lasquadranights

[lasquadranights]

Hey! I hope you are doing good.

I’m sorry if this is kinda annoying. Are you planning to pick these stories up. I’ve been a fan of your writing since I saw your poly!buccigang fics and, yeah.

Anyways. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Hey!

No, no, it's not annoying at all. I know I've been taking a while to respond to messages and I haven't updated in a looooong time but I do hope to pick up these stories again once uni work dies down.

Have a wonderful day!

[lasquadranights]

Our Reflection

Illuso x Reader

Content Warnings: None

***

Waking up alone wasn’t unusual. The lives of assassins meant that you were frequently the last to rise, even at earlier times in the morning. So, you’d yawned and stretched and almost tripped over the sheets as you climbed from bed.

It took you a solid second to realise what the problem was, once you were up. The heavy weight of sleep was still behind your eyes after all.

Grumbling under your breath once you realised, you stalked your way to the nearest mirror (thankfully there were a select few in the bedroom) and tried to peer out to see what was happening. The regular world shone back at you, looking exactly like the one you were in. No problems to think of.

You complained loudly but went about your morning routine, looking through every mirror to see if you could spot something.

Illuso had to make the active choice to allow you to see back into the real world and you appreciated it greatly when he chose to drag you away with no explanation. Luckily, he seemed to have allowed it for the entire house.

You walked everywhere before stopping outside the room you avoided: the meeting room.

The worry about what had happened was beginning to settle in as you woke up. It outpaced even your regular nerves about the room and you pushed the door open to peer inside, promising yourself that you would leave the moment you knew if they were in there or not.

They were. Almost the entire of the assassination squad were in their regular seats but one of the places had been replaced by an unknown stranger.

Well, they weren’t entirely unknown if they were speaking to Risotto but you certainly hadn’t met them before. Formaggio had a soured expressions where he was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. This was far from a casual visit then.

“There is little reason for the assassination squad to be in possession of territory. This was true the previous time it was reviewed and remains true now,” the man was saying. “That extends to jobs, despite what you seem to think. Just because something’s initially given to your squad doesn’t mean that it will remain yours if you fail.”

“But we didn’t fail,” Risotto said, his voice like a rumble. “Nor were we made aware prior to my men actually arriving at the location.”

The man shrugged and interlaced his fingers on his lap. “That’s hardly a problem for the rest of the family. If you waste your funding on frivolous travel expenses, then you’re going to have to find supplementary income from another location.”

Your eyes met Illuso’s through the mirror. He raised an eyebrow at your eavesdropping but there was no true tease in the gesture.

Nobody was going to be in a good mood today.

The man’s eyes raised to the mirror and you froze. He shouldn’t be able to see you but it felt like he knew you were there. His eyes roamed over the mirror’s face, stopping for only a split second near you.

“Do you not ever feel watched with all these ridiculous mirrors around the place?” he drawled.

Risotto also didn’t know where you were but he somehow managed to send a piercing and reprimanding look through to you all the same. “No. That’s hardly related to what we were discussing.”

You stepped out of the room and found your way to the kitchen. There was no food on this side but you could at least look through some backwards recipe books that Prosciutto had found hidden in the back of a cupboard earlier.

A cold sweat ran down the side of your neck. Of all the men you’d seen and met working for Passione, that one was absolutely the worst. He looked almost moldy.

It wasn’t a long wait before Illuso grabbed your shoulders. He managed to get a sizable jump out of you and smirked at the accomplishment.

“Not even a heads up?” you asked.

“I could have left a note but you might not have been able to read it.” He twirled a strand of your hair around his fingers as he spoke. “But I’m quite impressed. I never saw you as the eavesdropping kind. Do you often sneak around that door when we’re speaking about things?”

“You know I don’t,” you defended, though you couldn’t deny that you had often felt the desire to at least try.

“Perhaps if you had access to the mirror world more frequently, you would,” he mused. “And for all that you complain about how much I do it… a little hypocritical, don’t you think?”

You rolled your eyes at him. “I prefer you watching me where I can see it. Besides, you know I wasn’t there to listen in on anybody. I was just trying to find out why I woke up in the mirror world.”

“We had an unexpected visitor. One I didn’t want to take chances with.”

“Who was it?”

Illuso’s jaw twitched. “Just somebody from the boss’ personal guard.” The sneer in his voice was a little more obvious than he had wanted it to be. “Don’t worry yourself. You might melt your brain if you use it too much.”

“Right so…” You waited pointedly for your express trip back into the real world; an opportunity that didn’t come.

Illuso shrugged and he disappeared from in front of you, leaving you stranded for the second time that day. You glared at the air and willed him to feel your displeasure.

But it wasn’t long before he was back, bearing a peace offering.

You ended up sitting on the counter beside Illuso with no complaint. The honeyed figs and smooth ricotta easily smoothed out your irritation. Your eyes fluttered closed at the burst of sweetness.

Illuso held the fruit to your lips, gently kissing the stickiness from your fingers when you returned the favour. The sunlight danced in through the window as time stretched on. It warmed your back and lit up the softer contours of his face. For such a sharp-featured man, he could become so gentle when he allowed himself to. You enjoyed it more than you would ever admit.

The figs made you feel almost sleepy. You leaned against Illuso’s shoulder, head resting gently against his own. He moved the plate to the side and wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you closer against his side.

Your home looked so different in the mirror world. If not for the books and records with their reversed names, just for the general silence of it.

“We should head back soon,” you said.

Illuso didn’t respond. He sighed and he tapped a gentle rhythm against your thigh where his hand rested. You recognised the beat easily enough; Illuso was so picky when it came to music that recognising his favourite songs was almost second nature.

“Would you stay here today?” he asked after a long while. “You don’t have much to do.”

“Lu…”

It was true, you didn’t have too much that you had to get done. The day was going to be a relaxing one in any case but you did still have some plans. The mirror world would be limiting, taking away a great deal of things that you could do.

“How about instead you spend the day with me?” you asked, tracing a pattern into the back of his hand. “And we can stay next to a mirror as often as possible.”

Once again, he didn’t answer but you watched Man In The Mirror appear before you were both dropped back into the real world.

The sound of everything rushed over you all at once. Traffic outside, birds screaming, the ocean crashing. You hadn’t even noticed just how much was missing until it slammed into you at the same time. The smell of something burning hit your nose and you pulled a face.

Before going to investigate what had been set on fire, you tangled your fingers with Illuso’s to easily drag him along.

[lasquadranights]

Protective Streaks

Melone x Reader

Content Warnings: Suggestive Content

***

Melone’s mouth was on your jaw, pressing open-mouthed kisses along your throat and making you giggle with each one. His hands slid up your sides, touch dipping beneath your shirt to caress your waist sweetly.

There was a loud crack and you both paused, turning your attention in the direction of the road.

Silence stretched for a few seconds. You shrugged and kissed him again, tangling your fingers in his hair and pushing up against his body. The tree at your back gave you more leverage and you weren’t letting that go away.

There was a rustling of leaves and you parted again.

“Might be an animal,” you mumbled. “Or some cop spotted the bike.”

Melone was far from convinced. He disentangled himself from you and stepped around the trees to where he had a better view of the road. The hard set of his jaw grew your concern and you pulled your skirt back down in case. The knife sitting on your ankle felt heavier than usual though you didn’t reach for it yet.

“No cars around,” Melone said. “But it’s alright, we’ll find a better spot.”

You pouted a little but agreed with little complaint. It was only when you started making your way towards the road when you started getting really uneasy.

“Mel,” you whispered. “If we need, we decided Babyface probably wouldn’t kill me, right?”

“Probably not but it would still be ridiculously painful. We’re not testing that theory anytime soon.”

You were a little relieved by that but it was short-lived. Despite how weary you were of Melone’s stand (even though you knew it would never actually hurt you), you may have felt more comfortable if it was out. Not knowing what was sneaking around could quickly get to you.

He pulled you behind a tree once you grew closer to the road, carefully scanning the area before allowing you get close to the parked bike. It sat innocently in the clearing. Moonlight glinted off the metal, reflecting the clear night sky that stretched above.

“Risotto.”

Melone’s whisper made you jump, not anticipating or having seen him lift the phone to his ear in the first place.

You stared at him wide-eyed as he offered up your location and asked for a return call in a few minutes. Then, he hung up and handed the phone over to you with a muttered ‘just in case’.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” you said, mostly reassuring yourself to keep your heartrate down. “Either way, it won’t be able to catch us once we get to the road.”

Melone nodded, lightly caressing your cheek. “Exactly. Don’t worry about it bella, you’ll be alright. Wait here while I go and see if it’s safe, alright?”

You didn’t have much time to respond before he was leaving you alone. The air was colder than ever on the skin of your stomach and you wrapped your arms around yourself, almost making you regret wearing the beautiful, cropped sweater Melone had bought for you the day before. You wrapped your arms around your midriff tightly as you watched.

A crack behind you made you startle, frantically looking between the trees. Nothing but shadows crossed the ground.

Still, you decided to take the safest option and stepped out to follow Melone.

He turned his attention to you. “Bella –“

“I’m not waiting for something to grab me out of the darkness Mel.”

He looked over your shoulder with a hesitant expression. What was more dangerous? Leaving you alone or letting you come and check for possible traps. It was strange to see Melone looking so weary about anything.

Babyface startled you with its sudden experience, materializing into existence and immediately popping out those incredibly strange limbs of his. It landed on the ground, scrabbling off to search around the trees.

“Is that safe for him?”

The stand was weaker than most, at least when it was in its computer form. More than one complaint from Ghiaccio had warned you of that.

“It’ll be fine.”

You shivered, not wanting to slide closer to Melone in case you caused any problems but also beginning to really feel the cold. It slithered around your exposed waist and under your shirt no matter what you did.

It was strange to see your partner so focused.

Melone was never serious around you – especially not when you were wearing something he’d gotten for you. It was always soft kisses and tickling fingers, punctuated only by a thousand compliments. Yet he wasn’t even looking at you for now. Perhaps it was making you more nervous in the moment but you appreciated it even more later.

Few things were worthy of such a devotion of Melone’s attention. Your safety was one of them.

There was a scuttling noise and you almost screamed, catching yourself right before you kicked the computer that came racing up to you. Babyface beeped loudly and your heart leapt again. Kneeling down, you awkwardly reached out your hand and scratched its strange little chin while text scrolled across the screen.

“What’s it saying?” Melone asked.

“Hidden cop car nearby,” you read, carefully keeping your voice down even as relief flooded your bones.

Probably just somebody who noticed the bike then. Likely not even a stand user.

Melone’s easy grin reappeared and Babyface vanished as you were swept into your partner’s arms. His tongue traced the shell of your ear, a whisper sending shivers down your spine.

“Don’t suppose you want another indecent exposure charge?”

You batted him away with a laugh, unrestrained as it echoed through the trees. The worry that had gripped you before now seemed trivial. The potential danger would never go away but wasting your energy on a cop who was probably already on Passione’s payload was pointless.

“Come on,” you urged. “Let’s find a better spot. It was getting a little chilly out here anyway.”

“I know just the place. You’re going to love it.”

You heard the policeman stumble his way through the trees as the bike threw up dirt behind itself. His shouts were lost to the wind as Melone raced down the road, your face buried against his back.

You wrapped your arms tighter around his waist, pulling yourself in closer to shield your skin from the chill. Maybe Risotto was right and you should get some things like a jacket or a helmet.

Those thoughts were interrupted by Melone though, speaking only loud enough to be heard over the wind.

“Do you want to go back instead?”

“Why would I?”

“You were pretty nervous back there. You’ll feel safer if you’re somewhere you know.”

“Don’t worry Mel, I already feel safe with you.”

Later, when he made the comment about you not being scared of Babyface and you reiterated your statement, you realised it meant more to your blonde partner than you’d thought. Perhaps that was why he was so quick to become protective. He never wanted to make you feel like you were in danger in any way.

[lasquadranights]

Car Ride

Risotto x Reader

Content Warnings: References to Polygamy

***

The glint of the polished metal was almost mesmerizing. With a far too eager grin, you ran your fingers over the glossy paint of the car. It really was a marvel that you wouldn’t have ever gotten to play with before. Now, you were currently swinging the keys around in your hand.

“I know Ghia,” you interrupted. “Trust me, I’ll be extra careful with your baby.”

He scowled at you. “Don’t be stupid. If I’m letting you drive my car so obviously, I already trust you.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.”

“But the point remains that if this car comes back with any damage, you’ll learn how easy it is to snap off your fingers when they’re frozen solid.”

You rolled your eyes at his back as he stalked away, hands in his pockets and muttering under his breath. The sleek black car he climbed into was far more suited to the world of politicians: scarcely identifiable and aided with bulletproof windows. You waved as it pulled away before turning your gaze back to your prize.

When Ghiaccio had asked you to take his car for a service while he away, you’d happily leapt at the opportunity. With an added payment of being allowed to drive it around before then, of course.

You slid into the front seat and leaned back, happily tilting your head up to the sky and breathing in the salty air. This was why he never put the cover up, surely.

A shadow fell across your face and you frowned as you opened one eye.

“Hey Riz,” you grinned. “Look what I have.”

It was a very bright day, shadows cast across Risotto’s expression to make him come off terribly intimidating. “I thought for sure Ghiaccio wouldn’t have given you the keys. I’m quite surprised.”

“I know,” you laughed. “Even after I told him I want to see how fast she can go. But all he said was to make sure there weren’t other cars around.”

Risotto frowned, a small change to his usual deadpan but a noticeable one.

“Wanna come with?”

He was busy. He’d told you as much in the early morning when you’d brought him some toast you’d snatched from Gelato’s plate. You fully expected Risotto to merely wish you luck and disappear back into his office after a soft kiss.

It genuinely surprised you when he walked around the car, climbing into the passenger seat that looked far too small for him.

“Where are we going?”

You grinned, turning the keys and listening to the engine purr. “I don’t know yet.”

The tightly packed streets of the city during the early afternoon didn’t give you much space to enjoy the top being down but once you made it to the sprawling roads, you wasted no time. She almost flew across the open lanes, wind whipping your hair back and almost stealing your sunglasses.

Risotto managed to catch his hat before it disappeared. He looked far softer without it. The sunlight danced across his hair like the glittering surface of a lake.

You reached over to catch a strand between your fingers. “You’re too handsome,” you laughed. “It honestly isn’t fair.”

“You should keep your attention on the road.”

“That’s hard to do when there’s somebody like you next to me.” Still, you obediently shifted your gaze back to the tarmac. You settled into the seat and basked in the sunlight against your skin.

Risotto’s hand settled on your thigh and you turned to smile at him when you noticed something was wrong. He was always pretty pale but not quite like this.

The car slowed down as your concern grew. “Riz? Are you alright?”

“Yes? Why do you ask?”

You slowed down even more. All the adrenaline gone from the combination of driving under the speed limit and your worry about your partner, the winding roads were feeling a little less exciting and more dangerous. You pulled off on the side. The crunch of the rocks beneath the tires reminded you just how far you’d driven out.

Another car came speeding past in the opposite direction, faster than even you’d been going. You watched it curiously, eager to see the model but unable to in the reflection of the sun.

Without the wind, you were actually feeling quite hot. How Risotto was sitting comfortably in full black, you didn’t know. At least his shoulders weren’t as tense anymore.

“Ghia’s car runs like a dream,” you said, eager to break the silence that had fallen over you. “Impressive given how often I’ve seen him kick the poor thing.”

Risotto nodded. “It’s a very efficient car. It’s quite safe so you wouldn’t need to worry too much about any incidents while driving it.”

“That doesn’t make you feel better, does it?”

“Unfortunately not.”

You both sat in the too-hot sun. The tomato fields stretched out beside the road, sprawling in an almost unending fashion. They were so close that you could reach out and pick one if you so wanted to. It would undoubtedly make Prosciutto happier though he would frown if you said you didn’t know which farm it had come from.

“Were you planning on going anywhere in particular?”

You shrugged and gestured toward your feet. “Not really. There’s this one area that I like to go and sit by when I have some time. I stole the leftovers from the fridge also so they’re back there.”

Ghiaccio didn’t actually mind eating in his car. He did mind messing. But you were fairly sure of your ability to eat pasta without spilling it everywhere.

“We should get going then?” Risotto mentioned.

“You sure?”

He nodded.

You restarted the car and pulled off. The silence stretching between you and Risotto was heavy with words unsaid. His thumb moved in soothing circles across your thigh as you climbed along the winding roads.

Another car overtook you, disappearing over the hills at top speed.

Risotto sighed. “I hope you don’t think I have any worries about your driving.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t blame you,” you chuckled. “I was going a little fast.”

“Fast, yes, but not quite reckless. I have faith in your ability to not do anything that would put us in danger.” He watched the scenery with an expression that was far away.

You must have been going faster than you thought because you recognised the area far sooner than you’d expected to arrive. Oops. Still, the view was amazing and you pulled underneath an old lemon tree with hanging broughs that nearly drooped into the car. The fruit was never worth harvesting but it offered the best shade.

And an even better view of the lake before you.

The leftovers had shifted under your seat but you found them alongside a pair of Melone’s sunglasses (which you would be most certainly claiming for yourself).

“I only brought one fork so we’re going to have to share,” you contemplated.

“It’s alright. I don’t need to have anything.”

You held the fork up to him anyway, patiently waiting until he ate before you tried some of your own. The cold pasta wasn’t as good as it had been the previous night but there was a sweetness that came from knowing you’d won the race to it.

“I quite like it here,” Risotto mentioned, squeezing your leg a little before he moved his hand away. He reached up to touch one of the delicate leaves.

“I love the peacefulness of it,” you agreed. “It’s tranquil.”

Risotto showed you a small ladybug crawling across his palm. It settled on his wrist, clearly content with being cradled by a giant. For minutes, you both watched the little beetle before it flew off back into the grass.

“Thank you.”

“For?”

Risotto glanced at you. “Earlier. You stopped even though you didn’t need to.”

“Oh.” You weren’t sure how best to respond, after all, what else were you going to have done? Giving him a heart attack wasn’t high on your list of plans for the day. “You’re welcome. I’m surprised you came with actually.”

“I thought it would be better than waiting for you to get back while pretending that’s not what I’m doing.”

You laughed, the image of Risotto staring at the door like a lost puppy popping into your mind. He did get that expression from time to time so it wasn’t too difficult to imagine. “At least then you’d know what I do when nobody is at the house.”

“You mean aside from trying on everybody’s clothes?”

“Okay, how do you know that exactly?”

“It’s surprising how often you all forget what Metallica can do.”

[lasquadranights]

Senior Night

Prosciutto x Reader

Content Warnings: References to Polygamy, Harassment

***

The music was loud, bass playing heavy through the oversized speaker set. Everything about the club was filled with a pulsing thick scent, hanging over the crowd as they danced and swayed against one another.

You sighed a little too loudly, eyes flitting across the menu that had been placed in front of you once more. The flashing lights made it so you could barely read its sticky, laminated front.

These places seemed a lot more fun when you had a dancing partner.

“Nonno–“

“Don’t.”

Prosciutto was sitting, almost shrouded in the shadow of the booth with a book in hand. He definitely couldn’t read in this lighting but he was pretending regardless. You sometimes wondered why he tried so hard to impress you but you appreciated it regardless.

“Sorry, are you not my grandfather?” you asked. “Should I use daddy instead?”

He was still slightly aged, giving himself the look of a silver fox instead of the corpse he’d been at the door. It had been part of the reason you entered this place so easily. They had a senior discount (though few grandparents were going to a nightclub) and you were there to help secure the cover of one certain assassin in training.

“If you continue being insufferable, I’ll ruin your makeup by aging you into a zombie.”

You picked up your glass and pouted when you found it to be empty. “Pros, don’t you want to dance or something? My date has ditched me.”

“I’m your date. We’re just letting people assume you’re with Pesci to help him blend in better.”

You huffed and dropped the menu onto the grimy counter. It wasn’t even a good club where you could be sure you weren’t going to pick up some kind of disease. “Well, my date’s brother has ditched me then.”

“He’s working. Having you here is actually quite good for him. He’s worried about impressing you and this will give him experience with a different kind of pressure.”

You rolled your eyes. Pesci really didn’t need to worry about impressing you, he did that just by continuing to work with the organization every day. Still, even when you told him as much, he would assure you that if you were with Prosciutto, you were important enough to think about.

“Do you want anything to drink?” you asked.

“I’m working.”

“So? I didn’t say it was limited to alcohol.”

Though you didn’t know if this place would have anything that wasn’t laced with the stuff. Most of the group refused to drink while they were working, unless they were exceptionally good at handling their liquor like Melone.

Prosciutto sighed and waved his hand which you took to mean as a ‘do what you want’. It was a good opportunity.

You slipped your way to the bar, sure not to touch it as you placed your order. The bartender gave you a flirtatious grin as they disappeared to make you what you needed and you perched on the edge of a seat to wait. You adjusted your dress, proud of how flattering it looked on your frame. It was a good choice for the evening.

Unfortunately, that always attracted something unwanted.

“So, you’re into charity work?”

The comment came from a man with dark hair hanging over most of his face. His suit looked too tight, squeezing him around the throat and making his skin red. You’d noticed him shortly after arriving. He’d been standing with a small group that often hung around Pesci’s target. That meant… well, you needed to escape from this and quickly.

You put on your best sneer. “Do you need something?”

“Just to understand what world we live in when something as beautiful as you can choose to come here with… well, what you did.” His entire demeanor radiated a warning, even without his sleazy words.

“If even that is beyond you, I suppose I’ve been told all I need to know,” you said, voice short and snipped. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

He moved even closer, crowding into your space and making you shift away until you almost fell from the chair. “Protective, aren’t you? Oh, is it like a younger brother kind of situation?”

“I am actually here with someone if you must know,” you huffed. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

“It could be.”

“It won’t be.”

You saw the change in his expression; the moment when it became clear in his brain that you weren’t just playing hard to get. It allowed a weaseling thought into your brain as a reminder of where you were. This wasn’t a regular bar where the patrons would disappear when a shinier object caught their fantasy.

“Who are you here with?” The question didn’t allow any more room for you not to answer, its thinly veiled threat clearer than anything else.

“It doesn’t matter,” you said, thanking your luck when the bartender passed over two icy drinks. “Goodbye.”

You swung off the stool but he stepped into your path, essentially blocking you against the bar. Despite the speed your heart was going at, you met his eyes with a challenge. Bluffing was the best way out of this.

You wanted to look around and see if you had any potential allies but keeping up the façade of confidence was better. Prosciutto often made sure to tell you that, after all.

“Do you know what I don’t understand?”

“I’m guessing there’s a fair amount.” You probably shouldn’t have been as sarcastic if the twitch in his eye was anything to go by but the words were out before you could stop them.

“A bitch like you walks in here and assumes that they own the place? Like they’re some kind of God’s gift to man. Do you really think you’re better than everybody else here? Because you really aren’t.”

“Thanks for the information,” you said through your teeth.

The glasses were getting unsteady in your hands, trembling only noticeable to you but making the condensation gathering around them feel all the more dangerous. You really didn’t want to spill or drop anything because of this asshole.

“Is there a problem here?”

The bartender’s voice startled you a little but you’d never been more grateful to hear somebody speak. You were going to huff out a complaint when you glanced at him and realised somebody else must have noticed what was going on. The bartender didn’t quite look the same as he once had.

The fog that curled around your ankles wasn’t just from the pathetic smoke machine in the corner. Its hue was wrong.

“Nothing’s wrong. We’re just having a conversation,” the man in front of you bit out. His voice had a croaky edge to it and you forced yourself to take in more of his face.

The grey hairs didn’t lie.

“Look,” you said firmly, taking advantage of the break. “I’m not interested, alright? Why don’t you go find somebody your own age to hit on?” You shifted the glasses around, holding the cold condensation closer to your skin.

“What?” the man said, confusion winning over his irritation.

You rolled your eyes and glanced back at the slightly older bartender. “This is why I never come here on these senior special nights. I always end up getting hit on by guys old enough to be my grandfather.”

“Are you blind or mental?”

You turned back at the snap, feeling a slight ache in your bones as you did so. The drinks were cold but they wouldn’t starve off the effects forever. “What? Are you telling me you’re not at least sixty?”

The too-tight clothing was working against him. Its heat had only encouraged the aging process and, in the short time since you’d looked away, the wrinkles on his face had begun to sag. His grey hair had thinned, revealing liver spots on his head. The once intimidating façade of broad shoulders were quickly turning hunched.

He immediately stomped to the bar to glare at his reflection in the mirror behind the drinks. You watched the blood drain from his face when he saw himself, hands flying to his mouth.

“What the fuck?!”

You took that as your queue to leave, hurrying away from the situation and back through the crowds which were all looking substantially older. The Grateful Dead greeted you with a slight head bow and you smiled back in response.

Prosciutto gestured for you to sit next to him, closing his book once you’d fallen onto the uncomfortable chair. He took the drink from you. “So?”

“Thank you,” you sighed. “That guy wasn’t letting me leave.”

“I noticed. I understand Risotto didn’t want too many extra casualties but I’m sure he’ll be more open to this one.”

“Pros, if you leave Grateful Dead out, won’t you kill half the bar?”

Prosciutto didn’t answer and The Grateful Dead didn’t disappear. He took a sip from his drink and brushed along your cheek with his thumb. “You handled that remarkably well. I’d like to get you a weapon you can wear even with an outfit like this.”

The others often gave you weapons but they rarely were able to be concealed. Instead of focusing on that, you allowed yourself to melt into the praise. It wasn’t common from Prosciutto (and helped you to realise he was actually upset) so you relished in it.

“Maybe when I go and get the next one –“

“No, you aren’t leaving my side again.”

You glanced away from those beautiful shining eyes towards the dancefloor. It was thinning now with the exhaustion of the older crowds. “Not even for that?”

“No.”

It would have probably been a good idea to protest but you really couldn’t find it in yourself to mind all that much. You could always dance at a different time. The encounter had set your nerves alight more than was comfortable. Settling against his side, you closed your eyes and tried not to drift off.

Prosciutto sighed with an undeniable fondness. A soft kiss to your forehead offered an unexpected tenderness that set your face ablaze.

“Try not to actively seek out danger.”

You could have made a joke, and part of you really wanted to, but you met his eyes and the concern you found there made you wilt. “I promise… unless it would allow a certain name from earlier to be used?”

His expression defaulted back into its cool façade and you burst out laughing. Grateful Dead turned to you, reaching out its hand and you squealed, trying to squirm away without having to leave Prosciutto’s warm hold.

[lasquadranights]

Similar Situations

Gelato x Reader x Sorbet

Content Warnings: Polygamy

***

Sorbet raised an eyebrow when you hopped over the back of the couch and fell dramatically into his lap, nearly knocking the book from his hands.

“I’m bored.”

His eyes drifted back to the pages without a word. Sorbet never minded you hanging around him while he was reading as long as you didn’t make too much noise. Sometimes, if you remained quiet for a time, he would even start to read to you in a deep voice that made you melt into him.

But you didn’t get that opportunity because right after he began running his fingers through your hair, the front door opened and you both sat up to see who’d arrived back.

Gelato’s expression was twisted into a grimace before he noticed where you sat and you watched as the tension drained from his muscles. A loopy smile appeared as he sauntered over, favoring his left side a little too much.

“You two seem to be having fun.”

Sorbet made a hum of acknowledgement and you sat up properly.

“How’d everything go?”

Gelato tapped your nose. “Better than I expected. You should have seen the guy’s face when he realised Passione knew all about that little wife of his. Couldn’t get that kind of agony if I pulled out every single one of his teeth. Which, by the way, I really wanted to do because some of the things that asshole sprouted was beyond rude.”

Sorbet closed his book and gestured for Gelato to join him on the couch. “A little close to home?”

“Not really.”

He was lying, of course. Gelato could only lie when he was working; when he was with people he trusted, he just couldn’t do it. His entire frame became twitchy and he refused to make eye contact with anyone.

It was one thing to see people who worked for the organisation meet a very painful demise. That kind of end was almost expected for many in Passione.

But it was another thing entirely for an innocent to be dragged into such a brutal business.

Instead of taking the seat between yourself and Sorbet, Gelato shoved you into the middle before draping himself over your shoulders. “How do you feel about doing some travel?”

“Hm?”

Your slightly confused response made his attention switch to Sorbet instead, searching for agreement on his idea. “What do you think baby? The three of us can go on a long, long trip to somewhere nice and exotic like Malta.”

“Malta’s hardly exotic,” Sorbet responded. “Besides Pitcairn would be better for what you’re thinking.”

Gelato grinned excitedly. “Alright, then we’re going to Pitcairn.”

You rolled your eyes and elbowed his side playfully. “Are you planning on leaving me there?”

“You’d love it. There’s like fifty people on the entire island so you’d get to know everybody. We’d come and visit you once a year.”

“Thank you but I rather like living here,” you laughed.

Gelato huffed but you could see the idea hadn’t entirely left his mind. He shuffled closer, wedging you firmly between himself and Sorbet. It was a good thing you didn’t mind physical touch because he didn’t give you much of a choice about it.

“Darling,” Sorbet warned when you squeaked after Gelato tightened his grip on your arms as well. “You’re going to hurt one of the few people who’s willing to sneak out with you at three in the morning and I’m not going to do it instead.”

He didn’t let go though, fingers biting into your arms. “Maybe I can make you pop,” he hummed.

“But then I couldn’t hug you,” you pointed out. “Which would be an awful shame.”

Gelato sighed and lessened his hold ever so slightly. “I suppose that’s true.” He watched you from the corner of his eye. “You know, I try to scare you off from time to time. I’m sure there’s got to be something that’s your limit and then you’ll run away from here screaming.”

“You should try a chain around the throat,” Sorbet said, tracing your neck with the tips of his fingers. “Or removing a limb.”

“That first one could end in a way you’re not expecting if it’s with one of you on the other end,” you hummed, meeting Sorbet’s suddenly interested eyes. “But either way, if you do that, it’s hardly keeping me any safer.”

“It would be a limb instead of your life,” Sorbet said.

“Unless somebody from the organization finds out about my existence and I don’t have my beautiful, intimidating partners to protect me?” you asked. “What then?”

Your flattery got to Sorbet more than the others though he was subtle about showing it. His chest would puff up ever-so-slightly and the glint in his eyes would turn sharper as his full attention focused on you. Gelato was more open with it and, with a smirk, he brought his lips to your neck and trailed kisses along it.

“I guess you’re right,” he purred. “But we should try the chain idea, just in case. Don’t you agree?”

Sorbet’s muttered acknowledgement, dark and velvet against your ear, made you shudder.

You ran your fingers through Gelato’s hair, head tilting back into the attention from his mouth when you felt something at the base of his neck. The stickiness already told you what it was and he gave you a stern expression of warning.

As though you would ever listen to that.

You shifted away (an action that put you directly in Sorbet’s lap) and raised an eyebrow. “So?”

Gelato groaned, a little overdramatically. “It isn’t that bad,” he huffed. “A little uncomfortable at worst.”

It had to have been from a blunt object; a split that ran across the back of his head and remained mostly hidden beneath his hair. Of course, the amount of blood made your heart pound regardless even if you knew it wasn’t a life-threatening problem.

“We could have been having fun,” Gelato grumbled.

“You could have told us about this earlier,” Sorbet responded. “Then maybe we would be.”

Sorbet had produced a medical kit from somewhere (you suspected it was hidden under the couch but always forgot to ask) and was gently cleaning the wound while you tried your hardest to get the blood out of Gelato’s hair without pulling. You remained perched on Sorbet’s lap though, despite the awkwardness it created, because that’s where he wanted you to stay.

“You know, I do find it quite funny how you all worry about me so much,” you said. The dried blood was easy to comb out with a wet cloth but you didn’t have one on you. “I’m not the one who goes out and risks my life every day.”

“Yes, you do,” Sorbet grumbled. “By coming here –“

“I basically live here.”

“By being here,” he corrected. “You put yourself in just as much danger as we do. Perhaps more. We can defend ourselves easier against Passione if we come up against somebody who wants us dead.”

“And that’s not what they probably want,” Gelato added in. “They’ll want you as a hostage and far from in the fun way.”

“Never thought there would be a point in my life where being held hostage had a fun way,” you laughed. “But here we are.”

Sorbet’s eyes shone in a way that promised you would experience it at some point.

“Either way,” you continued. “I still worry about all of you. When I see you come back with injuries and the like… it gets to me. That’s when I want to handcuff myself to you and make sure you’re always being safe even when you’re working.”

“Maybe we’ll have to see about getting you a stand,” Gelato laughed.

You sighed, if only it was that easy. You knew how they came about but it also came with a promise to join the organisation and potentially be moved away from your group… and that was before you even got to the risk of not making it through at all.

Still, it was something to think about.

[lasquadranights]

Deeper Reflection

Illuso x Reader

Content Warnings: References to Polygamy

***

The heavy curtain was a little dusty as you pushed it away from the mirror entirely. You wrinkled your nose at it before leaning in to check on your makeup. A little last-minute preening never hurt before you headed out and this mirror was the last one before you left the house.

You fixed your hair before waiting, head tilted to the side for an interruption that didn’t come.

“Is Lu home?” you asked, aiming the question at nobody in particular over your shoulder.

“Yeah. He’s in the mirrors somewhere.”

Formaggio’s confirmation only had you feeling a little more down. You’d stopped to look at yourself a few times after getting ready, hoping for the usual interruption you received when you were dressed up. The lack of it was an unusual mix of confusing and concerning.

You pressed your hand to the mirror, as though you could force your way to see through Man In The Mirror’s protection. When nothing happened, you bit your lower lip.

“Mag, I’ve got to go,” you said, dragging your attention away from the mirror. “I’ll be back at like midnight. Can you let the others know?”

After getting your confirmation, you checked your hair one more time before hurrying out the house to a frankly boring night. You were overdressed for the friend group you went with (not a bad thing but something they certainly all commented on) and your heart wasn’t in it.

You wondered a few times if you were being ridiculous and your friends reassured you with as much knowledge of the situation as they had. Which was pretty much nothing so it didn’t really help.

By the time you walked in through the front door, you were tired. Your feet ached and you took up the spot Formaggio had been in earlier with a small huff.

You tilted your head to the side so you could stare into your reflection in the mirror. The makeup was holding strong but the wind had gotten to your hair, ruffling it a little. You sighed and turned away, running your fingers through it before giving up and sinking deeper into the seat. It was awfully comfy and the bedroom felt far away.

Knowing you’d probably get woken up by Risotto when he finally left his office, you closed your eyes and started to drift off.

Before you could though, a touch to your jaw brought you to the real world. It danced down to your throat, lightly playing with your necklace.

Bright red eyes met your own and you relaxed more than you expected.

“This necklace looks awful on you.”

You smiled, reaching back lazily to unclasp it and drop it to the side. It fell to the floor with a light clinking sound, undoubtedly going to be forgotten about at some point. “Too bad you couldn’t tell me that earlier. I went out with that on.”

Illuso continued to lightly trace small patterns on your neck. “Is that why you were looking so desperate earlier? Was I on your mind the entire night?”

You pressed a small, sleepy kiss to the inside of his wrist. “I couldn’t get you off of my mind. My friends probably think I’m going through a breakup or something.”

He was so smug; you could see he was going to be teasing you about it for weeks.

But also, there was no further tease. No taunt or leaning in to whisper something either mean or sexual in your ear.

Just like earlier, Illuso was being unusually quiet.

“I’m going to sit here for a bit,” you invited. “Join me. I’m in need of a good pillow.”

He raised an eyebrow. “If you fall asleep on me, I’m not carrying you anywhere. That’s far too much effort.”

“I know.”

It was awful how comfortable he was to lie against. His clothes were always soft and puffy and he somehow radiated warmth. Plus, he was the perfect height for sitting in his lap which was where you moved the moment you could. His grumble held no actual complaint and you settled with your head resting on his shoulder.

“I missed you.”

He grinned. “You saw me this morning.”

You didn’t specify but there was little need to. He already knew how hard you had been looking for him before you left. In a way, you worried about how connected you were to any of your partners, but you still wouldn’t change it.

Illuso shifted you so he could snake an arm around your waist, pulling you closer and into a more comfortable spot. “If you’re that worried about not being with me, I could always steal you away into the mirror world for good,” he hummed, meeting your eyes in the reflection of the mirror when you looked up. “You’d be safe there and I could keep you all to myself.”

“I don’t know how much the others would agree with that,” you said.

“They can come in and visit you. Whenever you want.”

You sighed and ran your fingers through his hair. It shone in the artificial lighting, a mesmerizing shade of mahogany. “I think I’d miss real people too much,” you mentioned. “And you’re not really first in line for locking me up, you know.”

“Except I’d actually do it,” he said, a finger tracing your jaw. He tilted your chin up to meet his gaze directly. “The others joke about it but they wouldn’t. I would keep you safe and protected even if you didn’t want me to. You’d never have to worry about anything.”

And you could feel that. It was so real in the grip he held you in when you slept at his side.

You lightly kissed him, hoping that you could relieve a little of the tension in his voice. He was offering it to you even if he knew you’d never take it.

“Lu,” you said. “You know I don’t want to be a prisoner in any way.”

“What if I don’t care?”

“You do. If you didn’t, you would have taken me into that mirror the day you decided I was getting in too deep,” you said. “Besides, I know you understand better than anybody how awful it is to be trapped.”

A flash of irritation across his expression made you shift uncomfortably. It was a small slipup but if the others knew, you thought that he would assume you knew also.

“What do you mean by that?”

Your gaze dropped to the side. “Risotto… he mentioned you wouldn’t tell me yourself but he thought I should understand, at least a little.”

Illuso’s mouth twisted. “Figures. Nobody here can keep a secret anyway. I’m honestly surprised you didn’t get told by Gelato or Formaggio on one of their gossip sprees.”

“You say that as though you don’t join in with them,” you teased.

“What do you know?”

“Just the basics. You were a runaway with a family who had lots of connections to ensure you kept being brought back to them. Until you came here,” you said. “Well, not here but to Passione.”

Illuso’s nails were digging into your side a little but you didn’t move. This wasn’t a topic you had ever planned to bring up. “Certainly, sounds like Risotto’s explanation. The way you said that earlier, I thought you may have found out some other details.”

“He always leaves out the parts he thinks I won’t like.”

“He does.” Illuso’s caress turned into a tight hold on your chin, fingers bruising against your jaw. “He worries you’re too soft. That you wouldn’t want to know all the ways they tried to stop me from leaving… all the things that made me want to leave in the first place. Would knowing my own parents broke my leg be too harsh for you? Or would you find yourself morbidly intrigued by it all?”

“Illuso,” you said, voice coming out a little harsher than intended. “Enough.”

He let go. You took the hand that was holding your side, locking your fingers with his own.

“I don’t mind you telling me if you want,” you said. “But just be nice about it.”

There was a stretching quiet before he adjusted his hold and stood, lifting you with him. You tucked your head into his neck as he walked to the bedroom and that night, if he held you a little too tight while you slept, you didn’t mention it.

[lasquadranights]

The Base

Not too long ago, I asked if any would be interested in seeing the houses/bases that I use as the settings for a great deal of the stories published on both my blogs. I received positive responses to this but couldn't figure out how to do it.

Then somebody recommended the Sims 4 and... well, I tried. It's not a game I'm very used to but the building mechanics are actually really nice to use.

Because the La Squadra base is the easier of the two, I built that first. I didn't have all the things I wanted and the game is somewhat limiting so take some of the design with a grain of salt.

Needless to say, it's very image heavy beneath the cut.

***

The Entrance Hall/Main Living Room

Built illegally in a warehouse that fell into disuse after Passione operatives moved to a more occupied areas, the La Squadra team has always used the place as a main base and living area (even if the cracks in the walls and the lack of windows isn't great).

Due to image limitations, I couldn't include the entrance hall but this image is taken when one has just stepped out of it. In the entrance hall, there's some coatracks and a destroyed squeaky cat toy that everybody has stepped on at least once when coming back in the early hours of the morning, giving them a heart attack.

The main living area is connected to a secondary hall on the immediate right and the kitchen. It's quite open and the lack of real items with a high ceiling makes the echo pretty bad.

This area is primarily taken over by Illuso and Formaggio with the largest mirror in the house being found here. The speaker system was a gift to the former and the television stolen by the latter. Though hard to see in this image, the camera on the shelf belongs to Gelato and nobody else, including you, should dare touch it.

Though seating is limited, this room is the best for a nap as the sunlight comes in just right during the day and the couch is incredibly comfortable. After enough complaining, Prosciutto no longer smokes on it so there's no longer the lingering cigarette smell on the cushions.

I couldn't add weapons due to the game but most are found in this room with guns and knives often being tossed on the shelves or leaned behind the punching bag. It took you a while to get used to it but now you hardly notice them anymore.

The entire room does smell vaguely like cat.

The other side of the room features the staircase down to the basement and a small table that originally had no chairs until your insistence on getting some. The fish belongs to Pesci and he's grown quite protective over it after his previous one got eaten. Melone ends up looking after it most of the time while Formaggio will occasionally torment it.

Due to Sims limitations, I couldn't add stains but there is a mysterious one on the floor by the front entrance. You've asked but the others don't share (Gelato's to blame).

***

The Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the brightest rooms in the house due to the low ceiling. It's clean most of the time as it belongs mostly to Prosciutto who uses it frequently (if he didn't cook, he's convinced the others would survive solely on takeout and... well, he isn't wrong). He always keeps a pack of cigarettes behind the coffee machine with a plant that hasn't been watered in years but is somehow still growing.

The tea collection is shared by Sorbet and Risotto. While it's never been said that nobody else can have, the two most intimidating members of the group don't get crossed often. (You sometimes drink Risotto's good tea though when it's late at night and you can't sleep).

The fridge is filled with the most random items you can imagine and half of it is often not food related. You've learned quickly not to touch anything unidentifiable in the freezer.

Most of the alcohol in the house is stored in the cupboard beneath the microwave which doesn't actually open like a dishwasher but for some reason, almost all of the cupboards look similar to that in the game.

The backdoor is heavily blocked off, fortified into its foundations by Metallica. It doesn't open ever.

***

The 'Business Rooms'

This small hallway is rarely entered despite the door mostly standing ajar unless it's to clean the litterbox. The first doorway (not pictured) merely leads to the meeting room where matters of Passione are discussed. The second door goes to Risotto's office.

The meeting room is extremely dark and you find the chairs horribly uncomfortable. They were a gift, Risotto tells you and he goes into no more detail. With nine seats exactly, it's set up for the squad and nobody else, including you. The door is always closed even if somebody is in there.

This is the room you almost never enter.

The mirror on the wall has a large crack running across it and the room is often absolutely bare of any kind of character. It's also horribly cold.

Risotto's office is very secluded and you hate that it has no windows. It's Ghiaccio's least favourite room in the house (apparently it makes him feel extremely claustrophobic). Sorbet and Gelato can both often be found on the couch as they prefer the secluded quiet from time to time and are rarely bothered while there.

There are important documents lying on the desk most of the time and you've accidentally seen more than you wanted to. Risotto wants you to feel at home in his office though and often invites you to sit with him while he's working.

The drawers of his desk are filled with various metal pieces and the small bird skull was a present from Gelato.

***

The Downstairs

Melone has taken over the area directly beside the stairs. His desk and computer are often covered in various notes, papers, and the occasional suspicious medication. You often find Ghiaccio down here when he's tired of the others and wanting to play games on the computer. Despite this, he will complain tirelessly about the area being Melone's.

The small mirror is often used for makeup and otherwise turned away (although you do know Melone will sometimes use it when he wants Illuso to watch). The unusual light was bought by Risotto who couldn't find a place for it in his office.

Behind you when you have this view, the staircase covers the laundry area and yet another mirror and curtain. The doorway in the image leads to the bathroom which is a relatively small room that often results in a great deal of competition. Still, with the schedule, it rarely causes fights and often gives excuses for showers to happen together. To the right, there's another doorway that leads to the bedroom.

The collection of boxes and other mostly unused items sits forgotten in the corner along with a frankly ridiculous amount of dried cat food. There are things in the corner from aborted hobbies, broken equipment that 'will be fixed', and cleaning supplies.

The bedroom was initially quite dim when you arrived although you were quick to fix that with wall lights and the carpet was a joint venture between you and Prosciutto who was tired of the cold floors. The cabinets wrap further around the wall on the right and the bed is obviously larger than normal with room for everybody

The dying plant is Prosciutto's. He really doesn't have a green thumb but he tries. The makeup scattered on the tables and the cabinets is pretty much shared by whoever wants it (there's little exclusivity about anything in the bedroom and clothes are often also shared - especially Risotto and Illuso's big jackets).

There's metal stationary under the couch from Metallica and the little bags of whatever are Melone's. The posters were stuck up by you for a little colour but they're appreciated most by Ghiaccio.

The reason for so many mirrors in the room (two in visible sight of this image, one behind the bed on the left, and another hidden behind the couch) without any curtains to obscure them is the simple idea of an emergency escape. This does mean, however, that Illuso is pretty much always given an uninterrupted view of what happens in this room.

[lasquadranights]

Kidnapping

Sorlato x Reader

Content Warnings: Polygamy

***

You had perched yourself on the armrest of the loveseat, running your fingers through Illuso’s hair and braiding it in different patterns to see what worked best. You guessed the preening was the only reason Illuso had yet to leave given how he was being lazed on by Formaggio from the other side.

“Lu,” you hummed. “I have a question?”

He inclined his head slightly, listening without really listening. It was a favoured habit of his.

You were going to nudge him until he paid attention but you found yourself suddenly swept off your seat. Held in a bridal style, you were pressed tightly to the chest of somebody you hadn’t seen in ages.

Gelato beamed at you, his hair scruffy and falling into his face. “Look what I found. It’s been so long that I don’t think I remember you anymore. Oh, there goes your name. It just fell out of my head.”

You laughed. “If I don’t know who you are then isn’t this kidnapping?”

“Oh yeah, it definitely is,” Gelato said, his grin a little too manic. “Don’t even bother struggling. It’s all futile.”

You waved your goodbye to Formaggio and Illuso, batting your eyelashes playfully at Sorbet who was hovering behind the two of you with a mildly amused expression. The sunlight blinded you as you were carried out of the front door, seemingly being taken somewhere for real.

Sorbet’s longer strides had him quickly catching up and you reached out to try catch his sleeve but he simply stepped around you. The side of his mouth twisted up into a small smirk as he reached their car and opened the trunk.

Gelato wheezed with laughter, nearly dropping you as you gave the dark-haired man a reasonably unimpressed look.

“What’s wrong? You were the one being kidnapped.”

Gelato plopped you in the trunk, giving you time to climb out but you had already accepted your fate and relaxed backwards. If there was something all assassins had, it was a car with a fair amount of room to store their… work. You could fit in with relative ease and not have to worry about cramps.

“Don’t worry,” Gelato said as he closed it over your head. “The drive isn’t long.”

You were on your phone for most of it. Whoever was driving – probably Gelato – was careful not to take turns to sharply which you greatly appreciated. It was actually more comfortable than driving with Formaggio who liked shrinking you down and putting you on the dashboard.

When the car came to a rolling stop and the trunk opened, you winced from the bright light, putting on your best fake horror voice. “Oh no. Please let me go.”

“We actually didn’t think this through too well,” Sorbet mentioned as he helped you out. “We passed some cops on the way. Would have been a hell of a thing to explain.”

“That’s when I say it’s a kink thing and they get awkward,” you commented.

Sorbet and Gelato rarely separated from one another – after all, they’d been together for far longer than most of the others. This was increased when they got back from long missions and they tended to not enjoy the larger groups for a period of time.

Still, that didn’t mean they avoided spending time with anybody and you draped yourself over Gelato with little hesitation. “So, where’ve I been kidnapped to?”

“If I told you that, I wouldn’t be very good at this whole hostage thing, would I?” Gelato asked. “Nope, you’re just going to have to find that out for yourself.”

It wasn’t a very built-up area though you could hear children and waves hinting you were close to the beach. The buildings looked vaguely familiar but in a way that made you think you’d only been there at night before. Gelato wrapped his arm around your waist and guided you into one of the closer ones, kicking open the creaky door that blocked you.

“Ooh abandoned warehouse? Now we’re getting somewhere.”

“Right? Aren’t they just the best?”

The building probably wasn’t actually a warehouse but it had been gutted enough that it was mostly empty. None of the lights worked but you were led upstairs to where the sunlight snuck in through cracked windows that had only been partially boarded up and then upstairs again into the attic.

The small space had small oil lamps and a single window that looked out onto the ocean beyond. A few pillows lay scattered across the floor and you could spot a few knives on the sides.

Gelato practically pulled you down with him as he flopped down, causing you to land on his chest with a giggle.

Sorbet hovered beside both of you, sitting on a small chair with his eyes out the window. You disentangled yourself and grabbed one of the pillows closest. On your stomach with Gelato’s arm thrown over your back and Sorbet’s presence weighing against your other side, you watched the people at the beach with marginal curiosity.

“You guys have these places all over the city,” you hummed.

“Of course. We need spots to lay low,” Sorbet said. His sharp gaze turned to you. “You’re now the only one who knows about this location. The others each know a few but none cross over. That way, we can always know who to look at if an area is compromised.”

You remained unworried about the slight threat that hung over your head. “So paranoid.”

Gelato played with a few strands of your hair. “Not paranoid, just cautious. You can never trust anybody in this job.”

“Mm but I don’t work with you.”

His eyes glinted a little. “I know. That’s the fun part.”

Sorbet’s touch startled you. The simple graze of his fingers against your cheek was unexpected though far from unwanted. You tilted your head up to meet his eyes, far softer now than you had seen them in days prior. “You’re going to be around for a while, aren’t you?”

“If I have any say in the matter.”

The corner of his mouth turned ever so slightly up. “It’s a bad decision but hardly one I can say anything about. After all, I did something similar when I first met Gelato. That’s how I ended up in this organization in the first place.”

“Well, I have no plans of working for Passione,” you said, though the words soured in your mouth. It wasn’t really your choice if the group found out about your connections.

Gelato’s fingers ran through your hair. “Good thing we’ve gotten better at hiding then. Still, if you do end up joining, you can unlock more of my secret backstory. Heard you’ve been digging up those lately.”

“The part where you were in the military or the part where you were arrested?”

He gave your hair a small tug. You laughed and batted him away as he asked who’d told you before remembering that he had. Multiple times.

“What about you?” you asked, turning your attention to your dark-haired partner. “What did you do before you met Gelato?”

Sorbet shrugged. “It was so boring that it’s erased itself from my memory.”

“Accountant to assassin, hm?” you asked. It wasn’t digging but you were curious if Sorbet would bring up how he met his boyfriend to you directly. The others had let you know the story (Gelato told you multiple times about the casino and the massive fight between rival gangs) but he seemed to avoid it.

And avoid it, he continued to do.

Gelato drew your attention back to him in a moment as he filled you in on all the details of their latest job. Sparing details was never in his nature. Sorbet eventually settled down on the floor as well and you all watched the waves that came into the bay until long after the sun disappeared.

[lasquadranights]

Cats In The Night

Formaggio x Reader

Content Warnings: References to Polygamy

***

You stepped out into the cool air of the early morning, giggling to yourself as you zig-zagged across the sidewalk with a cheery Formaggio draped across your shoulders. The sidewalk attempted to trip you several times but you managed to stay standing, bursting out laughing when you nearly walked your partner into a streetlight.

The sports bar you’d been dragged to was always more fun when your team won and that they had. With drinks all around and a fun filled Formaggio, you’d scarcely had the heart to break up the party until now.

He whooped into the night without a care for anybody he may wake up on an otherwise peaceful night.

“Maggie,” you complained though there was little true reprimand to your words. You were buzzing slightly and you couldn’t help the loud peal of laughter when he started fluttering kisses across your cheeks.

“You’re my good luck charm,” he declared. “From now on, whenever I make a bet, you have to be there with me!”

“When you make it or when you collect?”

“Both!”

You both stumbled your way into a darker alley, illuminated by the light of the moon and little else. With your eyes on the sky, you nearly fell over when Formaggio stopped you.

“Do you see that?” he whispered.

Honestly, you didn’t see anything but you stared in the direction he was pointing until a small flicker of movement caught your eye. Briefly, you tensed, nervous it may be a stand but Formaggio gave you a sloppy kiss on the cheek and made his way toward it slowly but with enough confidence that you doubted it was anything dangerous.

He knelt down and held out his hand, waiting patiently.

With your eyes adjusting, you could pick up that he was facing a rather large outdoor bin. The lid had been toppled off and something small was hiding behind it, mostly unseen but occasionally peering around to look at him.

When it stepped out, you made out a sleek and distinctly feline form. Scrawny and patchy but surely enough, a cat all the same.

You really should have known.

It wasn’t long before Formaggio had it in his arms. He cradled it close to his chest as though he could protect it from the outside world – carding his fingers a little roughly across its back though the cat didn’t seem to mind all that much.

“Do you think Riz will let you keep another one?” you asked. “Or are you going to drop it off at the shelter with the others?”

Formaggio pulled a face that betrayed just how much he didn’t want to have his new friend left at the shelter. Even though he scouted out the place several times, he was never happy with leaving any of the cats he found there. Though quite a few ended up adopted and he made sure to let everybody know when that happened.

“She’s an older girl,” he told you as you started walking in the direction of the shelter.

You didn’t pet the cat but you smiled at your large partner, seemingly so small and dwarfed with how he wrapped himself around the nervous tabby.

“I don’t know how cats trust you so much,” you mused. “Strays especially. All the ones that I see are skittish and run if you even try to come near them.”

Formaggio grinned at you proudly, not jostling so he didn’t disturb it too much. “It’s about being relaxed. Ever noticed how no animal likes Prosciutto at all? They all know he’s got a stick up his ass.”

You both giggled, keeping your voices down now as to not scare the cat.

“Cats liked me even when I was a scrawny little kid,” Formaggio laughed. “Maybe back then they thought I was one of them.”

“What, you didn’t emerge from your mother’s womb looking like an assassin?” you joked.

He chuckled. “Nah, I was a tiny kid. All the neighbourhood kids picked on me cause I was the smallest but then I hit my growth spurt and… well, I was still the shortest but after I started packing on muscle, then they felt it.”

Formaggio wasn’t that short. Honestly, everybody in the gang felt short when compared to Risotto and Illuso who were both unneeded levels of tall.

“Wait, you were the shortest amongst an entire neighbourhood of kids?”

“Eh, neighbourhood kids and siblings are pretty much the same thing,” he said, waving it off.

“Oh, I see. So, your brothers were the ones picking on you?”

He nodded. “They regretted how much they did it as I got older. For all their shit, I ended up learning how to make friends with cats and I joined Passione so guess it wasn’t too bad… do kind of wish they hadn’t been in a gang or I could have beaten them in another way.”

There was a moment of regret there – soft enough that you were probably not meant to hear it. You didn’t bring it up and the moment passed slowly, drifting away.

“Do you still see your family?”

“Nope. They didn’t care while I was actually a kid and they don’t care now.”

You’d worked out the timelines before. He and Risotto both would have had to be young when they first started the hit squad. Too young to be in the mafia and killing people for a living though, back then, it had at least been a living.

Ghiaccio had accidentally shared what they were being paid and it was lower than even you’d been anticipating.

The cat in Formaggio’s arms made a soft mewling sound and you both stopped to look down at her.

Having left the alley, you could see her properly now. She was a black cat with gray around her whiskers and a torn ear. It was no wonder she’d remained so invisible until a man with a natural sensor towards all things feline came along. Her eyes closed and she relaxed into Formaggio’s chest, purring.

“Aw, man,” he complained. “I almost prefer it when they don’t like me cause then I can just trust they’ll find someone they do like at the shelter.”

You reached out slowly, gently stroking the cat’s head. “You know, Maggie, the reason Risotto didn’t want more cats was because you guys were away so often.”

“And we can’t really afford it.”

“Right but you know, somebody I know has a stand that would be basically perfect for shop lifting and this other person is home whenever her group of assassins is out galivanting around the world.”

Formaggio gave you a weary look. “Are you saying we keep the cat?”

“She’s too cute Maggie! I can’t say no when she’s purring up against your chest like that.”

His eyes brightened – more than they had in the bar when his team had won or when he’d racked in the money from his bets. This was a look Formaggio only ever showed you when his cat was involved.

“Risotto is never going to agree.”

“Let me talk to him,” you said as you started toward the base. “If push comes to shove, we fabricate a situation where the cat sleeps on Ghiaccio’s lap. Then, if anybody tries to get rid of it, we have him on our side also. It’s foolproof."

And that was how Formaggio got his second cat.

[lasquadranights]

Bells

Christmas Countdown: Risotto x Reader

Content Warnings: NSFW Content, AFAB Reader, References to Polygamy

***

It started because you were busy cleaning around the main hall and you found a small bell beneath one of the cabinets. The small ‘R’ told you where it came from beyond a shadow of a doubt and you kept it in your pocket with no real reason.

Once, you had believed that Risotto’s hat didn’t have real bells but they were genuine as could be. How he moved without them ringing was honestly impressive and you tried a few times to mimic it without success.

Eventually, you gave up but you kept the bell on you almost as a reminder of him.

Though the others had since returned, Risotto’s job was more difficult than they had originally told you and you spent too many days waiting for him to walk through the door. All Melone would tell you was that he was safe and the others were nervous about even sharing that much.

But Pesci had given you an idea unwillingly when he commented that he liked the idea of putting a bell on everybody so they couldn’t sneak up on him.

Melone had been more than able to provide the supplies that you wanted and he’d been curious but hadn’t pushed.

You managed to get everything ready and, when Risotto arrived home in the evening, you made sure you were the first to greet him.

The cat ears on your head were black and the dress was one of the skimpiest you owned. All of that combined with the bell collar around your neck made you feel equal parts slutty and at least somewhat festive as you tucked a sprig of mistletoe into your hair.

Risotto didn’t jump when you wrapped your arms around him but he did a double take when he glanced down at your chosen outfit.

“We’re matching,” you teased, tapping the bells on his hat and listening to them jingle.

His eyes roamed your form. “I’m a little overdressed for the occasion.”

You laughed and leaned up against his chest, running your fingers across the bare expanses of skin that you found there. “Really?” His skin was marred by few scars but the ones that were there remained fiercely obvious to the touch. You tried to be casual while you checked if he was hurt.

He stepped forward, moving into your space and lifting your chin up so you could meet his eyes. “It suits you.” Lightly tapping the bell on your throat, the corner of his mouth turned up just slightly.

The collar was velvet, smooth where it touched your neck and tight enough to stay up without choking you. Yet, Risotto somehow managed to get a firm grasp on it, pulling you forward with just enough force to make you stumble.

His kiss was deep but not rough in the slightest. He cradled your side with one hand while he claimed every inch of your mouth.

“We should head inside,” you said, inclining your head a little when you were released.

Risotto looked over your shoulder. The faint light emitting from the house windows cast dark shadows across his face and you were struck, not for the first time, with the regal nature of his features. His eyes were enough to steal your nerve and drag your heart into your throat with a single glance.

“I’d rather not. I’ll be seeing the others soon – there’s little need for me to rush about it.” He caressed your jaw with a thumb. “And I would like to be slightly selfish tonight.”

“You are more than welcome to be.”

Risotto held your head with care not to knock your fake ears off as he kissed you again. He pulled the mistletoe from behind your ear and smiled. He placed it gently to the side before lifting you up. “Stay quiet.”

Metallica crawling all over you was a strange feeling. You were surrounded by stands but the effects of the quieter ones gave you less chance to be used to their abilities and thusly, you often forgot how unnatural they felt.

How he walked so quietly was beyond you. His footsteps didn’t make a single sound as he snuck you in through one of the house’s many backdoors.

You could hear the others arguing about some sport game but you didn’t see them as Risotto carried you into the thankfully empty bedroom. Metallica was great at keeping you invisible but the others were getting good at catching you.

“They’re going to think something’s up,” you giggled. “We all heard your car arrive but they didn’t see me go out.”

“It’s fine, Prosciutto will presume I was distracted by an important phone call. He’ll keep them from going and looking.” Risotto gently lowered you onto the bed. “And I’ll keep the door locked.”

He lightly kissed along your body, sucking small marks into the skin and drawing the most beautiful sounds from your throat. Your dress was eased off so he could litter gentle touches across your stomach and waist. He pressed against the dips of your hips and you mewled, back arching.

“If you make too much noise, Illuso will come looking,” Risotto warned. He kissed the inside of your thighs. “I don’t mean to be so possessive of your time but –“

“It’s okay Ris, I get it. I’ll be as quiet as I can.”

It was a difficult ask. He had a talent for unravelling you – taking every part of you to pieces with his touch. You would be trembling before he even slid your panties off and keeping your voice down when his mouth was on you felt like a near-impossible task.

The bell jingled softly though the sound felt much louder to your overstimulated brain. Risotto caressed your throat again as he brought you over the edge for the first time, watching the way your cheeks flushed and melting at the small part of your lips.

When he attempted to move away from you, you pulled him back to the bed and threw your leg over his hips.

You sank down on him with a hiss, jaw clenching as you tried to restrain yourself. The stretch that he gave was new levels of blissful. Every inch burned in the best possible way.

Risotto steadied you with a hand on your side. He guided you in a slow pace to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself. His expression remained carefully neutral – the only betrayal of his pleasure being a slight hitch in his breath.

You tried your hardest not to grab at his chest. Marks weren’t something Risotto was fond of but it was so tempting.

You began speeding up slowly. The pressure built higher and higher, heightened by every brush of his cock against the deepest part of you. You threw your head back and a stuttering moan escaped your control.

Risotto’s head fell against your chest as your trembling pulled him over the edge and you spiraled after him. Your thighs clenched around his hips and you shook, once against aware of the jingling bell.

He ran his fingers across your legs, dancing them across your navel. “Do you plan on wearing that necklace more?”

“Why? Do you like it that much?”

“I do.”

The bedroom door tried to open and Melone laughed. “Told you that’s where they are! You all think way too highly of Ris.”

Risotto sighed. “This is going to take a while to go away.”

You giggled and lifted his face to kiss him again. You rolled your hips forward, stealing a soft groan from him. “May as well make it worth it then.”

[lasquadranights]

Making Dinner

Christmas Countdown: Melone x Reader

Content Warning: References to Polygamy

***

The house felt awfully empty no matter how many radios you turned on or how frequently you spoke to yourself. Tall, cold walls were the only things that answered your jokes.

Had you been able to, you would have gladly turned on all the lights in the house just to give its intimidating façade something. But the electricity bill and your safety could both easily be put in danger from such antics and so, you remained in the kitchen with little company aside from the music drifting.

It was easy to be nervous when you were alone so really, you weren’t sure what Melone was thinking when he snuck up behind you and grabbed your hips.

You yelped and hit him with the potato in your hand.

Melone whined as he stepped away, cradling the side of his face. “Ow…” His eyes fell on the knife in your other hand and he pursed his lips. “Bella, if I was coming to kidnap you, stabbing me would be better than the potato.”

“Mel! You should consider yourself lucky I didn’t stab you!” Honestly, in the moment, you hadn’t thought beyond just hitting the potential intruder. Stabbing hadn’t even occurred in your mind.

It was while you were thinking about that that you realised he wasn’t meant to be home and yet he stood in front of you.

You dropped both potential weapons and threw yourself into his arms. He was warm and breathing a little heavily; the scent of his motorbike clinging faintly to his hair. His hands slipped under your shirt immediately, skating across your back and sides.

“How did you manage to get back so quickly?” you asked. “Have you spoken to anybody else?”

Melone gave your hips a teasing squeeze as he pulled you flush against him. “Don’t worry yourself. Everybody’s doing just fine.” He captured your lips in a soothing kiss, tongue slipping into your mouth briefly. “And my mission just ended up being so perfectly easy that I could get home to see you early.”

You couldn’t deny how much you relaxed when he said that. It was a massive weight lifted from your shoulders. “I was busy making dinner, are you hungry?”

He pressed small kisses down your throat, humming in consideration. “I could eat.” To punctuate his words, he nipped at your neck. “What are we making?”

Slipping free of his hold, you made your way back to the chopping board. “It’s simple enough. You caught me at a good time though because I haven’t really started cooking yet; we can just double the recipe.”

“Triple it,” he said as he wrapped himself around you from behind. “I think some of the others may finish their jobs early also.”

Melone wasn’t always the best in the kitchen.

He claimed he could make anything but didn’t want to. You could believe it (the number of talents he had was honestly ridiculous). Still, regardless of his talent or not, he tended to get distracted with lavishing attention onto whoever else was cooking instead of paying attention to the food.

If you asked for something, he would grab it for you. Any help was given but the moment he was done, he attached himself to your back or side.

And it was always so much worse after a job.

“The Junior from today was far too weak,” he told you after you inquired indirectly about his increased clinginess. “But luckily, my target was an idiot and walked right into me. A little holiday prize.”

You held a cherry tomato up to him and he ate it from your fingers with a pleased hum. You continued chopping the rest of the box.

By the time you finished, you frowned down at the amount of food you’d chopped up – at this point, you’d be feeding the entire group with one meal – and sighed when you found you were finished. That meant you had to move away from the warmth of Melone’s chest.

You slipped out of his hold when Melone caught your wrist, twirling you around to sprinkle kisses across your cheeks.

“You look tired,” he whispered. “Sit down, I’ll finish up for you.”

“Not tired, just stressed,” you sighed but you took his offer anyway. You hopped up onto the counter, helping where you could by handing things over.

He hummed. “Either way.”

There wasn’t too much left to do and Melone didn’t need to glance at the recipe once. He traced his fingers along your legs every time he moved past, caressing the skin and occasionally giving small tickles of affection.

It was more difficult for the others to see when you were upset. They were assassins – a career that rarely made them empathetic.

Not Melone though. He always knew exactly what was getting to you.

“You know, you don’t have to watch the base while we’re not here,” he said. “Maybe we can speak to Risotto about which areas are controlled by capos he trusts and you can stay there when none of us are around.”

“Mel, you know that would just be a waste of money. It’s not like this happens frequently enough to warrant it.” Besides, as nervous as you felt being alone, it would be so much worse if you were too far away. “Maybe you can get me some big pillows though so the bed feels less empty.”

“I’ll see if I can find you any,” he said. “But don’t ask Sorbet or Gelato about it. They always choose those rock-like ones.”

You teasingly leaned back, arching your back a little. “I need a few for support also. Positions like the last one are awfully hard on my muscles.”

Melone’s eyes flashed in excitement and you laughed at how instantly you got his attention. “That’s not good at all. What if you decide you don’t like a position anymore just because you don’t have a pillow?”

“Exactly. It’s a dire circumstance.”

He finished off with the preparation, turning the stove down low so nothing cooked over and gave you a sweetened kiss.

“I love you,” he said. You never knew if he was being a hundred percent honest with his admissions – after all, he said it frequently and to everybody which always made you wonder. It wasn’t quite the time to ask though.

“I got dessert also,” you said. “It’s in the fridge but we’re going to have to share.”

Melone ran his tongue along your neck, making you squirm and giggle despite your best efforts. “Don’t worry bellisma. I can just have you.”

“Didn’t know you were a cannibal,” Illuso’s drawl startled you. His sudden appearance from the mirror in the hall was a welcome one even if he did look a little grumpier than usual, the teasing smirk there for show and nothing more.

Melone shrugged and tightened his hold around you. “I wouldn’t mind trying it. I’m sure it can’t be as bad as people say.”

You eyed your blond partner whose mouth was hovering awfully close to your collarbone. “Should I – Ow! Melone!”

He laughed as you swatted at him, the bite burning on your shoulder as you chased him around the kitchen.

[lasquadranights]

Longer La Squadra piece posted on my new(ish) longer pieces blog.

A Perfect Addition

Sorbet x Gelato x Reader (JJBA)

Request/Commission Info: A 4000 word piece detailing a reader's interactions with Sorbet and Gelato from first meeting to the boss' investigation.

Content Warnings: Knife/Blood Play, Polygamy

***

The evening had been busy. People crowded through the streets with a buzz of excitement now that the day’s heat had been warded off. They became formless groups that merged into the background. None of them were important to notice.

But you stood out. Not to many but to the right ones.

It had been a hot day. Every step dug into the blisters forming on your heels and made the muscles along your back ache. With your head up, you marched towards your destination regardless. You slipped between the crowds with only a small avoidance of your right side betraying your pain.

Only one noticed you, bringing the other’s attention to you with a soft whisper. They watched until they couldn’t anymore, continuing with their job.

You had been graced with several features that made you Gelato’s type. Sorbet hadn’t been as sure but when you’d winced, his interest grew.

They would have approached you – thirds weren’t unusual for them, though the new party never survived the encounter. Risotto had, in an action they believed to be too soft-hearted, banned unnecessary killings, however. They respected him enough to follow through with it and took his reasoning of remaining inconspicuous.

But when fate brought you together once more… well, it changed things.

Sorbet muttered a curse when the hotel room proved itself to be empty. An assassination required knowledge of where your target was hiding and every single path they’d taken had come up with nothing.

If they failed this mission then the boss was going to have even more reasons to lower their already dismal pay.

“Melone –“

“Yes?!” Melone snapped. His nerves were on edge as he dug through the cupboards and suitcases he could find.

Sorbet watched him with an unimpressed expression. What good was Melone’s ridiculously creepy ability if he didn’t have any DNA to use? Sorbet had always thought it to be useless and this encounter was only proving his point.

He used the barrel of his gun to peer out at the street below. Despite gunshots being fired, he caught no glimpse of law enforcement.

“Hurry it up,” he said. “Even if they’re on Passione’s payroll, you know those pigs have to show up eventually.”

“I know! Let me deal with the room and go get me a host!”

Sorbet’s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed at being ordered around. Listening to Risotto was enough of a pain without the other idiots he worked with thinking they could also bark commands. He considered retorting but that could be saved for a later time.

For now, he stepped from the room and glanced along the deserted hall.

Everybody, both in the hotel and outside, was on edge. The gunshots had created a nervous environment and nobody remained isolated enough for Sorbet to grab them. It would have been easier if Gelato was with him but, as it was, he stood out too much.

There was only a slight recognition when he first saw you. It was only enough for him to take a second look; watching a strand of hair persistently fall into your face as you peered through the window, trying to see out into the street.

How ironic for you to be looking for a danger when the source watched you patiently.

A small trickle of blood was running down your arm, barely noticeable, but there. Perhaps you had been a little too close to the window when it shattered.

You were standing alone enough that Sorbet could approach without drawing too much attention. No other irritations hovered over your shoulders or gossiped about what it could be.

“Looking for something?”

You startled. Sorbet’s approach had been silent and your nerves were frayed enough that you jumped at your own shadow from time to time.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t intimidating. The sharpness of his features gave him an almost inhuman quality; dark hair and pale skin drawing your focus to very cold eyes that watched you with a slight curiosity. Your every instinct yelled at you in warning about the man who’d spoken to you but you quickly found yourself ignoring them.

“This is going to sound ridiculous and obviously I don’t want to get shot but,” you glanced down at your watch for emphasis, “I have an appointment that I’m going to be really late for if we can’t leave soon. Where are the police?”

He scoffed. “I wouldn’t bother waiting.”

You glanced up at him in confusion. Before you could ask more questions or move away, your bag was unexpectedly torn from your shoulder. Sorbet noticed you were about to scream and reacted with a hand over your mouth.

Melone took no time in digging through your personal effects. Sorbet would never admit it but he hadn’t even noticed the other assassin until you jumped. He needed to be more on his guard.

“Not this one.”

Melone nodded. On a different job, he would have questioned Sorbet’s uncharacteristic comment. He remained distracted enough however that he simply threw your bag back at you and muttered something about the match fitting too well.

Sorbet gave you a sharp look that you took as a warning not to make a sound and released your mouth.

“You have about three minutes,” he said. “Maybe a bit more. See if you can run that fast.”

You disappeared from Sorbet’s mind after that as the target became the focus but, once it was over, he presented your license to Gelato as an offer.

Risotto has wanted them to stop killing their thirds; it didn’t mean that they had to stop having fun. They just had to be careful.

You weren’t stupid. Though the duo weren’t incredibly conspicuous, they were recognisable enough that you could spot them in a crowd. They were together – that much was obvious in their interlaced ankles – but despite their attention being elsewhere in the café, it was clear that they were there for you.

Several things went through your mind. After all, you had encountered one of them at the scene of a crime but surely this wouldn’t be the way they went about killing you.

Panic would have been normal. It very nearly settled in until you made eye contact with the blond. He nudged the third chair at their table a little out; an invite.

One you’d taken.

Sorbet and Gelato had never intended for a deeper attachment to form. Not from your side or from their own. But the more you saw them, the more you found yourself slotting into the space between them like it had been intended for you all along.

They matched each other perfectly and you fitted in with little trouble. When you were together, it became a drug and you craved them more and more as the time went on.

It went past just one night and tumbled into a weekly thing. You got the feeling they were holding back most in several ways without knowing just how unusual that was.

And how it was stranger still when you started seeing them for more than one activity.

From an indulgent gift to one another into an actual part of their lives – neither realised it until you were all in too deep.

You hated how they would often disappear with no communication. They never bothered to explain and, for the longest time, you wouldn’t even mention it. When they showed up at your door after days of silence, you just let them in and pretended that nothing was wrong. It was the same as your pretense about not knowing what they did for work.

But all of that crumbled when a knock on your door woke you at three in the morning.

The pitch blackness of your room had your heartrate speeding up; a horrible lump in your throat as another knock sounded out. Perhaps you should just hide? Make whoever was there think that you weren’t home?

Your heart pounded behind your ears as you slipped from your bed. The floor was cold as you tip toed to your front door. It was dark but you didn’t dare to flip on the lights.

When you saw who it was, the relief was a breath of fresh air. They’d been missing for a whole week and your stress had grown heavy across your shoulders.

You should have checked. With all their warnings, you should have asked questions rather than throwing open the door, but it didn’t matter because you were greeted with the most vulnerable expression you’d ever seen from Gelato.

It was gone within a second as he defaulted back to his usual façade but it was there.

He caught your jaw, providing only a teasing smile before he pulled you into a devastating kiss. Your back was against the wall before your brain could catch up.

The sound of a lock clicking had your attention but Gelato wasn’t about to let you look. Your attempt at breaking the kiss had him pushing hard against you, the back of your head hitting the wall. You whimpered against the ferocity but allowed the demanding attention to capture all of your mind.

Your lungs burned but you only wound your arms around his neck tighter. Who needed oxygen when all of your senses were being dominated by the man in front of you?

When you finally separated, your lips were swollen red and tender enough that you would believe them to be bruised. Your throat was dry but you still craved more though you let Gelato break your hold and step away.

“It’s good to see you.” You said it breathily, still trying to draw air back into your body.

The sentiment was a given but they appreciated it regardless. There was still conflict in their minds – after all, they shouldn’t be at your home.

Not after a bad job when they would normally find solace with only each other.

Sorbet was thinking about it more than his partner. He knew that Gelato had simply decided what he wanted rather than thinking it through but he would never deny him anything like this. Even if it meant drawing you too close to their world for you to recover.

The lights in the hall flickered on and you winced at their brightness.

Now you could see them both and the evidence of where they’d been stood out vibrantly. It wasn’t anything like blood-stained clothes (they both knew that would be pushing it) but the guns they wore were far from hidden. There was a jagged tear on the side of Sorbet’s shirt, showing a large and ugly bruise on his hip.

The silence stretched for a little bit before you broke it with a sigh and an utterance of, “I’m so happy you’re both safe.”

You never asked any questions. If they provided you with information, you wanted it to come from them and, for the first time, they gave it.

“He’s insulting us,” Gelato told you. “The boss, that is. The kind of work he’s giving is nothing more than tedious.”

“It looks dangerous,” you responded. Despite being mostly lost, you glanced at Sorbet’s side to see the bruise.

He waved your concern off. “This is because of sloppiness and nothing else.”

Gelato rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to that! It’s because we were sitting up for like twenty-three hours at a time and waiting for an asshole who already knew we were there! It’s not sloppiness when you can’t even see in a straight line.”

You edged closer to your more silent partner, gently lifting the shirt so you could see the actual size of the injury. It was accompanied by smaller bruises, cuts and scrapes.

“But you both enjoy your work, don’t you?”

“We enjoy the fun parts,” Gelato scoffed. “But there weren’t any of those on this trip either. It was all a waste of time.”

“And I’m betting we’re not getting paid for it either,” Sorbet muttered.

You could understand their frustration if not the situation that surrounded it. The agitation and pent-up energy was heavy in the room. You could feel the restraint they were both holding and it had you feeling a nervous kind of excitement.

“Do you want to use the bathroom upstairs?” you asked. “You can use my bed also and I’ll take the couch.”

Gelato wound his arms around your waist like snakes, burying his face against your throat and nipping at the skin there. “No.”

A flush painted your cheeks as you met Sorbet’s eyes. This was a decision and they were waiting on your choice. Gelato was pressed firmly against your back and his grip was tight but not yet unbreakable. How deep were you willing to fall with the pair? It could easily be your limit – to draw the line with something more normal and, in doing so, set a boundary for where you stood with their life.

Or you could take the step you had so desperately wanted and allow yourself to become wrapped up in every part of them. Take every aspect of their lives in stride as you fell harder and harder for the two.

It barely took you a second to choose and you leaned back into Gelato with a soft sound.

His bites were always hard enough to bruise before but this time, he sunk his teeth in with such pressure that you were sure the skin would break. Your stuttering gasp had both of their attention piquing.

The sound was musical but different to any response they’d drawn from you before. Gelato’s eyes flashed up to meet Sorbet’s, an almost feral excitement shining through.

Sorbet worried slightly about his partner’s self-control. Despite his initial offering of you as a gift, he had unwillingly grown attached and Gelato, as always could be a little more than brash.

“I want to mark you permanently,” Gelato said, his voice crooning but laced with venom. “Choose a spot.”

Sorbet raised an eyebrow, his concerns seemingly validated.

And yet your response showed no hesitation. You laced your fingers with Gelato’s, guiding his hand down to rest on your inner thigh. There was no denying the anxiety in your expression… nor the desire. A cocktail-mix of both churned within you but the latter was surely winning out.

“Oh?” Gelato grabbed the soft skin with a bruising strength. “Do you want an initial on either side?”

“Yes.” The word hissed from you, turning into a slight keen as Gelato kissed your throat.

Sorbet demanded his attention instead, capturing his lips fiercely. Anticipating the eagerness with a practiced experience, Sorbet avoided their teeth knocking together as he took control.

He pushed closer and pinned you between the two. You squirmed which earned you a slight pinch of reprimand on your side. Any sound you made went ignored as the world disappeared from their senses.

It took them what felt like forever to return their attention back onto you and, when they did, they moved in an almost-planned sync.

You were so caught up in a whirlwind of frenzied touch that you hardly recognised the familiar path to your own room. Gelato separated from you then, a wicked grin in place as he flicked a knife out. The weapon glinted in the dim light and made you swallow thickly.

Sorbet settled behind you, moving your legs open with a deceptively soft touch.

The blade pressed against your flushed skin and you had to fight the urge to squirm away from it. Its chilled metal burned against your sensitive thigh. You bit your lip and turned your head to the side as the pain shot through you.

Sorbet’s touch against your cheek was gentle enough to urge you to open your eyes and his gaze burned through you.

“Watch,” he said, pushing your face towards his partner. “And don’t keep those sounds from me.”

Gelato was buzzing with a cruel excitement; there was a remarkable precision in the way he dragged the knife through your flesh as though it was butter.

Every time you felt as though the burn was too much or started realising just how much blood was trickling across your skin (your head beginning to swim), Sorbet did something with his fingers that had you moaning instead of whimpering.

The pain dissolved as the pleasure shook you and it didn’t take too long for you brain to connect the two together. Every glide of the blade sent both signals and your back arched in a masochistic demand for more.

Gelato finished on the left side and grinned at the blood-wet ‘G’ carved into your thigh.

Sorbet’s fingers slipped from your core and pressed against the shining wound, a glossy red coating his skin.

You were already expecting it when he brought them to your lips. Your own blood decorated your mouth like a fresh coat of lipstick and you moaned at the iron taste, cleaning him off diligently while the knife bit into your right thigh. A second? You hadn’t realised Gelato was going to do both now.

Sorbet drove the thought from your mind as he kissed you, smearing the blood across your faces and increasing the pressure against the fresh injury.

The sticky trail of red across your inner legs made you want to bring them together but you resisted. Every second you had the knife in you sent a jolt into your inner core. The pain was almost as delicious as the two surrounding you.

But oh, you were certainly going to regret it in the morning.

Gelato released his bruising grip on your leg and you whined into Sorbet’s mouth at the loss.

The pretty panting that fell from you when they both left was musical. Your eyelashes fluttered against your cheeks as you took the opportunity to bring your thighs together. The blissful burn and sticky sensation made you moan quietly.

Gelato placed his knife down on the nearby table. He met Sorbet’s eyes over your head, relishing in the silent praise he received in return for his work.

Those scars would look beautiful and they would never truly fade. He wondered if you’d thought that through before agreeing – not that it would matter now.

You would have agreed to it regardless.

The night passed in a red-hazed passion that left you feeling deliciously weak for the next few days.

In another unusual move, Sorbet and Gelato stayed at your place the entire time. They never admitted to it but it was a good recovery from the stress of a mission. Enjoying their work was becoming harder and harder and the break was a welcome relief they hadn’t thought they needed.

Gelato enjoyed having both you and Sorbet there at all times. It helped him relax to know there were three people in the house and they were safe (though he ended up adding several systems around your windows just to be sure).

He relished in the pride with which you bore their marks and ‘helpfully’ suggested a few outfits that really showed them off.

Though, he eventually pointed out, the best way would be to wear nothing at all.

Sorbet was slowly trying to accept his affection in you which made him a little colder than you anticipated. A flirtatious comment or teasing question just got dismissed until you withdrew.

He found you sometime later, sponging soapy water over the healing initials on your legs. They didn’t hurt anymore and you were starting to really appreciate how they were healing. There was a slight roughness to them that you couldn’t help but trace in affection.

Sorbet watched you for a short while before he joined in to offer his assistance and a few recommendations for getting the scar to stick around.

He accepted it that day. Gelato realised it in no time and the grin on his face was mildly worrisome.

And then, one day they packed a bag for you and loaded you into Sorbet’s sleek car. It was a luxurious model with leather seats and tinted windows that you were relatively sure had bulletproofing. The backseats were perfect for relaxing even if your concerns about where you were being taken hadn’t been mitigated yet.

Gelato refused to sit still the entire trip, twisting around to talk to you and practically climbing into Sorbet’s lap multiple times. His laugh filled the car as he fiddled with his knife and spoke about pretty much nothing.

He was nervous. It didn’t help calm you down.

The building they took you to was crumbling and dilapidated. After parking a distance away, they flanked you as you made your way through parts of town you would normally avoid.

It gave you a confidence you hadn’t expected to receive even if their intention for the day still had you on edge.

The three of you claimed a love seat, Sorbet wrapped an arm around your shoulders while Gelato stretched across your laps. He had still yet to hide the knife he was twirling in his hands despite the cocky smirk on his face.

You found out why soon enough.

The man they worked for (or at least, worked with) was undeniably terrifying with blood red eyes and bearing a dark coat that somehow made him feel larger than life. The second his gaze fell on you, wedged as you were between your partners, an undeniable exhaustion crossed his expression.

He had greeted the two and waited in an awkward silence for an explanation about you that didn’t come. After a while, he conceded and just nodded in greeting.

The rest of the group weren’t nearly as casual but they were… well, less intimidating due to their sheer loudness. Sorbet pulled you closer to him as each one arrived but it remained unneeded. Still, the protection remained and Gelato made several threats towards the members of the group that made too much of a fuss.

In the end, they seemed to almost forget you were even there.

Your connections to the group only grew after that as Sorbet and Gelato had both decided it was safer for you to be with one of the members when they were busy rather than staying alone.

Though you protested, once you saw what the others could do and learned just how dangerous different members of Passione were, you began seeing the benefit of it.

And every time they got back, you would drown in their hold. It was just when you started fitting in that everything happened.

You’d awoken to a bite of winter in the air. The cold scuttled along your spine like a warning, delving its chilly fingers into your lungs. You rolled over to escape and snuggled toward the warm body nearby.

A push on your shoulder brought you away from that morning haze.

You were dragged into alertness as a hand threaded through your hair; a relaxing touch meant to keep you calm. Gelato brought a finger to his lips and took your hand, helping you climb from the bed.

Sorbet was standing by the half-open door with his gun in hand. He glanced at you and nodded before looking back down the hall.

Gelato pushed a jacket into your chest and steadied you as you took a step out the window. Wind dragged across your nerve-wracked skin and you shuddered, bare feet stinging where they touched the frigid metal of the fire escape. You looked down at the alley below you and swallowed nervously.

“Hey,” Gelato’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “Go to the others and wait with them. Make sure nobody sees you.”

You nodded. Sorbet moved by the door, inching his way out of the room and your heart leapt to your throat. You wanted to beg them to come with you but all it would do was waste time.

Gelato moved to follow and you grabbed his arm.

“I…” A thousand words ran through your mind but you could speak none of them.

“We know piccola. Now go.”

Your heart remained in your throat the entire time. The climb felt longer than ever. Each movement you made disturbed the stillness of the air. It too was holding its breath and waiting for something that felt almost inevitable creeping closer. You were a step away from the bottom when the gunshot went off and you almost fell at the sound.

The noise didn’t startle you alone and you would come to learn that it had been the factor that saved your life. As it went off, a creature unidentifiable to your brain raced from the alley you’d been climbing towards.

It was hunched over and horribly humanoid; its scrambling form covered in an ugly fabric that had your stomach lurching.

You barely waited until your feet hit the ground to start running.

You ran and you ran. The wind whipped your face; an invisible enemy chasing your steps. Everything burned and hurt. You couldn’t breathe properly and you ran into dead ends several times, any routes or roads burned from your memory.

No enemies came from you and you made it to Risotto’s home where you collapsed into his chest, horrific sobs tearing from your throat.

They raced over and you collapsed to your knees in the sitting room. All you had was hope. Risotto and his team would make it in time. They had to.

[lasquadranights]

Waking Up Early

Christmas Countdown: Prosciutto x Reader

Content Warning: NSFW Content, AFAB Reader, References to Polygamy, Consensual Somnophilia

***

The blinking time stared at you like a taunt.

It was far, far too early for anybody to be awake. If you’d had it your way, you would have awoken much later when the sun was in the sky and a slight breeze was dancing across your skin. You could’ve cuddled into somebody’s chest and tickled them awake before having a lazy breakfast.

But it hadn’t worked out in that way and you were still going to make the best of it.

With most of the group having already been sent off to their various jobs, you would likely have the house to yourself for the following week after that morning.

It took you a second to force yourself up and chase the sleep from your eyes and brain. Without much time, every second was one you didn’t want to waste.

Prosciutto would be leaving within two hours – the reason for your early wakeup call – and you crawled over his sleeping form. His face was so relaxed when he slept. It was so rare to see no furrow to his brow or clench in his jaw.

You trailed kisses along said jaw, watching as his eyelids fluttered but didn’t open in response to the attention. Good.

For a short while, you just stared down at him and appreciated the view you had been lucky enough to see.

It was darker than ever with the door closed but the artificial light the glinted from the clock highlighted the sharp angles of his face. Your eyes blazed a path across his messy bedhead and exposed skin. The multiple blankets that he always demanded had been tossed off during his sleep, exposing half of his chest to you.

This wasn’t an undiscussed thing by any means but you guessed Prosciutto had already forgotten your teasing question met with a positive reaction. You trailed your touch down his throat and a soft, almost whimper-like sound made you smirk.

Prosciutto responded more willingly than you had anticipated to your mouth.

You risked pulling a little on his hair and fell in love with the moan that escaped him. Was this truly how he sounded when he wasn’t in completely control? You could easily get used to it.

It, unfortunately, couldn’t last forever especially with your partners all being ridiculously light sleepers.

Blue eyes colder than ice met your own as your tongue traced along the lean muscles that ran across his stomach. You’d always wished you could capture Prosciutto’s scent somehow. Its richness overwhelmed your senses, especially in the mornings when it clung to his skin.

“What are you doing?”

He somehow managed to sound snappish even as sleepiness hung in the room between you. You grinned up at him and moved lower still, following the sharp lines with your kisses and bites until a hand in your hair forced you away.

“Have you never heard about getting up early for your present?” you teased, eyes rolling back just a little at the tight grip.

“Sounds awfully impatient.”

You grinned and reached under the covers to take his cock in hand. The slightest bobbing of his adam’s apple was the only response you received.

“I like the sounds you make when you’re asleep,” you teased. “The moan I got from just kissing you… maybe I should have moved faster to see what would happen with my mouth around your cock.”

He raised an eyebrow and released your hair. “Well, you know better than to leave a job unfinished.”

You took your time then, focused on trying to get him worked up as much as possible.

It must have been the early morning at play or perhaps the knowledge that you wouldn’t see each other for a while but Prosciutto was more liberal with his encouragement than usual. A hissed ‘yes’ and soft words of praise had you melting against him. It was an effort to stay in charge like you were trying so hard to be.

You licked a line along the underside of his cock, taking the head into your mouth and sucking the lightest you could before moving away.

Prosciutto tasted so good beneath your tongue that you had to force yourself to take things slowly and enjoy the time you had. Thankfully, he seemed eager to do the same thing and ran his fingers through your hair with words that felt a world apart from his usual.

Eventually, you grew too curious and you pulled your mouth from him to ask.

“You woke up this early for your present,” he said, caressing your cheek with the back of his hand. “I thought you may as well enjoy it.”

His touch was probably unhealthy for you given the sort of fever it caused beneath your skin. You leaned into it, feeling your control slipping away from you.

Making you wonder if you’d had it in the first place.

“Don’t let me distract you now.”

You dropped your head down again, dancing your tongue around the shaft and taking him as deep into your throat as you could get. His groan went straight to your core, pulling at the desire in you and making you hungry for more.

You took him into your mouth again and again, sinful noises rocking through you, until you were pulled off.

“Up.”

Without a question, you crawled up the bed, grinning at Prosciutto the entire time. The flush on your cheeks betrayed your need far too easily but you refused to grind against him no matter how much you wanted to.

“A little selfish of you to be planning all of that without even waking me up to enjoy it.”

“Trust me, you were enjoying it.”

“Well, I’m sure if I was asleep, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”

You were flipped onto your back before you’d even realised what had happened, Prosciutto crowding into your space with his head buried against your throat and his cock easily slipping into your aching core. When his hips pressed flush between your legs, the pressure on your clit made you whimper and squirm desperately.

A harsh ringing made you jump, nearly hitting him in the face with your shoulder as you looked around for the source of the sound.

Prosciutto reached under his pillow and pulled out a phone with a sigh, gesturing for you to stay quiet before he answered.

“Capo, is there a problem?”

Your eyes went wide as he began moving, taking up a slow and languid pace as he discussed transport plans. A whimper slipped from you despite your best efforts and Prosciutto raised an eyebrow in warning.

He brushed against a spot that had you seeing stars. Your knuckles turned white with how hard you were clutching the bedsheets.

Prosciutto began to speed up, somehow continuing the conversation without even the slightest change in tone. Your heart pounded in your ears as you writhed, trying desperately not to let a sound out.

Then, he leaned in and cleared his throat. “Risotto, just wait a second, I have something for you to hear.”

He held the phone to your ear and, with an ever confident smirk and a perfect rock of his hips, he sent you spiralling over the edge.

[lasquadranights]

Returning Updates

These past few weeks have been extremely difficult but I'm hoping to return to a regular updating schedule soon and I would like to thank you all for your patience and support.

With that being said, my plans moving forward are thusly:

I plan to finish the remaining three festive posts and then continue with the backstory set with one notable addition:

I'm adding Sorbet&Gelato to the line up. I realise that this will disrupt the one Risotto piece that I've already written so that can be considered something of an alternate universe situation.

Thank you all - you're truly brilliant and I appreciate everybody who reads these stories.

[lasquadranights]

Ice Skating

Christmas Countdown: Ghiaccio x Reader

Content Warnings: References to Polygamy, Crude Language

***

You woke up to something heavy landing on your stomach, forcing you to leave the warmth of your bed to groan in complaint. Squinting, you glared around for the source in the still dim room.

“Get ready. I’m leaving in ten minutes and if you’re not there, you can walk!”

Ghiaccio marched from the room, slamming the door behind him hard enough to ensure nobody could continue sleeping. You muttered an apology and grabbed for the bundle that had been thrown at you, already guessing what it was.

Sure enough, it was a pretty warm tracksuit that fit you exactly. You tugged on the fabric, trying to remember if you owned a similar outfit but remained sure you didn’t. The shoes, at least, were yours.

The sun hadn’t risen yet as you stepped from the house, infinitely grateful for the warm boots despite the pain they’d put you through when they landed on you. Despite having definitely taken longer than ten minutes, Ghiaccio was still waiting in his car, scowling at nobody as you hurried over.

You’d managed to convince him to take you skating by yourself after a debate the previous night about White Album’s abilities.

Though you didn’t remember agreeing to being up this early for it.

You slipped into the car with a yawn, offering him some of the coffee you’d made. “Thank you for the clothes,” you said. “They’re really cute.”

“Shut up. It’s only so you don’t freeze to death.”

The drive wasn’t to the skating rink like you’d expected it to be but instead, Ghiaccio sped away from the city, driving for what must have been over an hour until the sun was fully in the sky though a morning mist still clung to the land.

You came to a screeching stop beside a lake, the water sparkling in the early light and reflecting off the rolling hills around it.

Ghiaccio reached into the backseat and grabbed a box, dropping it into your lap before he climbed out the car but not before you spotted the slight red on his cheeks.

You opened the box and your heart melted.

The ice skates were beautiful. They were a soft pink, adorned with a heart design along the backs and decorated with white rhinestones. A fluffy faux fur ran around the top and you ran your fingers through it a few times to marvel at the softness.

Then you stepped from the car and into the crisp morning air.

Ghiaccio had White Album activated, the stand suit glowing softly around him as he waited impatiently for you. He must have thought it would protect him from your onslaught of kisses but you immediately lavished them against the helmet while he grumbled and half-heartedly tried to push you away.

You laughed and stepped back, turning your attention to your stunning present once more. “Thank you. These are wonderful.”

“I don’t know why you thought it was smart to try and skate without a decent pair,” he scoffed. “Now come on. We’re wasting time.”

You sat on the hood of the car to put on the perfectly-fitting skates and, when you slid off, you found ice covering the road. Ghiaccio gestured for you to follow and you tentatively did as White Album created a path to the lake.

It wasn’t quite like regular ice.

You could feel the difference beneath your skates. White Album pulsed through like the ice was a mere extension of the stand itself. You couldn’t help but feel like you were doing something wrong by trying to use it.

Then Ghiaccio caught your arm and all that worry faded away. “I know I’ve shown you how to skate better than this.”

“I don’t know if White Album wants me to be here,” you admitted, fully aware of how weird that sounded.

But Ghiaccio didn’t frown at you or call you stupid for worrying over his stand.

“Here,” he said. “I’ll show you again.”

The entire lake was frozen in a second and you truly could skate forever if you wanted. White Album created whatever you needed while Ghiaccio hovered close, sometimes even circling you to give advice or watch what you were doing. You made sure to take his hand as often as possible, able to see the blush even beneath his helmet.

Eventually, you took a break on the side but when you separated, the ice no longer felt unwelcoming. You sat on its edge, watching Ghiaccio spin around with ease and rested your hand against it.

It was frigid enough to burn against the touch but it hummed with a pleased energy.

Ghiaccio didn’t grow tired and it wasn’t long before you joined him once more. Now that he was relaxed, the ice no longer seemed hostile and you skated around with considerably more grace.

There was no way you’d ever match him but you tried regardless.

Though, that trying didn’t pay off in the long run.

He’d slowed down to keep pace with you while mentioning something about your arms needing to be positioned better. You hadn’t been fully paying attention and in a split second, you felt your ankle twist. Ghiaccio caught you but his momentary shock disengaged White Album and both of you plunged into the lake with as shriek.

You surfaced with a gasp, spluttering up some of the water that had gotten into your lungs. Ghiaccio popped up beside you, a stream of curses tumbling out as he frantically checked for his glasses.

“Shit,” he hissed. “Can you see them?”

The lake was dark and murky. You doubted you could have found them if you tried. “I don’t even know where the bottom is,” you admitted.

You both swam to the water’s edge, pulling yourselves out and collapsing on the grass there.

“I’m so sorry,” you said. “I messed up and now the skates –“

“They’ll dry,” he cut you off. “But I can’t drive without my fucking glasses and now I’m going to have to get another pair!”

You slipped your skated off, laying them gently to the side and then leaned in to take Ghiaccio’s face in your hands. You peppered kisses across his face, giggling a little at how he squinted to try and focus on you.

“It could have been worse,” you said. “We could have fallen on the road.”

Ghiaccio grimaced in memory of the countless times it had occurred to him. His stand could protect from a lot but if he had to turn it off for whatever reason, it hurt when he landed.

You kissed him again before taking his keys, hopping off to drive despite his complaints. You were still somewhat wet when you waltzed into the house but you didn’t mind. Especially when the first person you spotted was Prosciutto.

“Hey!” you greeted as you pulled him into a soaking wet hug.

“What… why are you so wet?”

“Fell in the fucking lake,” Ghiaccio muttered as he walked past. “Need to find my spare glasses now.”

Prosciutto rolled his eyes and stared down at you. “You need to go take a shower or something before you get ill. I don’t look after sick people.”

“Fine but only if somebody joins me. What can I say, I’m feeling awfully nervous of water now.”

[lasquadranights]

Private Present

Christmas Countdown: Illuso x Reader

Content Warnings: NSFW Content, AFAB Reader, Voyeurism, Toys, References to Polygamy

***

It was a little surprising to be offered an early gift, especially from Illuso who hadn’t really seemed invested in present-giving in the first place. The way Ghiaccio had rolled his eyes at the offer confirmed your suspicions to not be unfounded.

Yet, the day ended up lovely.

Illuso had taken you sight seeing around some of the less tourist-filled locations, joining tour groups in secret and running off before they noticed. You got ice cream from a stall and strolled around the old buildings for a while, Illuso occasionally telling you random facts about the location you were in with his arm wrapped around your waist.

He leaned his head against yours and whispered soft compliments into your ear as he guided you to the final location: a beautiful set of ruins where the sunset would be absolutely breathtaking.

There were crowds of people but you didn’t mind, sure you would find a good spot to stand.

“This has been an amazing date,” you hummed. “Thank you.”

“It isn’t over yet,” Illuso purred. “I still haven’t given you your present yet.”

“Oh?”

He brought you to a stop and you faltered, realising now what was going on. A golden mirror glinted in the sun and reflected the sunset across its façade. How he’d even gotten it up there… you didn’t even have a chance to think before you were dragged through, stumbling into a world identical to your own but startlingly empty.

Illuso grinned at your startle, offering a small and rattling box up for you.

You took it from him and sighed. “Is this going to be a toy?”

“You already know that it is.”

Illuso crept closer to you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his head on your shoulder from behind. He stroked your hips gently while he watched with anticipation as you opened the gift.

It was a stone.

Just a tiny little stone sitting in the middle of the otherwise empty box. You picked it up and frowned, not sure what to make of the pebble in your hand.

“Illuso?” you asked. “What’s –“

You were cut off by your own startled sound when a very intense vibration hit your clit directly. The unexpectedness of it was almost painful and you squirmed to get away, finding yourself trapped in place by the sturdy frame behind you.

Illuso spoke into your ear in a deep and smug tone. He rolled the small vibrator over you again, chuckling when you yelped. “You seemed like you needed some stress relief,” he purred. “That’s why I thought you could have your present early.”

You yelped when the pressure increased and dropped the box and stone, grabbing at Illuso’s arms to try and pull him away.

It was an instinct and not something you truly wanted. You could feel what you really wanted as it pooled in your stomach.

The next sound he drew from you was a small gasp followed by a trembling moan.

“Does it excite you?” he asked. “Where we are?”

His free hand came up to forcefully turn your head to face the mirror. Behind it, you could see countless tourists going about their days, oblivious to what was happening directly before them.

“Any one of them could be a stand user,” he whispered into your ear.

You whimpered, knowing that if they were, they would be able to see exactly what was going on. They’d see your flushing face and know you were enjoying the possibility of somebody watching.

Illuso bit your neck a little, focusing on a spot to make sure it bruised while you squirmed in his arms.

He pushed your skirt up and teasingly rubbed the vibrator along the edges of your panties. “Do you think I could get you to scream loud enough for them to notice?”

You found yourself braced against a wall before long, legs spread as he pushed the vibrator against your exposed and dripping cunt. He wrapped your hair around his other hand and used the grip to keep your face visible.

Your sounds were almost embarrassing as he edged and teased you. The vibration was harsh enough to border on pain and yet it made you weak.

A particular needy whine tried to push its way from your throat and you caught it at the last minute, biting your lip until it turned white.

Illuso tilted his head and the vibrator turned off very suddenly.

You panted, glancing quizzically up at him to see what went wrong. He was still holding your hair so you didn’t twist around, just watched as he slowly brought the vibrator close to your face. He turned it on and rested it against your cheek.

“Does it feel nice?” he asked.

You nodded; the buzz remained pleasant against your sweaty skin. Pulses of heat ran through you and you clenched around nothing.

He turned it off again and stared down at you with a blank expression. “So then why are you staying quiet?”

“I don’t know,” you murmured.

Illuso forced you to face the wall again, his grip painful in your hair. “Well then, I guess if you’re going to be ungrateful, you don’t get to play with the new toy.”

You whined an apology that went unheard and then you felt him pushing between your legs, his cock teasingly dragging across your core. He wasn’t gentle as he thrust forward, the impact along being enough to make you groan.

He sent a relentless pace but every shift pushed against the spot that made you scream. You dropped your head, eyes screwed shut as he pounded into you.

Every time he brought you close to the edge, he’d change the pace and throw you off, making you build up to your peak again and again without release.

“Please, Lu,” you panted. “I won’t do it again.”

He hummed, considering it without falter. “Is that so? How do I know you won’t take it back? After all, you’re clearly so nervous about them hearing you.”

“I promise. Just… please.”

Illuso leaned in over your back, his voice dragging across your ear. “I told the others they should come here today. Do you think you can be loud enough for them to hear?”

Your eyes snapped open at the revelation. A twist of nerves mingled with want danced in your stomach and you turned to look at the mirror, half expecting the rest of the team to be standing there.

“Well?”

“Yes,” you whined.

“Yes, what?”

“I’ll be loud. I’ll be so loud that they’ll all hear me.”

“Good girl.”

The vibrator pressed against your clit harshly and your orgasm slammed into you like a train. It shook your entire body, nearly making you fall against the world as you cried out Illuso’s name as loud as you could. He dragged your climax out for as long as he could, following you not long after and falling against you with a soft moan.

The two of you got only slightly cleaned up before a knock on the mirror brought your attention to a grinning Formaggio.

“Lu,” he said. “Let me in before all these people think I’ve lost my mind. I’m crashing your date.”