Romano x Reader - Mafia Boy, Mafia Girl ~ 4

Lovino didn’t use to wake up early. Even when he did, he would go to sleep back, but that morning he didn’t. Instead, he was sitting in his big velvet armchair, next to a well-hidden window which had a perfect view of the garden.

The birds were singing, the leaves were rustling, and everything poetic was happening, but he wasn’t paying attention to any of them. His amber eyes were fixed on one spot, almost not blinking. He finally had a day off and was spending it stalking now.

Lovino had been watching the two ladies’ training for hours now. He felt like he had to call them ‘ladies’ because one thing had caught his attention: They were fighting elegantly.

It was the second day of _______’s education and she was learning how to use a sword. Ece had woken her up at an unearthly hour and dragged her down to start. _______ cursed her without stopping for breath at first hour, but then she calmed down. Now, she was trying to apprehend how Ece held and threw the sword.

“Don’t hold it with both hands _______,” Ece said. “If you do, you look frightened. Hold the sword with one hand and don’t let that hand shake.” She stepped back. “Now try again.”

_______ let go of a hand, and held the sword with just one. “Better?”

Ece nodded. “Better. Now let’s see how you stab.”

_______ tried to imitate what she last saw and stabbed the nearest tree. Then she looked at Ece to hear her comment. “How was it?”

“Not bad.” Ece came closer. “But you’re always forgetting one thing, _______: You have to be fast, elegant and fatal at the same time. You’re a mafia girl.”

“Not yet,” she reminded. “I’m not officially in mafia, you know?”

“You will be. Now watch how I do. If you can’t do the same later, I’ll scratch your arm.” She held her own sword. Lovino carefully watched how she moved: She was moving on the grass as if enemies were around her, but she slightly seemed like she was dancing. Suddenly she turned and stabbed the tree on the same spot. “See? Now do it.” She stepped back.

_______ took her sword and gulped. As she had seen that morning, if Ece said she would scratch her arm, she really would do that. She took a deep breath and did the same moves while Ece was running around her like an enemy.

A perfect waltz, Lovino thought. He felt like he wanted to do that too, but not now.

_______ could defend herself very well and do as Ece told her. It took a few minutes, but she managed to stab another tree without Ece catching her – it looked like she was born with athletic skills.

Ece smiled. “Very good, _______,” she congratulated. “I suppose you’re tired?”

“Suppose?!” _______ shouted.

Ece laughed. “I better shut up… and you’re free until 4 pm. Class dismissed!” She went into the tall building, whistling.

_______ didn’t do so. Instead, she just sat down on the grass. All her strength had gone away.

Lovino waited a few minutes to see if she did something. She was just sitting and looking around herself. Of course she is, Lovino thought. She hadn’t had much time to wander around and watch scenery since she came. Lovino felt guilty for that, because he was the reason. Both the tall building and its enormous garden were gorgeous, because the men who worked there were the best of the best. Mafia couldn’t settle for something less than the best.

He heard a knock on his door. “Are you still sleeping, Lovi?” asked a cheerful voice.

“I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!”

“So you’re awake,” Feliciano giggled. “Come on, we’re having lunch with Grandpa and the girls will be there too!”

“How, _______’s still outside,” Lovino said inadvertently. He regretted without passing a moment.

“How do you know? Wait…” Feliciano entered his room and ignored his brother’s curses, walking towards the window. “I see! You’ve been watching her, huh? That’s why you don’t get out-” Lovino was about to interrupt him but he didn’t care. “-because you’ve been watching her! Ahahah… so cute!!”

“…what?” was the only thing Lovino could say.

“Never mind,” Feliciano passed over. “Suit up and come downstairs, lunch’s almost ready~” he disappeared.

Lovino sighed, then dressed and went downstairs. Everyone was there – his brother, grandfather, cousins and the girls. They were all laughing except for _______, who was too sleepy to listen to people. Lovino quietly had his own seat and started eating.

“…aaand that’s how _______ had her first date with Lovi!” Ece finished her sentence.

Lovino had a perfect spit-take. He wanted to shout but _______ was faster than him. “WHAT THE-”

“You drink coffee, you eat lovely cookies, you talk, and that’s not a date? Please, dear, I know how things work.” Ece was enjoying herself too much, and apparently enjoying Feliciano too, who was chuckling as silently as possible.

“Kindergarten kids do that too!”

“But you two are not kindergarten kids,” Remus reminded. He wasn’t smiling because he was a good actor.

Seemingly _______ wasn’t sleepy anymore. She was more awoken than ever. “Oh come on! I thought you were mature adults and all!”

“I’m mature enough to avoid adult-type jokes,” Ece stated indifferently.

“Besides… a date would last longer than fifteen minutes… am I right?” Lovino said. He had figured that resisting would make them laugh even more.

“…I’ll think about that one.”

“Good,” _______ snapped. “And I will not be taking my afternoon lesson. And you will not rape my sleep tomorrow. And where’s the damn pasta already?!”

~

_______ lay on her bed, growling. “I can’t believe I’ve cancelled my lesson today… And I have only one more day!”

She didn’t regret yelling during the lunch, but she did regret not taking her afternoon lesson. Now it was late night already. She had lost her second day, and maybe she was going to lose the third one, too.

She stood up. She had to practise what she had learnt till then. She went to the beautiful garden again, to the old oak tree. She patted its log. “Sorry for hurting you,” she apologized, not knowing why. “But I have to stay here. I can’t leave – not now. I have to prove that I’m awesome.”

She didn’t realize that Antonio was there, too, and hearing what she said. Antonio felt he had just figured her out. She needed to be good. She needed to know that she was good.

But not so quickly.

“How is your training going?” he asked as if he hadn’t been listening to her.

_______  jumped. “What the fu- oh, it’s you.” She shrugged. “Not bad. At least that’s what I’m being told.”

“Good.”

There was a silence. “…you heard me talking to myself, right?”

She had a different perspective. “Yes, it was kind of weird.” Antonio didn’t say more.

Suddenly she attacked him. “Then let’s see if I’m good enough to shut you up!”

She really was. Antonio didn’t know what Ece had been teaching her by doing what in such a short time, but she could learn quickly. Antonio defended himself, but didn’t try to hurt her. He also noticed that she really wasn’t fighting, just attacking slightly and defending herself. She was good indeed. In the end, they were laughing like crazy – why were they laughing anyway? Maybe because _______ felt relieved in the end and started to laugh.

“Good, good,” Antonio repeated. “You might really be around for a long time.”

“Really?” _______ looked like a little kid now: A little kid who wanted to be praised. He wouldn’t break her heart, not a kid’s heart.

“Yes… but please let’s not turn this into a Hollywood scene, shall we?” Antonio begged, making her giggle like a little girl this time. She nodded. “Fine.”

Neither of them knew that Lovino had been watching them.

Lovino was also annoyed at lunch time, but he didn’t care anymore. That Turkish girl had always been like that. Like her brother. But Lovino was thinking about something else now.

He could see that Antonio was on _______’s side too. At first Antonio really hated this girl, but now, he could see why she had to stay there. He supported her, contrary to Lovino’s main judgement. If he did that, it meant that he knew what he was doing.

Lovino believed in his cousin’s decisions. He always had.

Just as he was thinking about it, he heard someone knocking on his door softly. He grunted and went to open it. He was seriously surprised to see Ece standing there. “What is it?”

The young woman smiled slightly. “I’m leaving early.” She pointed at her little leather suitcase which was leaning on the wall.

Lovino was a bit disappointed now. No matter how annoying this woman was, she had been like a… mother to him all the time. He still remembered how she taught him to drive without scolding even once. “Why? Is something wrong?”

“No, no, nothing,” she tried to assure him, but Lovino could read her eyes. “…it’s my brother. He’s…” she took a deep breath.

Lovino understood. He knew that Sadık had been ill for a long time. He also knew that their father had passed away because of the same illness. After Ece and Sadık’s father had been a famous mafia, he started doing unfair things and ignoring poor, innocent people. Then one day he died in his sleep – one of his men had been poisoning him little by little. And Lovino also knew that Ece had been afraid of the same thing happening again more than anything. She looked calm now, though. Maybe she felt free because she didn’t have to be afraid anymore.

“I’m sorry,” Lovino murmured. He heard a little laugh. When he looked up, he saw the young woman smiling slightly.

“You’re sorry for me? That’s new.” She reached and hugged him. Surprisingly enough, Lovino didn’t do anything. “Thank you, Lovino. Please take care of your grandfather for me.”
Remus was like a father to Ece. “And by the way… give _______ a chance. In every point, I mean. She deserves that. You deserve that.” She let him go and walked away, almost like a queen.