The second year was over.
No more projects, no more lectures, no more whispered rumors of masked reapers and the mafia heir with the haunted eyes. Just heat.
Scorching, sticky, skin-slicking summer heat.
And with it, an invitation from the chaos king himself: Dominik.
Scene: The OG Mafia Villa
Dominik stood at the entrance of the Romanesque villa like a man greeting royalty and deeply regretting every choice in his life.
He was wearing a half-apron, sun hat, and sunglasses the size of his trust issues.
"WELCOME, LITTLE CRIMINALS!" he declared. "TO THE FOUNTAIN OF SIN AND SUNTANS!"
Leo raised an eyebrow as he stepped out of the car, dressed in black swim trunks, open linen shirt, and flip-flops. His tan had deepened, scars no longer tense, posture loose with a kind of peace only recently earned.
Nox followed in loose black pants slung low on sharp hips, his upper body bare except for the faint sheen of sunscreen. His usual mask remained—but three crimson heart-shaped studs glittered along one ear, a matching piercing at his navel peeked from the dip of his waistband, and the thorned Roman-style vine tattoo down his spine shimmered with every step.
Dominik clutched his chest like a fainting Victorian aunt. "You dare bring a man with those abs AND A FREAKING HEART NAVEL PIERCING into my home without warning?! I needed time to mentally prepare, LEO—TIME !"
Leo just kicked off his sandals and headed toward the pool. "Save your drama for the wine, old man."
Poolside Peace?
Leo sank into the cool blue water with a sigh of pleasure. "God, I forgot how rich people water tastes better."
Nox dipped his feet in, seated at the edge, mask still on. Dominik floated by on an inflatable unicorn, drink in one hand, judgment in the other.
"You're not even gonna swim, Phantom Barbie?"
Nox's voice was deadpan. "You didn't sanitize the pool properly."
Dominik let out a shriek. "EXCUSE ME?! I used filtered rainwater and imported Himalayan chlorine granules—"
Leo snorted, "You just made that up."
"SO?! It sounded expensive!"
Afternoon Routine (But Pool-Flavored)
They had snacks under the shaded cabana—Dominik served fruit platters shaped like knives, obviously—and mocktails with tiny daggers instead of umbrellas.
Leo lounged, sunglasses perched on his head, body relaxed, smile lazily flickering. Nox, still in mask and nothing else, sat silently beside him, legs crossed, sipping water like a cat judging everyone.
Dominik watched from afar, arms crossed, whispering to no one in particular:
"They're doing it again. The whole comfortable silence thing. That's not friendship. That's married-couple-who-bury-bodies-at-midnight energy."
His assistant blinked. "Should I—"
"No. We observe. Like respectful war photographers."
Tiny Moments
Leo flicked water at Nox. "Still not swimming?"
"I don't float," Nox said calmly, as if explaining something tragic.
"You don't relax, you mean."
"I don't die, you mean."
Leo cackled, resting his head against the edge. "Fair."
Later, when Leo stood to towel off, Dominik nearly fainted again—this time because of the casual way Leo leaned in to light his cigarette from the one dangling between Nox's lips, hand steady as it briefly brushed the side of Nox's neck. Nox didn't even flinch. Routine. Familiar. Unspoken.
Dominik whispered to his assistant, "That man just touched the Phantom's neck and lived."
Evening
They grilled on the patio. Dominik wore an apron that said "#1 Right Hand (of Doom)" and cried when the steak came out perfect.
"I just—look at this sear, Leo. LOOK AT IT! Would your father cry for you like this? Would he?!"
Leo deadpanned, "He once faked his death to get out of family brunch. So… no."
Nox sat silently, carving into his steak with his butterfly knife like it was standard table etiquette.
Dominik leaned over and whispered, "It's the domesticity for me. The soft cigarette exchanges. The casual back-pats. The way Nox lets him touch his gear. The fact that Leo's the only person he doesn't kill for breathing near him."
Assistant: "You think they know?"
Dominik: "No. They're idiots. Lethal, emotionally stunted idiots."
Nightfall
By the time the moon was overhead, Leo and Nox were stretched out in lounge chairs beside the lantern-lit pool. A quiet peace settled between them.
No tension. No mission. No masks between them.
Nox had one hand behind his head, the other loosely holding a cigarette. Leo tilted his head toward him, sunglasses long discarded.
"...Thanks for comming with me ."
Nox didn't look at him. " stopbmaking it weird first."
Leo grinned. "You're welcome."
Dominik's Final Log – 3:00 AM
Day 001 of observing the Domestic Phantom Duo.
Conclusion: They will deny everything until one of them dies. Possibly even after.
Note to self: Begin operation 'Sunblock & Emotional Awareness' immediately. Also—invest in pool surveillance. For science.
End of Chapter 59