru is shaking him by the shirt-collars, Mob is having flashbacks to his life wandering as a zombie before the cure. He's remembering Dimple clearer than he ever has before, and he's embracing those memories for once, clinging to his guilt over (he suspects) killing his friend. And, remembering how nice Dimple was to him and Ritsu, how Dimple shared strawberries with them, how he would coax Mob out of the rain, how Dimple reached for Mob's face while Mob's teeth were closing in his arm—he stares at Teru with all the loathing he feels toward himself, for killing Dimple.

Teru says, "What's with that look?"

Mob says, "I was just wondering, why do you feel the need to hurt people who are just trying to live? Do you think you have to, because you're a zombie?"

And Teru, who tries not to think of himself as a zombie, goes, "What?"

"Oh, I was just thinking—there was someone I knew who was a pretty good guy—compared to you. And I hurt him."

That makes Teru drop Mob like a hot potato. He doesn't want to fight like a zombie but he has to get this hypocrite who hurt his own friend and refuses to fight him to DO something—and they happen to be in the home ec room, right by the gas-powered generator for the home ec equipment, so Teru causes a gas explosion on purpose and blocks the door with his body, trying to force Mob to fight his way out to avoid burning alive. That's how Teru ends up losing his perfect hair—he may be special but he's still got zombie disease, his pain receptors don't work right and Mob is coughing too hard in the smoke to warn Teru that the fire ran along the ceiling and got to Teru's hair. The fire is how Mob's clothes get singed. He's not seriously burned, at least not by the time Teru sees him next (Teru rushed to the swimming pool when he realized his hair was on fire), but he's shaken and coughing and smells like smoke.

They both stumble out of the burning school building. Mob has his Moment Of Realization and correctly guesses that Teru's life is completely empty; Teru's acting like this because he's trying to ignore that he's a zombie and has no real friends because everyone is scared of him, and Teru isn't making any effort to live like a person instead of a monster.

That's when Teru just straight-up strangles Mob, throwing away his determination not to fight like a zombie. Mob has already ruined Teru's untouchable appearance and likely condemned Teru to being shot by his own people for causing all this property damage. Teru's life as a human is over already, he thinks. Mob refuses to fight back, passes out, ???% appears, you know how it goes.

And get this: Mob's zombie disease colony has expended a lot of its energy already (consuming its own drones for sheer power) to heal Mob from the blows and the burns, so when ???% puts his body into high gear, the colony registers EMERGENCY CONDITIONS and starts replenishing its energy using anything available—the colony deploys its own disease drones into the entire surrounding area and consumes all of the miasma in the air and water and, STILL not having enough energy for this, dives into Teru's body and eats 90% of Teru's colony. This is the equivalent of ???% absorbing all of the energy in the atmosphere AND Teru's psychic powers, which always makes me hold my breath in canon.

Teru can see this happening, by the way. Like Mob, he can sense the presence of zombie disease in all forms. He senses Kageyama's disease colony suddenly exploding from his body and eating all of the colonies in the area. what a sight to behold.

Anyway, so, yeah, Mob then wakes up with his body fully healed, in front of a burning school building, sensing absolute emptiness all around him.

He can't fix the school building. Not in this au. All he can do is kneel down and cry. He failed to change. He thought he was better now, he thought that he was in control of himself now, but he did it again—he hurt someone on accident again.

And then Teru stumbles over to him with his hip still spasming from where ???% threw him by his leg and goes, "Kageyama, you were right... without our power, we have nothing..."

and Mob looks up to see people stirring around them, and Teru is alive, he didn't kill Teru, he didn't kill anyone, and he goes back to Salt with the Body Improvement Club in a kind of shell-shocked daze.

[cowardlybean]

y’all know what time it is

horrendous bonus :

[the-andromeda-effect]

20

TW - abuse mention, violence mention, injury mention, mental trauma, ptsd

Caliban had taken many women to his bed the first night he’d met them, and that was the only night they’d spent together.  Some he’d dated for a while before becoming sexual.  None of those had ever brought about the conflict that he currently felt with Adira as she returned to the bathroom to finish changing.  It was not that there was not the physical desire for her, or that he knew that it would be far more than one night with her, but rather that the physical was so far less important at the moment than making sure that she felt safe and secure mentally and emotionally.  The other could wait, and he would wait, because he knew how wounded she was in all ways. He did not want to add to that in any way; certainly not if there was a chance of losing the way she looked at him by rushing or pushing for anything.  Whenever her eyes and his met, there was something that he could not describe within them, something that awoke a part of him that hadn’t been touched before, and he was finding he liked it.  

When Adira was once more behind a closed door, she leaned against it, holding the PJ pants to her as her heart thudded within her chest.  She had no idea what had made her so bold as to walk over to Caliban like that and just assume he would welcome her touch upon his bare skin and her help in disrobing.  It hadn’t been until she had actually been in the act of doing it that her brain had kicked in.  By then it had been too late and the only thing she felt she could do was continue, and now she was thankful that she had.  Just his initial response of covering her forearms and hands with his own had almost made her knees give way in relief and also a warm and safe sensation that had flooded her whole body.  She craved him in a way that she had never craved Mircea, in a way that she couldn’t even put into words. It wasn't blind lust, it was something deeper. 

From the day that she had met Mircea, she had known that they would be married.  It was why her father had introduced them.  Also from that day, she had alway tried to garner his approval, to please him, to make him proud, to elicit praise.  He had at least pretended in the beginning to be somewhat fond of her and that her efforts were more than enough.  The lack of overt affection understandable due to theirs being an arranged marriage, but it was one he seemed to desire, something that still confused her with how things eventually went.  However, the longer their relationship went, the more it was obvious that she was not who he wanted and that her efforts would never achieve the results that she hoped for.  She had still tried, no matter how many times she failed to live up to standards he seemed to change on a whim.  Up until the day she had been kidnapped, she had relentlessly tried.

Caliban was completely different from Mircea in every conceivable way.  One could say that their marriage was no less arranged than hers with Mircea had been.  It was not built on love, but an agreement to provide for her and keep her safe.  The difference was that even in the beginning of her relationship with Mircea she had not felt as safe and secure with him, nor had she felt as accepted.  Then there was something about the way that she felt when she was held in Caliban’s arms, the way just his voice calmed any fear or anxiety in her, the look in his eyes when he looked at her, his gentle and soothing touch when she was upset or hurting - it was all so new to her;  at the same time, it was like what she had always been looking for in the past, but never found.  

It was in wondering how he had not found a wife previously, with everything he had already shown her of who he was, that Adira came upon the thought that made her stomach turn: what if there were other women he was in a relationship with when he had saved her?  Could she do that again?  Could her heart take other women also being in a relationship from someone other than Mircea?  If there were, could she even do a fake marriage?  Her breath caught and her heart burned at the thought.

By the time that Adira finally opened the door again, Caliban had started to worry if things were okay with her.  The room had been too quiet, and she had seemed to be in there too long.  He had to keep reminding himself not to rush her.  Patience was never one of his virtues, but he knew that if he wanted to unwrap the delicate gift that was the true nature of the woman he now called his wife, he was going to have to learn some.  There was something about her that made him confident that whatever new skills he might have to learn or test he might feel like he was enduring, in the end, it would be worth it.

“Is everything alright?” He finally asked as she silently crossed over to the bed and began to place her jeans in the bag that he had brought up for her.  She hadn’t looked at him when she came out of the bathroom, nor even when he spoke to her, and this concerned him.  Before she’d gone back in, they’d once again been affectionate with one another and she’d seemed to be relaxing.  Had she had another panic attack of sorts?  

Still not looking at him, Adira’s voice came out soft and stuttered, “I hadn’t thought to ask before if…” She paused, gathering the courage to say what had come to her mind as she realized how much she was attracted to Caliban. It was as if the question was stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.  There was a fear of hearing the answer once it did.

“If what, sweetheart?” Calban asked cautiously, as head cantered.  He had heard the hesitation and nerves in her voice.   He pushed off of the dresser he’d been leaning against to walk over to her.  There was definitely something wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what could have changed in just a few minutes.  

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her head still bowed as if looking down into her bag.  “If you had…someone you were with..you know, when you..we...”  As she let her breath out, she steeled herself for the answer.  Her hands had balled to fists around the clothing she was holding, as if that would somehow protect her from the answer hurting her.  She had known many men who would be with multiple women simultaneously.  It wasn’t like she was naive to the way the world of rich and powerful men who looked like him operated.  Even those who were married often had more than one girlfriend on the side besides their wife. This was often the life wives of family heads led.

So that was the issue that had suddenly come to bother her.  The tension Caliban had been feeling waiting to hear what had upset her faded instantly.   He was glad her back was to him because he could not keep the devilish smirk off of his face.  Not that he was laughing at her, far from it; no, he was delighted that the beauty was concerned that she might have competition for his affection.  To him that meant that she too was starting to feel something for him in the same way he was for her.  Otherwise she wouldn’t care if he was in a relationship with someone else while being fake married to her.  Being fake married to Adira seemed to get better every time he turned around, and now he was going to have at least two weeks secluded with her in a mountain cabin.  Who knew what could happen then?

“And it would bother you if I did?”  The shaky inhale of breath after his question gave him his answer, just before his arms wrapped around her from behind.  She couldn't hide the slight tremble in her body from him, a tremble that he hoped his next words would quell.   Placing his chin on her shoulder, he let his warm breath fan across her neck with his next words, “my darling wife, if there had been, the moment I slipped that ring on your finger they no longer existed.”  He gently kissed the crook of her neck and continued, “there is now, and from now on always will be, only you, unless it is you who wants things otherwise between us.”  Caliban was never one to share a woman, nor did he expect a woman to share him.

As much as his words comforted her, she also felt like they were too good to be real. “Are you sure that you can be happy that way?” Adira was afraid to even hope, even if she prayed, to a god she had long since stopped believing in, that it was true.  She was under no illusion that Mircea had ever been faithful in their marriage, even from the beginning.  He’d always blamed her; of course it was her failure as a wife that led him to have to find others.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”  He kept his chin on her shoulder and laced his fingers with hers now that she’d covered his hands with her own.  Every time he thought he’d figured out how much damage that Mircea had done, something more was revealed.  There was no doubt the coming days and weeks would reveal more, and he would try his best never to repeat those wounds.  If he could, he would instead heal them.  

“Well,I…I don’t know.  I just know that no matter what I tried, I was never enough for Mi-” Suddenly Caliban’s hand was over her mouth, cutting her off as she felt herself fully pulled back against him.  Her eyes closed, her breathing stilled, and she waited for the pain.  Pain always came after the wrong things were said.  Hopefully Caliban would not be as brutal as Mircea had been.  She still ached from being dragged by Kondrat and the abuse in that basement.

banners by: @cafekitsune

[mikkomacko]

Him and I - Boss

Mob!Nico Hischier x Reader

Previous

Warnings: blood, violence, murder, Nico and reader fight a lot

A/n: Ok this one has a lot going on but I couldn't just skip over reader and Nico recovering from her being taken. The next chapter will be much sweeter, I swear!

Enjoy!

_____________________________________________________________

For the whole trip, every time Nico closed his eyes he could see it perfectly. The mountains in the back, snow capped and beautiful. You love the mountains in the winter, love the snow.

He’d make sure you’re wearing that cute red and white snowsuit you love, the one he’d gotten you for snowmobiling last year. He was gonna take you to get your nails done, help you pick out a cute pearly white color and then sit with you and let them paint a clear coat on his own finger nails and do the whole hand massage and oil thing. And he was gonna act like he hated it, like he was doing you a favor when I reality he loved it. All because it made you smile.

Then he was gonna take up the gondola, let you take selfies with him kissing your cheeks or squishing your cheeks together. Dinner at the resort, fancy and expensive and beautiful, all things you deserve.

When the sun started to set, alpenglow hitting the peaks of the mountain you’d have the perfect view from the private table. And he get down on his knee, just like you asked, and pull out the ring he’d had made specifically for you by the watchmaker he loves, and tell you everything. Tell you how much he loves you, how you steady him and make everything seem so easy, how you quiet his mind and make his heart race, how you took a stupid, rich teenage boy and turned him into a man he is proud to be.

And he’d ask you to marry him. And you’d say yes, obviously. He’d slide the ring on and kiss you, hold your pretty face between his palms until the sun set and he could take you home, kiss you even more. Spread you out on the bed and fuck you until the sun rose again in the morning.

It was going to be perfect.

He thinks of that as he stares at your left hand, ring finger bare and cold in his palm. This time tomorrow and you would’ve had your ring, the third item to solidify not only your place in his life, but in the Devs.

That’s the order him and the others agreed on for partners year ago. The pendant of the Devil, to show that you’re protected by them. The ring engraved with your name and little flames, always worn on the right pinky by members but anywhere on the body for partners. Yours sits around the chain on your neck, clinks against the pendant. It shows that you’re one of them, a member of the family.

And finally the wedding ring, the thing that gives you his last name and his power. It shows his love for you. The most important one of all.

The sudden blimp of the heart monitor scares him, has him jolting to his feet and squeezing your hand as he looks to the screen. Your heart rates keeps spiking, beeping loudly in the room and he manages to catch your right hand as you reach up for your neck.

“You’re ok, you’re ok,” he quickly soothes, preventing you from touching the brace the doctors strapped around your neck.

Your eyes are wide and terrified when they meet his, gaze darting between his eyes in confusion and panic. Your lips part to speak but he shushes you before you do.

“No baby don’t talk, it’s ok.” He squeezes your hands, brings them back down to the hospital bed. “You’re just a little swollen, ok? The brace is to help bring it down.”

He waits for you to calm down, the monitor slowing back to normal before letting go. You inhale shakily through your nose, breath quivering when you exhale.

Smoothing your hair down, he rests his free hand against the side of your head and looks you over. Despite the bandage on your forehead and the puffiness of your eyes, you look so beautiful. If he ignores the brace and the cotton, you don’t even look hurt.

His heart squeezes.

“I’m so sorry y/n,” he whispers, feeling physically itchy with guilt. “I shouldn’t have left you alone, I should’ve listened to you and taken you right home.”

Tears build up in your waterline, taunting him and he starts shaking his head. He really does not want to see you cry.

“Sorry,” you whisper instead, voice raw and hoarse. He’s not sure if you’re even supposed to be talking, the doctors didn’t tell him. “I know better, should’ve stayed with you.”

Chest aching, he leans down and presses a kiss to your forehead, being mindful of any injuries he may bump. “We’ll talk about it when you’re better, yeah? You can tell me what happened.”

He pulls back to see you stiffly nod, as best you can around the brace. Wiping away the stray tear on your cheek, he huffs out a breath and tries to relax.

It’s impossible.

“I’m gonna get a nurse,” he steps back, turning to find the call button. Your hand latches around his like a vice, body jolting up in the bed and he freezes, finger hovering over the phone symbol.

You look a little confused by your own actions, lips parted and eyebrows furrowed, but your eyes tell him everything. They always have.

You’re scared.

A part of him melts knowing that in moments of fear you want him, that you see him as safety and protection. It’s not anything new, but Nico likes the reminder. It means he’s doing something right.

The rest of him just feels angry. He’s so fucking angry that he let this happen, that he let his stubbornness and rejection get you hurt.

“M’right here,” he swears, “was just gonna use the call button.”

Sheepishly, you nod and lay back against the pillows, watchful gaze following him as he presses on the button.

The nurse enters your private room, smiling when she sees that you’re up and coherent. Nico has to let go of your hand so she can check your vitals again but he stays planted right next to your head, watching over you.

She takes your blood pressure, asking you about how you’re feeling and letting you know that you can try to speak normally. There’s no drastic damage to your vocal cords, and use will help make sure you get your voice back.

Nico listens in but takes a second to text Timo and his family that you’re awake and talking. He’s not sure where Luca has taken Marcelo and Lena, but he assumes his brother will find time to stop by and let him know.

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

He puts his phone away, immediately tuning back into the conversation. The nurse is shining a light in your eyes, your dark pupil following it but he sees the confusion that clouds them all the same.

“I was at a party,” you reply, clearing your throat and wincing. You take a second to think, blinking when the nurse turns the light off. “I was at a party and-and I was mad at Nico and I didn’t know what anyone was saying…”

Nico thinks of Anna and her friends, confused because he knows she would translate for you and make sure to speak you to in English. Part of the reason he was ok with separating from you was because he trusts her to be watchful.

“I just needed a second of quiet so I went outside…” you continue “and then I remember a lot of blood and feeling really sick. And Nico was there.”

It’s terrible but he relaxes a bit after hearing that. Obviously it’s not great that you don’t remember; that means your head injury was pretty bad, but on the other hand he doesn’t want you remembering that.

It’s bad enough you remember him shooting Lena.

“Ok, good.” The nurse compliments. “That’s a great start. It’s typical that as you recover more memories will come back to you. There’s not really a time table for when but just keep that in mind.”

She goes over a few more things with you, making sure Nico is listening since you might have trouble remembering. He waits for her to leave before pulling out his phone, writing down the reminders in his notes apps even though he knows he won't forget.

He tucks it back in his pocket, looks up to see you watching him with sad eyes. "You look miserable," you say, reaching out towards him. Stepping closer, he lets you take a hold of his arm and pull him into sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Didn't think you'd remember me shooting Lena," he explains "I don't like when you see those things."

Your hand runs up his bicep and around his shoulder, finding the ends of his hair on the nape of his neck. "I'm glad," you say, a tiny smile on your lips. "I hate her."

"Yeah," he agrees, smiling a bit too.

"Did you kill her?"

He shakes his head. "Marcello?"

"No, not sure what Luca did with them yet."

You go quiet, fingers playing with his hair but your eyes get that far away look in them. "I get to do it," you finally murmur, eyes flickering up to his face. He can't stop the look of surprise on his face, eyebrows shooting up.

"If you decide to do something, I get to do it. At least to Marcello."

"No," Nico immediately declines, impressed by your request but not even considering it. "I'm not putting your prints on anything around that."

"You don't get to decide." you argue, eyes narrowing into a threatening look. "I'm the one laying in the hospital bed, I get to decide."

He scoffs back a laugh, feels the scold on the tip of his tongue because he's in charge, not you. Yeah he lets you pull him around a lot, but when it comes to people from his past, in his home country, hurting you? That's his to deal with.

"M'not budging on this y/n," he says instead "and I'm not fighting with you about it. I don't want you near them."

Your mad, he knows that. Can tell by the bratty way you roll your eyes, your hand falling from his hair as you cross your arms over your chest and turn your glare to the window. Even the tick of your jaw, knows your biting at the inside of your cheek.

Luckily the tension between you two is cut after a moment because Timo comes barreling into the room with a bag of goodies and Nico's siblings following behind him.

"Bestie boo," he cheers, and Nico rises from the bed to get out of the way. He doesn't miss the way you light up, all the fight in you dissipating as you too grin at Timo.

He begins to dump out the contents of the bag, a few drinks and snacks that you like, a fuzzy blanket from Nico's room back at the house and some clothes for you. Nico shakes his head, moving over to hug Nina and Luca.

"How's she doing?" Nina asks him quietly, glancing over at you and Timo. Luca leans in, wanting to listen in without letting you overhear.

"She's ok," Nico sighs, "been through worse but she's scared and a little confused still. Doesn't really remember what happened before we got there."

Nina frowns sympathetically. "Did she ask-"

"Yeah, she asked about them." He grumbles, rolling his eyes. "She wants to take care of Marcello but I don't want her near them so we gotta do it before she's released tomorrow."

Luca's eyes widen, an amused smile splitting his face. "Really? I underestimated her little bro. Maybe we should let her-"

"No."

"Come on Nico, its her right-"

"I said no." Both Luca and Nina step back at his tone, not used to hearing him like that. In all fairness, they haven't seen him this protective over something since he was 8 and found a stray cat on his walk home from school.

He clears his throat, rolls out the tension in his shoulders. "We're gonna do it tonight. Nina will stay here with her, make sure she's ok until I get back."

Zeroing in on his sister, he points back towards you. "Under no circumstance do you let her know what we're doing. And no matter how bratty and whiny she gets about it- because she will- do you sign her out early. I mean it Nina, no sisterhood here or whatever, she stays in that bed."

It's obvious she doesn't agree with him, the way she guiltily looks over his shoulder at you but either way she nods. "Understood, Nico."

"I'll tell Maja to come back her up," Luca says, "She won't crack like this one will."

Nico nods, thanking them before motioning over to you. The three siblings move closer, stand around the bed as Timo offers you his list of favorite movies to watch while your stuck in bed. You've laid the blanket out on your lap, the teddy bear from Nico's childhood bedroom squished under your elbow, and an open pint of Gelato in hand. Timo blabbers away, you lick at the spoon in hand, and just nod along.

You look happy. Eyes shining and cheeks smiling, and it's such a relief to Nico. Maybe he should leave Timo here with you, at least then you'll have a distraction you actually like. Unfortunately he needs his second hand man for this one, so you'll just have to deal.

Nina climbs up onto the bottom of the bed, adding her one thoughts on the movie Timo is gushing about and Luca takes over the chair at your bedside.

He smiles, reaches up to push back your hair and press the lightest kiss possible to your hairline. You ignore him, taking another bite of your dessert and laughing at something his sister says. Luca has dug out a spoon from somewhere, and he's reaching around Timo to steal from your pint.

You tilt it towards him, eyes widening when he takes a huge glob out and shoves it in his cheeks, smiling innocently. Nico can tell it'd coffee flavored now, your favorite, and he reaches for the spoon in your hand only for you to snatch it away.

Then your shooting him a cold look over your shoulder, simply tilting your head when he raises an unimpressed eyebrow at you. You turn back towards Timo, ignoring how both Luca and Nina are looking between you two with concern.

He huffs, clicks his jaw and looks at his sister.

Brat, he mouths, shaking his head when you share a bite with Timo this time. What is he going to do with you?

~~~~

The nurse comes back a few hours later. Your squished on the bed with Nina, laptop hooked up to the TV and watching a movie about rowing that Timo really liked. Him and Nico have folded the couch down into a bed, and they're sprawled out on it eating chips watching as well. Luca fell asleep about ten minutes in, sock clad feet propped up on your bed and head rolled back on the chair.

You're all so engrossed in the movie you don't notice her at first. At least until the lights are flickering back on and everyone is temporarily blinded.

Shooting up like their asses are on fire, Timo clambers to his feet and pauses the movie. Nico rises, shoving his feet back in his shoes and walking over to you bedside.

"Sorry to interrupt, I just came to see how you're feeling and offer to take that brace for you."

Sighing out in relief. "Oh god yes please," you practically beg, sitting up. Nina slips off the bed and over by Timo, motioning for a bleary eyed Luca to follow. He yawns, smacks his lips before getting up and dragging his feet over.

"We're uh gonna step out." Timo offers, turning towards the door and pushing Nico's siblings out with him. He shakes his head, watches them all leave the room without their shoes.

"It must be nice, having so many friends around." The nurse comments, pulling on latex gloves.

"Yeah," you agree, "I'd be miserable laying here all day without them."

Nico stands over you again, protective and watchful as the nurse steps up to your side and reached towards the brace.

"It's gonna be sore and uncomfortable, but the swelling should be gone for the most part," she informs and you nod. "I am going to bring you an ice pack to keep on it just for comfort and it'll help with bruising."

You take a deep breath, nod again and her fingers latch on the velcro in the back. Squeezing your eyes shut, the sound of the velcro unsticking cuts through the room and you jump just the slightest bit.

His hand finds yours, fingers intertwining and you squeeze hard enough that your nails pinch at his skin. Not that he cares, not when the brace falls loose and away from your neck, and he's coming face to face with the lines of bruising.

It looks awful, all dark blue and purple. You wince, the column of your throat flinching and Nico thinks he might throw up. Fuck, he doesn't even know how you've been talking and laughing so much with that kind of injury.

Finally, you open your eyes and let out a shaky breath. Titling your head up, you let the nurse gently feel over the tender flesh. You squeeze his hand tighter, looking up at the ceiling and blinking back tears.

"You're hurting her," Nico grumbles, and the nurse removes her hands.

"I'm ok," you swear, "really you didn't have to-"

"Yeah you did," Nico cuts in, shooting you a warning look. "Let her at least ice it before you go poking around."

Pursing her lips, the nurse inhales and nods. "I'll be back with ice," she tells you, taking the brace with her. "but you're looking really good so far. It could've been a lot worse."

Neither you nor Nico speak until she's left the room. The door clicks shut and you're taking your hand out of his, instead tucking them under your arms.

"She's just doing her job," you mumble, staring ahead rather than at him. He huffs, annoyance bubbling under his skin and he rakes his hands through his hair.

"Ok you can be mad at me," he grits, "but you don't get to act like this. If you're gonna be a brat go ahead, but not in front of everyone like that. I'm trying to look out for you-"

"I can take care of myself!"

"You obviously can't!" He exclaims, a little harsher than he meant to but it gets the point across because you're actually looking at him right now. "Look at where we are, y/n. You couldn't take care of yourself, fuck even I couldn't take care of you."

Your eyes shift, realization setting in. "Nico..."

"Be mad at me, baby, please do but until we're back home I'm in charge. And I'm not taking any fucking chances."

His chest is heaving when he's done, guilt settling into the place of the anger when he looks at your stupidly soft eyes and the bruises that marr your skin.

You don't say anything for a moment, and he rubs at his forehead where he's got a headache building. "I want to take a shower," you finally say. "Will you sit in there with me?"

He nods. "Yeah of course."

~~~~

Timo, Luca, and Nina have returned to the room when Nico follows you out of the bathroom. Someone has made your bed for you, the fuzzy blanket you love laid out nicely with the teddy bear tucked against the pillows. You've changed into sweats and one of Nico's shirts, already feeling better now that you're clean and back in your own clothes.

You can tell the moment they register the bruises on your neck and the stitches on your forehead. It's like all the air is sucked out of the room, the sharp inhale of Nina rattling you.

Shrinking into yourself, you force a small smile as you climb back onto the bed. You can feel Nico glaring at them over your head, biting back a laugh when it has the same effect on his older siblings as it does his men. He's so good at bossing people around.

"It'll look better when I ice it," you say, combing through your damp hair. Nico runs a hand up your spine, gingerly holds the back of your neck.

"It looks fine now," he responds, "trust me, nothing could ever make you look not beautiful."

You tilt your head back, meeting his gaze and smiling gratefully. He ducks down, kisses between your eyes before taking the brush for you and finishing untangling you hair.

"The only one of us that looks pathetic with bruises is Nico," Timo jokes, sending you a wink. "That's why they take months to go away on him."

"That and he's always pressing on them." You respond, giggling when Nico scoffs behind you.

"I forgot to tell him to grab your bathroom stuff," Nico changes the subject "so I don't have any of your hair products."

"That's ok-"

"I can braid your hair for you!" Nina offers, smiling widely. "I love to braid other people's hair and I never get to. "

You laugh. "Yeah okay!"

Nico moves out the way, handing the hair brush and a tie to his sister. She stands behind you, carefully dragging the brush through your hair again. Nico sits at the foot of the bed, watching his sister with apprehensive eyes.

"Watch out for her stitches Nina."

You roll your eyes. "I know Nico," she scoffs, "I am older than you, ya know?"

He holds his hands up in defense but stays exactly where he is. Thankfully Nina is really careful when she parts and braids your hair, leaving it loose so it'll still dry but also not pull at your stitches. The soothing motion of her fingers and Nico's protective gaze lull you, and by the time she's done your blinking sluggishly at your boyfriend.

"Alright," he grunts, rising from the bed. "I think it's nap time for you baby."

There's something off about him when he helps you slip under the blankets, tucking his teddy bear into your chest and pressing a sweet kiss to your forehead. He exchanges an odd look with his brother before perching on the edge of the bed, cupping the side of your face in his warm palm.

You yawn, snuggle into his hold. "M'gonna put the TV back on for you, ok?"

Eyes fluttering, you nod.

"I gotta run for a bit but I'll be back before you know it. And you can call me if you need absolutely anything."

The thing about Nico is that he never likes to tell the full story. He's not usually like that with you but with the younger boys, yeah. And you can always tell when he does it because he gets all calm and sweet about it, more than he usually is. He also gets vague.

Which is how you know this run he is taking, obviously with his brother, is to take care of Lena and Marcello. Hurt, you sit up and look at him with knowing eyes, hoping he'll cave and tell you the truth.

Instead he clears his throat, looks down at his feet and then runs his hands over his thighs. "I uh, I put Luca's number in your phone too, just in case." He says, getting up and moving around the room to collect his things.

Crouching down, he hits play on the laptop for you. You look over at Timo, see the guilty pull on his face. Luca looks guilty too but when he meets your gaze, he winks and then sticks his tongue out at his brother.

"Good, get outta here." Nina cuts in, voice far too cheery to be believable. "We need girl time, I'm inviting Maja."

Nico's tucking his wallet back into his jeans pocket when he finally looks at you again, jaw ticking when you simply stare back at him with begging eyes. You want to yell at him, to cry, to tell him that you deserve to have a place in this. That you need this.

Instead you bite your tongue, turn your gaze to the window outside when your eyes sting, and silently wait for them to leave. You hear him sigh, then his footsteps as he heads towards the door. Timo is the only one to call out goodbye.

Feeling betrayed, you ignore them all, even Nina, and close your eyes. You have a headache again.

~~~~

You wake up from the insistent buzzing of your phone, sleep riddled brain assuming it’s Nico. When you read the screen it’s not in fact your boyfriend, but might as well be.

“Hey Holtzy,” you answer, looking around the hospital room. Nina and Maja are nowhere to be seen, but neither are Nico and Timo. Your stomach twists, anger bubbling in your throat.

“Oh god you sound awful,” he moans woefully. “I told Nico he should’ve let me go too. With three of us there you’d have been fine.”

“I am fine,” you insist, forcing a laugh. “It’s really not that bad, Nico is just dramatic.”

“Well yeah he’d probably die without you.”

Your heart warms. The boys used to always tell you how tough he was, how the only thing that kept them from messing up was that terrifying flare in his eyes when he’s pissed. It’s sweet that they point out how loving he is with you.

“You’d all die without me,” you reply, looking up as Nina and Maja enter the room. They carrying bags of food, Nina waving around the packages in greeting.

Forcing a smile, you gently wave back. If her and Maja are still here that means Nico is still gone. And it’s been hours. There’s only one thing a man that protective and angry can be doing for this long.

Wreaking havoc. Havoc you should be a part of. You bite your cheek.

“Oh yeah,” Alex agrees easily. He gets quiet for a moment. “Can I FaceTime you? Just to see that you’re ok?”

You melt. “Yeah of course.”

Pulling the phone back from your ear, you hit the FaceTime button. It rings for a half second and then a grainy picture of Alex pops up.

“Hi mom,” he greets, the picture coming into focus. He’s got that big, cheesy Alex smile on his face and it’s makes you laugh.

“Shut up,” you giggle, then realize the background behind him. “Are you in my room?”

Alex pulls the phone back, holding it up so you can see that he’s actually tucked under the blankets like he’s sleeping there. You catch a flash of the paws of the dog at his feet. At least you know he’s actually taking care of your baby.

“You asked me to house sit.”

“I thought you might sleep in the room I decorated and made for you.”

“I like your bed,” he shrugs, putting the phone back down. “And I miss you. And Nico too I guess but don’t tell him in your bed. Wait- he’s not listening right?”

You laugh again. “No he’s not here right now. I’m with his sisters.”

"He's not with you? That's fucked. I'll go out right now and sit there with you. So will Merc and Luke, they told me."

A part of you wants to say yes. "I'll be ok. You know how Nico is, I probably won't see him again until it's time to go home."

Alex makes a noise of disagreement. “Timo made it seem like you were dying, ya know? Like I thought we were about to be taken out to Switzerland to wage war, he was so angry.”

You shrug, flattered but mostly annoyed. “Yeah, I like that idea."

Alex hums, the line going quiet for a moment. “Well I’m really glad you’re ok,” he murmurs “and I’m sorry it happened to you. I can’t imagine how scary that would be.”

You shrug again. “I mean, worse has happened. Besides, I knew what I was getting into when I got with Nico. It’s just a part of the life.”

“Crappy though, that it always happens to you.” He comments.

“Only twice,” you awkwardly laugh. “Besides, I got Johnny out of it the last time so.”

“So even though it was worse at least you got your Italian buddy.”

You nod, trying not to think about the run in with the Flyers all that time ago. Honestly, you’re lucky that as the girlfriend of a very powerful mob boss, you haven’t been taken and threaten more. You suppose that’s a testament to Nico and how he trains his men.

“Ok I know it’s late there so go to bed, yeah? I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

Alex sighs but nods. “Ok, call me if you get sad or lonely.”

You bite back a laugh, knowing he’s the one that’s lonely and wants to talk but won’t admit it. “Of course,” you agree. “Night Holtzy.”

“Night y/n. Feel better.”

You wave, waiting for him to hang up first. When he does you drop your phone to the bed, expectantly looking over at the girls.

If they can read your gaze, they don’t say anything about it. Instead Maja tilts her head sympathetically. “How are you doing sweets?”

“Fine,” you respond, raising an eyebrow at Nina who is pointedly avoiding your eyes. “Nico still gone?”

Frowning, she looks at you guiltily. Her eyes look so much like Nico’s. “Yeah he’s still out.”

You nod, checking the time, wishing you were home. You already miss Alex. It's torture, sitting and stewing in this bed as you go over and over the words you should've told Nico. You feel helpless, almost as helpless as being tied to a fucking chair. Especially when you go to get up from bed and both Nina and Maja rise too.

They're under orders from Nico. They're your security guards. You almost roll your eyes, veins hot with rage and disbelief.

"I was just gonna go for a walk." You say.

"We'll come with!"

"No, that's ok," you decline, tilting your head, daring Nina to argue. "I have a headache and just need quiet. Besides your eating, I'll only be ten minutes."

She hesitates, shares a look with Maja but eventually they both settle back onto the couch. You think Nico and her might have underestimated how scary you can be when you're enraged.

Without another word, you grab and phone and make your way out of the room. You go slow, not wanting to worry them but truth is you feel fine aside from the head and neck pain.

Waiting until your a few corridors away from your room, you pull out your phone and pull up Luca's contact. You hit call, holding it up to your ear. It rings for awhile but he does pick up.

"Well hello there," he greets smugly. "I had a feeling this was coming."

You smirk, pleased to know you gauged him correctly. "Don't act too chummy, Nico will know it's me." You warn, looking around for Nina or Maja. No one has followed you.

"I need a favor."

You can hear his delighted smile even if you can't see it.

"Hit me with the plan, then."

~~~~

The plan comes through the next morning. Nico has yet to return from his "business" and you know he must be taking it seriously because he's yet to notice that late last night you had his jet fly to Newark and back, this time with your men onboard.

Luca, as the king of Switzerland, used his pull to get you discharged early, hours earlier than Nico had originally planned. You're already up and silently packing your things when the doctor comes in with the discharge forms. The click of the door wakes Nina from her slumber on the couch bed, and she sits up all bleary eyed and confused, looking around the room with confusion.

You don't even bother greeting the doctor, just take the form and sign it, stuffing the recovery papers in your bag.

"What's going on?"

You look over your shoulder at her. "I'm going home early," you say, tucking your phone into your pocket. Nina quickly gets up, stumbling to find her shoes.

"You can't-"

"If you and Nico want to play games with me, that's fine." You cut off harshly, "but I can play them back. Rat me out, call Nico, I don't care, you're not stopping me."

"Y/n..." she sighs sadly, and you're a little disappointed in her lack of fight. Turning around, you cross your arms and glare at her.

"You of all people should get it Nina," you scold "I deserve to fight this fight for myself. I was the one hurt, not Nico or you or Timo. I gave up my whole fucking life, my family for this and no matter how much I train or help out you still think it's ok for Nico to stick me with a babysitter and lie to me?

"I'm just as capable as the rest of you."

Nina looks guilty, her features melting down into one of shame and you'd maybe feel bad if you weren't so upset.

"I- I'm not gonna call Nico," Nina murmurs, "you're right, you deserve to see them at the least so go ahead. Just let me know if you need anything ok?"

"Thank you," you say earnestly. "I'll keep you updated."

She quickly walks over, gently hugs you and strokes through your hair. "Be safe, be smart."

You grin, nodding in agreement before stalking out the room. Luca has arranged for a car to pick up Mercer, Luke, Jack, and Alex from the airport, and that car sits outside the hospital doors when you step out.

The windows are tinted so dark you can't see through them, but Mercer rolls down the passenger seat window to grin at you. You light up at the sight of his gapped smile, laughing as you yank open the doors and climb in.

"Why hello boys," you greet, turning around to smile at the triplets in the back. Alex reaches forward, ruffles your hair.

"Good to see ya boss." Jack greets, kneeing the back of your seat.

"Where are we heading?"

You roll up the window, punch in the address to the house you've been staying at. "Need a quick stop to change and get my things, then we've got ourselves a hot date."

Mercer pulls out onto the road, smirking devilishly as he does so.

~~~~

Luca's funny, you'll give him that. He's left Lena and Marcello and whatever other aiders and abetters locked up in the same house they'd taken you too. The car Nico and Timo have been driving around is parked in the drive, and you and the boys pull up next to it and hop out.

"Everything should be in the trunk," you instruct, knowing Luca left it unlocked. Sure enough when Jack pulls the hatch open, an array of guns, ropes, knives, and weapons are splayed out.

The boys are all eager as they choose their guns, Luke giggling goofily as he stocks up on ammo. You let them all pick first, tying the signature red bandana around the tender skin of your throat. They've all knotted theirs around the meat of their thigh, bright against their black jeans.

You take a pistol and three rounds of ammo, stuffing them into the black cargos you put on earlier. Just in case, you hook a medium sized knife on the waistband too. The sleek and thin tranquilizing gun they never use slips easily into your waistband too.

"Alright, we're going around back. Luca's left a window open that Jack can slip through to let us in the door. I'll lead us down to the basement and you'll follow my lead."

Lined up like soldiers, they all nod in agreement.

"Any instructions from Nico go unheard, you're with me and will follow my orders. If he tries to fight us, I will take care of it."

"Yes boss," they chirp in unison and you can't help but smirk. Nico has trained them well, you'll give him that. Too bad he also trained them to be loyal to you too.

You don't remember much about the house, just that the floors were white when you got there, and red when you left. In a way it's nice that you don't remember, it makes it easier to step inside and silently cross the large room. The chair you'd been tied to is nowhere to be seen, but the large pool of dried, flaking blood still is. You're unsure of how much of it is yours and how much of it is Lena's.

The boys are bit too heavy footed on the staircase down to the basement, so by the time you're stepping through the threshold all eyes are already watching. Both Nico and Timo are armed, the barrel of their guns trained on you. Luca is holding his lazily, looking proud when you meet his gaze, your own pistol in hand.

Nico's eyes are furious. You've never seen them so black, so enraged before and it makes you're blood boil. You're very confident you can out-anger him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He demands, but you ignore him, instead looking around the room. The floor is a dull, cement grey color with drains. There's doors to other hallways or rooms, you assume, most likely holding places for hostages. You don't need to explore them luckily, because the two people of concern are chained on their knees at your boyfriend's feet anyway.

"Let me in or I'm jumping down the stairs," Jack comments behind you, and you catch the way Nico bawks, obviously recognizing the voice. Motioning behind you for them to follow, you take a few steps further in. One-by-one they file in, lining up next to you with their guns in hand.

"Are you-fuck y/n..." Nico's staggering for words, clicking the safety back on his gun and shoving it his waistband behind his back Timo does the same, but Luca just casually waves his at you.

You meet the burning gaze of Nico, take in how splotchy his cheeks have gotten, how his eyebrows scrunch and teeth clench. He's got that mean flare of his nose and curl of his lips, but you don't care.

He angers even more at your lack of response, snarling as he steps forward and you can already sense him reaching out to take ahold of your wrist. You flinch, step back and lifting your pistol towards him. It's on safety, he knows that, you know that. But the motion stops him all the same.

Freezing, he narrows his eyes at you. It's a cruel look, mocking and cold. "You're not gonna shoot me, sweetheart."

You shrug, tucking the gun away on the holster o your thigh. Nico smirks, amused and condescending. The look doesn't last long, not after you draw out the tranquilizing and aim at the thick part of his thigh.

"You must think I'm really fucking stupid, huh?" you spit, so angry you feel like you're vibrating. You don't give him the chance to respond. "A fragile little lapdog of a mob wife, stuck in a locked room with a fucking babysitter. Laying around and waiting for you to fix everything."

The pause in your words gives him a chance to speak. "I left you somewhere safe," he hisses "I left you in the best place to be dotted on and cared for while you get better! I-"

"You lied to me!" You yell, "you looked me in the eye and said you had errands to run, that you'd be back soon. And you knew I didn't believe it, you knew how much it fucking hurt and you still did it!"

He scoffs, shaking his head and you know he's trying to blow you off, trying to take control of everything like he always does. Clicking his tongue he looks behind you at the boys.

"Take her and get out," he barks, letting his gaze linger on all of them. When they don't budge, he gets angrier.

"Now, you little shits! You shouldn't even be here!"

Loyal, none of them move. You tilt your head, smug when he looks at you.

"Aim," you instruct, and as if they were being controlled by puppet strings, all four boys lift their weapons and aim at Nico's feet. Shocked, he looks around bewildered.

"You see, when I told them that their boss had left abandoned me at the hospital for hours to keep me from fighting my own battles, they were pissed. I mean everyone knows how you've been training me, how hard you and Timo have been pushing me so that Philly never happens again, and then you take away something I've earned, well they were upset.

"Rightfully so since they're my men as well."

Nico looks around for help, shooting Timo and Luca a look as if to say "what the fuck is happening?". He must read his brother really well though, because his shoulders tense when he sees Luca's sparkling eyes.

"Luca, you didn't," he sighs, "tell me you're not in on this."

The older Hischier purses his lips, waits a moment before taking a step over to join you. "She had a good plan," he defends "and good reasoning for being here."

Lining up next to the boys, Luca joins them in aiming at Timo's feet.

"I know you don't get it Nico," you comment "I know you think that you were doing the right thing, that you were protecting me. But you never even stopped to consider what this means for me.

"I've spent so many nights dreaming about Philly, I wake up with my hands numb from all the times I've imagined fighting back, proving myself. Because it was humiliating and dehumanizing, and I'll never get the revenge I deserve for what happened."

Your words have stalled him, shaken him if the softening brown of his eyes is anything to go by. If there's anyone that loathes Philly as much as you do, it's Nico.

"Almost as humiliating as having my supposed fiance lie to my face in front of his whole family, force my best friend to turn his back on me, treat me like some broken little girl.

"I'm not broken, I can handle this life, I chose this life. And you don't get to decide when and where I can actually be a part of it."

Knowing you've got him, you tuck away the tranquilizing gun in exchange for your pistol. Clicking the safety off, you step towards Nico. He looks almost ashamed now, like a puppy that's been kicked and scolded too many times.

"Did you stop for a moment and think that maybe I'd get my memories back if I got to come here again? If I got to see them? That maybe I can piece together what happened if I looked them in the eye one last time?"

Embarrassed, he shakes his head and reaches out for your hip. "I don't want you to remember, I don't want you knowing how they hurt you."

Stepping away from him, you scoff. "You don't get to choose that Nico! I deserve to know everything."

With a flick of your hand over your shoulder, the boys all follow closer behind you, their weapons pushing Nico off to the side so you can step around him.

"I also deserve to keep my promise." You murmur, finally taking in the two kneeling before you. They look awful. Marcello, bloodied and bruised, shaking on the cement floor. He doesn't even look up at you.

Lena on the other hand does, not as badly beaten as her cohort, but her lip is split open and there's an old ratty bandage around her thigh, blood stained and brown.

She's crying when she meets your gaze, begging and pathetic, and it makes you laugh. You don't break eye contact as you aim the gun at Marcello.

"I did say I'd be the one putting the bullet between his eyes, didn't I?"

You don't wait for her to answer, finger easily finding the trigger and with a ringing bang, Marcello slumps to the floor. Lena screams, wails harder and harder.

"Y/n, please. I'm sorry, I didn't-"

You lock the gun and put it away, cutting her off with a gentle shush. "I'm not gonna kill you," you tell her. "I'm not even gonna touch you. It's beneath me really.

"Making bad people suffer, however isn't. So I have a plan for you, with the help of my brother-in -law back there that controls all of Switzerland."

Lena sniffles, hiccuping and shaking her head.

"As of now you're no longer a Swiss citizen. You and you're family have been exiled, away from Europe and away from North America. And when I unchain you and I fix up that thigh of yours, you gonna be escorted out without a single belonging. In fact, I think your parents have just been deported.

"Anyway, you're going to hobble out of here and be grateful that I'm such a forgiving person. Because I should kill you, for what you did to me, for what you did to Nico, using him like that. Instead you'll spend the rest of your life poor and pathetic, and when you think of me you'll remember that not only am I sleeping with the Jersey king every night, but the Swiss one takes orders from me as well."

Glaring, you turn to Mercer and nod towards Lena. "Unchain her and take her upstairs, I know a real cozy spot she can wait in while I finish up."

~~~~

You've calmed down by the time you finish cleaning and stitching up Lena's bullet wound. So has Nico, who's standing by the open hatch of the car, head hanging low as he changes out of his stained and dirty shirt.

He looks up when he hears your footsteps, everything in his gaze hurt and sad. You imagine you look the exact same.

You pause in front of him, begin unloading the weapons from your pants. "You left me there overnight," you mumble, placing the guns and ammo back where they belong.

"I was trying to hurry, I promise."

"No you weren't" you laugh humorlessly "because you were mad and hurt, and I was hurt, so you wanted them to hurt even more." He doesn't even deny it.

"I had a nightmare," you admit, voice wobbling. "that I was back here and everytime you got close enough to me, I'd blink and it'd be Marcello instead. It really sucked to wake up and not be able to tell if it was a dream, because you still weren't there."

Nico sniffles and you look up to find him standing over you, eyes glossy and red-rimmed. "I had to do something," he explains, voice cracking. "I was so fucking angry and guilty I thought I was gonna explode. And I didn't want you seeing me like that."

You frown. "I'm not scared of you Nico, ever."

"You might have been, if you saw the way I tore through everyone in there."

"When are you going to understand that I'll always pick you, I'll always be on your side? Even when you pull shit like this?"

His hands find your hips, drawing you the slightest bit closer to him. "When are you going to understand that I love you more than anything in the world? That I get mean and tough because I'd literally fucking die without you, and that's scary. And I don't know how to show you that, so I do it by protecting you."

You reach out for his shoulders, let your fingers feel the smooth skin of him, pink and cold in the winter air. "You can protect me and still let me rule by your side," you tell him. "I didn't want to come here and hurt them, interfere with you. But I needed to see it, for myself."

Nico nods, his wet eyes searching your face. "I'm so sorry, baby. I should've let you fight with me, be a brat whatever. Most of the time it's for my own good anyway."

"Yeah it is," you smile. "and I'm still upset."

He sniffles, blinking rapidly as a tear slips down his cheek. "I'll make it up to you, shoot me with the stupid dart or whatever you want. Lesson learned."

You laugh a bit at that, lean in to brush your nose against his. "I make a pretty good prinzessin, huh?"

Biting his lip, he smirks. "A fucking sexy one too. Not used to my pillow prinzessin walking all over me like that, but it looked good on you."

"It was tiring," you mumble, eyelashes fluttering. "I don't think I'd like to do it all the time."

"No?" He hums, "That's ok, you can just fill in for me whenever you feel like it."

"Ok," you agree, and then your pressing your lips to his for what feels like the first time in years. He's soft and warm, licking teasingly at your bottom lip and then dipping his tongue in when you part your mouth for him.

Nico always kisses you like honey, no fight is ever gonna change that.

Next

[sepiia-x]

[platypuslappy]

Inspired by a fanfic! It has me on the edge of my SEAT rn, definitely recommended if you like some angst and thrill ! ….and dad Reigen and Tome ofc

[mariocki]

New Scotland Yard: My Boy Robby? (2.13, LWT, 1973)

"Why?"

"It's the hearing in the magistrates' court tomorrow. They wanted to frighten you. Show you they were serious."

'But they must have known that I'd phone you?"

"People who live in their sort of world often miscalculate the effects of violence and threats on those who live outside it."

[kapp-ppa]

MAFIA MICKEY MOUSE AU

I wrote this only having seen 10 minutes of two Mafia movies, read a Mickey Mouse x Donald x Goofy wattpad smut fic and the will to fight god so set your standards high

Do you like mafia AUs? Have you watched mickey mouse? Idc if you said yes or no, i wrote a Mafia au for the mickey mouse and friends franchise. pls read it in their voices 🙏🥺

Mousterioso - Mafia/Mob AU (5417 words) by Zucki_It Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Mickey Mouse (Cartoon 2013), Mickey Mouse and Friends (Cartoon 1994), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Cartoon 2006), Disney - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Mickey Mouse (Disney), Donald Duck (Disney), Minnie Mouse (Disney), Daisy Duck (Disney), Chip (Disney: Chip 'n Dale), Dale (Disney: Chip 'n Dale), Peg-Leg Pete (Disney), Beagle Boys (Disney), Goofy (Disney) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternate universe - Mafia, Alternate Universe, Crack Fic, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, mafia, No Beta, no beta we die like Disney, Oneshot, …maybe we'll see, bros just being bros, Disney Characters - Freeform, Mafia Boss Mickey Mouse, Bromance, Bromance to Romance?, puns, References to Canon, Everything to expect in a Mafia au, Guns, Gun Wounds, Blood, Descriptions of wounds, the duck as a Glock, Death, Minor Character Death, Implied/Referenced Torture, Angst, ? - Freeform, maybe i'll write more idk, Why Did I Write This?, I put too much effort into this so enjoy my tears internet