Hello and I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE. I'm a bitch, I know. I start work on one fic, ANNNNND another one drops in. You guys probably aren't even following anymore QwQ
SPECIAL THANKS TO CHI-CHAN (AKA Chichita) AND MY MEI (Cookie-loving Kiara) for their support and love. I HEART YOU TWO SO MUCH, NOT MUCH HOMO ;U;
The reason why I've not been updating the other fics is cuz:
1. I'm busy. (This is my final year in Secondary school, something like Highschool.)
2. I've lost interest. /slapped./ Ow. Ok, maybe not but It's slow as fudge ;w;
Reason why I made this was...I was at Pixiv. They've got loads of awesome and beautiful Hetalia pictures/comics, a few of them had Mafia-related one so the idea of this came BUT I'm not copying, they were inspiration. I'm so sorry QwQ BUT I'M HERE NOW AND THAT'S WHAT MATTERS :DDD
T-rated for now, will probably change to M soon. This is Mafia damnit, it's rough and gritty.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the picture.
A man invited two old friends over to his house to chat about old times. As they talked happily, above them hung a cage with a bird chirping noisily. Soon, the conversation turned to the annoying songbird and one of the friends and asked the owner. "Why do you keep your bird alone?
"If I kept a couple bird of the different gender, they would not twitter. If I had two of the same sex, they would fight. On its own, only then will it sing for me."
The friend frowned at the answer. "But isn't that cruel? To condemn the bird to isolation so it would sing for love outside its cage, just for your pleasure?"
"They were made to sing for us, that's why they're called songbirds." The owner defended himself, pointing to his pet who was singing loudly, darting from one corner to the other. "If they weren't for us, then what are they for?"
"We could listen to them sing outside the cage, in their homes and own will."
Their song is not for us, it's for their freedom.
With one last swing, the long blade was embedded into the tender flesh. Kiku calmly stood in the mess of death, sword in one hand and a stolen gun in the other. He lowered his katana, pushing up his half-moon glasses with a gloved finger.
He took a deep breath with mixed feelings, ignoring the metallic scent that filled the air with ease from years of experience. The raven was glad to finally be able to let out the stress that has builded up for weeks of staying at home. Kiku huffed slightly when he noticed a drop of blood on his shirt. It was rare for him to make a mess and they would have him throw it away, pity. Shaking his head at his carelessness, he inspected the chaos before him.
The room that was once an elegant meeting room was now painted in its owner's blood. Bodies were littered all around the room, their faces frozen in fear and rage. In the dim lighting of the room with only moonlight seeping through half-closed window blinds, the blood that stained every part of the room appeared black and grim. Slashes and bullet wounds marked the corpses, not even half belonging to Kiku, however.
After double-checking that all the corpses were actual corpses, he made his way over to a certain one. A body of a large man slumped in the arm-chair; it was once the leader of one of the two Mafia families that gathered there for a meeting. It was also the first to have a bullet through the head, thanks to his sharpshooter, which led to everyone's panic and a shootout began. Kiku was thankful for the mess; it made sure he had lesser to pick off afterwards.
He nudged the corpse aside with a foot, pulling out a suitcase with protective covering behind it. The luggage was a simple brown design, gold-coated locks and weighed lightly. Kiku took out his phone to check the picture his boss sent, nodding when the case matched the picture. The raven then removed the cargo from its soiled casing, taking care not to dirty anything.
The main objective of the mission was to retrieve the suitcase and take out all enemies in the appointed area. What was in the luggage, Kiku did not know. The don did not fill in all the details ever since a certain incident between them.
After he wiped his katana clean on a fallen man's suit, Kiku raised a hand to the earpiece hidden in his dark locks. "Jia Long?"
Seconds passed and the raven felt a small stab of worry but a soft buzz from his earpiece banished it. The voice was quiet and calm, much like his, but lighter and the words were influenced with a British accent. "Got everything, Kiku-ge?"
"Yes, it's going according to plan. I will be setting up the bomb soon, anything at your side?" Kiku responded, removing his glasses and putting them back in his jacket. He walked over to one of the windows, peeking out at the building across his. There, he could barely make out a humanoid form keeping his sniper rifle.
"Nothing yet and I want to drive. Give me like, two minutes. Out." With that the line gave another short buzz, not giving Kiku a chance to reply.
The Japanese man sighed inwardly, watching the distant figure exit the rooftop door before turning back to his job. He sheathed his sword and pulled out a small device covered in wires and odd buttons; swiftly setting it under the scarred table. Kiku settled for a few minutes or so, enough for them to leave and drive away. Checking that everything was ready, he clicked the start button and bright red digits appeared malicious in the dark room.
As the seconds ticked by, Kiku silently left the room with haste. In the corridor, he did not pause as he discarded the gun he stole from one of the targets for the fight. While the bomb will leave the corpses almost unrecognizable, he made sure to leave enough 'evidence' for the police to imply that the two families turned against each other. Besides, the law enforcements were not that sharp these days. Most of them were bribed, corrupted or just seemed to have given up in catching them.
There were rumors though, that a handful of people just joined the ranks. The amazing part was that they were actually getting some work done. Not that it really mattered; the Asian was never one for not cleaning anyway. As Kiku made his way down the stairs, a vibration from his phone alerted him of an incoming call. He did not even check the caller ID before answering it, regretting the action as a familiar voice hit his ears.
"Ciao Kiku! How did it go?" The tone was light and friendly, delighted that the Asian picked up so quickly. On the other line however, a frown danced on Kiku's lips for a moment before he answered coldly.
"You're not supposed to call this phone. Better yet, you shouldn't be calling at all. Don't you have something else to do?" Kiku's question was more of a statement rather than a question as he finally reached the exit door.
Soft, contagious laughter came in reply, the Asian's harsh tone having no effect. He could even hear the obvious grin in the other's voice. "You don't bring your other phone out as much as this one and I'm quite free right now."
Sighing tiredly, Kiku pushed open the doors and walked out into the streets. He noticed that his getaway was not here yet and held back another sigh. As if reading his mind, the voice spoke up. "I can drive you home if you like tesoro. We can stop for dinner too."
"No thank you, and I thought I told you to stop hacking into Yao-san's network to get my mission schedule." Amber-brown eyes narrowed and the Japanese glanced up at the tall dark buildings around. Whether the other somewhere up there watching him or not, he didn't know.
The caller gave a thoughtful hum, "I didn't; fratello did it for me. Oh, here comes your partner, Kiku!" Just as he said that, the Asian spotted the car turn in from a corner.
"You sure you don't want to have dinner with me, Kiku? And you didn't answer my previous question at all, ve~" Kiku ignored the man's whine, nodding with a slight frown at the other Asian's ruffled up suit. He placed the suitcase in a secret compartment under the seat before keeping a lookout as they drove away. When they were a few streets away, the earth shook slightly as the bomb went off.
"I'm very sure of my decision and it went well, thank you for asking. I'm hanging up now." Kiku was grateful that his brother did not question him yet, only giving a gaze with a hint of concern.
"Aww so soon? Can't we chat just for—" Kiku heard a door open and the other turned away from the phone to shout a muffled 'Benvenuto fratello!' before picking off where he stopped "—for a little longer? After all, your brother blocked my calls for the past two days."
"Not now."
Silence greeted him for a moment and the raven was about cut the line when the other said quietly. "My offer still stands, Kiku."
For a split-second, the said male was unsure. He knew the consequences, yet it was so tempting. In the end, he could only make a barely audible whisper, but the caller caught it fine and clear.
"Buonanotte Kiku." were the last words the said man heard before he pushed the end-call button with a little more force than necessary.
With a sigh, Kiku dropped his phone on his lap as he slumped in his seat. He could feel the other's suspicious eyes burn into him. "Don't worry about it, Jia Long-kun. Just concentrate on driving."
"Having a stalker is bad you know— having one as an assassin is even worse. You should tell Yao-ge."
"No need. He has more than enough on his plate." The older Asian shrugged, reaching over to brush aside a lock of what used to be a neat and 'cool' hairstyle, now ruined by the strong winds of the rooftops, that poked out near his younger brother's eye. He heard Jia Long huff from the grooming and grinned slightly. "How was the weather up there?"
"You are so going to do sniping duty next time. It was terrible and my hands are still shivering." The Chinese teen glared, turning a corner before a couple of police cars zoomed pass.
Kiku refrained himself from rolling his eyes, turning away from the younger to watch the law. "Try wearing gloves that cover the fingers next time."
"But these are cool and I like 'em." Jia Long grumbled before getting a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He quickly raised a cold hand, before Kiku had any time to react, and pressed freezing fingers against the raven's exposed neck.
"Jia Long!" Kiku hissed, smacking the death-cold hand away fiercely. He could feel his heart race slightly and glared as the other snickered behind those hands. "Don't do that." He hissed, managing to push back an embarrassed blush that threatened to color his face.
The teen simply shrugged, wearing a stoic facade but Kiku could still sense his glee. Growling softly, the Japanese man folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "To think you were more mature than Yong-Soo."
"I am, it's just that you need to loosen up a little more."
"...I will pluck your eyebrows off tonight."
The Hong Kong teen chuckled before reaching over to touch the elder's neck again when he was not looking.
"We're home."
The two chorded together, stepping into the large mansion. They barely covered three steps when a body throws itself onto the Japanese man, the force nearly tripping him.
"Welcome home Kiku-ge! Jia Long-ge!" Exclaimed Mei, tightened her hug on Kiku. Amber eyes shone with excitement as she grinned up at them, her- In Kiku's view -short skirt swaying. "How did it go? Are you hurt?"
"We're fine Mei-chan. It was a success," Kiku managed to distant himself from his little sister enough to inspect her casual outfit. "Heading out tonight?"
Mei gave a dismissive wave, rolling her eyes playfully. "Just hanging out with some friends."
"It better not be that girl who carries a frying pan everywhere." Jia Long said, folding his arms and giving the female a disapproving look.
The Taiwanese only glared and pouted, "Eliza's not bad and I can defend myself well enough." She supported her last words by pulling out a handgun from its holster strapped onto her tight.
The two men shared a glance and smiled slightly at their little sister's attempts to prove herself. Shrugging, Jia Long walked away while Kiku fixed Mei's flower clip and smoothened down her hair. "Just watch your alcohol, come home early and don't flirt around too much."
"Don't bring home strays, unless they're cute and use protection, I know." Mei continued for him, making Kiku flush at the last one.
"M-Mei-chan! That's indecent!" He stared at her in horror, ignoring Jia Long's chuckle from the corner. Despite the fact they were all trained to feel no mercy or pity while on an assignment, concern for close members always still wormed its way out.
"Don't worry Kiku-ge! I vow to keep my purity till I find my true prince!" The young lady winked, giggling at the other as he spluttered while Jia Long watched from afar.
"That's not what I meant—!" He began, only to be interrupted when a pair of hands groped his chest from behind.
Kiku did not squeak, he...simply made a sound of surprise. A hot blaze made its way to Kiku's cheeks, from anger or embarrassment he was not sure, and the low whisper of "Your breasts belong to me, da-ze~" in his ear did not help.
"Yong-soo! Get off of Kiku-ge!" Mei yelled; raising a hand to smack the playful Korean away while Kiku remained frozen in shock for a little more.
"Just giving Kiku my 'welcome-back greeting' like you, daze; which originated from South Korea by the way!" The man snickered, about to squeeze the Japanese's 'breasts' when a blade stopped a hair's length away from his neck. Yong-soo looked down to see the shorter male glare daggers at him with a dark aura.
'Off.' Kiku simply mouthed, tightening his grip on his katana. Yong-soo gulped audibly, jumping back with a nervous grin and his hands up in the air. Seconds later, a Taiwanese appeared from behind and attacked him with her handbag.
"Holy-! What on earth did you put in that bag, rocks?!"
"Don't make fun of my manga!"
"But they probably originate from Korea daze!"
"Don't make me use force, Yong-soo!"
Watching the two fight, Kiku could not stop the warm feeling bubble up inside from the nostalgic sight. This kind of little squabbles always brought back memories of when they were younger. Although those times were messy and troublesome, they were also a cheerful and carefree period so it was worth it.
The fond smile on his lips soon changed into a barely visible frown however, he knew those times will never repeat itself. Despite all the good memories, Kiku sometimes felt... distant. As if he was never truly part of the group.
A tug on his sleeve brought him back from the depressing thoughts. Jia Long stood behind him, gesturing to the luggage in his hand.
"I'm handing in the report," He paused, as if not wanting to continue, "but he wants you to come in."
Kiku stopped himself from sighing heavily, just giving a nod. Of course.
"Let's make it quick, you need a warm bath or you'll catch a cold." Kiku said, heading to the stairs. "Besides, the rest of you are busier than me nowadays."
It was true. Slowly but surely, the assignments given to him decreased since the incident. He got broken, dropping from the underboss to a mere soldier. Yet unlike the average made man, Kiku only received a couple of hit missions and there was always one of his siblings accompanying him. He knew it was because they could read him better than others, make sure he did not run away halfway. The other wanted to trap him here, where he could keep a watchful eye on him. Sometimes, Kiku felt that the hideout was nothing more than a cage. The don was the protector as well as the warden.
It was another reason why his friend's offer was so tempting.
The two made their way to the office, stopping outside the large wooden doors. A beautiful dragon and phoenix with fine details decorated one either doors, Kiku remembered how he used to love the design when he was younger. On either sides of it were two of the boss's bodyguards. He never really talked to them or knew their names, for the guards often only stay for a week or so before being replaced with new ones. Even so, the two nodded back when the guards bowed slightly, asking for their weapons.
The men took Kiku's katana and silenced .22 caliber while Jia Long handed over numchucks, a pistol and a string of firecrackers. The older male raised a brow at the last one, giving the Chinese teen a look as he waited for the guards to finish checking him. They never tried to give Kiku a body-check, knowing that their boss didn't like anyone touching his little brother. When they were done, Jia Long murmured a thanks before knocking on the door.
"Come in, aru," Came the muffled reply and he opened the door. Jia Long walked in, bowed and placed the suitcase on the table before giving his report. The Japanese did the opposite, standing near the door with a look of disinterest. Inspecting the room secretly, Kiku frowned at the unorganized state it was in. Yao was normally a very neat person.
"Will you be needing anything else, Yao-ge?" Jia Long asked, bringing his attention back. The Japanese inched closer to the exit, anxious to leave as soon as possible.
"No, thank you ,Jia Long, you may leave." Kiku mentally prayed that the next words were not what he knew would come. "But I'd like Kiku-di to stay back for a moment."
Forcing back a frustrated sigh, he ignored Jia Long's look of pity when he walked passed. After the teen left, the room was filled with silence. Kiku had his gaze on anything that was not Yao while the Chinese man stared at him. It felt like hours dragged by before the elder broke the fragile quiet.
"Look at me, Kiku-di," The other's words were tired and soft, but still held authority.
Having no choice, the said man took a deep breath and turned. The elder looked horrible, bangs under his eyes and hair in a mess. Stakes of paper covered the desk, some littered on the floor while a laptop sat half-open. He also noticed an untouched plate of food beside the notebook. "You need to rest, Yao-san, overworking yourself will not finish the problem any quicker."
"I know that, aru;" Yao nearly snapped back before realizing his mistake. The Chinese man licked his dry lips, trying again. "How was your assignment?"
"Perfect, we got the objective." The younger nodded towards the case on the table. "If you'll excuse me, I will be leaving now." He tried again but a vice-grip on his wrist stopped him.
"How have you been, aru? I didn't see you for the past few days." The long-haired man stood up slightly, almost desperately trying to keep the conversation alive.
Kiku didn't turn, reaching back to pry his hand away. "Fine, it's been almost two weeks."
"Two weeks...? Where have you been, aru?"
"Nowhere. I've been stuck here all this while till earlier today." He held back the urge to spit his words, maintaining a stoic outlook.
"It's for your own good, Kiku-di," Yao said sternly, his hold tightening.
The younger did not answer, glancing back at their hands instead. "You are hurting me, Yao-san,"
"I'm just trying to protect my beloved family." The Chinese sighed and released other. "Why won't you understand, aru?"
"I do," Kiku rubbed the red mark on his wrist, heading to the doors. "I just don't know if it's still necessary."
Arms captured him from behind, holding him tight as Yao kissed his hair and ear. "You know I love you, Kiku."
"...I'm not sure if I can say the same about you." The young man whispered before escaping, muttering a goodnight as he left.
Yao did not stop him this time. The boss stood there motionlessly, staring at the doors for a while before slamming his fist on the desk. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the forgotten luggage. He will deal with Kiku later.
Unlocking the case with caution, it seemed to hold nothing more than a bunch of useless paper but he knew otherwise. Yao ignored the junk and kept searching till he found what he was looking for. Amber eyes widened when he pulled the object out, staring at it with great shock. The Asian was slightly disturbed that the thing really existed, which meant what that man said was true...
Yao swiftly took out his phone and punched in a number he despised. He inwardly groaned when the soft, cheerful voice hiding dark intentions answered.
"We have it; when do you want to meet?"
He ignored the stares the muscles gave him when he took back his tools, brisk-walking back to his room. At least there was no shouting this time.
After locking the door, Kiku did not bother turning on the lights as he collapsed heavily against the wood. He was getting sick and tired of this. He knew his brother really cared, but how he was slowly getting locked in was starting to drive him crazy. It was either his sanity or Yao's heart. The raven was already restless ever since he argued with Yao, which resulted to his demotion. No doubt he would not be leaving the mansion for another week or so after just now. Sighing sadly, Kiku let himself slide down the door and hugged his knees. He buried his head in his arms, how much longer till one of them breaks?
A quiet bark came from the shadows next to him before a fluffy, warm body of a little dog bounced over to him. Kiku picked up his dog, letting him lick his cheek in greeting. "Tadaima, Pochi-kun. Did you miss me?" The said dog barked back in reply, and the Asian could not help but smile. "Give me a moment, I need to change."
Getting up, Kiku turned on the lights and made his way to the bathroom. On the way, he placed his sword in its holder but kept his piece. You could never be too careful, even if its your own room. Or maybe I'm just paranoid. The raven thought he heard movement in his room but shrugged it off. It was most likely Pochi-kun, and he would have barked if it was someone anyway.
Placing his gun on a shelf in reach, he stripped, folded his soiled clothes aside and stepped into the shower. As much as he would love a long soak in the bath, Kiku felt that he was too exhausted. Falling asleep in the bathtub was not something he wanted to repeat.
One long hot shower later, Kiku stepped out of the bathroom dressed in a plain yukata. He spotted Pochi sleeping on a smaller futon near his, his cat nowhere in sight. Tama-kun must be out roaming, he assumed. The feline will return by morning as usual so he did not bother about it. Swiftly, he did couple of chores like dump the previous clothes in the washing-basket and clean his katana. By the time he was done, the Asian was already half-asleep. He managed to switch off the light before kneeling by his futon but paused. Suddenly, Kiku did not feel so tired anymore.
Sitting on his bed without a care in the world, was bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolate. The raven glanced around the room, recalling the noise while he was in the bathroom. He glared at the gifts with distrust, turning on a lamp to inspect them. The box of Ferrero Rocher had a note taped onto it that said "Eat me!" with a cute cat face drawn on it while the bouquet was made out of pink and white roses, daises, and a single gold chrysanthemum.
Kiku touched his name flower gently, admiring its beauty before setting them down. As he did, another note slipped out from the wrapping paper and onto his lap. The raven blinked, picking it up and reading it.
Ciao Kiku!
I hope you like the bouquet. I know you're not a lady but Elizabeta said it was a great idea. Originally I didn't want to use chrysanthemum 'course they are funeral flowers to us but I like them. It's your flower after all, yes?
Can't wait till we meet again, it's been awhile since we ate pasta together. Maybe we try gelato this time? Ve, call me when you're free.
:D
PS: Don't worry about how this got in.
The Asian frowned slightly at the last bit. He was not going to sleep with only his gun now. Picking up the presents, he found a vase for the flowers and left the chocolate on a shelf where it was out-of-reach for his pets. Kiku made sure to burn the letter though, just in case.
"2:48 AM," Kiku mused out loud softly when he glanced at the clock. "...I wonder."
Making his way over to his dresser, he felt around till he found his other phone. The Japanese turned it on, dialed a number but froze. That guy would no doubt be sleeping, maybe he should try tomorrow instead? Might as well try. Shrugging, he pressed the 'Call' button and laid back on his bed. Five, six and seven rings passed, Kiku's eyes felt heavy when a sleepy voice answered. "Chi è?"
"I apologize for calling so late but," Kiku paused, a wave of uncertainty hitting him for a moment. It's either you or Yao-nii, his mind whispered and he took a deep breath.
"I—"
Laughter was heard as Yao playfully chased after them, playing tag when they were still free of responsibly.
His siblings curled up with him in bed when there was a thunderstorm. The eldest was not there and they were scared, so Kiku managed to get them to fall asleep by telling folk tales Yao taught him.
The elders tattooed his flower, the chrysanthemum, on to his chest directly above where his heart was. It hurt so badly, but his family was by his side. Although they were the very ones who held him down, they also murmured soothing words, trying to calm him.
Memories flashed before him, causing his guilt to grow. The raven bit his lip harshly, gaze lowering. Could he really abandon his family? Even if he was trying to trap him in, Yao was still his brother…right?
"I…cannot take your offer, Feliciano-kun." Kiku said quietly, "At least, for now. I am very sorry."
The Italian did not reply for a minute or so. It unnerved the Japanese, for he was used to the other's cheery talkativeness. He was about to apologize again when Feliciano finally spoke again.
"That's fine, Kiku," Feliciano laughed, back to his normal state. Kiku was inwardly relief. "But can I know why?"
"My loyalty to them still stands."
"Ah, I see. It's okay, 'cause I understand how you feel. I love my family too, ve~!"
Kiku's lips twitched upwards, "Thank you for understanding, Feli-kun. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."
"No problem but I'm not giving up," He could just see the Italian folding his arms, nodding firmly with a grin. "I'm going to wait."
"It's not worth it. Please do not waste your time, Feli-kun." The raven sighed, frowning slightly.
"Ve, I don't care~ you're worth the wait, I promise."
With another sigh, Kiku dropped his head on his pillow momentarily. He knew that despite being lazy, Feliciano was nearly as hardworking as him if he was really determined. Still, it kind of flattered the Asian.
The Japanese stifled a yawn, smiling sleepily. "Very well then, I won't stop you."
"I'm glad, ve~" Feliciano yawned loudly, giggling sheepishly. "Oh look at the time; we should continue this chat tomorrow instead."
"I agree. I apologize once more for waking you up at this hour."
Feliciano chuckled, "Actually I was tempted to call you too really, couldn't sleep."
"Oh…is something troubling you?"
"Ve, not at all~ Just busy thinking about you." The Italian's tone dropped into a charming tone.
A blush slowly made its way up Kiku's face. "P-please don't say such things."
"Hahaha, can't help it. You're cute when teased." The other laughed, before sighing happily. "Thanks for calling Kiku, maybe we can hang out sometime soon?"
"…I will think about it."
"Well you should, otherwise I'll come and kidnap you for dinner."
"Oyasumi nasai, Feliciano-kun." Kiku paused, before adding, "And thank you for waiting."
"My pleasure. Buonanotte, mia cara."
Kiku ended the call, wearing a soft smile as he switched off his phone and went to sleep. On the other hand, Feliciano sat awake in his room. His smile dropped and he leaned back in the large chair. The room was dark, the only light coming from the laptop in front of him. The Italian sighed, the back of his hand coming up to cover his eyes.
"Loyalty huh?" He asked no one in particular and smiled.
Yao Wang/China
Niran Chao/Thailand
Jia Long Wang/Hong Kong
Kim Nguyen/Vietnam
Mei Wang/Taiwan
Kiku Honda/Japan
Yong-Soo/South Korea
Mafia-speak.
Don - The Mafia family boss, can be known as Godfather.
Hit - to kill someone
Benvenuto fratello! - Welcome home brother!
Come in - It's an invite from the boss, you can't object.
Broken - being demoted of rank.
Piece - a freaking gun.
Hope you enjoyed it, there will be more soon. Thanks for reading. :3
