My Name Tattooed On Your Arm

by siglaier

Summary:

Elliot considered himself a law-abidding citzen, strict to his morals and the law. He was taught to report anything illegal, to look down on criminals. His sense of justice followed the law. Yet he didn't budge when Mafioso and his men came to get pizza late at night, the man was rather charming, honestly.

Things took a turn, complicted feelings from the both them. Elliot has to navigate this new found relationship that tested his morals and everything he has been taught.

It was his repuation, his whole entire life, or Mafioso.

Notes:

yes, the tilte was taken from the song "Criminal" By Britney Spears. This whol fanfic was inspired by the song honestly.

Chapter 1: From the Heart.

Summary:

Mafioso confesses to Elliot.

Notes:

is this ooc?? maybe. WHO GAF THOUGH!! NOT ME!!!

most of the characters in the tags don't appear in this chapter. I just know i want them to appear at some point in the story. sigh.

Elliot tapped his finger against the hard counter, leaning over it as he watched the front entrance like a vulture. It was nearing closing time, Elliot was all by himself as his coworkers never liked to close, along with the fact they were short staffed at the moment. Sighing, he stood up straight, staring at the clock as it ticked. Waiting for an hour for him, it was a boring process. He was all alone, no one to chat to and keep him busy. Usual customers never came near closing anyway, who would want pizza at 10pm? They so strangely closed at 10:30pm, as if they were nocturnal animals.

There was a chime, indicating that the door opened, Elliot perked up and quickly turned to glance. He noticed the familiar figure coming in, blinking. Mafioso, a member of the mafia and a ruthless criminal. The man was a regular at this hour, always coming in 30 minutes before the place closed. There were other men that would accompany him, men he would call his ‘boys’--they all filled the quiet pizzeria with their loud chatter. Though this time, Mafioso came alone, strange. When he first arrived, his first visit, he remembered he was afraid.

Afraid of getting on any of their nerves, scared that they were there for malicious reasons, it was obvious they were a part of something cruel and he ended up being right. Yet when mafioso first ordered, there was no rough demand made by the man. He ordered like any ordinary customer, never making Elliot give them their pizza for free. It was like they came to this place for a nice meal, a break from all their immoral activities. Elliot would have never imagined himself getting along well with a criminal, he considered himself a law abiding citizen. How would he clash so well with someone so opposite with their morals?

Nonetheless, out of any mafia member that showed up here, Mafioso was the one he bonded with. He wasn’t sure if he was the boss or some sort of high-ranking member, it never mattered to him. Elliot liked listening to his booming voice, he spoke with confidence, bragging to Elliot about his endeavors. It was surprising how sweet he was to Elliot, sometimes praising him for his hard work. Even with how much they talked with each other, he was still a mystery to Elliot, he didn’t even know his real name. Mafioso made his way to the counter, greeting Elliot with a grin.

“Hello Elliot.” He said flatly, tipping the Fedora he’d always wore, it casted a shadow over his eyes. His clothes were rather formal, something a typical mafia would wear in the movies. A fur coat draped over his shoulders, a grey vest over a white dress-shirt with a black tie, black slacks and nice dress shoes which were, also, black.

“Hi.” Elliot greeted him back, nodding his head. “Where are the rest of you?” He playfully added, tilting his body slightly to look behind Mafioso. Still, they never came in late, perhaps they were in a rush; waiting in the car for Mafioso to order and get their pizza to go. Yet, Elliot wasn’t sure if he even saw a car out there.

There was a pause, “They’re busy with other matters.” Mafioso told him dismissively.

“Well then, are you ordering a small pizza this time?” Elliot curiously asked, remembering the order he’d always order for his boys. A large pepperoni pizza, with 5 cokes, the number of mafia members usually there. Mafioso simply shook his head.

“I’m not planning on ordering anything.” He added, “I’m not here for pizza.” Elliot raised a brow, tilting his head.

“Are you here to order chicken?” He tried to joke, but Mafioso didn’t laugh which made him frown. There was an awkward silence between the two, Elliot bit his lip.

“I wanted to check up on you.” He answered, his voice sincere. “It isn’t safe to close alone.” Elliot’s smile returned, softer this time. This wouldn’t be the expected behavior from someone like Mafioso, it came as a sudden surprise the first time he showed concern for Elliot. He gradually got used to it over time. The first time Mafioso insisted on staying, standing guard near closing time, it was raining hard. Elliot couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at Mafioso’s soaked form, telling him lightly he had an umbrella he could’ve used.

“You don’t need to do that.” He tried to reassure Mafioso, words he would say every time he would offer. Usually he was helped by the other men, yet as you know, none of them were here. Mafioso held up a hand, as a way to disregard Elliot’s attempt to repel him .

“It’s necessary for the danger that lurks in the dark.” Mafioso spoke calmly, his expression was blank and hard to read. He was always so persistent, too stubborn to back down from a decision made.

“I’ve closed many nights before you ever came in to get pizza. I’ve been able to handle myself, haven’t I?” Elliot continued to try and assure Mafioso once more, though he knew it was futile. “Don’t you yourself have things to do?”

“Those matters can wait. I have you to focus on.” Mafioso responded with a snarl, so Elliot backed down, letting out a gentle sigh. How adorable it was for a Mafia man to worry so much about your average pizza worker.

“Alright, if you have to.” Elliot agreed, pulling out keys as they jingled in his hands. It was the pizzeria's keys, it was time he should start. “Well, i’m going to start closing up so-“

“Allow me to help you out.” Mafioso interrupted swiftly, his voice almost sounding desperate. Elliot raised a brow, confusion spread across his face. The man had always sat outside, not bothering to lift a hand before, he was being rather clingy today. Though he wasn’t exactly sure his request was allowed, he would feel bad if he denied it.

“Uh, if you want to, go ahead!” He nodded, “You can wipe the tables while I sweep the floor.” Mafioso hummed, nodding. Even if this was strange behavior, he appreciated the help. Closing alone took a lot of work, prepping for the openers. He handed the other man some wipes he had been holding onto, Mafioso immediately got to work on the tables, as if he were rushing.

Brushing it off, he grabbed a broom for the closet, rusty and wore down from many years of being used. They cleaned in the heavy silence, Elliot paid no mind to the glances Mafioso would give Elliot. He wondered if he was just being extra cautious today, there was something going on with him. Maybe he was on edge from something related to his work, looking at Elliot for comfort. If there was anything on the man’s mind, he wouldn’t try his best to be there for. After all, it was the least he could do for all the times Mafioso was there for him.

The clean up was long and slow, the only words Elliot uttered were suggestions on what Mafioso could do next, the other man was completely silent besides occasional “mhm” after being told what to do. There was definitely something on his mind, yet Elliot didn’t wish to budge.

“Alright, that should be good.” Elliot announced, his voice booming through the empty restaurant. He turned to Mafioso with a grin, the other man’s face blank as it always was. So hard to read, he’d never let anyone else inside that head of his. Sometimes Elliot wondered if the Mafioso he saw was a persona, and this one, when they were alone, was a peek of his true self seeping through. Whenever he would come in, he was confident and a bit cocky, loud and bold. That’s how he presented himself, with his boys, with his target, never with Elliot.

He was much more soft and tender, a worried wreck. Though, he was still social, never shy like he was being tonight. Elliot finally had the courage to ask.

“You okay, man? You’re so… silent.” He noted, Mafioso stared down at him, unmoving.

“Hmm… You noticed?” Mafios sounded pleased, “I’m fine, lots running through my mind, though.”

“Would you like to talk about those thoughts?” He shrugged, feeling a little nervous. Mafioso seemed to perk up at those words.

“Yes, one of them. Something that has been in the back of my mind for a long while.” A careful smirk appeared on his face, hand reaching out for Elliot to grab. “Why don’t I walk you home tonight?” Elliot blinked, he has never offered that before. He never drove to work, he’d always walk due to the distance. Perhaps that was why Mafioso would always show concern, yet Elliot never thought of his town as something dangerous. “Yeah, sure.” Elliot chuckled, nervous to take Mafioso's hand fully. So he turned it into a small shake, before turning to turn off the lights. He heard a small sigh from the man, the door dinging, signalling Mafioso went outside to wait patiently. Elliot soon followed, fumbling with the keys as he locked the door. Their eyes locked for a moment, under the pale moonlight, no car insight with how late it was. It felt barren, as they both began to walk on queue. The defeating hushed air sent shivers down Elliot’s spine, Mafioso still form behind him.

It began to feel a little awkward, he felt his heart beat at a fast pace. Elliot was beginning to get a wrenching feeling in his gut, he became increasingly cautious of the man behind, feeling as though the shift in his behavior were signs of danger. He wished to be overthinking, that Mafioso simply had a bad day. Yet he couldn’t get his heart to stop pounding, the feeling of his breath heavy of pure nervousness.

The feeling of Mafioso’s eyes boring into him sent a shiver down his spine, he couldn’t help but turn around, seeing a blank expression on the other man’s fan. Before it was quickly replaced by a soft smile, making Elliot quickly turn around, feeling a little flustered. That gentle smile of his relaxed Elliot slightly, causing his mind to wonder about the other possibilities.

Mafioso had told him he needed to get something off his chest, yet he remained so hushed Elliot couldn’t help but be curious as to why. They were running out of time to really talk at all, as Elliot was approaching his house. Swiftly turning his head again, he locked eyes with Mafioso.

“Hey… you said you wanted to get something off your mind?” Elliot spoke up, tugging at the collar of his work uniform. “You mentioned you wanted to talk about a specific thought you had for a while..? Unless you’ve changed your mind, which I understand! Don’t feel pressured, I’m just curious.” Elliot stopped near the stairs entering his deck, garnished in wood. Mafioso stayed silent, as if he was hesitant, something the pizza worker wouldn’t expect.

“Elliot I...” He began, his mouth opened and closed, as if struggling to choose the right words. Elliot gave a careful smile, trying to look comforting for Mafioso.

“You don’t have to-”

“I want to.” Mafioso cut Elliot off, his tone a little frustrated. Though not at the other man, more at himself. “It’s rather… hard to say. It’s a little pathetic, I’m a man who could murder a whole town without any sort of hesitation yet I can’t speak these simple words.” Those words made Elliot blink, feeling a sudden flutter in his heart, as if his body had an idea of what those simple words were. He ignored the mention of violence from Mafioso, he had grown used to his casual talk of his crimes. It felt so wrong to be so friendly with this mobster, yet Elliot felt so drawn to him, so comfortable in his presence.

He had always looked down upon others for associating criminals, anyone who was a danger to society. This friendship had proved how much of hypocrite he became, the feeling of yearning for the touch of the vile man. Even if Mafia’s are hard to take down, Elliot could’ve gotten a few of Mafioso’s men and him, reporting to the police that they’d have turned his workplace into a hangout spot.

He never did.

His father wouldn’t be proud, this would affect his business, wouldn’t it? These weren’t the expectations that his father raised him on. “If you see something suspicious, report it.” That’s what his father would always say to him, to bring justice to those who deserved it. Despite all of those teachings and warnings, Elliot put himself in this situation. Allowing himself to grow close to Mafioso, to show a grin anytime he came in, and to show kindness to the man who never gave it.

So when Maifose began to kneel, holding Elliot’s hand close to his lips, pecking the back of his hand in a gentle manner; Elliot never pulled away. Instead, a soft shade of pink displayed on his cheeks, breath hitching in his throat at the bold action. It caught him off guard, all Elliot could do was stare, looking like a deer in headlights, completely frozen in Mafioso’s grasp.

“Elliot, I fear that I am falling in love with you.” He confessed, his hand squeezing Elliot’s. “Something about you pulls me towards you, I can’t express how much joy I feel anytime I see you, anytime I hear you. I would’ve never imagined to feel this way with the line of work I do, but you… You’re something I can't ignore.” Elliot listened keenly, his eyes widened at the words. It was such a surprise, he couldn’t form a proper response. Mafioso here, pouring out his heart to Elliot, it seemed like something in a dream. He couldn’t help but look around for anything that looked odd, which indicated it was a dream.

When he couldn’t find anything, his focus was back on Mafioso. “This isn’t some sort of lie, right..? Something to distract me or catch me off guard-”

“Of course not!” Mafioso cried, making Elliot flinch. “This is the most honest I have ever been, this isn’t to deceive. I am a little hurt you would assume as much, though I understand your caution.”

“So you're serious?” Elliot asked, gullit bit at him for doubting mafioso, he just wanted to make sure this was real. Mafioso stood up, hand slowly drifting from Elliot’s, the sudden coldness made him feel empty. It had moved to his cheeks, Mafioso’s thumb brushing against the bottom of his lip, he felt the texture of his leathered gloves tickling his lip slightly. There was an intense racing in Elliot’s heart, knowing what was going to happen, eager for it. Something that’d appear in the movies, the confession then the kiss. It was clear Mafioso was hesitant, as if waiting for Elliot’s permission.

Elliot decided to go for it, closing his eyes and pressing his lips against mafiosos. Mafioso was surprised by this action, but quickly melted into the kiss. Elliot’s hands grasped Mafioso's shoulder. It was a little awkward, both too shy to deepen it or take it farther. A quick brush against the lips, before they pulled away. Silence fell on both of them, avoiding the gaze of the other. Though neither wanted to let go, holding onto each other. Elliot was the first one to speak.

“So… uh… Does this make us official?” Elliot chuckled weakly, feeling incredibly flustered, unsure of how to really ask the question. “Implying this wouldn’t… get in the way of your work, right?”

“No, it wouldn’t.” Mafioso replied with a hum, sliding his hands off of Elliot’s cheeks, straightening himself. “Though I must get going, I’ve never told anyone where I was going.” He scratched under his chin, looking to the side. Before Elliot could ask anymore questions, confusion running through him, Mafioso was gone in a blink of an eye. Elliot stood there dumbfounded, biting his lip as he stared out into the streets. His answer was never a solid yes, it was vague.

Elliot felt a little worried to assume things based on his desire, how he hated that Mafioso suddenly disappeared out of thin air. He was so desperate for the questions he had running his head to be answered. The worker had no experience with relationships, he wasn’t sure on what to do exactly. People in romantic relationships seemed to know their significant other’s name or have their phone number, Eliiot had none of that. Did Mafioso even have a phone number? Or even a name?

He wasn’t sure if he’d ever know. Rubbing his neck, he stood out there for a while, his mind scrambled, trying to make sense of everything. Sighing, he decided to go inside of his house, maybe he could ask his questions at a later date. Right now, he should be getting ready for bed.

Elliot was sure he’d see Mafioso soon.

Notes:

i am cringing so hard rn omgg i hate them ooooo so corny die DIE death to them.

Chapter 2: Internal Conflict.

Summary:

Elliot feels guilty for being in love with a Mob boss.

Notes:

hi. its been so long. hasnt it. Im so sorry this has taken like 3 months to finish. depression hit me like a brick this summer, i had no motivation and was struggling BAD. pretty much was a bum all summer, argh. i feel better though, dont worry about me. school gets me a burst of motivation when it comes to my writing, LOL. kind silly, a bit embarassing I writ fanfiction in school. wtv im able to feed you pizzadebt yaoi right?

the ending to this chapters a little rush too, had to cut out some planned stuff cause I wanted this chapter to BE DONEEE. regradless, i was able to still execute this chapter in a way I wanted too. enjoy, or not. idc. i write for myself.

Elliot laid in his bed, drowsy and unwilling to move. His eyes refused to keep open, as he barely got any sleep last night. He stared up at the ceiling, thinking back to what happened last night. The taste of Mafioso’s lips still lingered on his own. Rolling over, he shoved his face into his pillow, feeling like a teenage girl in love. There was an overwhelming sense of excitement he felt whenever his mind traced back to Mafioso, it was starting to bug him. He couldn’t be all giddy during work! Maybe his coworkers wouldn’t notice a thing, at least when it came to his mood, he was always cheerful during his workshift.

Though his shift in focus would be obvious, he’d be incredibly clumsy and ruin his whole work ethic. Elliot was always on task and nothing ever distracted him, he was always encouraging his coworkers to do the same, surprisingly he was an inspiration. Honestly, he was the whole reason the work place never fell apart, he was the piece holding it together. If he made one slip up, one mistake, he was afraid everything would crumble. Hopefully his romantic feelings wouldn’t get in the way of his work. Elliot groaned into his pillows, there had been so much stress and pressure on his shoulders to be the best.

It was unclear when he became such a perfectionist, it seemed to be something he was fated to become. His whole life there were always expectations for him, at least by his father due to the fact he was soon to take over as CEO, only if his father passed away or retired. Yet Elliot wasn’t sure if that’s what he really wanted, if he wanted his career to be only pizza for the rest of his life. Sometimes he felt exhausted having to walk into that pizzeria and work, over and over again, a repeating cycle. Elliot slowly sat up, holding his pillow in his arms and under his chin.

A loud ringing interrupted his sulking, he flinched at the sudden sound. His phone was ringing, someone was calling him. Elliot rushed to grab it, noticing it was his dad, and answered it.

“Hello?” He spoke in a dazed tone, rubbing his eyes as he still wasn’t fully awake.

“Elliot! You picked up the phone pretty fast, do you miss your big man?” His father’s casual tone came through, teasing his son as he always has.

“Haha, yeah. It’s been awhile.” Elliot chuckled, getting out of his bed, standing there awkwardly.

“How have you been?” His dad asked with curiosity laced in his voice, urging his son to go on his usual rambles about his day to day life to him. Elliot felt a sense of dread loomed over him, he never lied to his dad, ever. He was honest with his family, he felt comfortable with them knowing the truth, even if it was scary. Now, there was no way he’d ever tell his father about the thing that happened with Mafioso; Hell, he hasn’t even told him about Mafioso. Why should he? It would just cause a lot of concern from his dad, maybe a bit of scolding.

Dating a criminal, a scum, nobody would think it would work. It’s too dangerous and risky, a mafia member out of all the options? They all think he was crazy, delusional even. A man who lived a life of crime, who would associate with someone like that? For the first time in his life, he kept something secret, something private. It was personal business, nobody had to shove their noses up it. Elliot felt terrible about this all unfortunately, he wanted to confine in someone about this. Yet it wasn’t anyone’s business once again.

“I’ve been great, dad. You know, just doing the usual.” Elliot beamed, putting on a mask for the emotions affecting his heart as it ached. “There hasn’t been much excitement yet, I’ll let you know if anything does happen though. How’s Mia doing?”

“She’s good, been getting incredible grades! I’m so proud of her.” His father responded, sounding as if he was about to burst into happy tears. “Bless her little heart, she’s been going on about a band concert that’s coming up. She really wants you to come, Elliot! A nice little visit, huh? How does that sound?” ( What do middle scholars do again? Whatever, she's a band kid. heart.)

“I’m proud of her too…” Elliot mumbled, itching at his neck. “Of course I’ll come, do you have a date?”

“It should be in two weeks! Not sure of the exact date, but I'll let you know when I’m notified.” His father told him, he could hear the excitement through the phone. It made Ellio’s guilt worse, just imagining that happy charade would come crumbling down if he ever found out the news. “Anyways, better get going. I got a meeting I need to attend, have a good day Elliot. I love you, bye!”

Before Elliot could say anything back, the phone call ended. He stared off into space for a while, slowly setting his phone back down on his night stand. Elliot was lucky it was his day off today, he wasn’t up for working. Groaning, he fell back onto his bed, shoving his face into his squishy pillow. All Elliot wanted was some time to himself, to think things over. About everything that had happened yesterday, with Mafioso. As if he hasn’t been thinking about it since he woke up, it needed a lot of thinking, a lot of processing.

Was he really going into a relationship with a man with a loaded body count? Thousands of corpses caused by him, family and friends left to mourn. He shifted onto his back, gazing up at the ceiling intensely, as if he were watching a baby. After that whole confession, there was still no real name to be known. Elliot scrunched up his nose, brushing his hand through his hair, as he let out a frustrated sigh. If anyone knew about these feelings, they’d judge him harshly. Some might show concern, trying to convince him this was a scheme and he was in danger. People would run their mouths, as they usually do.

This was sure to ruin his reputation if it ever got out, it would make people reasonably upset. He was a little scared it would go as far as to affect his family, that would hurt him more than anything. His father might shun him, that would sting. Even so, he would prefer them to be safe, and if that meant he couldn’t be a part of their lives anymore; then so be it. Elliot definitely wanted his sister to not get involved more than anything, he wouldn’t want her getting hurt. Shaking his head, he rolled over in bed, he needed to stop thinking about these things. Today was his day off, he should be relaxing, not stressing himself out with all these possibilities. That was for future Elliot to worry about, whenever that day may come.

At the pace of a snail, he got up from his bed, stretching. He should do something today, though he wasn’t sure what. All this time cooped up at either home or work would drive him crazy, he wondered if he needed to run some errands. It had been awhile since he had picked up groceries, he was probably running out of food. Elliot huffed, he had to get ready, though he didn’t need to be presentable. Walking towards his closet, he looked through the options, only his uniform. He stared as if there was any choice to be made.

“Ah, this one!” He said to himself, pulling out the one on the far left, easily slipping it on.

Elliot did everything he needed to do to get ready, eat some breakfast, brush his teeth and hair, all of that fun stuff! Parking his car near the front, he stared at the entrance of Bloxmart. There wasn’t any real reason, that guilt surged through him again. It felt as though he didn’t deserve to be here, living the life of an average person. Shaking it away, he trotted towards the entrance, hearing the annoying beeping sound it makes whenever a person enters.

Even with all the convincing he did in his head, he felt as though he didn’t belong here. As if there were eyes staring at him, but nobody paid any mind to him. If they were, it would be more so at the fact he was wearing a work uniform. Sighing, he hit his head with a spaghetti box he was holding onto, aggressively tossing it into his cart. Never had he had this much stress about something about work, about something not everyone has stressed about. Nobody has felt intense guilt over dating some mob boss, how many mob bosses do you know?

It annoyed him he was still on about this, usually he could be rid of exhausting thoughts like this effortlessly. This one seems to stick. He kept sighing, loudly, causing the people he passed to look at him curiously. Elliot didn’t mean too, he couldn’t stop himself. This was his own fault, he put himself through this. It felt disrespectful. While he was focusing on which cereal to get out, he heard a noisy voice from his side.

“Dad, dad! Look! It’s the pizza guy!” A kid announced to his father, his voice sounded as if he was grinning with glee. Elliot blinked, freezing in place; Turning his head to see c00lkidd at the end of the aisle, the kid who would constantly talk about his so called team whenever he were at the pizza place (and allowed to be there). There, behind him, was an old face he didn’t hope to see outside of work.

007n7.

Elliot bit his lip, wanting so badly to start sprinting. 007n7 and him didn't really have a good relationship, as he had a bit of disdain for 007n7. Though it wasn’t necessarily hate for the guy, as much as Elliot wanted to hate him. It felt like he couldn’t, he just couldn’t hate anyone no matter what they did to him. Was that a bad thing? Definitely. That didn’t mean he felt angry at them, but that was all there was, a grudge. Not out of hate, but out of hurt. 007n7 used to cause terror to a lot of places, using his exploits to do so. He had a buddy with him usually, Noli? Or something like that.

Elliot was a bit naive back then, for being so friendly with him before. Despite the countless exploits he and his friend would cause, Elliot never did anything about it. His stupid smirk, he never forgot it, how much he looked to enjoy it. One day, it all stopped, 007n7 surprised him by suddenly having a kid he was taking care of. This same cruel exploiter, becoming a dad, even gaining a dad bod. 007n7 swore to Elliot that he changed, when he came in for the first time in years. It seemed as if he did, Elliot thought so. Yet the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, his kid started to exploit the pizza place.

The destruction was a lot, he burned down the whole pizza place. Elliot never felt so angry with someone before, he actually had the guts to blacklist someone. He didn’t really wish to think about it, he was out of a job for awhile. His dad offered money, but he hated accepting money from his dad, he didn’t want to seem like a nepobaby who always relied on their parents. That’s why he worked, he wanted to work for the money. That’s why he felt a surge of rage for 007n7, a rage that would never go away. Maybe a bit towards c00lkid, yet he felt guilty for it. As he was just a kid, it was 007n7’s fault for c00lkid getting his hands on the c00lgui.

007n7 seemed a bit nervous when he spotted Elliot, as Elliot had a small bothered look on his face. C00lkid was smiling and waving to Elliot, 007n7 quickly picked him up, despite the boy’s protest. “Elliot… I’m sorry, he’s just… is a little excited today.” 007n7 apologized in a hushed tone, looking like a lost dog in his presence. Elliot felt himself pitying him, he never wanted his appearance to feel scary to anyone, even if it was someone like 007n7. He wanted to be a comforting person, someone you could always come to no matter the circumstances.

“Yeah, no.. I get it.” Elliot reassured him, a small smile on his lip. This was awkward, he could practically feel the tension they were creating. He looked up at 007n7, who was desperately avoiding his gaze, holding himself close. His body was tense, affecting Elliot at that fact. Nobody spoke up, C00lkid eyes were moving back and forth from the two men, his head tilted to the side in confusion. With 007n7 here, he felt even worse. It wasn’t only because of the miserable past nor the whole thing with c00lkid, his guilt was eating at him. The fact he was able to look past the actions of a mafia man, yet hold such disdain for a hacker, when Mafioso was arguably so much worse.

Elliot will give credit to 007n7, he genuinely was trying to change. Would Mafioso ever enter the light? Could he even become good again? He was sweet, of course, but that delightful presence might all be a persona he puts on in front of Elliot. Grasping the item tightly in his hand, Elliot felt his breath hitch in his throat. That annoying rapid pace of his heart made it hard to focus. 007n7 sensed his distress, assuming it was because of him, gave Elliot a nervous smile.

“...We’ll be out of your way now.” 007n7 muttered softly, ushering c00lkid away with him. C00lkid responded with whines and complaints, trying to call back to Elliot. Though no response came from Elliot, as he clenched his free fist. He let out an exhale he wasn’t aware he was holding, his arms hanging limply. It was a mistake to shop now, the time in his hand dropped into the cart as he let out a rough sigh. His hand traced his cart upwards towards the handle bar. Smacking his other onto the handle bar, he gripped it tightly.

It was immature to have a simple interaction get to his head and ruin his whole mood, but it trailed back to a deeper issue in his mind. Being mad at 007n7 was reasonable, he told himself all the time. That guy would constantly burn down the pizzeria and hurt his busy family, his pizzeria in specific. No other ones, just his. He would always have to lean on his dad for support, as it resulted in him without a job many times. Elliot didn’t like asking for help or for money, even if he had all the money to spare for his son. He rather made it independently, wanting to show the world he wouldn’t get a job just because of his father’s money.

Yet, he worked at the pizzeria, the franchise that his father owns. Elliot grumbled, 007n7 still could’ve killed him. He did kill someone, he did injure a lot of people. It made him sick to his stomach just thinking about, feeling guilty for being rightfully angry at a criminal. Of course he knew his anger was justified, it was more so him realizing he was a bit of a hypocrite. After all, he was dating a different criminal, a literal mafia member. His name–or the name Elliot called him anyway–was Mafioso. Mafioso means mafia member. This shopping trip was supposed to be a distraction, yet it uncovered an old wound. Shaking his head, he needed to stay focused on the grocery list.

Maybe it would help to talk to someone about it, but for now, he needs to clear his mind once more. Mafioso might understand all his concerns and guilt, he always did. Tomorrow night, he’ll talk more about their relationship with Mafioso. Tomorrow night.

Notes:

i promise I'll get the next chapter out a lot faster, at least 2 weeks. hopefully.