[minor mature themes] Black Dahlia and True Blue - A Heist Gone Wrong

Amora watched Cabacci take care of the assassin's entourage with almost frightening efficiency. Seeing him tear through them like that was so... morbidly satisfying. But, she was pretty sure he might have started attacking his own men. That's not very... productive of him. At all.

"Hey! You done carrying out the death of every person here?" Amora asked as she walked closer to him, mumbling under her breath. "Aunque luce muy guapo cuando lo hace."
 
True Blue seemed to freeze in mere miliseconds as Amora called out to Cabacci. The man shook his head a bit, nodding as wiped a bit of blood off his face.

"I may have gotten a bit carried away- This mess will take a while to clean up, but we dealt with one of them... This will send message." He says, regaining his composture after a bit, in a macabre way, he was just so used to committing this sort of act over and over, that he simply brushed off his actions as necesary and normal.

"Alright preziosa... We should probably head out, my men deal with the mess and- We go looking around them head quarters, and we finish up before your boss figures out what's going on and gives us more trouble... I gotta warn you though, this one was a real chump, but the others are older, they know more, sai? What they manage to do with their Stands is... Pretty scary."
 
"Pretty scary, huh? I think we can deal with 'pretty scary.' I'd argue what you did there would also qualify as that, but you just looked so damn good doing it!"

Amora shook her head, clearing any distracting thoughts from her mind. She cleared her throat and continued, walking back into the grandiose mansion Cabacci called home. "Only one of by boss's guys has a Stand, at least that's what he told me," she said, occasionally glancing back to see if Cabacci was following her. "And he's only a problem if there are a lot of ratones around, which I don't think you have a lot of here."

She walked back to the couch where she hid the mysterious arrow and sat down. "What do you suppose we do now?" Amora asked with a faint smile.
 
Cabacci crossed his arms, acting as if he hadn't heard her call him good looking, but there was always the same sign that he was flustered, his blushing and the way a soft, nervous smile showed in the corner of his lips.

"You weren't so bad yourself-"

He followed her back into the mansion, ignoring the trail of bodies he left behind and all the work and maintanance his people would have to deal with now.

Cabacci stopped to think for a moment. Ratones? Rats? He wondered.

"Well, we should keep up with the old plan, strike before they figure out, they will take a while to realize on of their caps got popped." He nodded to himself, confident that the violent aproach was better, but truth be told, he was willing to do anything Amora would say, he was just acting as a guard dog for her at this point, but he didn't mind that much at all, despite having an incredibly powerful Stand, he didn't see himself as much else than backup for her, he considered her capable, strong, menacing, even if he didn't outright say it with his own mouth.
 
Amora rolled her eyes and looked at Cabacci, seeming interested.

"Well, we could already handle them pretty well together, why don't we take a break for a while? It's been quite a long day, don't you think?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side. "I mean, only if you want to, of course." Amora gave a slight laugh before glancing to the side, breaking their eye contact. "A movie or something, you know? Or maybe something else, if you have any ideas?"
 
Cabacci was about to protest, they needed to deal with the threat at once, how could she even suggest relaxing right now? But then, just as he was about to speak, he clenched his jaw, stopping any sound from escaping his mouth.

Why shouldn't he take a minute to relax? Why did he have to keep stressing over people chasing them? If they found out about the death of their comrade, they would defintely panic, they had time to relax, at least a day or two. Besides, he wanted to spend more time with the woman, she'd given him his first kiss, fought alongside him, and then again, he owed it to her after beating her up back at the museum.

He sighed.

"Well, I guess relaxing wouldn't hurt... Its not like we are getting chased right now and... Hm, do you uh, want a drink or sum'? I can get you something while you pick something to watch?..."
 
Amora nodded, grateful for something else to do other than just sit there and stare at Cabacci. "Sure! What do you like to make?" she asked. You could really tell a lot about a person based on their favorite drink, alcoholic or not. There was this one guy she met in Mexico not that long ago, and he tended to just drink tequila straight out of the bottle with almost no ill effects. His Stand might have been the reason why, but she doubted it.

She snapped back to the present moment. It was her job to find something to watch. Amora wasn't that good at picking things like this, but she could try, damn it! She turned on the gigantic TV on the back wall and tried to pick a movie, but nothing sounded good to her. "What do you want to watch? I know you'll probably want to watch one of your fancy Italian movies, but I'm asking you anyways."
 
"Well we do have, some quality wine somewhere-" Cabacci, was a rather simple person, he didn't really do anything fancy, sure, he had his home, and his high quality clothes, but that was mostly out of the Boss' constant complaining of him not using his wealth, to live in luxury.

He just got cans of whatever soft drink he saw at the store, ate whatever his workers got for him, he didn't really even bother to keep his clothes in a good state, clearly shown by the state of his expensive shoes and delicate jacket.

He watched a lot of american telivision, he had a habit of turning on the first channel with something interesting and sitting down to watch it for hours whenever he had free time. Many times, it was a random array of Monster Trucks or some old western movie, sometimes, he even found an extremely corny romance movie and he enjoyed it, he had fun with that, but he wanted to remain interesting to the woman, he struggled a bit as he returned with two glasses and a bottle of fine wine, his mind was spinning circles as he tried to gather his thoughts.

But eventually, he accepted the fact that he wasn't really that fancy, he was just a normal guy... Beyond the ties with the mafia, and the extreme violent tendencies he had, and his Stand... Maybe he wasn't that normal, but he aspired for a life like that.

"Well uh we could watch- A Roman Holiday. It's just, a classic movie you know? Romantic comedy. It's about a princess who falls in love with an American man and uh, you know what, non importa, probably not a good option-"

He says, with a nervous laugh.
 
Amora laughed as well, but it was more of a genuine one, rather than Cabacci’s laugh of nervousness. “Why isn’t it a good option?” She asked. “Maybe it’ll give us some tips.” She laughed once more before delicately picking up the bottle of wine and the glasses. She summoned Black Dahlia, who sliced through the neck of the bottle with one of the blades on its arms, eliminating the tedious task of uncorking the bottle normally.

Amora started to fill the glasses with the rich red wine, wondering how Cabacci came to be able to afford such luxuries this easily. Must be one of the perks of being related to a successful crime family, she thought. Amora had once wished to be part of something like this when she first started out as a petty thief, but her knowledge of crime families through the movies she watched squashed that before it became a serious goal for her.

Eventually, the silence as she was filling the glasses became more tense, so she decided to break it once more. “So, how did you get into this sort of thing?” she asked.
 
"Well, it's not off the table, it's just, probably not what you may be looking for... Kinda corny. But it is a classic." He admits.

Cabacci sat by her side, placing his hands over his thighs as he took a deep breath. It was impossible to hide the tension growing in him. His leg bounced up and down, and his gaze couldn't remain still on a single place, the man wasn't good at concealing his emotions effectively.

He watched her pour the wine on the glasses, he thought of all this luxury, all the dead space in the mansion, maybe sharing a bit with someone would be nice- But his train of thought was soon interrupted by Amora's question.

"This sort of thing as in, alcohol? Or..." He didn't finish his phrase, instead pointing with his thumb towards the exit, as if speaking of the chaos they'd dealt with a couple of minutes ago.
 
(I had to write this twice because it didn’t save)

Amira sighed, handing Cabacci his full glass of wine. “No, I meant the whole ‘mafia’ thing,” she replied, inwardly chastising herself for being so vague. “Not a lot of people I know are… really associated with that.” She shrugged, turning away from him for a moment. “You don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to.”

Amora looked back at him, noticing his nervous demeanor. “Is something wrong?”
 
Cabacci nodded slowly, as if trying to remind himself of the old times, but there was no smile of happy memories, or a sigh of peace as he thought about his childhood, although, he did smirk for a second when he remembered his first job, the first time he felt as if True Blue was a gift rather than a curse.

He took the glass of wine from Amora's hand, brushing his fingertips against hers as he did so, causing him to feel goosebumps as he swirled the contents of the glass in a gentle manner.

"Well, to be truly honest, it is sort of difficult to remember exactly how it all happened, it was a while ago... My father had been in the bussines for a while, and never really talked about it. Things changed, he screwed up and got popped. Not many good memories with my papà. However, if it wasn't for his mistake I would've never inherited my home, and his position."
He took a sip of the beverage in his glass, tasting it for a moment, and reminding himself why he didn't like wine that much.

"It ended up being good for everyone I suppose- I managed to keep my spot as one of the big earners and the Boss' button, but that old thing ruined it." He said, clearly refering to the arrow. "Then again- I never thought the Boss would switch on me, ever, I was wrong. A volte si vince, a volte si perde. Don't you agree, regina?"

Cabacci didn't really think of how jarring his switch from inmaturity to deep thoughts was.
 
Amora didn’t know what Cabacci was saying, but she could discern what he meant. Her gaze softened, and she took a sip of her wine, noting the subtle, rich taste. “The security, the sense that everything is taken care of,” she said ruefully, examining her wine glass before setting it down. Amora sighed and sat back in her seat, not looking at Cabacci.

“I wish I could have had that feeling, like you did. But… I felt it for an instant, and it was taken away. That job was supposed to give me that feeling I’ve been chasing all my goddamn life.” Tears stood out in her eyes for a moment before she wiped them away. “It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have taken that job. I should have let you take the arrow.” Amora’s voice started to crack as she glanced back at Cabacci. “You mean so much more to so many people, and what am I? Just someone that gets in the way. I make a quick buck while the people in charge live off my work.”

She took another sip of wine, not looking at Cabacci.
 
Cabacci looked at her for a fraction of a second, before his gaze moved away, he felt as if he was stabbed when he saw her tears, he finished his glass and set it down, as if trying to numb himself as fast as possible to gain the bravery to speak again. With a deep breath, he managed to look at her.
His hands trembled, but he managed to move, setting a gently hand on her leg, he didn't have any ulterior motives, just comfort, warmth, a genuine sense of love despite how sudden everything was.

"Look, signora..." He sighed. "I may be worried, and have no idea of what the future may bring for me now that the Boss is hunting me down. But- Merda. This sounds crazy considering I was fighting against you just hours ago but... I care for you. Trust me, as soon as I saw ya' I knew I wouldn't bring myself to actually kill you or take the arrow from you... In fact, I woul've let you go if it wasn't because we got cornered by the coppers."
Cabacci took a moment to reflect before speaking again.

"Think of it this way, the Boss was willing to bury me for calling too much attention, and you, the woman I had to fight, kissed me just- Because you felt like it. Guardi, signora. I am no good at romance and whatnot, I do not know what you actually feel, if you are just, infatuated or- Trying to get something out of me. But I do not care. Niente affatto."

The man had a light blush sprinkled across his face, and, he had already opened up his heart to her, there was nothing to hide.

"You protected me- And I will do the same, I may not be the brightest, but I am loyal... You earned my loyalty."
 
Amora looked up at Cabacci. She didn’t know what to say, but she wanted to come clean about her attitude toward him when they first met. “At first, I only was around you so you’d protect me,” she said, her voice breaking even more. “I was being selfish, but then… I just looked into your eyes and…” she trailed off as she became lost in her own thoughts, trying to find the words to communicate how she felt. “I saw how earnest you were. It’s the first time anyone has looked at me like that, and I realized I wanted you to look at me like that again and again.”

Amora took another sip of her wine, trying to distract herself with the taste, but it only reminded her of Cabacci. “I’m sorry that I tried to use you. I can promise that I will never try that again.” She tipped her glass up, draining the last of the wine from it. “Sorry to ruin the moment, but I just had to get that off my chest.”
 
Cabacci should've been mad, he should've stood up and left, but instead, he gave her a gentle smile, one of honest forgiveness.

"Ehi ehi, I am not one to judge I mean, I am a criminal after all- A crook if you will." He chuckled quietly, gently tapping her leg with his palm, attempting to reassure her. "I know, about being used, that's why I had a bit of a hard time truly believing you'd actually have any interest in someone like me. But in the end, we're not perfect. E va bene così- Sorry." He corrected himself, gathering his ideas in english. "-That is okay." He nods a couple of times, finding the right words.

"So, why don't we forget that I- Kinda almost broke your ribcage into splinters earlier, that you tried to use me, and instead we focus on.. The good things, yeah?"

Things had moved very fast, but he didn't really mind, he was happy after all.
 
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Despite the tension in the air, Amora couldn’t help but laugh. “Sí, sí!” She said, punching the arm of the couch once or twice. “The good things! Like how I help you run away from la policía.” She motioned for Cabacci to hand her his wine glass. “Okay! Let’s find a movie to watch before we get all sappy again.” Amira handed him the remote, letting him pick the movie.
 
Cabacci was, obviously feeling his brain a little fuzzy due to the alcohol, but he still had enough clarity of mind to choose the idea he had proposed, it was a simple romantic comedy, but it was enough to keep them entertained. Besides, he figured a drama or a thriller would defintely not make the situation any less tense, so he hoped this would at least get a chuckle out of them and make them focus on something else.

He hit the play button, and leaned back into the couch. He couldn't help but scoot a bit closer to Amora as time went on. Cabacci didn't know whether she was focused on the movie or him, but, he was defintely not focused on the movie, he kept glancing at her every so often, with a dopey smile on his face.

"Dannazione, è carina..." He muttered under his breath, looking away as fast as his reflexes allowed him, not wanting her to know he was talking about her.
 
Amora felt her eyes droop as the movie carried on. She leaned on Cabacci's shoulder as she sipped the last of her wine. "Did you say something?" she asked lazily. "Is the movie really that bad?" She laughed at her own joke before focusing back on the movie, completely oblivious to what he said about her. Amora looked almost regretfully at the empty wine bottle on the side table. She wished she hadn't drank so much. She tended to forget things once she had more than a few drinks.

Amora turned back to Cabacci. "So... did you have anything to say to me?"
 
Cabacci's eyes widened momentarily, feeling her weight slowly fall on his shoulder.

He waved his hand dismissively, clearly too nervous to actually repeat himself, he hadn't really drank that much, but he wasn't about to let his guard down completely. for the sake of both of them.

"No no, buon Dio. I said nothing- Just, thinking about the movie that's all..." The man cleared his throat a bit. "So... Was the wine good?"
 
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