Summary: Symbol of true love and respect. Giving these tiny flowers represents a promise that you will always remember them forever, keep them in your thoughts, as well as they are associated with faithfulness. It was exactly what John wanted for Santino. To protect the person he loved so much from all the danger that followed John. It was a curse, destroying everything in anyone's lives, and he didn't wish for that to happen to Santino. A painful decision had to be made that broke a part of Santino, which John never saw before.
Rating: Mature
Relationship: Santino D'Antonio/John Wick
Note: Hello! I present an emotionally heavy fic! This one is special to me in many ways. There's angst, the push and pull that Santino and John have in their own ways, two people who want to protect each other, but both of them have different ways of doing it. Also, one of inspirations was that scene in one of my favorite animes Beastars after Riz ambushed Legoshi and later Jack came to help Legoshi out and they had that emotional talk. This is mostly written from John's POV, how he sees Santino, his inner monolog, the paragraphs for that are written in italics. I like to think that John is an observant person, that he listens carefully and remembers everything, even the small details. He's the quiet listener. That is important to Santino, in my headcanon he wasn't really listened to in his childhood, he was a disappointment in his father's eyes so this detail was very important.
I also look at John as someone who was raised to feel like he destroys everything. Taught to be a weapon, rather than a person. And wherever he goes, death and pain follows. Santino taught him to feel like a human, like a person, they were learning together, and John just wants to protect him. His way of protecting means distancing himself so that Santino would be safe, while Santino wants to find a solution together. And it's heartbreaking for both of them. Santino in my opinion is a person who hides his emotions, who was taught to push it down, keep it all in. Until he just... broke down for the first time in forever. Sooo yeah! This is gonna be very painful for both of them.
Another hc I have for Santino specifically, he likes flowers! He was helping his mother with flowers in their garden when he was younger. He just doesn't want anyone to know about this except John. And I love the forget-me-not flowers ^^. Also, Caravaggio being one of his favorite artists! Yeah, Riccardo Scamarcio played Caravaggio, which was also an inspiration but I also think Santino really likes his art. He is fond of art, just like we saw in the John Wick 2, he said he sees little more than just paint on canvas. So, that goes for his love for Caravaggio's artwork, too! ^^
I was projecting myself a lot into John here, and Santino (well, it's always mostly him, it's John turn now hehe). And I think I'm happy how this fic turned out! I really enjoyed writing it ^^. I was worried I wouldn't be able to finish anything for this month since I was in a difficult and unexpected situation with a disgusting flood in my home, and that really hit me hard, it was a difficult few weeks. I was actually working on another omegaverse mpreg Santino fic, but I felt the need to switch to write this one. I think I made the right decision since I really felt this fic emotionally while writing it (I have tears in my eyes)! :']
Also, I'm thinking about one day to write another part, possibly Santino's POV. To see through his eyes and explore how their relationship was, how Santino looks at John ;).
I hope I did well! Please enjoy! <3
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Snippet
Sometimes, all it would take was a small mistake, meeting the wrong person, finding yourself in a bad place at bad timing. Whether you were the assassin or not. It didn't matter. Not in this world. Someone was always above.
It was quiet once again, all John could hear was his own breathing and the crickets playing their night music. He could taste the blood in his mouth, smell it, feel the air blowing, leaves rustling. It was too quiet after hearing his own bones breaking. His body felt hot, but the air kept sending shivers through his body, the grass and pebbles under his body felt like they were piercing through his suit, into his skin. The blindfold was still on him, blocking the view, his hands tied together. His consciousness was coming back to him, the adrenaline slowly fading away, memory coming back and making him feel everything.
I knew it was going to happen. A warning.
John thought, slightly moving his head, which sent a sharp pain down his neck, making him groan weakly. Then again, the iron taste in his mouth was starting to make him feel nauseous, the nasty punch in his face had more impact than he felt. He managed to roll onto his side to spit out blood, though it made him cough out more blood. It took him a few seconds to realize that his nose was bleeding, dripping down to his lips, down his chin.
I feel like they broke every bone in me. It was a strong message… for both me and Santino. That I need to stop being his guard dog. But I'm just glad it was me and not him.
It was painful, his head felt like it was throbbing from being slammed into a wall to black out, but even after all that, he was glad it wasn't Santino who got hurt. He coughed out more blood before he turned on his back, exhaling through his mouth, but even breathing hurt, like thousands of little shards were stabbing his lungs.
Santino… I need to call him. I need to warn him.
He tried to move his hands, they were tied on the front, so he could still use them. He was tied just enough to be beaten up and knocked unconscious. John brought his hands to his blindfold, managing to lift it so he could finally see. The night sky looked beautiful than ever, the stars were bright, everything looked more alive. A buzzing noise interrupted his half conscious daydreaming, it was his phone in his pocket. He shakily reached for his pocket, still disoriented and hands tied, but he still managed to grab it. The screen was cracked, the caller's name was Santino and John desperately tried to click on the call button. He cursed at himself as the call stopped, the damn phone was too damaged on that side of the screen to pick up John's touch.
Fuck… no… I have to call him back. He's probably pissed off that I didn't answer.
Santino would get a bit snappy if John didn't answer him, especially after serious missions. John knew it was out of worry, something Santino struggled to admit, so he was showing it in his own way that John learned and accepted.
He pushed himself up, groaning from the pain shooting through his whole body. The tape around his wrists felt so tight, it started burning his skin as he tried to tear it off, twisting his wrist. It didn't work that well, so he used his teeth. Fuck, it hurt like hell, but he had to push through the pain. Blood stained the tape from his mouth, his jaw hurt from biting down, his whole face hurt, but the sheer will was stronger than the pain. He cut through the tape with his teeth, blood dripping down his mouth as the tape cut into his gums, triggering the injury he already had. The blood trailed down his hands as the remaining tape stayed on his wrist, but at least he wasn't tied anymore. He cursed again, spitting the blood to his side, breathing heavily, the dizziness made him pause for a moment to breathe through it.
His car. He looked over at it, parked on the side, untouched. Thankfully, it was still there, just like he left it and the little thing that meant so much was still inside.
Yeah. It was just a message for me. For now… it was just for me.
John tried to call Santino back, desperately pressing on the broken screen. It picked up his touch after a few attempts, he clicked on his name, then spent another couple of tries to get it to register his touch.
“C'mon…” He muttered, pressing again, but a blood speck that fell on the screen made him pause. Dammit, his nose kept bleeding, he wiped it off with his hand, tracing his fingers over his upper lip, his fingers came back covered in more blood. He couldn't lose his focus, he pressed a few more times on the screen and finally he managed to call Santino. He lifted the phone to his ear, hearing the first low beep that sounded longer than it usually was. It repeated again, just two times before Santino picked up.
“John! Where are you? I've looked everywhere, I sent Ares–”
His voice. I can hear it tremble even if he's trying so hard to sound pissed. He's worried. Worried for me.
“Hey… it's okay,” John interrupted him hoarsely, his voice quieter than usual. He cleared his throat and swallowed the blood that was mixed with saliva before he started talking again. “Something just… didn't go as planned.”
Santino was quiet on the other side, until he murmured curses in Italian, John could hear him walking, it went from the sound of the floor, to grass.
“Tell me where you are,” D'Antonio demanded, but John could tell he was trying to keep his voice controlled.
John exhaled slowly, closing his eyes briefly. He didn't even check if anyone was around. What if there was someone waiting for Santino to come and then get killed? What if they were watching him right now while he was on the phone with him? It wasn't safe.
“John,” Santino said sharply, it was a warning and it snapped John out of his worries. “Tell me right now because if I have to search deeper, people won't survive it.”
I know you're angry. I know you'll kill people. But I don't want to lose you.
John stood up with a grunt of effort, taking a first step which hurt a lot. He looked around, no one was outside at this hour, the bakery that held special memories with him and Santino was closed. The flagpole hardware nearby kept clattering against the metal from the wind, which John didn't even register at first.
“I… I can't–”
I can't risk your life for mine.
“I know where you are,” Santino cut him off, sounding more calm, like he was thinking. He was walking again, the sound of his footsteps on the gravel, until there was the sound of the car's door opening and closing. “And you better stay there. You sound like you're going to pass out.”
Of course, he was stubborn, but John loved that side of him.
“Santino…” John got interrupted with his own cough, blood splattering onto the grass as he coughed to the side. “Bring someone with you… it's too dangerous like this.”
Please, listen to me… I can't protect you from this distance.
There was the car’s engine noise, Santino cursing in Italian. “Just stay where you are. Don't move. You hear me?”
Dammit, Santino…
“Answer me,” Santino repeated more gently.
There was a beat of silence, John tightened his free hand into a fist, nails digging into his skin, his knuckles hurting from squeezing so hard.
“Yeah.” That was all John said. He knew he couldn't talk Santino out of this, he recognized that persistence and when Santino was like that, there was no way of stopping him.
“I'll be right there,” D'Antonio said before he hung up.
Did this fanart with my irl bestie! She helped a lot, literally made it so much better! It wouldn't look this beautiful if it weren't for her! She is teaching me how to draw, how to do colors, and shading ^^. We had a great time doing this! :]
You don’t have to hate your enemy, you just have to do your - you know, there’s this code of honor and this code of ethics. Morality that are on the opposite sides that do it. And we came up with that: an adversarial or a rivalry between two people that really really really understand each other. They both act as a reflective surface to the other one’s psychology. I mean, I may not be you, but that doesn’t - I can you know – you may be on your sideline, but you know by looking at you and understanding where you’re coming from, that, let’s me see inside myself a little bit, good or bad.
Chad Stahelski’s commentary on John Wick’s and Santino D’antonio’s relationship.
Did this fanart with my irl bestie! She helped a lot, literally made it so much better! It wouldn't look this beautiful if it weren't for her! She is teaching me how to draw, how to do colors, and shading ^^. We had a great time doing this! :]
Something I think about as a headcanon for younger Santino.
Little Santino wanted to help every stray cat/dog he saw. Well, his mom taught him about the animals' body language, to be careful since some might bite or scratch. So he was being careful, and he felt so sad seeing the little stray kittens hiding from the rain in his garden. His father really hated when Santino would get out to help them, he would get scolded so many times by him while his mother tried to explain to his father that Santino loved animals and that it was a good thing he was such a good kid. Santino had so much care and empathy, but his father didn't agree with that.
I can picture little Santino leaving food for them, trying to make a little shelter. And his father would just... ruin it all if he caught him.
Did this fanart with my irl bestie! She helped a lot, literally made it so much better! It wouldn't look this beautiful if it weren't for her! She is teaching me how to draw, how to do colors, and shading ^^. We had a great time doing this! :]
hi! whats ur opinion on readers complaining about writers writing style? like in the comments on tiktok hardly anyone ever disagrees with them.
tiktok is a hellhole so I’m not surprised it’s full of entitled, immature people who think fanfic writers write to please them and the world revolves around them. I don’t want to waste my time thinking about these people and trying to have an opinion on them, except that they’re annoying, childish and entitled
Thinking about when Chad Stahelski said that Santino is the direct reflection of John, his mirror (that’s why we had the mirror sequence in the movie at all, it was their second to last confrontation), he understands him fully and thoroughly and even better than John himself; And it’s like- Santino did all of those things because he both grieved the power he lost AND he was grieving the passing of his father, it gave him no right to go after Gianna the way he did, but in the context of his grief, the only way this italian freak noodle could live with himself was to take the position of power that was “intended” for him by his own dad - literally, just the pure vengeance. And then we have John, who was given a puppy, an intended gift by his late wife Helen, who was taken away and here John shows his own vengeance by taking out Bratva. The whole theme of John Wick Chapter 2 was to show the sentiments we fight for and the hypocrisy we stand for to nurture our ego. Santino’s character was there to show John Wick’s hypocrisy: his grief vs. Santino’s, John taking out Bratva vs Santino burning down John’s house, living through past sentiments we desperately need to move from ie. Santino needing to secure a position of power vs. John taking out organized crime units he was a part of. We desperately root for the main character, but are we in the right to not see the faults of him as well? Just as Santino died of self destruction, so did John.
Summary: Symbol of true love and respect. Giving these tiny flowers represents a promise that you will always remember them forever, keep them in your thoughts, as well as they are associated with faithfulness. It was exactly what John wanted for Santino. To protect the person he loved so much from all the danger that followed John. It was a curse, destroying everything in anyone's lives, and he didn't wish for that to happen to Santino. A painful decision had to be made that broke a part of Santino, which John never saw before.
Rating: Mature
Relationship: Santino D'Antonio/John Wick
Note: Hello! I present an emotionally heavy fic! This one is special to me in many ways. There's angst, the push and pull that Santino and John have in their own ways, two people who want to protect each other, but both of them have different ways of doing it. Also, one of inspirations was that scene in one of my favorite animes Beastars after Riz ambushed Legoshi and later Jack came to help Legoshi out and they had that emotional talk. This is mostly written from John's POV, how he sees Santino, his inner monolog, the paragraphs for that are written in italics. I like to think that John is an observant person, that he listens carefully and remembers everything, even the small details. He's the quiet listener. That is important to Santino, in my headcanon he wasn't really listened to in his childhood, he was a disappointment in his father's eyes so this detail was very important.
I also look at John as someone who was raised to feel like he destroys everything. Taught to be a weapon, rather than a person. And wherever he goes, death and pain follows. Santino taught him to feel like a human, like a person, they were learning together, and John just wants to protect him. His way of protecting means distancing himself so that Santino would be safe, while Santino wants to find a solution together. And it's heartbreaking for both of them. Santino in my opinion is a person who hides his emotions, who was taught to push it down, keep it all in. Until he just... broke down for the first time in forever. Sooo yeah! This is gonna be very painful for both of them.
Another hc I have for Santino specifically, he likes flowers! He was helping his mother with flowers in their garden when he was younger. He just doesn't want anyone to know about this except John. And I love the forget-me-not flowers ^^. Also, Caravaggio being one of his favorite artists! Yeah, Riccardo Scamarcio played Caravaggio, which was also an inspiration but I also think Santino really likes his art. He is fond of art, just like we saw in the John Wick 2, he said he sees little more than just paint on canvas. So, that goes for his love for Caravaggio's artwork, too! ^^
I was projecting myself a lot into John here, and Santino (well, it's always mostly him, it's John turn now hehe). And I think I'm happy how this fic turned out! I really enjoyed writing it ^^. I was worried I wouldn't be able to finish anything for this month since I was in a difficult and unexpected situation with a disgusting flood in my home, and that really hit me hard, it was a difficult few weeks. I was actually working on another omegaverse mpreg Santino fic, but I felt the need to switch to write this one. I think I made the right decision since I really felt this fic emotionally while writing it (I have tears in my eyes)! :']
Also, I'm thinking about one day to write another part, possibly Santino's POV. To see through his eyes and explore how their relationship was, how Santino looks at John ;).
I hope I did well! Please enjoy! <3
━━━━༻❁༺━━━━
Snippet
Sometimes, all it would take was a small mistake, meeting the wrong person, finding yourself in a bad place at bad timing. Whether you were the assassin or not. It didn't matter. Not in this world. Someone was always above.
It was quiet once again, all John could hear was his own breathing and the crickets playing their night music. He could taste the blood in his mouth, smell it, feel the air blowing, leaves rustling. It was too quiet after hearing his own bones breaking. His body felt hot, but the air kept sending shivers through his body, the grass and pebbles under his body felt like they were piercing through his suit, into his skin. The blindfold was still on him, blocking the view, his hands tied together. His consciousness was coming back to him, the adrenaline slowly fading away, memory coming back and making him feel everything.
I knew it was going to happen. A warning.
John thought, slightly moving his head, which sent a sharp pain down his neck, making him groan weakly. Then again, the iron taste in his mouth was starting to make him feel nauseous, the nasty punch in his face had more impact than he felt. He managed to roll onto his side to spit out blood, though it made him cough out more blood. It took him a few seconds to realize that his nose was bleeding, dripping down to his lips, down his chin.
I feel like they broke every bone in me. It was a strong message… for both me and Santino. That I need to stop being his guard dog. But I'm just glad it was me and not him.
It was painful, his head felt like it was throbbing from being slammed into a wall to black out, but even after all that, he was glad it wasn't Santino who got hurt. He coughed out more blood before he turned on his back, exhaling through his mouth, but even breathing hurt, like thousands of little shards were stabbing his lungs.
Santino… I need to call him. I need to warn him.
He tried to move his hands, they were tied on the front, so he could still use them. He was tied just enough to be beaten up and knocked unconscious. John brought his hands to his blindfold, managing to lift it so he could finally see. The night sky looked beautiful than ever, the stars were bright, everything looked more alive. A buzzing noise interrupted his half conscious daydreaming, it was his phone in his pocket. He shakily reached for his pocket, still disoriented and hands tied, but he still managed to grab it. The screen was cracked, the caller's name was Santino and John desperately tried to click on the call button. He cursed at himself as the call stopped, the damn phone was too damaged on that side of the screen to pick up John's touch.
Fuck… no… I have to call him back. He's probably pissed off that I didn't answer.
Santino would get a bit snappy if John didn't answer him, especially after serious missions. John knew it was out of worry, something Santino struggled to admit, so he was showing it in his own way that John learned and accepted.
He pushed himself up, groaning from the pain shooting through his whole body. The tape around his wrists felt so tight, it started burning his skin as he tried to tear it off, twisting his wrist. It didn't work that well, so he used his teeth. Fuck, it hurt like hell, but he had to push through the pain. Blood stained the tape from his mouth, his jaw hurt from biting down, his whole face hurt, but the sheer will was stronger than the pain. He cut through the tape with his teeth, blood dripping down his mouth as the tape cut into his gums, triggering the injury he already had. The blood trailed down his hands as the remaining tape stayed on his wrist, but at least he wasn't tied anymore. He cursed again, spitting the blood to his side, breathing heavily, the dizziness made him pause for a moment to breathe through it.
His car. He looked over at it, parked on the side, untouched. Thankfully, it was still there, just like he left it and the little thing that meant so much was still inside.
Yeah. It was just a message for me. For now… it was just for me.
John tried to call Santino back, desperately pressing on the broken screen. It picked up his touch after a few attempts, he clicked on his name, then spent another couple of tries to get it to register his touch.
“C'mon…” He muttered, pressing again, but a blood speck that fell on the screen made him pause. Dammit, his nose kept bleeding, he wiped it off with his hand, tracing his fingers over his upper lip, his fingers came back covered in more blood. He couldn't lose his focus, he pressed a few more times on the screen and finally he managed to call Santino. He lifted the phone to his ear, hearing the first low beep that sounded longer than it usually was. It repeated again, just two times before Santino picked up.
“John! Where are you? I've looked everywhere, I sent Ares–”
His voice. I can hear it tremble even if he's trying so hard to sound pissed. He's worried. Worried for me.
“Hey… it's okay,” John interrupted him hoarsely, his voice quieter than usual. He cleared his throat and swallowed the blood that was mixed with saliva before he started talking again. “Something just… didn't go as planned.”
Santino was quiet on the other side, until he murmured curses in Italian, John could hear him walking, it went from the sound of the floor, to grass.
“Tell me where you are,” D'Antonio demanded, but John could tell he was trying to keep his voice controlled.
John exhaled slowly, closing his eyes briefly. He didn't even check if anyone was around. What if there was someone waiting for Santino to come and then get killed? What if they were watching him right now while he was on the phone with him? It wasn't safe.
“John,” Santino said sharply, it was a warning and it snapped John out of his worries. “Tell me right now because if I have to search deeper, people won't survive it.”
I know you're angry. I know you'll kill people. But I don't want to lose you.
John stood up with a grunt of effort, taking a first step which hurt a lot. He looked around, no one was outside at this hour, the bakery that held special memories with him and Santino was closed. The flagpole hardware nearby kept clattering against the metal from the wind, which John didn't even register at first.
“I… I can't–”
I can't risk your life for mine.
“I know where you are,” Santino cut him off, sounding more calm, like he was thinking. He was walking again, the sound of his footsteps on the gravel, until there was the sound of the car's door opening and closing. “And you better stay there. You sound like you're going to pass out.”
Of course, he was stubborn, but John loved that side of him.
“Santino…” John got interrupted with his own cough, blood splattering onto the grass as he coughed to the side. “Bring someone with you… it's too dangerous like this.”
Please, listen to me… I can't protect you from this distance.
There was the car’s engine noise, Santino cursing in Italian. “Just stay where you are. Don't move. You hear me?”
Dammit, Santino…
“Answer me,” Santino repeated more gently.
There was a beat of silence, John tightened his free hand into a fist, nails digging into his skin, his knuckles hurting from squeezing so hard.
“Yeah.” That was all John said. He knew he couldn't talk Santino out of this, he recognized that persistence and when Santino was like that, there was no way of stopping him.
“I'll be right there,” D'Antonio said before he hung up.
There's snow fallin' over the city
You thought that it would wash away
The bitter taste of my fury
And all of the messes you made
Yeah, you think that you got away
