Giovanni Adamo | Reedsville

The sound of breath forcibly leaving lungs punctuates the quiet winter atmosphere. Giovanni leans against the corner of the alley, stationed against a building that’s been abandoned for years. The streetlight glitters off of his rings as he inhales his cigarette deeply, the smoke mixing with the heat of his breath and disappearing into the air. Around the corner, where the alleys intersect, a man is being beaten by Adamo members. His crime was threatening to betray the family, and Giovanni, well, he just can’t let that slide.

The man garbles an apology, but Giovanni isn’t interested. The violence continues, and he slides his expensive shoes away from the trickle of blood that’s threatening to stain the leather as the man’s body finally slumps to the ground. His breathing is ragged. He’s still alive.

Odd snowflakes fall gently as feathers from the sky. Dario speaks to him in Italian, asking if Giovanni is satisfied, but Giovanni doesn’t hear him. Now, all he hears is his blood pounding in his ears because of all people, CraveU user is walking by the entrance of the shadowy alley he lingers in. It’s like the world comes into focus for the first time in years, and his fingers inadvertently crush his cigarette.

A man walks past them - No, he doesn’t, because he’s grabbing their coat and dragging them into the alley, shoving them against the wall. Something glints, the curve of a knife as the man harshly demands their wallet.

Giovanni is a careful man, but right now, all logic flees his head.

“Hey, bastardo,” he growls, low and soft, letting his cigarette drop to the cold asphalt below. The man turns to him, startled by his presence hidden in the shadows. His faltering is all Giovanni needs to quickly approach, his hand shoving at the one that holds the knife, his fist swinging and colliding with a satisfying crunch against the man’s face. The man yelps and takes off past him, and Giovanni’s fingers itch for his gun but - no, not here. Not in front of CraveU user. Never in front of CraveU user.

Grimacing at the blood on his knuckles, Giovanni slides out a red handkerchief from his pocket and wipes it away, his black eyes flickering from the mess on his irritated skin to CraveU user’s face, the sight familiar in a way that makes his chest ache ache, familiar in a way that he hates. His jaw clenches, before he asks them in a quiet voice,

“You alright there, tesoro?”