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Mafioso clenched the steering wheel, just slightly in a hope to relieve some worry about what was at the end of this drive. Something so important Mafioso couldn’t put it off for any longer. Meeting Elliot’s family.
Elliot had started talking about them meeting each others family for a decent couple months now. Since their relationship had lasted about 2 years. Mafioso had some reservations about it since his technical family was the mafia that he was in, which would mean that if he and Elliot ever broke up the next thing that would have to happen would be to hunt him down and get his head. Not only to prove loyalty but to also minimize any information getting out to any enemy gang.
While Mafioso trusted that Lady Eunoia wouldn’t kill Elliot if they broke up, since he hadn’t said anything to anyone since he found out. There was always a chance that won’t be enough.
So they waited, until Elliot suggested that they meet his family instead. Mafioso had his reservations about this idea. He knew that he had a weird habit of retreating into his “mafia intimidation tactics” when he thought that an interaction was going badly.
It was evident when he was trying to talk to Elliot for the first time. Strolling into the pizza joint for the first time like he had been there thousands of times over, then proceeding to intimidate Elliot into making his entire gangs order by himself. It was a real miracle that they even made it this far together.
With a botched start like that anyone would understand if Elliot wouldn’t want to see him again. He wouldn’t want to see himself after that. Almost crying and whining to his boys about how bad and botched that had gone. But here they were, with a little convincing from Elliot and a promise of help during it and cuddles afterwards. They were driving over to the pizza boy’s family’s house.
The house was remarkable simple for a man who owned a business chain. It was placed on the outskirts of the small town they were in conveniently just outside of Eunoias territory so they avoided any type of gang activity.
Sitting on a beautifully kept small garden with a decent front yard and from the front a small backyard allowing for low upkeep but still giving it a typical soft feeling. The house itself was very nice a two story house with a grayish blue exterior. Simple enough to ward off anyone who would try breaking in to steal or harm.
As they pulled up and parked In the driveway after a relatively quiet and short car ride they stepped out. Mafioso in his best and most crisp suit, with his typical large jacket covering his body giving him a way to retreat and hiding his ears from people who didn’t know him. His fedora pulled down enough to cover his hair, eyes, and the roots of his ears. Making him look imposing and important without doing anything.
Elliot, however was in his typical red polo and black jeans outfit. Pulled together with a set of black combat boots and a thick winter coat. Not really worried about what his family was going on say about his boyfriend as no matter what his decision of if he would stay with him would be the same. He made a promise to stay and he was going to keep it.
Mafioso is nervous. No. That,
was an understatement. In his mind this was equivalent to a mafia negotiation where the end result would be an all out silent war. Although he approached those with no quiet nervousness, no doubt, no fear, no wishes that this would end faster than it started.
Yet here he was, screaming at himself in his own head to get it together, to make an atleast decent impression on them. All the while trying to not loose respect of the people he would be spending a decent amount of time around if things went right in Elliot’s eyes. He could already feel his impending doom, just waiting by around the corner to drag him off to a land without Elliot, without love and support and with a new loneliness that he would never be able to get rid of.
They made it to the door. Elliot, in his forever nonsense, gently grabbed mafioso’s hand, squeezing it in an attempt to ground him. To bring him back into a reality that they crafted together.
Elliot looked up at the mafia leader, eyes brimming with excitement and pride for who he was bringing home, but also worried for him. He hadn’t said much all day, which wasn’t normally much to begin with unless they were alone, but was substantial less than his already low quota for words. He knew he was worried but thought that’s his reassurance and agreement to help if things were going wrong would help him ease up, atleast a little bit.
“Are you doing ok? You haven’t said anything on the drive here.” Elliot’s worried tone cut through any confidence he was trying to exude. “We can just go in and skip the dinner to go home if that’s better” saying the statement like it was a given, a real option, touched with the softness of freshly groomed bunnies. Treating him like a truly delicate thing.
“I’m doing just fine. Don’t worry about me.” A true lie that wasn’t fooling even the most gullible person alive. One he barely believed himself. His conviction to seeing this whole thing through to the end got the better of him. Making him believe that with Elliot by his side everything would go smoothly. “I said I would do dinner and I meant it.”
“ Alright then, are you ready?” Elliot stated in a tone soft enough to reassure him, giving him one last out before diving into the deep end. Mafioso gave him a small nod, imperceptible to anyone else but him and suddenly they were off.
Three knocks sounded on the door. An eerie silence washing over them, hands clasped together as if they were hiding from a killer together. Then footsteps sounded getting louder. Two pairs from what Mafioso could hear, one soft and small gentle patters almost covered up by the thicker and heavier set out coming together towards the door.
The door opened reviling a tall man coming up to almost mafiosos shoulders with a mustache covering his mouth, hair slicked in a comb over of sorts and a casual orange polo with black slacks giving a giant smile as stepped out of the door. The other a little girl poking her head out the edge of the door in an attempt to hide herself from anyone who’s not in the family.
She smiled when she saw Elliot, running from her hiding spot to hug him. Mafioso just stood there trying to blend into the dark, which he did well at, as they both barely noticed him. His hand retreating into the darkness of his coat being the only warning they had to his presence.
After the hugging and greeting to Elliot finally died down Elliot pulled mafioso towards him. Shaking what invisibility he had off and thrusting him into the limelight. Bring attention to him so they could as question.
“ So son, who did you bring home?” The taller man looked up at him. His gaze questioning and judgmental but with a small amount of soft acceptance. The smaller girl also looked up at him but as completely intimidated by his shadowed face leading his ever present smile to scare instead of comfort. She quickly tucked herself back into her hiding spot inside the house seemingly spooked since it not like she really noticed him before. He tended to have the effect on smaller kids and adults alike.
Elliot beamed, seemingly unaware of the girls reaction, animatedly saying “This is my boyfriend Mafioso” giving off the excitement of an eager child showing off something new they got for Christmas. He thought it was cute, watching him with a deep softness that was only reserved for him.
He returned to the situation through a gentle nudge on the side giving him the cue to introduce himself clearing his throat softly to announce his presence himself. Silently kicking himself for needing the reminder.
“Hello, my name is Mafioso. It’s a pleasure to be meeting you.”. The statement exuding a certain hardness and unwelcoming spirit devoid of any happiness giving straight business. A gloved hand materialized out of the coat for the man to shake. Elliot’s dad took it shaking it with the same seriousness he had accidentally exuded.
Elliot was dumbfounded. What was that??? He looked up at mafioso questions bubbling up in a threat to out him as unconfident. But instead his father looked at him and started beckoning them inside. Telling mafioso to take off his jacket and hat once inside saying “You’re swimming in them. I would like to get a better look at you but I can’t do that if you’re bundled in all that.” Laced with a soft seriousness that Mafioso could respect.
Mafioso pulled off his jacket first efficiently folding it where the fluffy fur portion would be on top and would be easy grab and put on if need be. After pulling his fedora off and placing it neatly on top of his pile to avoid wrinkles in either. Once he was done he went to go help Elliot take his jacket off. Hands softly taking the back and holding it still so the pizza boy could slip out of it. Then without a word neatly and effectively folding it in the same way his was. Holding both in a nice pile scanning the room to find a place to put them.
The room was very homely. Soft oranges and yellows decorated the place in the shape of blankets, pillows and chairs. The c shaped couch in the middle of the room looked worn and used but also soft and inviting as it had orange and red leaf shaped pillows on it with green throws decorating the cushions. Pictures of the family decorated the walls like small captured moments forever stuck in a time he wasn’t in. He turned around and finally found a space to place their coats a wooden table next to the door.
Elliot sat down on the couch ruffling his fingers on the green throw. Feeling all the memories of living in the house as if they all existed on this one couch. Mafioso following him like a protective shadow, sitting down next to him with just enough space to deter him from cuddling up to him.
He nudged his boyfriend a silent plea to start talking about anything pertaining to the house or family. It was stopped or ignored in favor of him finding out himself as both Elliot’s dad and sister sat down. The dad sat in the arm chair leaning back to sit up straight in an attempt to look mafioso in the eyes and study him. While the girl sat down on the edge of the Couch on Elliot’s side leaning inwards to avoid mafioso’s attention.
After some silence Elliot pipped up. “ Dad, Sis, why don’t you guys introduce yourselves”. It was leading ,hopeful with a deep undertone of annoyance and worry. This wasn’t going very well and neither side was helping.
“Um… My name is Mia.” She had muttered it so it came out jumbled and more like a question than a statement.
Mafioso turned to face her, trying not to spook her more he took a softer tone when talking to her. Just enough to be disarming. “It’s nice to meet you to Ms.Mia”. He watched as she brightened up just a little bit and stopped trying to fuse herself on the couch.
“My name is Mr.Builder. You have decent build. I just don’t see the love you have for my son.”. He said it so accusingly like he was trying to pinpoint a problem and take it to HR.
Mafioso huffed and fixed Mr.builder with his most intense and intimidating glare letting just one of it eyes show in the night before saying “I don’t care if you don’t think I love him. He knows I love him, and that’s all that matters.” It was a statement of the highest order. One that if you didn’t believe then it would mean being under six feet of dirt or in this case ignored for the rest of the night.
Mr.builder searching him with his eyes again, resolutely muttered “Fine”. Then picking up his tone to semi-happy said “but your setting the table once dinners ready. I would like to see how you would do it. In the meantime my son can show you to his childhood bedroom”
“What just happened?” Elliot thought, absolutely confused and conflicted about what just happened. On one hand he had know that this is just what his dad dose but he hadn’t thought it would go to this level. To make things worse Mafioso just got annoyed and intimidated him into stopping. He wasn’t sure if he should be mad or happy it ended the way it did.
Then Elliot got up and gave his boyfriend a look to follow him. It was edged by a small amount of anger which made mafioso worried. Did he do something wrong. Was he about to get chewed out and punished. Here he was thinking that it’s all fine after something like that.
They walked up the stairs and through a hallway furnished with the occasional bookshelfs, picture frame, and random nicknacks . Finally making it to Elliot’s old room the owner sat down on the bed crawling to center after ditching his shoes like they personally offended him. Mafioso followed suit taking of his shoes and sitting next to his boyfriend.
Just as mafioso was about to speak, apologize for intimidating his father and whatever other crime he had committed to make Elliot so quiet. The pizza boy sighed, pulling the hybrid’s head down into his lap and started carding through his hair. His fingers gently scratching against his scalp as Mafioso visibly relaxed. Letting himself be taken in by this mundane pleasure. It want enough to satisfy him but was good in a space that wasn’t there own. He wanted to keep and ear out just in case anyone came.
Then in a soft and sweet voice he said “Thank you Fio. For defending our love. I’ll talk to my dad and see why he did that. Okay?” Proceeding to start massaging his ears, knowing how stiff they get after being forced to lay flat for so long. The bunny hybrid let go of the rest of his tension instantly, letting out a soft sigh as he pushed himself closer to Elliot. Trying to fuse they together to never let this moment end.
“It’s ok my darling. I don’t mind and you don’t have to ask about that”. He said it like it was a weight he finally got off mixing his words with a deep sigh.
The rest of dinner went smoothly with no other major issues. Small talk and conversation floating around the dinning room as food was cut and ate. Soon though the couple was saying goodbye and packing things up. Grabbing there coats and shoes along with any food to bring along home. Specifically for the boys so they can have something to eat in the morning so they could sleep in.
The drive back was tranquil and stark contrast to the drive there. It was dotted with pieces of conversation about old memories and general teasing.