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uno

The first week after Vincenzo leaves Italy is hell for Luca Giordano. Not that the second isn’t . Or the third. Truth be told, everything just goes to shit after the younger Cassano leaves with a, well, bang . 

Paolo is obviously seething, not just because of the loss of his favorite, red Lamborghini but also because Vincenzo managed to best him and outsmart him, once again. He never liked people making him look stupid (which he undoubtedly is , in Luca’s humble opinion, but nevermind) and Vincenzo always managed to do that effortlessly, since they were nothing but kids. It doesn’t help that the younger Cassano knows this well enough and has been using it to his advantage for ages, and that, coupled with his penchant for dramatics and pettiness, is a surefire way to irritate Paolo to no end. 

The only problem is that now Vincenzo isn’t there to bear the brunt of that anger, but Luca is . Luca, who is known to be the right-hand and best friend of the korean-italian man and the best possible punching-bag for Paolo’s anger. And the older Cassano doesn’t hesitate to use him as such.

The first few days are the hardest. Paolo has him beaten and downright starved to get information out of him on Vincenzo’s whereabouts. It’s nothing Luca hasn’t expected and prepared mentally for when Vincenzo talked about the possible aftermaths, but it still fucking sucks . Luca has to lie and say he doesn’t know where Vincenzo is, pretending to be just as angry and upset with his supposed best friend for leaving without saying goodbye, as Paolo is (which is not exactly hard to play up because Luca is a bit hurt by Vincenzo and his leave, even if he knew about it beforehand, to be honest with himself). 

Paolo, thank fuck, eventually lets him go. However, it doesn’t make anything easier. 

His loyalties are questioned and his words mean shit to the new capo and his trusted men. His mafia nickname, Lupo in veste d’agnello ( A wolf in sheep’s clothing ), that he originally got for having the sweetest, most innocent face despite his deeds, is used to brand him as someone who should not be trusted, turned into an insult .  

No matter how publicly he trashes Vincenzo’s name, Luca’s still demoted back to strictly a driver; sometimes not even worth that, only clean-up duty. The amount of blood he has been cleaning up along with Dario and Sebastian (two other unfortunate souls who are stupidly loyal to Vincenzo, like him, therefore making them public enemies) during the first three weeks of their punishment is almost equal to their first three years in the mafia. 

Luca curses Vincenzo out as much as he desperately hopes he is doing okay in faraway Korea. He doesn’t hear anything, not just because Vincenzo’s name becomes something that isn’t mentioned other than in whispered talks in the famiglia, but also because nobody ever tells Luca shit, in case he is still loyal to the consigliere, despite what he says. 

So, after those hard weeks, and radio silence, the first time his previously purchased burner-phone finally rings in the middle of the night with an unknown number (a bit more than a month after the Big Bang; according to plan, but terribly behind schedule ) Luca’s shoulders lose their tension as relief floods him. 

“Pronto?” Hello?

“ Ciao, Luca ,” comes the warm reply to his still cautious, sleepy greeting and Luca finds himself smiling despite the late hour.

“Vin, fottuto testa di cazzo!” You fucking dickhead! “Finally!”

“ I’m okay and safe, amico mio, thank you for asking, ” Vincenzo sasses, and Luca rolls his eyes even though Vincenzo can’t see it. His friend still laughs, because they know each other well. “ How are you? ”

The worry practically radiates through the line. Luca toys with the thought of lying for a second, but decides to be honest in the end, if downplaying it a little. 

“I’m not dead yet, so I would say, alright. I’ve got a couple of bruises but they are already fading.”

“ Mi dispiace ,” I’m sorry, Vincenzo says quietly.

“It’s fine,” Luca sighs. “It couldn’t be helped and we knew Paolo would be an asshole. But I expected you to call much earlier. What happened?”

Vincenzo clearly hesitates but then starts talking about everything – updates on the gold he is after and the building on it, its residents, Mr.Cho and what happened to him, a lawyer called Mr. Hong, Babel Corporation and Wusang Lawfirm… Luca’s head is reeling with all the information his friend dumps on him so suddenly so it’s no wonder that he doesn’t react first when the next bomb is dropped on him.

But then –

“Wait, you were in a fucking what ?!” he yells, sitting up in his bed from the shock. 

“ A coma. For ten days . Ish. ” He sounds way too unconcerned about it in Luca’s opinion.

“Che due palle, Cenzo! What did you end up tangled in?!”

“ A fucking mess ,” his friend sighs. Luca can’t help but agree. 

“Tell me you’re getting that damned gold soon and leave for Malta, as we planned.” 

Silence. That’s not good.

“Vin?” Luca asks, already dreading the answer. 

“ There are some… complications, ” Vincenzo sighs, his tone tired. “ It’ll take longer than I thought. And I also need to deal with other things. ”

That makes Luca pause. Just what could be hindering his friend, who always worked the quickest and most efficient way? (Unless he desired something else – showing that Gatto Sazio side of his.)

“Such as?” he asks to make him elaborate, because if Cenzo thinks Luca won’t ask about everything after the shitstorm he just heard about, he is very mistaken. He wants to know every single detail, so he can possibly help if it’s needed.

Vincenzo sighs, because he knows it’s a futile battle when Luca gets like this. “ The lawyer I talked about? He was murdered in the same attack that sent me into a coma. I’m getting revenge.” 

He sounds dead set on it, Luca notes with a wince. When Vincenzo gets like this, it’s like trying to stop a hurricane from causing damage. Or like moving a mountain. Near impossible. Luca still tries.

“Vin, don’t. You’ll just step into more shit and delay your plans further. You’ve barely known the guy.”

“ He was a good man and I owe him ,” Vincenzo says, his tone definitely final. Oh, his chivalrous ass. Luca slaps his hand on his face with a groan – maybe that’s why he doesn’t hear the next sentence well. But it also might be that his friend is mumbling it.  “ And she needs my help.” 

Luca freezes. What.

“ What?! Who are you talking about?” 

“ No one. ” Too quick of an answer; something is definitely fishy here. 

“You’re doing this for a woman ?” 

Luca doesn’t mean to be this disbelieving but it is surprising. Well, not in the ways that Vincenzo doesn’t do things for the fairer gender; he definitely is respectful and nice to women and caters to their wishes. Luca is surprised because Vincenzo was actually very, very set on getting that free gold and settling down in Malta the last time they talked, and now his goals are changing , which… Remember the aforementioned hurricane and mountain? 

Yup.

Vincenzo tries to deny it, but Luca is onto his ass. His friend doesn’t get weak in many situations, especially with women involved, but there is one specific brand of female that he can’t resist, and is more prone to get swayed by.

He grins, like the Lupo he is. “She is gorgeous , isn’t she.”

“ Luca. ”

“Classy. And sharp like a knife. You always like the clever ones –”

“ Shut up!” Vincenzo snaps but to Luca’s delight, doesn’t deny anything. “We simply have a deal. I’m helping her and she helps me get the Plaza back. She is a lawyer.”  

Luca’s smile slowly vanishes as he thinks more about it. Since when does Vincenzo need someone’s help, especially in something law-related? But then, Korean law might be much different than what he is used to. Still, it bothers him.

“Do you really need her help?”

“ Yes, ” Vincenzo answers, sure. “ Her case and mine are all connected, and we are fighting the same enemy.” He hums. “Considering how many people seem to drop dead here like flies nowadays, this partnership is beneficial.” 

Why must his asshole of a best friend just have to get mixed into all kinds of shit without him?

“Okay, I think I’m gonna pack up and come help,” Luca sighs, annoyed. “Because you clearly can’t manage to stay out of trouble without me for one fucking second –”

“ No, you’ll stay put, Luca, ” Vincenzo cuts him off immediately. “I need you there to keep an eye on the famiglia and Paolo.”

“But –”

“ No, ” he says with his consigliere tone, which softens slightly, after. “ You’re the only one I trust. Stick to the plan.”

“Like you ?” Luca can’t help the sarcasm, causing Vincenzo to let out a huge sigh. Luca imagines him closing his eyes and massaging his nose bridge with his thumbs.

“ Luki ,” Vincenzo says with a quiet, slightly pleading voice, not above using a childhood nickname he probably knows Luca is soft for. “I can’t move the gold right now anyway. I’ll just help her until then. It won’t take long.”

Luca doesn’t share his serious doubts about that. Nor his suspicion that Vincenzo might be influenced by his dick just a little bit ; and with thousands of kilometers between them, Luca can’t gauge how much this lawyer partner of his is using it against him, with hopes of getting something.

Luca smells trouble but doesn’t say anything. Not that Vincenzo would listen. 

He makes a rushed goodbye after a distinctly female voice calls, and simply butchers his name in the background, amidst some rapid-fire korean that proves to be too much for Luca’s barely there language skills at this hour, then his friend promptly hangs up.

“Fanculo. Bene.” Fuck. Fine. “Fai quel cazzo che vuoi.” Do what you fucking want.

Luca stares annoyed at the phone for a minute, before chucking the thing at the other side of his king size bed and going back to fucking sleep. 

  due

At least, after that conversation, the silence is over – they text somewhat regularly, giving each other updates on their respective situations (like Paolo managing to quickly piss off numerous mafia families one after the other with a groundbreaking record of speed), or even the utter lack of it (that’s usually Vincenzo, except that one time he asks Luca about ways to seduce a man , then fails to fucking elaborate exactly why he needs that type of information from his bisexual best friend, despite Luca desperately trying to pry it out of him).

Luca is relieved, even if the on-slaught of messages mean that he has to be even more secretive and careful about when and where he checks his burner-phone, preferably far from the vicinity of Paolo’s men. He is still not trusted, and even though many people in the mafia have a second or even third phone, Luca suddenly seen using one definitely would warrant enough suspicion for the capo to have it checked. (Paolo is an annoying, paranoid bastard like that.) 

He doesn’t mention this slight inconvenience to Vincenzo, but his friend (as always) figures it out quickly anyway – when Luca doesn’t answer throughout the day, he starts getting messages at night, which is probably quite early in Korea. To Luca’s slightly concerned question about him getting enough sleep (because although his friend is a somewhat early-riser unless alcohol, or, well, sex is involved, the time is weird even for him), Vincenzo waves it away, saying he doesn’t sleep much nowadays anyway. Like that somehow makes Luca worry less.

So they work around the time difference and get into some semblance of a routine, which makes the sudden text during the day inquiring Luca about the nuances of using a car’s exhaust fumes to interrogate someone (one of Luca’s family-known specialties as the resident driver-guy) slightly out of ordinary. 

The call hours later is even weirder. Luca is lucky he isn’t anywhere near the Cassano villa but out having a late dinner at his aunt’s little traditional restaurant, sitting in a quiet corner by himself. He looks around to check for unwanted ears before he picks up, even though the place is not frequented by Paolo’s men for obvious reasons. 

“Amico, stai bene?” Are you okay, my friend? “Quello che è successo?” What happened?

“Mhm. Sto bene, non preoccuparti,” I’m okay, don’t worry, comes the strangely hushed and soft reply, making Luca release a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. 

“Good. Wait – why are you whispering?”  

“She’s asleep.” 

For a moment, Luca doesn’t know how to react. 

“As in Lawyer Pretty ?” he asks, just to be sure, although he instantly knows who Vincenzo is talking about. “She’s there with you? Cazzo , do not tell me that you called me just after you two –” 

“ Dio, no ,” Vincenzo groans. “ We were just drinking – ” 

Oh, so they are that close already?

“Together.” 

His friend sighs, mildly annoyed. “ It’s actually a part of Korean social culture, Luca, but it's far too late and I'm far too tired to explain the intricacies of that to you. ” His voice turns even more soft and quiet as he utters, “ Both of us needed a drink tonight and she knocked herself out. That's all. ”

“Why did you need to drink?” Luca asks into the heavy atmosphere that follows. Why did you call me?

Vincenzo tells him about luring some killers out that Babel hired, and getting ambushed by them, completely alone. Luca tries not to feel dread when he learns they had guns on them too, despite the law there prohibiting so, and he doesn’t exactly feel reassured even when Vincenzo tells him that after getting information out of them, they’ve been disposed of. 

It takes Luca a few seconds to understand what exactly is behind Vincenzo’s words, what he won’t say out loud if he can help it, because sometimes he is an emotionally constipated idiot. 

Something rattled him tonight. Luca doesn’t know what, but if he was alright, he would’ve simply texted Luca about the details, as usual. His friend clearly needs some comfort or familiarity, or a listening ear. Fortunately, Luca is happy to provide all of those.

“Why did you say you were okay when –”

“ It was just a few scrapes, nothing major, ” Vincenzo quickly waves Luca’s concerns away, or tries to, anyway. “ Besides, she already patched me up. ” He snorts. “ Scolded me too. Your worrywart ass can calm down. ”

If his injuries were able to be treated by the meager contents of a first-aid kit, it really wasn’t that serious. Luca is pleasantly surprised that Vincenzo let Lawyer Pretty deal with him, though – it’s a nightmare usually to get him treated or checked out after a job that he couldn’t get away from unscathed. She probably bullied him into it and gave him a lecture, which is something Luca would’ve done. 

He smiles. She’s earning some brownie points.

Luca’s shoulders finally ease in their tension and he finally has an appetite to continue eating his dinner. 

“Good. What's her name, by the way?” he asks while chewing his pasta, because he intends to find out more.

Vincenzo snorts. “ Like I'm gonna tell you. You’ll immediately background-check her. ”

“And?”

“ And I want to respect her privacy.”

“Come on!” Luca groans. “It's been ages since you had your eyes on someone, give me something to work with!”

“ There's nothing to tell, ” his friend lies. “ Also, when did I even say I have my eyes on her? ” 

“You didn't have to,” Luca says softly. He knows Vincenzo and what he is like. It’s not rocket science to figure out that Lawyer Pretty is special.

Vincenzo sighs. “ Luki. It really isn't like that. We’re working together. ”

“And when has that ever stopped you?” Luca questions, rolling his eyes. “I bet you have your hands all over her.”

“ Except I don't, ” Vincenzo defends. “ She’s the one anyway who – “ 

The rest of the sentence is clearly bit back by him, letting out a few choice words instead that, Luca knows for a fact, are Korean curses. He didn’t want to disclose whatever it is that happened but Luca won’t fucking let him.

“Who what?” No answer, so he asks again. “Who what , Vincenzo?”

“ Hugged me today. ”

Luca stops chewing as the words register. He thought of literally everything, ranging from blatant flirting, to a kiss, to even things that are definitely not PG anymore. But something as innocent as a hug ? Unexpected.

But why be so bothered about it? Italians are very tactile people, they hug and kiss all the time and although it’s not in his friend’s nature by blood, he has grown up in this culture. Granted, Vincenzo is only really tactile with those who he trusts and are family, but if he doesn’t want to be touched, he usually outright says it, or sends someone a glare so piercing they let him go like their hand is burning. Luca doesn’t get why Vincenzo didn’t just do that if he didn’t want to be hugged.

Unless… the hug wasn’t unwanted.

Oh. 

Oh.

At Vincenzo’s quiet question if he is still there, Luca abruptly realizes he’s been silent for way too long. 

“Mi dispiace,” he apologizes quickly, “I was just wondering if she still has her hands.”

Vincenzo scoffs.

“ I guess she was just worried about me, ” he blurts it out while Luca is digesting the situation, but it almost sounds like a question, like he is not sure himself, even though to Luca, everything is pretty clear. “ I didn’t tell her about my plans. She cried. Then hugged me, despite the blood. It was… unexpected. ”

“But not unwelcome,” Luca points out, which Vincenzo doesn’t disagree with. “What will you do about her?” 

The heavy silence that sits between them can’t be a bigger sign that his friend really doesn’t have the faintest clue.

It’s not often that happens – him getting stumped by something. Vincenzo always has a plan (or, rather three) in his pocket for everything, or at least a faint idea on what to do, what direction he is working towards. It’s rare that he actually has to stop and actively sort his thoughts out regarding a problem.

Luca learned long ago that it’s better to not comment and just let him think things through.

“Okay,” Luca says after a while, cutting through the quiet. “I'm not going to ask any more about this. Her . But promise me, as my friend and boss, that you will keep me in the loop if anything changes.”

His friend sighs. “I’m not your boss, Luca.”

“Vincenzo.” 

“Fine. Prometto.” I promise.

“Bene,” Luca nods, even though Vincenzo can’t see it. He finishes the last of his dish, the cutlery clinking against the ceramic of the plate, and like a genie summoned, his aunt immediately appears to take it away, chattering happily to him. 

“Is that Zia Rosa? Is she doing okay?” Vincenzo asks curiously, warmth trickling into his tone, simultaneously settling behind Luca’s breastbone as he shows he cares. It also might be because even after decades, it’s so good to hear his friend call Luca’s aunt so familiarly now. It wasn’t always like that.

“Mhm,” Luca hums around a gulp of wine. “She is. Everyone is alright,” he assures.

Even though more than half of the family prefers the korean-italian man between the two Cassano heirs (some being more open about it than others), Paolo isn’t stupid enough to target them and risk losing the small amount of respect he still has. Everything’s been quiet, nowadays. 

Maybe too quiet – like before a storm. But Vincenzo doesn’t need to know that. He has enough problems to worry about.

“Oh, good.”

It’s getting late, so Luca stands to find his aunt, and has a small argument with Rosa (as usual) when he wants to pay for his meal and the woman doesn’t let him. (He still finds a way and leaves the money under a stack of menus without her knowing.) Luca is so preoccupied with slinking away unnoticed, that he forgets he is still in the middle of a call until Vincenzo laughs into his ear when Rosa steps out of the building to curse Luca out good-naturedly. 

“Mi dispi –” he starts to apologize, but the other doesn’t let him finish.

“No, no, it was good to hear her voice.” 

Dio , he sounds wistful, Luca thinks sadly. It’s been a few months, hasn’t it? 

He is still formulating something in his mind to ease his friend’s homesickness when Vincenzo suddenly speaks.

“I…I was more careless than I should’ve been tonight,” he admits; so quietly Luca almost has to strain his ear to hear in the night. “With the hitmen. I forgot no one is watching my back here.” 

“Not for lack of trying,” Luca grumbles, mildly annoyed. It looks like his friend’s got quite used to Luca following and protecting him whatever he might say – in Korea, no one seems to know yet that when Vincenzo says he will deal with something dangerous alone , that’s when you stick to his side like fucking glue. If that means defying orders, so be it.

Had Vincenzo been not as skilled as he is, this oversight would have cost him his life – and they both know it. Luca knew it wasn’t just the hug that unsettled him. Vincenzo can be really hard on himself when making a mistake, sometimes.

“A single word from you, amico , and I’ll be on the next plane to Incheon, you know that, right?” Luca reminds him gently, knowing that Vincenzo, the stubborn asshole he is, won’t take the offer.

“I should go and put her to bed,” he says instead of an answer, just as predicted, but after a beat, adds, “Grazie.” 

Luca rolls his eyes in exasperation and smiles fondly when the call immediately ends after that.

tre

Weeks later, there is an encrypted link sent to Luca, that leads to a gallery’s website, specifically to a picture about a Mr. Anderson and Ms. Benning, something which has Luca’s brows furrowed, because he doesn’t know them. 

Except, scrolling down to the photo, the man in question, even though his face is partly hidden, clearly looks like one Vincenzo Cassano. And Luca would bet good money that the lady’s not who the caption says, either, but the mysterious person his friend has been working with. Luca takes in the scene, them, and instantly understands why his friend had felt the need to send him this.

“Oh, Vinny,” he whispers.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that for some reason, they ended up undercover as a couple in that gallery to gather intel or get their hands on something; probably with fake IDs and a fake story. But the kiss on the screen feels anything but that. Luca can see simply from his best friend’s posture that Vincenzo is wholly immersed in that kiss, forgetting about time and place, which is as rare as a white raven.

The thing with Vincenzo is that his brain never seems to rest. He is always alert, always watching, always strategizing or plotting, thinking and thinking. That’s what makes him a good consigliere, of course, but there are downsides to it, too.

Luca saw Vincenzo with middle-school crushes, high-school sweethearts, college girlfriends and occasional hookups; saw them come together then eventually, inevitably fall apart, because either they didn’t hold his attention enough or they couldn’t keep up with him. 

And neither of them was able to just… switch his brain off. Or the wall that he surrounds himself with, impenetrable and mile-high. Nor actually bothered trying.

This, he looks at the photo, is different , Luca thinks. Why, he doesn’t know, but he is sure of it. 

Although a part of him badly wants to bombard Vincenzo with questions, particularly about his feelings (an intricate subject), he decides against it. 

The picture is enough answer for now. 

quattro

Seeing her in person is a whole other experience. The picture Luca saw didn’t really show much, and he feels like even if it did, it wouldn’t have done her justice. She is extremely, intimidatingly gorgeous; so much so that Luca finds himself dumbstruck like a teenager for a few minutes, stuttering just from exchanging simple greetings with her. 

Hong Cha Young , she introduces herself, shaking hands. Confidently and with an aura and grace that has Luca instantly thinking of the Signora – Antonia Cassano, Fabio’s late spouse. Strong, fearless and capable. A mafia wife.

He finally starts to understand why Vincenzo might be so taken with this woman. 

Her presence absolutely cannot be ignored, that’s something Luca learns relatively quickly – if she doesn’t command attention in some way with intent (by doing something silly or outrageous, or talking obnoxiously), she does it unconsciously, with her beauty or a single gaze. She has these expressive, really beautiful set of almond eyes that one simply can’t look away from. 

(Luca tries – and then fails.)

One thing is for sure. Either you hate her or like her – there is no in-between. She won’t tolerate it. 

Luca, obviously, falls into the latter category and he honestly hates that because it makes his job really difficult. He can’t just like her this quickly and evaluate the level of danger she means to Vincenzo at the same damn time. 

And speaking of danger, she is armed . With a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue, that peeks out even in regular conversations. Smart, sassy and sarcastic. Luca loves it. She is extremely fun to listen to and talk with, even with the language barrier and the stilted English on both their parts. Luca fucking bets that she has the best fucking stories, and dirt on everyone, especially on Vincenzo and he intends to collect as much blackmail material from her in the future as he can. 

All in all, she is just this refreshingly bold and unapologetic creature in the prettiest packaging, that doesn’t give a single fuck – but at the same time, does . 

Because she is really, really nice, too. She handles their weirdly wholesome friends kindly and gently, welcomes Luca like a long-lost friend and accommodates him every way she can, and most of all, she treats Vincenzo with the care and attention he so deserves. With soft looks and fond smiles and barely-there touches that seem to hold so much meaning. It’s almost too intimate to witness.

An hour of watching them together is enough for Luca to decide that they are meant to be. And it makes Luca even more shittier for coming here and trying to pry his consigliere away from her. 

Vincenzo is like a whole other person when he is with her; he is carefree, happy. Boyish . He teases her, jokes around, pokes at her to get a rise out and relishes in her attention of him, even if it comes with some bodily harm. It’s refreshing to see.

He is also almost shy at times. Soft. The Vin Luca knows, always treated women incredibly respectfully, but knew exactly what he wanted from them and how, and handled them as such. With Cha Young, he seems to let her have the reins sometimes and indulges her, simply opting to enjoy the ride. 

It dawns on Luca at once, why she is different from all the others. 

Vincenzo trusts her. 

It’s not something that’s earned easily – Luca should know, it took him years of friendship and hard work. Not that he minds. His decision as a child to try to stubbornly befriend the quiet, unique, bullied young boy in elementary school was probably one of his life’s best ones. 

And then, Ms. Hong just appears and does it all in a few months. 

Luca feels like some people would feel some sort of jealousy or resentment in their heart because of that, but he doesn't. He realizes it’s different. They are best friends, while she is… whatever she is to him. Luca can’t describe it, but the two of them together feels right . 

(And not just because both of them are smoking hot.)

They just… balance each other out. She is obnoxiously loud and Vincenzo is refreshingly silent. Ms. Hong is reckless while his friend is a born strategist. She is a storm of nature and Vincenzo is the calm after it. Their differences fit . While they also have the same expensive taste, penchant for drama and outlook in life.

Luca doesn’t necessarily believe in things like soulmates, but when he watches them together… he can’t help but start to think about it. Hell, what if?

Hours later, though, it starts to get annoying. Because both of them try to ignore it as much as they can, even though the pull to the other is incredibly strong. Even though they clearly pine . Luca just wants to bash their heads together to stop dragging the inevitable. It’s fucking ridiculous.

He doesn’t end up doing or saying anything, however. They need to figure this out by themselves. 

cinque

When Luca fetches him from Malta International Airport after midnight, Vincenzo looks possibly the worst he has ever seen him in his entire life. Which is a feat, because Luca was there when Vinny was still a kid and still cried a lot; was next to him numerous times when he got shitfaced drunk as a teenager on his parents’ death anniversaries; and he also had his fair share of tending to a Vincenzo that suffered a serious (sometimes even life-threatening) injury.

Still, nothing compared to this . 

The Vincenzo Cassano that steps through the arrival gates is not the same man who left Italy a year ago. He is an empty shell, a shadow . 

To anyone else, the difference maybe wouldn’t be striking – many people deem the Cassano consigliere cold and soulless. But to Luca, who knows Vincenzo well, and who has seen him in Korea be the happiest he’s ever seen… It’s shocking. And heartbreaking, to be quite honest. 

Vincenzo’s suit is rumpled beyond imagination and blood-speckled in hardly noticeable places, something which Luca’s trained eye does clock right away, of course. It’s strange, because a Vincenzo, who does not care about his appearance, is unusual. His hair is on the disheveled side as well, compared to his usual gelled look, or the soft, casual one he saw on him in Korea. 

But what really shows that something isn’t right with his friend, is the look on his face. Vincenzo’s expression reminds Luca of a marble statue – set in stone, emotionless and cold. His eyes (clearly haven’t been shut once on the way here judging by the redness and the dark circles under them), that actually gained a spark in his time away, now seem to be dull, blank.

Almost dead.

Luca is worried . Extremely so.

Because roughly thirty hours ago, he got a text from Vincenzo containing flight details, but nothing else. Something serious must have happened, but he doesn’t know what , and it honestly scares him. 

Luca runs up to Vincenzo, greets him like they usually do.

He doesn’t hug Luca back. It’s like they are back in the past, before Luca managed to coax the child version of him out of his shell. Luca so badly wants to pry, but in the end, decides against it. Vincenzo is clearly not in the mental state to talk about it, so he takes his arms off, and silently steers Vincenzo in the direction of the exit. 

They go wordlessly to the car, with Luca holding onto Vincenzo’s meager bag, that is way too light for an international flight this long, especially without checked-in luggage. It’s clear that this was a last-minute flight, which Vincenzo, who is generally a planner, is not known to take. Luca’s offer of changing clothes (because he has prepared for everything, as usual), gets denied with a shake of Vincenzo’s head. 

Luca doesn’t know what the hell he should do and the worry is eating him alive. It’s making him freeze up after buckling in. Vincenzo, instead of raising an eyebrow or teasing him, or even barking at him for taking his time, doesn’t react – he stares out unseeingly into the well-lit parking-lot, with his blood-shot, tired, empty eyes. 

Luca swallows. 

“It will take a few hours to reach the island,” he says quietly, then his tone turns careful. “I have some sleeping pills with me. Do you want to take one?” 

Normally, Luca wouldn’t offer since he knows Vincenzo doesn’t like the loss of control they bring (same reason why his friend never did any drugs), and only ever uses them as a last resort. 

But right now Luca thinks a pill might be needed. Vincenzo looks exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and it’d do him some good to just drop unconscious for a while, without any thoughts bugging him.

His friend, surprisingly, nods and Luca gets the bottle out of the glove compartment, offering it to him. Vincenzo breaks one in half by the imprinted line in his hands and sends one piece down his throat without water.

They are on the road for no more than a few minutes when Vincenzo breaks the silence. Not with words at first, but with a shaky sigh – it prompts Luca to glance at him and what he finds on his friend’s face is nothing like the emotionless mask he tried to put on before. Vincenzo looks outright distressed, with the deep, worried frown of his eyebrows and the unhappy downturn of his mouth as he watches the streetlamps of the highway speed by.

“She took a bullet for me.” 

“Santa Madre di Dio, aiuta me,” Luca whispers, the sudden fear for Ms. Hong’s life bringing out the Catholic prayer from within. He has a ton of questions – what happened, who shot her, are they dead , just to name a few – and lots of thoughts about Vincenzo’s state right now but he manages to only let through one. The most important of all.

“Is she okay?”

“She will be,” Vincenzo says, or more like assures – most probably himself. 

Luca tries not to hear the rest of the sentence left unsaid in the air between them that whispers that his friend might not be.

+1. 

“ Vincenzo Cassano! ” Luca barges in, and slams the door of the study close with such a force that the paintings on the walls rattle in their frame and the loud bang echoes down the hall. He doesn’t give a shit about it though. He is furious, unlike the figure sitting behind the desk. 

Vincenzo looks up from the document that he has been examining, with his usual, perfected calm, and stares at Luca while raising an eyebrow. 

“Yes, Luca Giordano ?” the annoying shithead sasses back, because of course he has to, but Luca is not amused.

“Tell me what happened in Korea a week ago,” he demands seriously, striding up to Vincenzo’s desk and gripping one of the chairs to contain himself.

Vincenzo frowns . For the new guys, that’s enough to make them swallow and watch their mouths moving forward. Not him, though. “You’re my friend Luca, but it’s really not your business.”

“It is my business when you’re being a fucking idiot!” Luca snaps, his anger steadily creeping closer to the surface. “I specifically got you into the delegation so you and Ms. Hong could spend at least half a day together! Stupido! ” he yells in his frustration. “Fottuto idiota!”

Vincenzo’s voice is deadly quiet and tight while his eyes turn harder than steel. He puts the paper from his hands down on the table – Luca has his full attention now.

“I would advise you to choose your words wisely, sottocapo.”

It’s a clear warning, and a tone Vincenzo never uses with him unlike with the others, because they are friends first, mafia second. Well, until now, it seems. It manages to push Luca over the edge – he is officially pissed off.

“Fuck you and your title, Cassano!” he erupts, kicking the heavy chair away from the desk, which falls with a resounding thud onto the floor. Luca doesn’t fucking care. “Right now, I’m talking to you as your fucking friend , and you will fucking listen, capiche ? I had enough of you and your stupid, self-sabotaging ass ruining your own life and I fucking won’t let you!”

Vincenzo is wise – or guilty because he tried to use his authority over Luca in a situation that didn’t fucking warrant it – because he doesn’t utter a word. Good.

“For more than a year now I didn’t push, didn’t pry, not even once,” Luca starts his rant,  “because I know what you’re like and I wanted to give you the space and time to deal with your emotions. But right now, I’m going to, because you clearly need your head to be set fucking straight by someone and no one dares to attempt that on this fucking island other than me, so here I am,” Luca throws his hands out while shrugging. 

“What the actual fuck are you doing, Vin?” he asks, both as a rhetorical question and seriously. 

“You have an extremely gorgeous, sharp and kind goddess literally put into your direct path who is like your fucking other half, who accepts you fully without judgment and waited a year for you faithfully in almost complete radio silence.” Luca lets these sink in before he asks what’s been bothering him and made him storm into his capo’s study.

“Why didn’t you spend more time with her there when you finally had the fucking chance?”

“So you’re furious because I didn’t take her to a motel and fucked her brains out before my flight home?” Vincenzo asks, blinking slowly and looking thoroughly bored of this situation and Luca is this close to punching him for daring to do this with him. “Is that it?”

“That’s not it and you know it; don’t put words in my fucking mouth and try to pretend this is not serious just to make me fuck off!” Luca yells, enraged. “I’m talking about the fact that, according to Ambassador Sponza, you were gone for two hours at most from the event, after which you came back and excused yourself to your hotel. Alone. You spent a mere two hours with her after she waited a fucking year for your stupid ass when you could’ve –”

“What?” Vincenzo shouts, cutting him off and standing up on the other side of the desk, eyes throwing lightning. “Parade around with her on my arm and risk her getting in danger because of me? Not a chance.”

“Stop with the excuses, you coward!” Luca slams his hand on the wooden surface of the desk. Rather than punching his friend in the face for being so… Ugh . Coglione. “Don’t pretend like she is not probably the most protected woman in Korea after the first lady with the amount of eyes you dispatched on her!” 

Luca doesn’t know much because Vincenzo can be a tight-lipped asshole about things he deems private (and Hong Cha Young and his delicate feelings for her very much belong in that category), but he does know that his friend has her watched and has hired bodyguards; that he gets weekly reports about the level of danger she is currently in. With the way she started a personal vendetta against the dirtiest scumbags she could find, making the number of her enemies exponentially rise, it was a logical and absolutely necessary decision. 

But Luca sincerely doubts that Ms. Hong knows about it or was even involved in making it.

“Did you even think about how she must’ve felt? You magically appeared after a year, for two fucking hours, only to leave her again for who knows how long, without giving her anything solid she can hold onto.” At his words, Luca can see Vincenzo’s eyes widen, as if he only started to realize just now where he is going with this, but Luca isn’t done with driving the message home just yet.

“At this point she is no fucking different from that girl you had after law school – I don’t even remember her name she was so insignificant – that you kept fucking occasionally, in a so-called ‘long-distance relationship’ , when you were not busy cleaning up garbage on Fabio’s orders somewhere in Sicily!” 

A bit of an exaggeration, but still – a picture with similar shapes and colors. A girl somewhere else pining after Vincenzo and hoping for more, him occasionally visiting and treating things a bit too casually for a relationship. 

“Is that what this is?” Will Ms. Hong become so insignificant too that years later Luca can’t even remember her? 

It’s not often that the Cassano capo can be shocked into speechlessness – Luca can probably count the instances on one hand. Right now not included.

Vincenzo is opening and closing his mouth like a fish for a solid minute at least, breathing picked up just the slightest bit, and being tensed like a spring. He’s lost composure almost completely because of how affected he is by what Luca has said. 

Looking at his eyes and the amount of emotion and low-key panic in them, Luca is a hair-breadth away from apologizing for being so harsh and insinuating things he knows are not true in the slightest. But Vincenzo finds his voice – although it’s hoarse, and he is still not put together enough to gain back his rhetoric skills.

“This is not – I’m not – I did tell her about… about how I feel.” He quietly adds, “And I kissed her .”

“I’m proud of you Vin, but did you? Did you really ?” Luca asks gently but seriously. He can’t imagine his friend being that direct, or if he was, to reveal the sheer extent of his feelings for Ms. Hong. 

Luca, as Vincenzo’s sottocapo and best friend, sees a portion of it shine through the other’s actions day by day. It’s not something a simple ‘I love you’ can cover.

“Did you tell her about the flight you already booked for her a month from now?” Luca asks but doesn’t really expect an answer. “The room that you spent months decorating for her while secretly hoping she will just stay in yours when she finally arrives? Or that while you were fighting fucking Paolo, you included her in your will as your sole inheritor just in case you died and you haven’t removed her since?”

Silence. 

Luca sighs. “See? That's what I'm saying. You love her so deeply yet don't let yourself show it to her.” He chuckles in disbelief. “ Dio , you’re literally soulmates and you both know it, why are you delaying your happiness still? What are you so afraid of?” He is half serious, half joking as he adds, “If i were you i would have already scoured the whole mediterranean for the perfect ring, get on one knee and –”

Luca’s breath gets stuck in his throat as Vincenzo, after opening and closing a secret compartment in his desk only a select few knows about, quietly puts down a tiny, black velvet box on the wooden surface between them. 

No way. No freaking way.

He watches Vincenzo shyly fidget with the box, avoiding Luca’s eyes almost religiously, before opening it and turning it towards him. Inside, secure on the cushion, is a gold ring with a quite sizable emerald, surrounded by, what Luca is sure of, diamonds. It’s a dramatic, and profoundly beautiful piece of jewelry; fit for someone like Hong Cha Young.

“I had it made roughly two months after Paolo left,” Vincenzo croaks, then clears his throat. “I didn't even know then when I would see her again, but I swore to myself that if she still wanted me the next time we met…whenever that might be… I will ask her to marry me someday.”

“You better, because if you don’t, I swear to God, I’ll do it.”

Vincenzo finally looks properly into Luca’s eyes as he scoffs. “Vaffanculo.” 

“Stronzo,” Luca grins, making Vincenzo chuckle as well. It softens into a smile as he nods towards the little box still lying on the desk. “It’s really beautiful, Cenzo. She’ll love it.” 

“I certainly hope so, since I paid a small fortune for it,” his friend jokes it away, but Luca can see the nervousness in his eyes before he glances away. Vincenzo snaps the box closed and puts it back to its safe place before turning around and heading towards the giant windows looking towards the blue sea. 

He stands with his back to the other occupant of the room, hands casually in his pockets, but Luca knows Vincenzo is either trying to get his composure back or he has something so personal to say that he doesn’t want to face Luca if he can help it. Judging by how tense his shoulders still are, one can guess which one is the case. Luca doesn’t follow him nor says anything to pressure him. 

Vincenzo eventually talks.

“If I downplay this… this thing with her, or seem to hold back, it’s not because I don’t think it’s important or I don’t want it,” he explains to Luca. “I’ve already had those thoughts back in Korea and while I still think I don’t deserve her, I don’t lie to myself anymore.”

He laughs. “It’s quite the opposite of what it seems like. I want it so badly it hurts .” He is quiet when he continues. “Sometimes I’m scared of just how desperate I am. I’m also scared of fucking it all up somehow and she will end up dead because of me. Because it happened with her father, happened with Eomma , happened with Han Seo, and I don’t want the list to include her, too.” He swallows, and his voice shakes. “I feel like I wouldn’t survive that.” 

Gesú Cristo , Luca breathes in his mind, stunned. He knew this was serious, but to hear it directly from his friend’s mouth…

“I’ve never known I could love someone, let alone this much,” Vincenzo whispers, choking up a bit.

“Oh Vinny,” Luca says softly and goes around the table to reach Vincenzo and grip his shoulder with a steady hand. They stand in silence for a moment before Luca finds a way to lift the heavy atmosphere. “Your nonna was right, you know.” 

“What?” 

“Remember when she scolded you for not settling down yet? I think it was at one of Fabio’s birthday parties a few years ago.” Luca snorts. “You said something about love being overrated anyway. And she said that just for that comment, life will definitely make you eventually fall so damn hard for someone you won’t know what to do with yourself.” 

Vincenzo looks towards the ceiling and groans. “ Dio , don’t remind me. She’ll be insufferable when she meets her . And they’ll love each other.”

Luca laughs in advance at his friend’s misery, making Vincenzo scowl. But underneath it all, he can see that the other is looking forward to it all. To have Cha Young here, to show her around the island, to show her off to his people, his family – even if it means a little embarrassment on his part. 

He decides Vincenzo needs a little more nudging. 

“You’re always the one saying that regret is the most painful thing in life,” Luca says delicately. “You have enough to last you a lifetime. Take your own advice for a change, alright?” 

Vincenzo’s shoulders slump from their highly tensed position and he silently nods. Good.

“Small steps, amico mio ,” Luca pats his shoulder encouragingly. “Send her the flight ticket for now.” 

Job here done, Luca pats him once again and turns his back to the spectacular view outside the windows. Maybe he has time for a little swim before lunch.

He is almost by the door when Vincenzo speaks.

“ Grazie , Luki,” his friend says with the gratefulness clear in his tone. He is back behind his desk, in his chair, pretending to be reading the document he started just before Luca arrived. “But the next time you barge like this into my office I will fucking end you.” 

It’s totally an empty threat; both of them know it. 

“As if,” Luca grins cheekily as he slips through the doorway. “Who will be your best man at your wedding then, hm?”

He cackles with delight when he hears the muffled Korean curses coming from the room as he leaves.