I've noticed there has been a lot of traffic on fan-fiction sites recently since a good portion of the world is either on quarantine or on stay-at-home orders, and this had allowed people to catch up or start new stories or in writers cases - update; however I'm an essential employee and don't have that luxury. I know that fan-fiction is a good way to keep oneself occupied so I tried to get this out to help with that.
Thank you for: 62 Reviews, 194 Favorites and 229 Followers.
[Chapter 42]
Xanxus stared at the bosses piling into the room that he was in. It was small but the chairs were strategically placed around the room so that no one felt claustrophobic. Sitting in his chair he looked at the floor to see that it was a map of Europe and part of Asia, and that his chair was placed perfectly centered in Italy's boundaries. Spotting the boss of the leading German assassination family the man gave a small nodded in acknowledgement towards Xanxus as he sat within the boundaries of Germany.
Xanxus didn't know why he came. The last time he got an invitation from this organization Leviathan almost got his ass handed to him by Burk and he found out Vinci was an assassin of all things.
People started to fill in slowly around him. All he were familiar with, as everyone surround him were Vongola allies and in retrospect his allies. Even if they didn't get along. Looking to the other side of the room he watched as the old Soviet nations quietly came in and kept to themselves. They didn't talk to one another or care to see who was already in the room.
"Ladies and Gentlemen I'd like to thank you for coming on such short notice." A man standing at a podium stated as he browsed through the papers in front of him. "There have been some issues within our community that need to be addressed as well as some sudden changes in family heirs and fortunes. This meeting should be relatively short if all occupants will keep quiet."
No one said anything and thus starting the meeting.
Xanxus stretched his back out as he got up from his chair. Short! Short his fucking ass. That meeting lasted almost an hour and a half and listening to some idiot ramble about families he didn't care for and how as a community – that already was at war with itself – that it was necessary to not start new conflicts with members; and Xanxus be damned if that idiot didn't stare down the whole portion of eastern Europe as he said it.
Following the rest of the crowd into the next room where refreshments and civil conversations were meant to be had he spotted the eastern countries crowding around themselves as people walked by. Getting closer his eye caught the sight of purple hair before it disappeared within the crowd of twenty or so people. Walking into the next room he made a bee line to that bar and took the first spot available. The bartender caught his eyes and proceed to make his way over to him. "What can I get you sir?"
"Whiskey neat"
Xanxus stared at the wide spread of alcohol behind the bar as the bartender got his drink. The image of purple hair stuck in his mind as he thought about the eastern countries. There were thousands of people in the world with purple hair and he was sure within those thousands a few worked with the old Soviet Union countries.
He sipped on his whiskey as people came and went from the bar. No one bothered starting a conversation with him except for the people he was familiar with, and even that was just a strained greeting in his direction. A chair pulled out on his left and a familiar perfume hit his nose along with a high pitch whistle the sent a sudden shot of pain into his ear drum.
"What the fuck woman!" He snapped looking at the pink eyed girl woman next to him.
Vinci tried to hide her smile as the bartender walked over at her call. "Ma'am?"
"Get him another of whatever he's drinking and I'll have a double of your strongest vodka." She ordered as she settled down into her chair. Hooking her heels onto the bar of the chair she watched as the bartender got to it. "Did I hurt your ear?"
Xanxus knew she didn't ask out of concern. Not with the way she tried to hide that smile of hers after she had done it. "If that's your fucking conversation starter, you'll need a new one." Taking his refill he went back to scanning the alcohol.
"Well it was an attempt. Though I wouldn't need one if you weren't looking ready to kill. You do realize that's why no one will talk to you?" She said staring at her drink.
"Then it's working." He spat before looking at her. "Why are you here?"
He already knew but he was going to ask anyways.
"Because you don't scare me." Vinci said taking a sip of her drink. "And I'm done talking with these people."
Xanxus made a noise of acknowledgement but didn't say anything afterwards leaving a tense silence between the two. Vinci motioned for another drink as the minutes ticked by. Xanxus watched as the drink made it to her hands before she drowned it. "Still drinking?"
Vinci looked at him from the corner of her eye to see his expression, but as usually it was one of disinterest. "I'm assuming you're asking because last time we saw each other I had decided to drink your poison?" Seeing he wasn't going to respond she went on. "No one here is out to kill me so I'm not going to concern myself with the possibility of someone trying to poison my drink. Besides shouldn't you be the one laying off the drinks since it was your drink that was poisoned?"
"No"
"Ever the risk taker." Vinci muttered spinning her chair so that her back was pressed against the bar. "Kazimir wanted me to apologize to you for Veta's actions." She said looking at him.
"I don't want it."
"I know."
Silence fell over them again. Vinci watched as several families conducted business in scheduled parts of the room while others mostly stayed around to get a drink or two before leaving. Looking down at her watch she noticed the time and sighed. She still had to see some people off at the airport and then make her way back to Cavallone for the night.
"Where are you going?" Xanxus asked seeing her about to get up. Vinci raised an eyebrow at his questioning.
"I have to see some people off. Unlike you I didn't come here alone." She said sliding off her chair onto her feet.
"Which one?"
Vinci looked at him confused. "Which one what?"
"Which eastern country do you work for?"
Closing her eyes she tried to stop the anxiety from building. She knew that eventually she'd have to tell him, and while she was sure to hide from his view during the meeting he had obviously caught sight of her at one point.
"You caught me." She jested to relieve the tension in her body.
"You're stalling, trash." Xanxus huffed.
Vinci turned her body towards him and placed her hand on her hip. "I work for the Sem'ya poroka. (Family of vice)" She said.
She felt his hand gripped her upper arm before pulling her closer. Her ribs were pressed into the side of the bar as he pushed his face inches from her. "What did you say?" He hissed quietly.
Vinci gave a quick glance around them before staring him straight in the eye. "Xanxus don't cause a scene." She whispered.
"Scene? You're worried about a scene when you work for the fucking Sem'ya poroka? Have you lost your god damn mind?!" Xanxus was seething in his chair. If he hadn't caused a scene yet he was about to start one.
Vinci glared at his words. "Don't you dare make it seem like I asked for this." She hissed getting right in his face. "Nobody asks to join the Russia mob, Xanxus. It's a death wish."
Xanxus' mind was reeling a thousand miles a minute. How did she get wrapped into this? The Sem'ya poroka wasn't just any Russian mafia family. It was the Russian family. The Sem'ya poroka is one of the largest and oldest mafia's in the world, and the only family in the world dedicated to assassination since its origin. It controls the Russian economy and politics through legitimate businesses and bribery. It is the only reason Russia still stands on the global stage. They weren't even allies with Vongola much less anyone outside the original ex-Soviet Union countries, and the eastern countries are more or less bullied into anything the Sem'ya poroka tell them to do.
"Xanxus!" Vinci snapped causing him to turn his attention to her. "People are staring. You need to let me go."
His hand hung back down by his side as he stared at her. "How did you get wrapped up with the Russians?"
Vinci took a step back to put some room between them before someone came over with demanding answers from them. "When one's young, stupid and under the protection of Vongola they feel invincible. I just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time which ended with me on Kazimir's radar." Vinci said with a hint of regret on her breath.
"You're married to the boss of the Sem'ya poroka." Xanxus stated feeling sick to his stomach. He knew that name sounded familiar. His old man use to talk about him. "You know how fucking old he is?"
Vinci rolled her eyes. "I've stopped counting."
The thump of footsteps caused them both to turn towards the intruder. Xanxus glared hoping it would cause the man to leave. It didn't.
"Ms. Vinci the others are waiting. Their flights leave in an hour." He said completely ignoring the Varia boss.
Vinci nodded watching the man leave. Knowing that she wouldn't see Xanxus for a while and gave him one last look. "This conversation never happened."
And she left.
Xanxus felt the vomit burn as it made its way up his esophagus into the toilet. His hands gripped onto the bowl as he leaned forward. Taking a staggered breath he placed one hand onto the wall to keep him up. The conversation from earlier that night kept him away as he laid in bed and eventually caused his mind to seep into the dark aspects of things.
Those dark things…those things that made him end up hunched over his toilet like he was twenty-four again. Xanxus closed his eyes as he tried to settle his stomach but nothing helped. Images of an innocent sixteen year old Vinci was at the forefront of his mind. Bright pink eyes as soft as cotton candy with a smile just a sweet stared back at him.
A girl like that…could be so easily broken.
Xanxus felt the bile coming as he thought about thinking how easy it would have been. The training, the missions, and the torture she would have been put through. The things she would have seen with those people. The things he had tried to protect her from. Not able to keep it down, his head fell back down towards the toilet.
