Discover Top Posts Tagged with #xanxus x reader

Cantarella

cw/tw: Xanxus x (f) reader, no flames AU centered in italy, no use of yn, original characters, childhood friends to [sexual tension to] lovers, motherless reader, flashbacks and time skips (features both present and TYL Xanxus, but mostly the latter), mentions of mafia terminology and murder (undetailed), more terrible parenting from Vongola IX (he is worse in this fic), mentions of drinking and alcohol, unprotected sex, smut with plot + pregnancy. minors do not interact.

Xanxus is his own warning. Character may deviate from the original source material for story purposes. wc: 11.4k

The task was simple: Entertain the leader of the Varia until your brother/boss gets there to talk business with the man himself. You were friends, after all, so keeping him occupied should be easy.

But you were also aware of how unreasonable that man was, especially when he didn't get what he wanted. And when Xanxus joked that he wanted to see your pretty face again after you last met, your brother knew it was more of a veiled threat than a simple jape.

In which your older brother, the boss of a minor mafia family bound to pay homage to the Vongola Family— and the Varia— unwittingly hands you over as an unknowing tribute to the most menacing man in all of Italy. Or so everyone thought.

— Riunione.

You shouldn't have been there.

Salvatore gave you an incredulous look when you knocked and opened the door to his den with a tray of tea and sweets in hand. Your father insisted that your brother's guest was someone of utmost importance, so you had to be just as hospitable.

"I didn't ask for you," he remarked with a tone slightly off and rougher than usual, his annoyance made evident by the clicking of his tongue. "Leave us."

Salvatore was a stern yet sweet older brother and he wasn't normally this mean to you. Sweat soaked the slightly wrinkled collar of his white dress shirt and you could see from the way his shoulders tensed up that he was both irked and nervous.

"No need to be rude to your sister, Andolini."

A low and lazy voice sliced through the disquieting silence that enveloped your brother's den. Long crossed legs in pressed black dress pants were set on your brother's mahogany coffee table, with jet-black leather dress shoes shined to perfection. You followed the length of his torso to his neck, faint burn scars on his otherwise chiseled face. The olive-skinned stranger sat on the emerald-green divan as though he owned the place.

Only it wasn't a stranger. You'd recognize those crimson eyes from a mile away.

"Yeah, right. You're not even a shining example of courtesy yourself, Vongola, so don't school me about being rude to—" Salvatore shot back at his guest before eventually turning in your direction once more, brows furrowed as he rattled you to leave his sight. "I said leave!"

The cups and plates clattered in the tray in your hands as you hurriedly exited the room. You left in haste and in fear of further incensing your brother, who was nothing but kind to you.

What was that about? You mused to yourself as you made your way back to the kitchen. Your brother has always been closer to Xanxus than you ever were, but that didn't mean you weren't friends at all.

— A series of comings and goings.

The Andolini Family shared an easy yet deep friendship with the Vongola Family that spanned generations. In essence, you and Salvatore have always been welcomed guests in the Vongola estate, even more so when he and the Vongola heir-apparent became fast friends. Salvatore witnessed firsthand how Xanxus grew into his role as a future leader and knew he had to follow suit if he were to stand next to him proudly.

Unfortunately for your brother, Xanxus was a prodigy— a jack of all trades and a master of everything he put his mind to. Though easily irritated and agitated, he was ultimately single-minded, with one driving purpose at heart— to lead his family. To where, no one knew exactly. He was also known for his explosive temper, the kind that made underlings follow him out of fear rather than loyalty. Salvatore was among those who understood Xanxus' will and respected his pursuit of strength. Along with their closeness and mutual respect came the eventual invitation for your brother to join the Varia, an independent arm of the Vongola Family under its heir's supervision.

At 16, after discovering a traitor within the family, Xanxus disobeyed his father's orders to stand down and left with his squad to raid an enemy family's headquarters. Your brother witnessed how the young leader's brash impulsiveness led to his accidental burning— and how it led to a year's sleep before Xanxus could finally set out in the sun without reliving the fire that seared his face.

In their boyhood, Xanxus always made himself at home in the Andolini estate, where he had always been welcome just as you and your brother were in his home. You found he would come and visit whenever he and his father, Don Timoteo Vongola, had fiery arguments, which were often, considering how he would sometimes stay over for days on end.

He was treated as part of the Andolini Family, though he was mostly just a passive and nonchalant onlooker who, surprisingly, always readily agreed and assisted your father in harvesting your family's famous navel oranges.

It was you Xanxus would seek out on days he would arrive at your estate while Salvatore was out running errands for your family, and he would often find you tending to your father's herb garden or with your nose buried in a book. Under the shade of the trees in your family's orange grove, you forgot about the rest of the world as you got lost in every book you could get your hands on. He would sit next to you in silence and observance and would sometimes comment on your reading material, such as Antony and Cleopatra being too mature for you.

He scoffed at your attempt at intellectualism, but the joke was on him since you read entirely for leisure. "Why not read a pocketbook romance instead of tragedies?"

"I dunno. I already started it, so no point in not finishing it," you shrugged off his remarks, not at all paying attention to the weight of his gaze on you. It was woefully dense, the kind of look that would make you ask what the hell have you been doing?

"Wanna know what happens in the end?"

"Not really."

You finally looked up from your book and realized just how exhausted he looked now. At 24, Xanxus had the appearance of a boy who had already seen more than he asked for. He was both a child and a man at that point in his life and the way his crimson eyes darkened whenever Varia's second-in-command came to escort him back to the Vongola estate only made him look even older than he was.

The silver-haired young man, whom you once heard your brother refer to as Squalo, often arrived with a sense of urgency that seemed to repel rather than compel Xanxus to return home, this instance even more stressful than usual. "We have our orders, boss."

"I haven't even spoken to Andolini."

"If you have a message for my brother, I'd be glad to pass it on to him."

"Tell him… I'll see him around," he stated with a rather thoughtful pause before pulling out all the stops. He wasn't one to sugarcoat things, after all. "And that he's shit and shit at keeping promises."

That day he left your home with his second-in-command was the last you would see him. Salvatore's perplexion was only further confounded as you delivered his friend's parting words. He demanded answers from your father, who must have known something from the way he evaded your brother's questioning.

"It's been months, old man. The Vongola estate hasn't been straight with me at all, either. Xanxus, Squalo, and the rest of the Varia have vanished! What on earth did Don Timoteo put them up to?!"

"What are you saying, Salvatore? Have you forgotten the kind world we live in? The young master of the Vongola was tasked with something I will ask you to do as well when the situation finally calls for it!"

"What?"

"Xanxus has been sent out to make his bones. And I'd sooner lose my head than break the promise I made to his old man. He is as good as dead if we do not stop speaking about him!"

"What are you saying, papa?! I was supposed to be with him! Xanxus himself asked me to—!"

Your father could only shake his head in response, and you could only watch as this conversation transpired from across your dining table. All you could remember was the sheer exhaustion in the older boy's crimson eyes and the burn scars on his face that made him look all the more menacing but also extremely tired.

All the while you couldn't help but muse to yourself how truly wanted to know how the tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra would end, having lost the taste to read it through to the end.

Maybe I should have said yes.

"Don't you think it's about time you started taking your suitors seriously?"

You looked up from your book and found your older brother's wife Natalia with a tray of tea and sweets on hand. There was no stopping your growing grin as you happily made space for

her next to you on the cozy sofa underneath your family's orange trees.

"First of all, Salvatore should stop being so mean to those suitors. But then again, if they are so easily rattled by the young don's questioning, how will he ever deem them worthy of me?"

Natalia is the daughter of Don Raffaele Vitelli, one of your father's associates. You two became fast friends since you were classmates, and she developed a sweet and innocent girlish crush on your older brother, who, surprisingly, reciprocated her tender feelings. They were, as the old people said, struck by the thunderbolt.

But it made sense to you. Natalia was hailed as a beauty of your hometown and though you did not think much of your brother since he was your brother, you knew they were a perfect match— both good-looking and from influential families… but more importantly, they liked each other for who they were. They were married in the summer of that year, and when you asked your brother when he first realized that he liked Natalia, his answer surprised you even further.

"Remember when Don Raffaele made his first visit to papa? Natalia was wearing a floral dress and she was carrying that awfully heavy bread basket and…" An uncharacteristically tender sigh left his lips as he set down his half-empty wine glass. "She was so beautiful. And strong. You know that she's an only child, right? She didn't have any siblings to rely on, and her father only had her."

"But she was so easy to talk to. Must have been why we got along so well," you replied with a bright smile on your face. "I wish you and Natalia many, many, many, and long, long years of happiness, Salvatore."

"And I wish to say the same to you, my dear sister. Has no one caught your eye at all at this party?"

"I should ask you that question, my brother!"

Salvatore did not take kindly to any suitors who made their attempts to woo you, though he didn't have to try so hard to scare them off when you were a deterrent yourself. None of them appreciated how well-read you were and how you challenged their way of thinking. One of them even said that you were just a girl from a family with influence and no one would want you if not for that and that you should think with your heart more than your head.

None were good enough for you, for the truth of their intentions betrayed the sweetness of their words and deeds. No one wanted you for who you were. The world you walked in meant men would either want you as leverage or as a trophy. For all of his severity, you knew that your brother meant well and came from a place of concern whenever men introduced themselves to you. The Andolini name held considerable influence in your region, even more so since your clan enjoyed the protection of the Vongola Family, which remained the most powerful mafia family in Italy.

"Well, I'm not at all surprised that no one passes your standards. They seem to have forgotten that women are more dangerous than shotguns here in our fair town."

On your 27th birthday, five years after Xanxus' escape and exile to northern Italy, you received a picturesque postcard from Siena that smelt of whiskey and the sun and was slightly wrinkled from having traveled far. There was no return address, only a simple message scrawled in thick black ink.

"Happy birthday. They both die in the end."

It was enough to make you laugh for the rest of the evening as your extended family had their fill of your father's anchovy pasta in rich red tomato sauce in your estate's orange grove.

"I thought so," you said to yourself as you slipped the card between the book you were reading now, a cheesy pocketbook romance that would surely make Xanxus proud. Or scoff.

— Ares in the forlorn garden.

Although you never liked large parties even when you were younger, your father and brother insisted on throwing those lavish celebrations whenever your birthday came around. You didn't like celebrating your birthday at all, for it also marked the day of your mother's passing after giving birth to you. When you realized how every celebration made them happy, you accepted the parties more for them if not for you.

Salvatore knew deep down that the parties did little to cheer you up. Every year he convinces you that it wasn't your fault. It never was… Yet no amount of celebration and commemoration could ease the guilt you felt— for being the one to live. For robbing him of his mother, too.

So he allows you to leave the parties once you've shown yourself to your guests. He doesn't bother looking for you either, since he knows you'll be in the estate's orange grove, reading and lounging under the trees adorned with bloomed orange blossoms.

One guest in particular always knew where to find you, too.

Or perhaps you never really felt a need to hide from him at all.

Xanxus didn't like crowds, either. But it was a birthday party where everyone knew who he was due to his close ties to the young master of the house and the birthday celebrant. He was also there in an official capacity as the Vongola heir-apparent, so his appearance was just as much of a show as your brother always planned it to be.

That afternoon was as mild and breezy as always in your region, so Xanxus wasn't that surprised at all to find you nearly asleep on the sofa your father set up for you under your orange trees.

The fall of your hair over the armrest of the sofa, your measured breaths, the rising of your chest underneath your cotton sundress, the slow movement of your lips as you read along the lines of the book in your hands…

It was a sight that never failed to comfort him, ground him, and remind him of his humanity despite all the things he had done in the name of maintaining peace and delivering justice… and retribution. For the Vongola Family.

It was the human part of him, after all, that tainted his being with want. A desire he could never give voice to in fear of what might be asked of him in exchange. Even though he fears nothing.

"Hey, brat."

"Still a brat even though I'm already 20, Xanxus?" You remarked as you rested your open book on your chest. "It's nice to see you."

"More tragedies?" He asked in his usual teasing and deriding voice. You sat up and gave him space to sit next to you.

"Be not vexed with me, Odysseus, for in all else thou wast ever the wisest of men. It is the gods that gave us sorrow, the gods who begrudged that we two should remain with each other and enjoy our youth, and come to the threshold of old age…" You read the passage from your book dramatically, but not without laughing in the end. Xanxus gently bonked your head with a wrapped present, its rectangular size and weight revealing what it was without you even opening it yet. "Oh! Grazie!"

"Something a little different from what you're used to reading," he stated as he fished something out of his pants pocket— a small velveteen box that held a simple gold rope chain and a teardrop-shaped garnet pendant. "And one last thing."

"It's so pretty," you said in utter awe as you tenderly caressed the pendant. "This color kinda reminds me of…"

You lifted your gaze from the jewelry and met the older boy's crimson gaze— the very same color as the stone in your hands. Now that you sat so close to him, you caught the faint scent of your brother's favorite whiskey on him, and… gunpowder? But his white dress shirt was immaculately pressed…

The scars on his face from that day have healed, too, but no doubt the memory remained. He hated being looked at at first, especially by you, for some unknown reason. But the way he held your gaze now must have meant he had already moved on from his initial insecurity.

…Not that he really had anything to be insecure about. He was gorgeous, even with that perpetual scowl on his face. Even with the scars. Other people will disagree with you, but this was a hill you were willing to die on.

"Glad you like it," he remarked as he watched you happily tear open the wrapping paper of his other present. "And that's an American novel. It's sad, very much to your tastes."

"Gone with the Wind," you read the title with a tender smile and pressed it close to your chest. "Thank you, Xanxus. I truly appreciate your gifts… though you know I'd be happy with just you being here."

Huh, Xanxus couldn't help but muse. You were happy that he was around?

"Could you, ah, help me? With the necklace, I mean. I'd like to wear it now," you said with the same soft smile on your face as you handed him the velvet box and drew your hair over your right shoulder. "I'm not really a jewelry kind of girl, but this is just too pretty not to wear and show off…"

Your rambles faded in his ears, replaced by the rush of blood and the warning of his common sense wanting to leave his being.

Shit, he thought to himself.

The things he wanted to do with the curve of your neck exposed to him.

He desperately fought the urge to touch you further than what you asked him to do, his hands steady as he fastened the clasp of the necklace. His resistance faded and staggered as his fingers grazed the warmth of your bare nape and you yelped in surprise as he hurriedly stood up and stormed off.

"Wh— Xanxus?!"

"Happy birthday, you little shit!" He shouted from over his shoulder as he stomped back into your house. "Don't follow me!"

It was only when Xanxus was finally out of sight that you brought a hand to your mouth and managed to swallow the lump in your throat. Oh. He had no business being that hot and cryptic and mysterious to you. Your face burned against the cold of your palm and you were once again reminded— His hands were hot! Burning hot!

— Chiama e Ritorna.

On his 34th birthday, Salvatore succeeded your father as the head of the Andolini Family of Sicily, and his inheritance was met with favor by Don Timoteo Vongola himself. It was customary for new family heads to make their courtesy calls to the Vongola Family following their inheritance ceremonies, where they were granted one request as a symbol of their deepened ties. The request could be anything as long as it was reasonable and within the Vongola Family's power to make it possible.

Salvatore thought long and hard about his request to Don Timoteo, but nothing came up— all because the Andolini Family was powerful in its own right and capable of making things happen if required.

Still, he stood in that well-protected office with a thought in mind, no trepidation as he bowed in reverence to the older man in a finely tailored russet suit. "I thank you for receiving me today, Don Timoteo."

"Welcome, and my heartfelt congratulations, young Salvatore," Timoteo stated as he stood up from his seat and offered a firm handshake to the younger man. "You are the spitting image of your father in his youth."

"So I've heard. I know for a fact that you and papa share a long and storied friendship, part of which my family and I have already seen," Salvatore returned the handshake with the same strength. "If I may speak freely."

The older man nodded, his eyes crinkling as he smiled.

"You swore my father into your service out of great love and respect for him. You treated him as you would your blood family. He would come to your aid whenever you needed it. I… I, too, have someone I deeply love and respect. And I will pledge myself to his command if need be. But I must know…"

For Salvatore, life was never the same without Xanxus. They were boys together, but it felt to him like he was the only one who grew up after all those years. And to hear nothing of his friend even from his father… He tempered his voice and expectations as he asked that one question that remained unanswered for a decade.

"Where is Xanxus?"

"And that is your request, young Salvatore?" Timoteo had a thoughtful hand on his chin. "I suppose you're now qualified to look into the darkness."

The older man led the fledgling boss to his antique desk, where a map of Italy lay with red circles and crosses. "It started here in Sicily, in Catania, specifically. There were whispers of yet another traitor in that region, so they set out to make clean work of it. He said it was part of making his mark as my heir-apparent. He said it was for the family. I myself could not protect him… Me, his father. To defend him meant reprisal for someone else, so I ordered them to move north— to Siena. You ran errands on the day Xanxus last visited the Andolini estate, correct? Your father made it so you would not be able to participate in this decade-long mission."

What? "What?"

"And I approved your father's plan after he begged on his knees… For me not to take his only son," Timoteo stated with a deep sigh. "From what I heard, Xanxus did not reach out to you at all, but he did reach out to your sister."

"My sister?"

"It must be no secret to you that Xanxus happens to be very fond of your sister, young Salvatore."

"It's the first I'm hearing of it, Don Timoteo. But more importantly, papa lied to me…" Salvatore couldn't count the markers on the map. They all blurred into a blotch that looked like a bloodstain. "I've only made my bones once. It was nothing like this. All this time we've been safe from any vendettas… It was because of Xanxus and the Varia. I…"

"There is no need to be so upset, young Salvatore. Xanxus did it all for the family. For the Vongola Family and all of its allies," the older man clamped a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "And I know I am only allowed to grant one request, but this one is—"

"On me."

The door swung open and your brother couldn't believe his eyes and ears when he heard who entered Don Vongola's office.

Taller, shoulders broader, voice deeper, hair longer… and crimson eyes that have seen more than he could have asked for.

"Been a while, Andolini. I'm a little late, but I'm here nonetheless," Xanxus stood before his friend in a pitch-black suit just as finely made and pressed as his father's, as though he hadn't left at all. "Congratulazioni."

In your brother's absence, you stood as the head of the Andolini Family as its underboss. It was a flashy title that weighed little to nothing as long as it was filled out, but Salvatore didn't want just anyone to stand in.

The birth of his son Niccolo meant he had his heir, the one who would carry and continue the Andolini name. The boy grew ever-curious and was particularly close to you, his only aunt. He enjoyed traipsing around the orange grove and made it his personal playground. You and Natalia would simply watch as he ran through the short distance of woods and back to the path home.

"Come, Niccolo!"

"We have returned, Signora Andolini," Vincenzo, your father's right hand and now one of your brother's men, announced their arrival back home following their visit to the Vongola estate.

The older man was a silver fox of your society, never having married due to his line of work. He and Alberto, yet another silver fox with more rugged features, have been around your father their whole lives— and have dedicated themselves to his service, which included protecting you and your brother, and his young but growing family as well.

"He means you, Nat," you nudged your sister-in-law as she bundled her son in her arms. Natalia carried Niccolo in one arm and beckoned you with the other as she made her way back into the house.

"Principessa," came the old man's voice calling out to you. It was an endearing nickname you've never outgrown because of how often the people at home used it, including your father's men. "Your papa would like to speak with you."

"I see. Grazie, Vincenzo," you said as you entered the house. You noticed the entourage of different cars parked within the estate gates. "Do we have guests?"

"They are guests of Don Andolini— your brother. I believe that is what your father wishes to speak to you about," Vincenzo stated as he gestured for the rest of the men to make way for you. Their suits all smelled of fancy perfume and cigarette smoke. "He should be in the kitchen."

"What is he doing there? He should be resting!" You exclaimed as you made your way past your brother's men, who all acknowledged you with a small but meaningful bow.

Salvatore's guests shuffled into the hallway just as you weaved through the first wave of men in suits. A blonde young man with wavy hair shielding his eyes caught your figure slipping past them.

"Who's that?"

"The Andolini girl, the sister of the capo, you nitwit," a silver-haired man responded to his subordinate's question. "You should know that by now."

"Ah, so that's the boss's— Ack!" The blonde was smacked in the back of his head by their silver-haired captain.

"Be quiet, Bel!"

True enough, your father was in your kitchen, cane in hand as he stood before the ignited stove with a kettle of water heating up. His suspenders were curiously fastened to his person, as though wanting to look presentable for someone.

"Papa! You should be resting!" You hurried to the old man's side and led him to the nearest chair you could find. "You can leave this to the kitchen staff…"

He shook his head at you. "Anyone less is an insult."

You furrowed your brows at his remark and understood what he meant. "Is our guest… Don Timoteo?"

Again, another shake of his head. "Someone just as important."

"Fine. I'll do it, papa. I'll serve Salvatore and his guest, but please… I'll call Vincenzo to take you to the veranda if you don't want to return to your room. No moving up and down the house unnecessarily, please," you bent down on your knees and pled with your father, clasping his wrinkled hands in yours.

"Caro figlia… My dear girl…" He spoke softly, bringing his warm yet rugged palm to your cheek. He was a man who did unthinkable things in the name of your family and made his bread with it. But at this moment, he was simply a father doting on his only daughter. You sank into his gentle hold, which felt oddly sentimental.

"I'll be right back, papa," you said as you gently grasped his wrist and got up on your feet. The rooibos tea and orange tarts you made with your sister-in-law were always a winning combination. A luxury, as your brother's men once said when they were served with the snack, incredibly grateful that their underboss and the wife of their boss would do something so wonderful for them. This should impress whoever's with Salvatore, I hope.

But Salvatore gave you an incredulous look when you knocked and opened the door to his den with the tray of tea and sweets in hand. Your father insisted that your brother's guest was someone of utmost importance, so you had to be just as hospitable.

You shouldn't have been there.

"I didn't ask for you," your older brother remarked with a tone slightly off and rougher than usual, his annoyance made evident by the clicking of his tongue. Sweat soaked the slightly wrinkled collar of his white dress shirt and you could see from the way his shoulders tensed up that he was both irked and nervous. "Leave us."

"No need to be rude to your sister, Andolini."

A low and lazy voice sliced through the odd silence that enveloped Salvatore's den. Long crossed legs in pressed black dress pants were set on your brother's mahogany coffee table, with jet-black leather dress shoes shined to perfection. You followed the length of his torso to his neck, faint burn scars on this stranger's otherwise chiseled face.

Only it wasn't a stranger. You'd recognize those crimson eyes from a mile away.

Crimson, like the stone that rested on the smoothness of your chest. A treasured present from long ago.

The rest of their conversation faded in the background as you locked eyes with the man, his dark hair framing the intensity of his gaze. Salvatore furrowed his brows as he rattled you to leave his sight. "I said leave!"

You left the room in haste and scurried away with the tea and snacks in hand, not at all paying attention to the men in sleek black suits lined up outside your brother's office.

"Oh? Did her brother chase her out? I doubt it was the boss who did," the same blonde young man commented as you walked past them, his smirk long and wide. "After all, the boss…"

What was that about? You mused to yourself as you made your way back to the kitchen. Your brother has always been closer to Xanxus than you ever were, but that didn't mean you weren't friends at all.

That didn't mean you didn't hold any feelings for him at all.

Xanxus snorted in his seat before letting off a low chuckle. "How do you expect me to help you if you aren't gonna help me, Andolini?"

"You must be really desperate if you want my help, Vongola," Salvatore said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Wait, what do you mean? I don't remember you asking for my help for anything."

"Huh. You're right. I'm here to make demands," the dark-haired man stated with a small but knowing crooked smile on his face. "First order of things is that pretty face that just left the room. She better attend this party or this deal you're looking at is off."

"You don't mean that."

But what if he did? Somehow the old don's words from their earlier conversation started to make… sense. Along with all of his friend's irrational and unexplainable behavior when they were younger.

It must be no secret to you that Xanxus happens to be very fond of your sister, young Salvatore.

Xanxus glared at him, something he hadn't done in a long time. Salvatore thought his friend had outgrown that awful temperament of his, but that practiced stink eye of his clearly meant otherwise.

"Don't make me ask twice, Andolini."

— Ares does not have any flights of fancy.

"Who the fuck is that scumbag?"

Xanxus stood by the door leading to the Andolini estate's orange grove and followed your trail with his eyes. It was impossible for eyes not to be drawn to you because of that gorgeous golden sundress of yours. Your walk was slow and intentional, hands on your back as you made small talk with the young man walking next to you. You pointed at his left hand, seemingly asking about the meaning of the tattoo peeking from under his sleeve.

"Whaddya mean who's that scumbag? That's Dino Cavallone. I thought your father introduced him to you," Salvatore remarked with a slight hint of annoyance as he stood next to his friend, both of them impeccably dressed in matching coal-black suits. "He's the new Don Cavallone. Pretty young to be boss, but he's the same age as my sister— 22, if I'm right? So there's that."

"What the fuck's he doin' here?"

With you, no less. Xanxus flinched ever so slightly as he saw you almost trip on your feet, your arm caught by the young don in the ash-gray pinstripe suit.

"Wha— Xanxus, what's with all the questions? And slow down with all the profanities! We're here at my house, not Villa Vongola," your brother responded to his friend's questioning. "Cavallone's here to visit my sister. Seems quite taken by her, too. If things go as planned, he may even ask for her hand in marriage."

"Huh," the dark-haired boy remarked flatly. He grabbed his blazer from one of the couches and hurriedly put it on, calling out for you in a blind rage as he buttoned it down and walked out to the orange grove. "Hey, brat!"

"X-Xanxus?! Oh, man… Nat is going to kill me for being late!" Salvatore exclaimed as he was shrugged off by his friend. "But what the hell is he so angry about?!"

You turned back when you heard the dull shouting from the distance and found Xanxus walking over to where you were, pebbles crunching underneath his dress shoes, the afternoon sun dancing along his fine features. "Xanxus? I thought you and Salvatore were going somewhere today?"

He didn't speak at first, and neither did he acknowledge your companion this afternoon.

"Oh, this is Don Dino Cavallone, he—" You gestured to the blonde young man standing next to you, only for you to be cut off when he slowly and intentionally reached for the garnet pendant hanging from your neck, his fingers burning as he touched your skin.

"Didn't ask. Don't care."

Fortunately, Dino was an incredibly understanding guest who understood what exactly was happening at that very moment. He was warned about this, too, though he didn't really pay much attention to hearsay from other young heirs and bosses who once tried their hand at courting you. He was aware of Xanxus's impulsive personality, too, but he didn't expect him to be incredibly petty.

"I'll visit you again some other time, girasole," he said as he gently grasped your hand and raised it to his lips, a warm but chaste kiss pressed to your knuckles. "Thank you for this afternoon."

"O-Of course, Don Dino! Thank you for the sweets, too!" You said as you gave him a short but meaningful bow. "Please take care on your way home!"

You watched your older brother approach the retreating figure, an apologetic look on his face as he walked him out of your estate.

"Xanxus, what was that?"

But he refused to look at you this time, his crimson eyes narrowed and turned elsewhere before he eventually stalked back to your estate.

"H-Hey! I was talking to you! Ah—!" You followed suit, stomping towards Xanxus before eventually tripping on your feet because of— these damned sandals! He caught you in time, his palms warm as he grasped your arms.

"…stand it…" His murmur was inaudible even though you were as close as you could be.

"What?…"

"I can't stand it," he said, his gaze burning holes through you. He thought of closing the irritatingly small distance between you, but what would your family say if they saw you in such a compromised position? With him, no less. They would demand he take responsibility for you. He would have tied you to him forever.

Isn't that what I want?

"You can't stand what?" you asked, voice hushed to a whisper as you brought your hand to his cheek, your fingertips burning as you tenderly caressed the span of his scar. He shut his eyes as he felt the ghose of your breath over his lips…

And he fought the demons in his head until he couldn't.

You felt his large hand on the back of your head as his lips crashed onto yours.

"Xanxus?"

Your soft voice breaks the spell.

Xanxus opened his eyes and found you staring right back at him with concern washed over your features, your lips still glossy. You both stood up slowly, but he broke apart from your hold as soon as he was on his feet. He stormed off in his usual Xanxus fashion and dragged the clueless Salvatore away as he was about to head to the orange grove himself.

"I can't be around you without you tripping all over the place, you klutzy piece of trash!"

At the end of the day, it was you who met up with Natalia for her supposed dinner with your brother, and all you could do was sit in a daze and apologize, for all you could think of was drowning in that boy's eyes— tired, pensive, deep, and dark as the sweet seeds of a pomegranate cut open in half.

— Ares and the forbidden fruit.

You were summoned to your brother's office— at his behest, this time, and you found him brooding over a single gilded envelope on his desk. The way he blew you off earlier still pissed you off, and you weren't even able to get in a word to Xanxus, who left with the Varia not long after holding that brief discussion with Salvatore.

"Well, you know by now that Xanxus is back home. The Vongola Family's gonna host a simple celebration for his homecoming tomorrow night," Salvatore stated as he handed the envelope to you. "I know we usually visit their estate together, but I have something urgent that needs handling before I can get there."

"We can always go together. I don't see what the issue is…" You replied as you pulled out the invitation card from its thin cardboard sleeve.

"Business is in Catania and it takes at least three hours to get there. Which is why you'll head to the celebration first, underboss," he said with a rather tired sigh. "Now that Xanxus is back, I expect an improvement in our correspondence with the Vongola Family. That business in Catania is something I'll need his help with. Talk to him a bit about it. Only until I arrive."

"Okay, Salvatore."

"I had a dress brought in for this occasion. He said it was a black tie affair, so I can't have you heading there in your usual getup," Salvatore stated matter-of-factly, pointing at your sundress. "It should be in your room now."

"All right. Anything else I should take note of?"

"Yeah," he said with a small frown, a thoughtful hand on his chin this time. "Don't do anything dumb, all right? Vincenzo will be with me and Al's staying with the old man, so Luca's gonna be your guard."

Luca was a greenhorn, a soldato brought in by Vincenzo after proving loyal and useful to your family's cause. He was younger than you, a little bit on the dense side, but incredibly charming and nimble on his feet.

And also extremely easy to control.

This now leads to the thought that has been brewing in your mind for the last few hours.

How far am I willing to go for answers, exactly?

"We'll make a quick escape if something goes horribly wrong. But with Xanxus and the Varia back home, I doubt anything will happen," you reassured your brother. "But don't you think it's about time I learned how to drive, Salvatore?"

"Not on your life. Now scat! It's still a day away, but start preparing for the party! Better teach your bodyguard some manners, too, while you're at it."

Salvatore's fashion sense has always been incredibly on point. He was right that a silky black dress is fail-proof, so it was no surprise when heads turned upon your arrival at the banquet hall that evening. The whispers from other members of your society were something you've grown used to, even more so after rejecting countless sons and suitors.

Your arrival didn't go by unnoticed by the men closest to the star of that night, all of them doing away with their heavy-duty trench coats and donning impeccable threads— classic black suits and pressed dress shirts, shined dress shoes, and similar crimson lapel pins bearing their coat of arms.

"There's your little present, in pretty wrapping paper and all," Squalo said with a snort as he watched his boss's unchanged reaction. "That kid with her… Is he her bodyguard for tonight?"

Xanxus didn't want to seem too eager, but he quirked an eyebrow when you gestured for the Andolini soldato to approach you, the boy fiddling with his crooked tie.

"Lu," you turned to your only bodyguard for the night and moved to adjust the black tie fastened around his pressed collar. He let out a small sigh of relief that you helped him out. Your brother was right when he said the kid needed a crash course on etiquette, but you didn't expect him to be a dolt when it came to clothes, too.

"Sì, principessa?"

Luca had a twinkle in his eyes, as though expecting you to give him an assignment he could boast about to the more experienced members of your family. You gave him one final look from head to toe before giving a nod of approval. Vincenzo was right when he said the boy cleans up well.

"I'm gonna pull rank here and dismiss you for the evening. I promise you, though… that I'll never leave the Vongola Villa, so you don't have to worry about me going missing."

"But Don Salvatore said I should keep my eyes on you the whole time," he replied to you with a hint of trepidation in his voice, as expected of a man of his experience.

If this were Vincenzo or Alberto— old men too clever for your own good— you'd be on lockdown the entire night until it was time to return home.

"Look, does he want this deal with Xanxus or not?" You asked him, clamping your hands on his shoulders. "I'm doing this for the family, so technically, you're doing it for the family, too."

Not really. It was mostly for yourself and for the handsome man staring at you from across the hall, his drink in hand as he greeted and dismissed guests from where he sat.

"Besides, I want you to…" You continued, surveying your surroundings for anything— "Dance with a pretty girl tonight!"

"A-Am I allowed t—"

"I am allowing you to!" You exclaimed as you gave the younger man a hearty push towards the buffet table. You found the thought of having a gullible little brother amusing back then, but you never thought it would be this funny. "Eat, drink, dance, but don't ever leave this place without me, understood?"

Luca was young and sweet-faced, so he would surely beguile an equally sweet-faced girl— or a lonely signora with a penchant for vigor. As for the aftermath of whatever chaos he might get into, you'll deal with it in the morning.

"What are you scheming?" A low voice came from behind you, followed by the touch of a cool glass of whiskey on your bare shoulder. "You made quick work of that greenhorn."

You turned around and saw the star of the night standing right behind you, followed by the gaze of everyone else in the hall.

Xanxus was taller, his shoulders much broader compared to when you last met, yet in his crimson eyes was the same exhaustion that haunted him in his youth. He grew out his hair, dark locks framing his gaze now. Scarlet plumes rested on his left shoulder, a stark contrast to the blackness of his suit.

"Did he send you here on your own? That Andolini's getting good at this vanishing act," he stated. "Your brother's refusal from before was enough disrespect, but that doesn't mean I'll forget our many years of friendship."

"My brother was never going to refuse you," you answered him with a small smile. "You have no idea how upset Salvatore was when you left… without him."

"I suppose it worked out for the best," he replied to you with a pensive gaze underneath his furrowed brows. "Does he go by Don Andolini now?"

"No, he'll always be Salvatore to us," you said with a chuckle.

"And you? How've you been? I can see now why your brother's so adamant about showing you off," Xanxus chuckled right back, taking your hand in his. "But you're… 32, yeah? And still at home with your family."

"There are worse things to be than being unmarried at 32," you said matter-of-factly. "Such as being unmarried at 34."

"Been busy. People ought to stop giving me shit for that. I don't even care much for marriage."

"You don't?"

"I might consider it…"

Xanxus noticed your sudden uneasiness as more whispers filled the air. You couldn't handle the thought of being stared at the entire evening just because he stood up from his seat for the first time in hours.

"You're with me. Who cares what these cafone think?" He said as he uncharacteristically squeezed your hand to elicit a response from you. "Besides, it's no secret that I have a soft spot for the Andolini girl."

"Do you, now?"

"Come with me upstairs and I'll prove it."

There it was.

"Okay."

With a single snap of his fingers, melodious music played by the live band drew dancers to the dance floor, a diversion to throw the rest of the crowd off your trail. You left the hall as silently as you could, pulled away by the entire reason why the party was being held in the first place.

He led you to a vacant bedroom illuminated by candles and the silver moonlight, the long curtains still drawn open. On top of a cedar drawer were bar glasses and unopened bottles of whiskey and tequila.

"Oh! Wanna play a drinking game while we're here? How about Truth or Drink? We'll take turns sharing statements that could either be true or false. If you guess right, I'll drink. If you guess wrong, well… You already know what that means," you stated rather excitedly as you twisted open the bottle of tequila.

"That's not even a real drinking game," came his voice from behind you again.

"I thought we came here to prove how much of a soft spot you have for the Andolini girl," you pouted at him."Just play with me because I want to hear all about what you did in the last ten years. Maybe even beyond that, too…"

You poured the amber liquor into the glasses and handed one to him, a glint of mischief in your eyes as he received it.

"Too bad we don't have any salt and lime, but that's fine. Okay, I'll start. I, uh…" You said with a short pause as though in thought. "I learned how to drive."

"Lie," he stated confidently. "Your brother would never teach you how to drive because who knows what trouble you'd get yourself into? Drink up."

"Fine…" You huffed before downing the contents of your glass straight up. It burned, sweet and bitter as it ran down your throat, but also slightly refreshing. "Okay, your turn."

"I killed people."

"It's like you're not even trying!" A small hmph left your lips this time. "And that's true, by the way, so drink up."

You refilled your empty glasses, swirling yours around as you thought of something to say. "I learned how to bake. And c—"

"Truth."

"I wasn't even finished explaining…" You said, your voice faint as you drank deep once more. By that time, Xanxus had already sat on the edge of the feather bed in that room, wherever you were, his eyes on your form as he heard the clinking of the tequila bottle against the rim of your glass.

And he couldn't help but think of how easily you waltzed into the palm of his hand. Did your years and years of familiarity dull your senses to any danger he may have posed? Then again, did he ever give you the impression that it was dangerous to be around him?

"I'm not my old man's kid, just a distant nephew. That explains why I'll never be the next head of the Vongola Family, even though I worked long and hard for it. That explains why I'm expendable. Why they didn't bother calling me back home to Sicily after completing orders."

"What?"

He left the danger behind every time he made his way to the Andolini estate. It was a corner of his world where he found absolute solace— normalcy, even— and maybe he tricked himself into thinking that he could just be a normal kid like Salvatore was. Like you were. After all, you treated him no different from any other kid who made friends with you.

"I befriended your brother because I wanted to know what it was like," he said as he downed his drink. "To have a family that didn't treat you like a tool."

But there was nothing normal about his name being synonymous with a deathbringer. With him and his elite squad of killers… There was no leaving his nature behind— he even had it branded on him as a reminder— by the man he called his father, no less.

How you managed to look past everything was a mystery. One he was willing to bend the rules to get his answer.

"I've always wanted to kiss you."

You stared back at him with an expression you couldn't understand yourself, even though his eyes exuded nothing but apathy. You felt your chest tighten and your lips quivered at his revelations. "Xanxus…"

"You know how much people would pay for that kind of information? But then your brother would lose his sister instead of gaining a brother-in-law," he chuckled as you made your approach. "Does that prove how much of a soft spot I have for you?"

You stood before him with tears in the corner of your eyes, and he drew you close by taking your hands in his… and you couldn't tell which of you was warmer.

"Sometimes, I still wish it was me who died instead of mama," you told him, a slight quake in your voice as you lowered yourself into his embrace. "I never took any of my suitors seriously because I've been waiting for you to come back home."

Xanxus didn't have to know that you willingly waltzed into the palm of his hand. The danger he posed meant nothing compared to all those years of familiarity, of friendship— and frustration— and neither did he give you any reason to fear him.

"I've always wanted to kiss you, too."

You sank into the maroon-colored plush comforters after what should have been a formal meeting with the boss of the Varia— and the underboss of the Vongola Family. The drinks didn't help your case, either. You've always been a lightweight. Xanxus knew that, too, but the tequila was simply divine and you haven't seen his face in a long time.

The same, familiar burning touch made its way to your thighs, the hem of your skirt slowly hiked up as it pooled around your waist.

"Nnhh… X-Xanxus? Wh—?"

You knew it was him, even though he paid little attention to the little cries that left your lips. Those were no cries of protests, either, but more of longing. Yearning. Desiring.

Warm. His touch underneath the silk of your dress was warm. You dove deep into his crimson gaze as he loomed over you, your legs spread out to give him space in between.

"…ss m…" Your voice was a quiver and a murmur that he could only hear by leaning down.

"What?"

And when he was close enough, you brought your lips to his ears and pleaded with the gentlest of voices. "Kiss me…"

It took him a moment to register what it was you just asked him, but your heady gaze gave it all away. His lips crashed onto yours, slowly evolving into an exchange of hungry and moist breaths. Without parting, his hands made their way up to your chest with urgency, cupping your breasts in his burning palms. He felt you moan into your kiss and struggle ever so slightly as you grasped his wrists to anchor yourself to him.

"Ah…!" You gasped for air as you finally parted. A thin trail of saliva connected you but gently broke off as Xanxus slowly pulled away from you to let you breathe. Once you've caught your breath, he leaned down closely and comfortably on top of you and brushed even warmer kisses on your neck.

"Huh. You're actually kind of cute," He whispered in your ear, his warm breath both tickling and arousing your sense of sound.

You pouted at his teasing quip, tears prickling your eyes. "I've always been cute!"

"'Course you are," he replied casually as he lifted the rest of your dress off you, your bareness in plain sight for him to see.

Oh, you thought to yourself, surprised that you were able to manage a lucid thought after such a vulgar kiss. He motioned for you to arch your back a little as his hands fiddled with the clasp of your brassiere.

We're really doing it…

You tried to blink away your tears, only for Xanxus to flick out his tongue and lick them away.

"Ah…?"

"Quiet," he grunted at you, his hand gently but firmly grasping your chin now. "…Now be a good girl and open your mouth for me."

You obliged with his command, parting your glossy lips enough for him to slide his tongue in your mouth. The sound of your quiet but pleased moans filled his ears, his blood rushing someplace else now.

He groped your breasts once again, sinking his fingers into the plush of your skin. Your kiss was broken when he moved to lick and suck on your hardened and aroused nipples this time.

"Ah—! W-Wait—!" Your voice echoed in his quarters, rebounding against the thick stone walls. If there was some comfort in this, it was the fact that no one else could hear you lose yourself to the ecstasy that was sex with your long-time unrequited-requited love.

Your fingers weaved through his dark hair, tugging as you felt a buildup of odd sensations between your thighs. "Nngh… ahh…!"

He slid a hand over your thigh and slipped it under the waistband of your underwear— and you flinched, not at all prepared for the steady rhythm of his fingers running over your moist entrance.

Xanxus felt you tremble underneath him as he thrust his middle and index fingers into you, his lips curling into a sadistic yet pleased smile as your expression faded into one of pleasure.

"You know your brother's gonna kill me if he finds out about this," he said with a chuckle, moving at a pace that seemed agreeable from the way your face contorted with sexual delight.

Your brows furrowed at his remark as you threw a garbled response at him. "D-Don't t-talk about Sa— Salvatore nowww! Ah—!"

The way he touched you was measured and precise, evidently practiced, but you pushed that thought down as he nipped at your jaw. You coiled your arms around his neck and drew him in for a kiss, but even with his lips on yours, a myriad of tender-sounding moans escaped your mouth unbidden.

And he relished it all.

"Hhnn… Th-There—! Ah…"

"You like it there, then?" He asked you, and you could tell from the sensual sound of his voice that he was nothing but pleased with how honest you were being.

"Wa— Wait— Ah— I…" You whimpered with more tears in your eyes, prompting him to slow down. "I want to make you feel good, too…"

A shit-eating grin made its way to his face, though he tried not to show it. He drew his fingers out of your already sopping pussy and brought them to his mouth, the scent and moisture clinging onto his tongue and lips. It was your flavor.

You slowly sat up and… gave the bed a big pat, gesturing for him to lie back down. Perhaps books can never give justice to the real thing, but you weren't one to back down from a challenge.

Xanxus couldn't believe that you were ordering him around at first, but lie down he did, his elbows supporting the rest of his torso. He spread his long legs across the bed while you positioned yourself between them, unable to read the expression on his face at all, but the warm bulge that tented his black pants said everything you needed to know.

You ran your hands over the bulge and felt him shift ever so slightly, his gaze narrowing and darkening as you moved to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants this time. He followed your steady movement with bated breath, a low hiss leaving his lips as you pulled out his throbbing cock and stroked it with fervor, building a steady but gentle pace gentle before gradually increasing your speed, your hot breath ghosting against his length.

He tried to relax. Relax. But thoughts ran through his head, such as how he tainted the only sacred thing in his life— Even though he's wanted to do it for the longest time…

You felt him slightly shudder against your touch, even more so when you opened your mouth to lick his tip and suck him bit by bit, until the entire thing vanished up to your throat.

"Tch… Where the fuck did you learn to use your smart mouth like that, you fucking brat?" He grunted at you, a mix of pleasure and annoyance in his voice. The guiding hand on the crown of your head slightly tightened its grip on you, a fistful of your hair bunched in his fingers now as he motioned for you to slow down and stop.

Dark tears streaked your face, the glitter of your eye makeup slightly blinding you as Xanxus gripped your chin and pulled you forward into his arms, warm lips crashing against warm lips as he maneuvered you to lie comfortably on your back.

"I'm not stopping," he said as loomed over you once again, his black hair like a curtain concealing everything but his face, and that pleased expression he had on. He positioned himself between your thighs, callused hands sinking into your waist as he positioned you to receive him. "Not even if you ask me."

"Th-That's fine…" You replied with a tremble in your voice, the rest of your senses lost to you as you felt his length running over the burning wetness of your folds. "You don't h-have to hold back at all."

Gentleness was not his forte at all, and even though the edge and sharpness of the first thrust didn't last long, he couldn't help but piston into you, fucking you deep into the plush comforters until you scratched your throat from all of your moaning.

The pleasure was so easy to get lost in with how closely held you, shifting positions until he felt your insides spasm in sheer delight, until he came and watched you overflow with his cum. You didn't even think of the consequences— burning hot as it was inside you.

"X-Xanxus…" You cried out to him now. "Any more of this— I-I'll get pregnant…!"

You lost count now, stupefied by the satisfaction he granted to you, and even though you were pleading now, he didn't stop moving. Not when he could feel your insides coil around him like that.

"It's fine."

"Wh-Whaddya mean it's fine? Ah…!"

"Yeah, that's fine," Xanxus stated with the same shit-eating smirk you've always adored, but it faded as he held your gaze and commanded— "Bear my child."

"Che cazzo! Are you fucking serio— Gh!"

He chuckled at your surprised face, your blissed-out face that made him pick up his speed again, but not before telling you, "I promise to take responsibility."

And he moved again, the blinding force and the fullness of his weight over you stealing your breath. Your lips were parted but no voice slipped out, and you could only cling onto him hopelessly.

"H-Hey," you grunted at him as you palmed his face, brushing up his dark hair to reveal a sharp gaze fixed solely on you. "Make me your wife."

Xanxus laced his fingers with yours, his pace picking up that it almost made the entire bed move. He wanted to speak again, but figured it could wait— your pussy couldn't.

"C… Cumming— hh—!" You cried out to him, stars in your eyes as you convulsed under his weight, your blinding climax followed by his own, white warmth spilled in your innermost core. A single stream of his semen seeped out as he pulled out of you, your heady breaths fogging your vision until a cloud of sleepiness landed on you.

You fell into a cozy rest not long afterward, whispering stories of triumph and composing your speech for Salvatore, knowing he'd be the first to protest. As you were comfortably nestled on his side, using his long arm as a pillow, you drew unconcentrated circles on his chest until he broke the silence.

"Stay here in Palermo with me," came his short statement, which sounded more like a command than a request.

Still, he looked incredibly serious and your fat brain was telling you to rile him up. "Is that your idea of a proposal?"

"What the fuck do you want me to say?"

"For starters, you can tell me… Well, I guess better tell you first since I happen to be sure about how I feel," you said, propping your chip up his chest to better see his reaction. "I love you."

Xanxus stared at you for what felt like hours, his hand running up and down your arm in a strange rhythm.

"Cat got your tongue?" You teased him, only for him to tenderly whisper something in your ear in a heart-rending voice that drew out the tears in your eyes.

"Voi siete il mio cuore, la mia anima e la mia vita."

You are my heart, my soul, my life.

So you kiss him— and it might never be enough to take away all of his pain, but he assured you that it was enough. It will be now. You kissed him until his breath steadied and the sleep settled in his exhausted bones. Until he figured it was safe enough to do so, with you locked in his arms.

It was the most restful night he had in ten years.

Xanxus woke up with the morning sunlight tickling his face. He forgot that you didn't close the curtains last night. His dazed thoughts were rattled when he reached over the other side of the bed and found it empty.

He sat up slowly and brushed up the dark hair over his face, chuckling at the realization that you had left before he could wake up.

"Tch. Little tramp."

— Ancora.

Xanxus knew he had to be prepared for anything the moment he set foot in Villa Andolini. Two weeks have passed since your supposed exchange of feelings and he hated being left to wonder. Why the hell did you leave without saying goodbye in the first place? Then again, he wouldn't be surprised if you changed your mind all of a sudden.

"Wondering will do nothing, boss!" One of his subordinates, Lussuria, commented on his wordless concern. "You two have known each other since forever! Surely any worries you have will vanish once you talk things out again."

Whatever worry he had on his mind was stamped out quickly when he laid eyes on you in your estate's orange grove, directing your family's soldato as they picked out the ripe oranges hanging from your trees. He had forgotten all about your family's harvesting season.

"Careful not to drop those, Lu. The fruit'll bruise and all— Oh! What a surprise!"

You beamed at the man in black from across your orange grove, removing your gardening gloves and pocketing them in your denim overalls. Your brother's men acknowledged your visitor with a short bow, leaving your presence after carefully stacking the wooden fruit crates close to the orchard's entry point.

"The hell have you been up to?"

"Corporal punishment, or so my brother says. He lost his shit when I didn't return home last we met. He even beat the crap out of Luca even though I said it was my idea. But before everything else, I want to tell you that I really am pregnant. No surprises there," you said with a smile as you fished something out of your left pocket. It was a positive pregnancy test, something Xanxus cluelessly blinked at as you handed it to him. "You're lucky Salvatore isn't around today because he was so angry when he saw the test on my dresser."

"Where's he now?"

"Catania. His wife's new bakery's been keeping him busy lately. Papa's with him, too, since Niccolo wants to see him. I, on the other hand, have been given more responsibility around here even though I've been advised by our family doctor to slow down. Don't worry, though! I'm just ordering the men around and they've been making me laugh nonstop. Lu and everyone else said I could leave the heavy lifting to them," you stated, hands on your hips as you walked back into your house. "But now that you're here, I think I want to go to the beach today. And I'm kinda craving paninis."

"Making demands now, are we?" Xanxus chuckled, a guiding hand on your shoulders as you walked up the steps.

"It's your big-headed kid making those demands, dumb ass," you laughed, slowly turning back to him in wonder. "Wait a sec, what are you doing here anyways?"

"Figured I'd do good on a promise I made, even though someone was drunk as a fuckin' bat when she told me," he stated, a hint of a laugh leaving through his nose as he pulled out a small ring box from his coat pocket. "I'm here to make you my wife."

"Well, what a lovely day this is. A ring, the beach, maybe some paninis, too," you remarked with a tender smile as you eyed the gold band around your ring finger, the single garnet adorned with even smaller diamonds glittering in the morning sun. The gemstone reminded you of his gaze, as though he was saying, "I've got my eye on you."

For all of his austerity, you knew for certain that Xanxus would be a good husband to you. He brought your hand to his lips and pressed kisses on your freezing knuckles to warm them up.

"Xanxus, cuore mia… You don't have to keep on doing that anymore. You… might think you won't have a place in this world if you don't do as you're told, but he's wrong about that," you stated, bringing your hand to caress his cheek. "You'll always have a place here. With me. No matter what it is you've done, you're still you— still the same person I know and love. I have always loved."

I know, he thought to himself as he contentedly sank into your caress. There would be no more aimless wandering for him from now on. Not when he had a reason to come home. "I know."

🌺 Index of foreign words and phrases used (without translations): Riunione - Reunion Grazie - Thank you Chiama e Ritorna - Call and Return Congratulazioni - Congratulations Capo - Short for Caporegime, basically means mafia lieutenant Girasole - Sunflower Principessa - Princess Caro figlia - Dear daughter Soldato - Soldier, the lowest ranking member of mafia families Cafone - Peasants Che cazzo! - What the fuck! Ancora - Anchor Cuore mia - My heart

🌺 Author's note:

"What, a fic?! And for KHR, too! I thought you were on a break, Mari!" I still am! But you know how slithery brain worms can get when you leave them be? I wrote this after checking out old drafts in my old email! And guess what the original part was. It was the smut scene, of all things. That piece of smut was one of the few fics I wrote back when I was still so, so madly in love with the series. It was not my best work, but 23-year-old Mari did what she could with what knowledge she had back then lol. (Of course, what you read now was fine-tuned to my current knowledge.)

And I can't believe I wrote a whole ass background story around the smut, which is only like 15% of this entire fic. Someone shoot me already.

KHR remains my Roman Empire to this very day. I still hope for the day the remaining manga arcs get animated. A girl can dream! And if you've noticed, this piece is riddled with The Godfather references and many other things... And yes, this piece is indeed named after that one Vocaloid song. (How low can I go, you ask?!) There were no themes of poisoning here. It was actually just the tequila.

As always, I hope this finds the target audience, and I truly hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. 🧡

Much love, Mari 🧡

#xanxus x reader

Trending Tags

Recently Viewed Tags

#xanxus x reader