Day 20: The Mafia Villa Surveillance Logs (Co-Authored by Two Highly Concerned Killers)
The day began with the hum of helicopter blades and the scent of imported cigars.
The OG mafia boss—Leo's father—had returned.
With his signature charcoal-grey suit barely wrinkled from international flight and a scar running down his brow like a badge of authority, the man walked through the villa gates and immediately asked:
"Where's my useless son?"
Dominik greeted him with a grim salute and a tablet in hand. "Sir. We have a situation."
The mafia boss raised a brow. "Another territory war?"
Dominik shook his head. "Worse. Emotional cohabitation. Possibly romantic. Definitely confusing."
Leo's father sighed and gestured for a drink. "Lead me to the surveillance den. I'm ready for disappointment."
Surveillance Den / Poolside Camera #4
Nox sat on the edge of the pool, long legs submerged in the water. His black swim pants clung low on his hips, and the sun highlighted the muscle of his torso, the black vine tattoo curling down his spine like inked danger. The three crimson heart-shaped studs in his ears glinted, but it was the navel piercing Leo flicked every now and then—casually, like muscle memory—that nearly made the mafia boss drop his glass.
"What the hell is my son doing?"
Dominik zoomed in.
Leo, lounging beside Nox, was unwrapping chocolate-covered pocky and offering one between his lips. Nox accepted wordlessly, took a bite, and passed him a cigarette in return.
"They do this all the time now," Dominik said like a traumatized daycare teacher. "Wait, wait, look at the plate exchange."
Leo pushed the mango slices to Nox's side. Nox, in turn, silently swapped away the apples from Leo's plate.
The mafia boss blinked. "They're sharing snacks like seasoned housewives."
Dominik nodded solemnly. "They watch TV like war veterans. Smoke like noir criminals. Train like they're going to assassinate God. And talk like… this."
Audio Log — 11:47 AM
Leo: "That movie last night? You know the part where the masked guy carries the hero out of the burning building?"
Nox: "He was shot three times."
Leo: "Yeah, but he still got him out. With the fire. And the collapsing roof. And no backup."
Nox: quiet pause "Dramatic. Unrealistic."
Leo: laughs "Sound familiar?"
Nox: "If you're comparing me to a romcom antihero, I will kill you with the ashtray."
Leo: "It's literally you, though."
Back in the Surveillance Room
Dominik slapped a hand over his face. "HE SAID IT WAS LITERALLY HIM."
Leo's father sipped his drink, voice dry. "He's either in denial or doing it on purpose to torment me."
Dominik: "Sir… he wiped blood off Nox's cheek with his bare hand earlier. Bare hand."
Leo's father sighed. "When I raised a killer heir, I didn't expect this level of soft-core domestic."
Garden Training Area — 3:14 PM
Leo grunted as Nox knocked him flat on the grass with a clean sweep of the leg.
"Again," Nox said, emotionless as ever, standing above him with one knee bent and a butterfly knife spinning lazily between fingers.
Leo rolled his shoulder, groaned, then grinned up at him. "You always this hot when you beat people up?"
Dominik made a strangled noise in the background of the surveillance feed.
The mafia boss deadpanned. "Did he just flirt?"
Dominik: "I don't think they even know it's flirting anymore."
From the hidden bushes where they were camped, the mafia boss muttered, "Why are we whispering? They're meters away."
"Because it feels wrong to be this close to emotional confusion," Dominik whispered back.
Later That Evening — Rooftop Lounge
Nox had just finished cleaning one of his sniper rifles—an all-black DSR-Precision DSR-1 dubbed "Swan"—when Leo padded over barefoot, towel slung around his neck.
Leo leaned down, flicked Nox's navel piercing gently. "That one's got dust again."
Nox didn't even look up. "Stop touching my jewelry."
"You like it."
"Like I tolerate you."
"Same thing."
Dominik grabbed the mafia boss's sleeve. "Are they together or just emotionally codependent?"
Leo's father rubbed his temple. "Whatever it is, it's ruining my ability to threaten Nox properly."
Dinner — 8:30 PM
They sat in near silence at the villa dining table.
Leo was eating pasta.
Nox was meticulously dissecting a rare steak with a switchblade.
They didn't speak much. Just exchanged plates again halfway through.
Nox took a sip of wine, then leaned in close to leo's ear. "Your dad and Dominik are watching us."
Leo didn't flinch. He whispered back: "They're going to ruin the mafia's reputation. What are they giggling about like schoolgirls?"
Leo shrugged. "They were always weird with me."
Dominik flailed in the corner. "He KNOWS. They KNOW we know. Do they know they know?!"
The mafia boss calmly took a bite of garlic bread. "Maybe if we ignore it, it'll become less romantic and more… brotherhood?"
Dominik gave him a look. "He lit his cigarette off Nox's mouth this morning. Off his mouth. That's not brotherhood. That's a K-Drama kiss with extra gunpowder."
Final Surveillance Notes — Day 20
Dominik:
I have failed as a right hand. I have failed as a witness to emotional repression. I am now fully invested. If they kiss, I want it on camera. For archival purposes.
Leo's Father:
I refuse to talk about this with my son. But if he's happy… and not dead… I suppose it could be worse. Like falling for a civilian. At least Nox has a kill count.
But if they hold hands, I will draw the line.
End Scene: Rooftop, Midnight
Leo and Nox sat side by side, legs stretched out, smoke curling from their lips.
No words passed. Just occasional glances. Flickers of something unsaid.
Peace, thick and calm.
Dominik, curled up with binoculars, whispered to Leo's dad:
"…So we just keep watching?"
Leo's dad nodded, eyes locked on the screen. "Until they confess. Or commit a double homicide. Whichever comes first."
Dominik whispered, awed, "This is better than Breaking Bad."
Leo's dad: "Don't ruin this with references."
Dominik: "...Sorry."
End of Chapter 62