the little laugh or smile a character a does in utter disbelief because character b is just so endearing and sigh(henry/vito?)-Sal

Thank you so much for sending me this! Sorry it took longer than I expected to respond - I've never written Vito or Henry before so this was definitely a challenge lol. I really enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it too 💖💖💖

For anyone interested, I'm also posting this on AO3 here

......

Vito stared hard at the black and white tiles in front of him. Only a couple of tiles. That was it. That was all that was standing between him and royalty. But how to cross them?

“It’s not gonna happen.”

“Shut up.”

“It’s not. I don’t know why you went through all the trouble, favoring your pawns the whole game. It’s a shit strategy.”

Vito drew his eyes away from the chessboard for just long enough to shoot a withering glare across the table at Henry. The handsome fucker only gave him a shit-eating grin in return. Bastard. Vito huffed and turned his attention back to the board between them. He’d been staring at it for the past 20 minutes. Fuck. He was never going to win this.

Oh well.

Pawn to G2.

Henry’s eyebrows went up. His lips turned a bit sly. “You going backwards now?”

“Yeah, well, if I go forwards your fuckin’ rook will slaughter him.”

“He’s a pawn, Vito. Pawns are meant to be sacrificed.”

Vito bit his lip. Stared at the little white piece in front of him as Henry moved his rook dangerously closer. Thought about him and Henry, sitting here together in the same hotel where he and Joe had not so long ago killed one of the most powerful men in the city, and all of his most powerful friends. Only a few floors away. Clemente was a king. Or, well, a queen, Vito guessed, if you were thinking about chess. The most important piece on the board. Vito and Joe had still killed him though. Vito didn’t think he and Joe would even count as knights.

“I dunno.” Vito muttered. “I kinda like ‘em. The pawns. They’re underdogs.”

“Underdogs?”

“Yeah, I mean,” he shrugged. “They’re the little guys. But if they get lucky, or I guess, if you play the game right, you can move ‘em all the way across the board. Make ‘em queens too. I like that.”

There were a few moments of silence after that. When it seemed like Henry wasn’t planning on saying anything, Vito glanced up at him, caught the edge of a bemused little smile before Henry covered it up with his hand. He looked away from Vito and chuckled quiet before he cleared his throat. Vito felt his cheeks heat.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Henry said. He shook his head. “Just, I like playing chess with you is all. I’m glad you agreed to play with me. You’ve got a… fresh perspective.”

“Not a very good one, huh?” Vito gestured pointedly at the table between them. There were a good deal more black pieces on the board than white. “I’m terrible at this.”

“Hey, I’m no pro either.”

“You’re still kicking my ass. Sorry I couldn’t offer you a better game. More challenging.” That’s what Henry had been complaining about when he’d brought up chess at the Falcon. Said that ever since his old crew had gotten blown up he had no one to play chess with him anymore, no one to make it a challenge. Vito still wasn’t sure why he’d offered to try; he’d never played chess before in his life. Maybe it was how sad Henry looked, how wistful, or maybe it was because if Vito was honest with himself he’d been looking for more opportunities to spend time with the man, maybe because he wanted to spend more time with Henry alone. Figures he’d be shit at chess and just wind up embarrassing himself. Still, he didn’t regret the offer. Not when it had made Henry’s eyes light up like they did. Not when it had made Henry invite him back to his hotel room.

Henry shrugged, and with the movement his crisp white dress shirt bunched around his shoulders. He’d taken off his suit jacket when he’d let Vito into the suite, tossed it over the back of his armchair. Vito had been trying not to notice too much. It was hard not to though. He had never seen Henry without his suit jacket before. Add that to the list of reasons Vito didn’t regret this.

“It’s only your second match.” Henry said. “You’ll get better with practice.”

“Practice, huh?” Vito grinned, let it reach his eyes. “That an invite to play with you again sometime?”

Henry’s face kind of blanked, like he was startled, with his eyes all wide and his mouth a bit open. He fumbled with a chess piece even though it wasn’t his turn. “I – well – if you’d like to, not that I would ever presume –”

“Henry,” Vito cut him off. He looked at Henry across from him, his jacket tossed over the chair and his necktie loosened. The expensive coffee between them in hotel mugs that Henry had made for them. Their legs brushing together in the small space beneath the table. How Henry’s eyes had lit up at the bar, that bright, surprised look in them. “I’d like that.”

Henry blinked at him a moment. “Oh.” He smiled again, it bloomed slow across his face. This time, he didn’t look away.

“Well then, Vito.” He said, voice all deep, smooth syllables. “Your move.”

if you love me, henry, you don’t love me in a way i understand.

wishbone - richard siken, never let me down again - depeche mode, you are jeff - richard siken, hum hallelujah- fall out boy, plainwater: essays and poetry - anne carson, henry & vito via @miasmat, ghismonda with the heart of guiscardo (detail, 1650) - bernardino mei, two children in a motel bed - ethel cain , you are jeff - richard siken, never let me down again - depeche mode, wishbone - richard siken, & wishbone - richard siken.

i love silly vito sm

"Something illicit." dedicated to @angelicoatmeal.

There's a lot to unpack from this; hidden in the closet, only one string of light over both of their eyes. Uncertain what lies behind the doors, but knowing they can't stay there forever.

out for a walk in empire bay

thinking about men in suits 😔🙏

If you want a devilishly handsome mobster to make you fall in love, or imagine a scenario with him, you're in luck!

I haven't written about MAFIA for a while but I'm willing to listen to any request (except very racy ones, it's not my style to write that), any scenario in your head I'll try to write :)

I accept applications for MAFIA DE and MAFIA II (at the moment, I do not accept applications for MAFIA III).

Here is my master list so you can see my other writings on MAFIA !! ↓

Calleigh Angelo ⸻ master list. 💌

drunk stupid old men (they're this close to falling because of Eddie's stupidity)

^ this isn't a ship art BUT i have to CONFESS that Eddie x Henry is the only non-canon m2 ship i genuinely like (also digital sketch under the cut bc i like it more)

LET ME KISS THEM. LET ME KISS ALL OF THEM

#HE WAS SO JUST STOKED TO BE LIKE HIS HERO (HENRY) :( #AND THEN HE GOT ALL HIS HEROS KILLED. OK!

12 reasons you should never meet your hero (2012) - justin hook, don’t meet your heroes - my neighbor kellan, 929 - halsey, gospel burnout - dance gavin dance, tags from linked post in caption by @mail-me-a-snail

not me listening to Lovers Rock by TV Girl 24/7 and imagining vito and henry being in a loving relationship and living together in new bordeaux

(Not Allowed is also an option, but only for the angst)

I miss you so, every time I fall away Let the sky open up little darling, follow me when I go Let the sky open up, let the good times roll

henry is the type of dumb awkward motherfucker to call vito up and tell him to meet him somewhere with no context and vito thinks it's to talk business only to get there and find out henry just wanted to hang out

The main Mafia II Trio as radio soundtracks:

Vito: Billy Merman - 900 miles

Louis Prima - When your smiling

Joe: Sam Butera & The Witnesses - Let the good times roll

Louis Prima - Pennies from the Heaven

Henry: Lesser Williams - I can't lose with the stuff I use

Peggy Lee - Why don't you do right

And I just found out while searching that among the radio soundtracks there is a song called Happiness is a thing called Joe by Peggy Lee.

I'm going crazy...

for that prompt, "confessions when one thinks the other is sleeping," henry + whoever you like?

THIS TOOK SO LONG I AM SORRY!!!

Whenever I sat down to write recently I either had too much going on to make any progress or was too tired from too much going on that I couldn't form words at all. Either way! I do apologize and I hope you enjoy reading this - I went with Henry x Joe x Vito but it is mostly Henry x Joe because I just wrote Henry x Vito for the last prompt.

Also posted on AO3 here.

Again, I hope you enjoy reading this! And thank you so much for the ask 💖💖💖

...

Joe’s apartment was louder than the hotel. Even with the windows shut against the humid summer air Henry could hear the noise from the street outside, the cacophony of traffic and people shouting. There was music coming from somewhere too, possibly from inside the building, from a party that had now been going on for far too long. Henry knew he could be an insomniac even under the best conditions, but he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep yet tonight and he honestly wasn’t sure how anyone could be expected to. This is why he hated this goddamn city sometimes – no way he was going to get up to check the clock but it must’ve been the early hours of the morning, the time almost unanimously agreed upon by the rest of the world that was set aside for sleeping, and still people here had no respect for their neighbors, blasting their music and their car horns and yelling at each other right below people’s bedroom windows. Absolutely fucking ridiculous. Henry had never had problems with insomnia before he’d come to this country. In Sicily – in Palermo – there had been a nightlife, sure. But his father’s villa had been in a quieter district and growing up the nighttime was only accompanied by the soft sounds of grasses moving in the wind, crickets and the sounds of the house settling. Some nights, Henry missed it more than he could admit, more than he thought possible, like an aching in his chest that never really went away. Some nights, when he couldn’t sleep, he would lay in that bed that wasn’t his at the hotel, close his eyes and pretend that he was back home, that he could still hear the grasses rustling like a lullaby to send him off to sleep. The hotel was quiet enough that sometimes he almost believed the lie. But here, Henry knew there was no chance of that happening.

Beside him, Joe slumbered peacefully on.

Maybe the noise wasn’t the only thing keeping Henry up tonight. Maybe being in Joe’s apartment in the first place had something to do with it, watching the unfamiliar shadows looming in the corners of the room. Maybe it was his bed, the too soft mattress, the too many pillows. Maybe, if Henry felt like being honest, it was the man lying on the mattress next to him. Henry rarely felt like being honest with himself, but here in the darkness of Joe’s bedroom, with no one else awake to witness it, felt like the right time for a little truth. Henry stared at the outline of Joe’s body beneath the sheets, tried to memorize the gentle curves of it, like a mountain range in the distance – like Pellegrino hiding the moon. He’d never shared a bed with Joe before. There were only a few inches of space separating their bodies, and across that distance Henry could feel the warmth of him.

Somehow, he’d expected Joe to be a cuddler.

Vito had been. Henry had fallen into bed with Vito first, the bed he rented at the Empire Arms, and Vito had wrapped his limbs around Henry like an octopus. Henry had been unable to extricate himself the next morning to use the bathroom without waking him, and when Vito apologized for it he was blushing like a teenager. Henry hadn’t minded. Had liked it even, falling asleep and rising again warm and held. He’d thought Joe might’ve been the same, seeing as those two had been warming each other’s beds for longer than Henry had been welcomed into either of them. But so far, Joe had remained happily on his side of the mattress, arms and legs kept politely to himself.

Henry was trying to keep his arms and legs to himself too. Quietly, to himself, he cursed those inches of separation.

All of this was still new. Vito and Joe and him. Vito, braver than Henry could ever hope to be, had made the first move only a week ago, kissed Henry at his hotel room and made it clear then that he liked Henry the way that most men wouldn’t say out loud, made it clear that Joe did too. Made it clear that he and Joe were a package deal and if Henry wanted, he could have both of them.

Henry still couldn’t believe his luck.

He’d pinched himself the morning after Vito had kissed him just in case this was all a cruel dream. He hadn’t woken up, but he still wasn’t quite sure he was ever awake.

Since that first night with Vito in his hotel room, he hadn’t shared a bed with either of them. Too busy. Too scared, since he was being honest tonight. But Eddie had called Vito up this afternoon, had a job for him following some guy behind on his bills that would keep him busy until tomorrow morning, and so Joe had called Henry to ask if he’d like to come over. Have dinner. Have a little “alone time.” Henry hadn’t been alone with Joe since Vito had kissed him. He’d felt his stomach doing somersaults at the thought of it, but he’d agreed. As it turned out, Joe was a good cook – he made them veal in a red sauce with roasted potatoes and asparagus on the side, paired it with wine and chocolate cake for dessert. It was the first homecooked meal Henry’d had in a long time and he was so distracted enjoying it he’d forgotten to be nervous until after, when he was sitting across from Joe on his hideous couch.

“No pressure,” Joe had said. “Nothing has to happen if you don’t want it to.”

They’d stayed up late talking and fell into bed fully clothed. Henry wanted – God, he wanted – but there was still that part of him that was scared of wanting.

He’d gone to bed with Vito fully clothed too. There had been no pressure there either.

Henry was sick of only wanting. He reached out across the gap and placed his hand in the center of Joe’s back. The world didn’t end and he didn’t wake up and Joe didn’t move at the touch. Feeling more confident, he ran his palm slow down the path of Joe’s spine, felt the muscles and the strength there beneath the undershirt. He was warm. He was always so warm. Henry’s throat felt like it might close up on him. His chest felt like a vice.

“Thank you,” he said. His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. He didn’t know why he said it, but it felt right once the words were out there, hanging in the still air between them, the same way it felt right tonight to tell himself the truth. Henry cleared his throat, unwilling to stop just yet now that the gates were opened. “Thank you.”

“I never – I didn’t think I’d have this again. I had it once, I think. A long time ago. But I… well, I ruined that. It’s what I do. Bad habit of mine, I guess. I’m probably gonna ruin this too. Not that I want to – God, I don’t want to. You and Vito. Christ, you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time. Maybe ever. And I can’t help but think that maybe, maybe I’m the worst fuckin’ thing that’s ever happened to you. Because I’m fuckin’ cursed. But I’m here, anyway, just taking advantage of you two letting me in, because I’m fuckin’ selfish and I want this. I want to keep this. I’d be stupid not to. God, I feel so fuckin’ stupid.” Henry sighed, scrubbed a hand down over his eyes. “What the fuck am I doing here? Telling you all this – telling myself all this, shit I already know. What am I doing, Joe? What do I do, to keep this?”

Joe didn’t answer. Henry hadn’t expected him to.

“You know, you and Vito, I don’t know what I’d do without you guys anymore. And I can’t believe, after everything I’ve done, after all the times I’ve screwed you over, you still want me here. I’ve fucked you guys over so many fucking times. And you took me anyway.” Henry chuckled, though there was no mirth in it. “Hell, maybe you’re the stupid ones.”

He traced his fingers back up Joe’s back and stopped with his hand pressed between Joe’s shoulder blades. Beneath his palm he could feel Joe’s heartbeat, steady and predictable. He counted the beats, letting them drown out the noise from the world outside Joe’s bedroom until it was just him and Joe, until he felt his own heartrate slow and his own breathing became easier. Henry leaned forward across the mattress and pressed his forehead to the top of Joe’s spine, the place just above the collar of his undershirt where the skin was revealed. He felt a bit like he was getting away with something with the touch, even though he was almost certain Joe would welcome the contact were he awake.

“How’d I get so lucky, huh?”

Joe shifted against him. Henry froze.

He kept as still as he could while Joe rolled over, holding his breath. A heavy arm wrapped around him in the darkness and dragged him forwards. Joe was facing him now and Henry found himself pressed along the man’s front, his face tucked into the crook of Joe’s neck where he was warm and smelled like soap and sweat, his arms tucked in between his own chest and the softness of Joe’s midsection. One of Joe’s arms slipped beneath Henry’s shoulders, the other settled over his waist like a weighted blanket. It was the safest he’d felt in a long time, tucked against Joe like a boat in a harbor, held tight and warm and close. It was also the most afraid Henry had felt in a long time. His blood felt like ice, his heart, which only moments ago had calmed, was now beating like a prestissimo. Was Joe awake? Had he been awake this entire time – had he heard everything Henry had just said? It was one thing to be honest with himself and the four walls, but it was another to spill his heart out to one of the very men who had it so twisted in the first place.

One of Joe’s big hands rubbed sleepily along Henry’s back. He pressed his nose against the spot above Henry’s ear. “Shouda told me you wanted to cuddle.” He mumbled.

Henry’s throat was dry. He swallowed. “Didn’t want to impose.”

“Naaaaah,” Joe certainly didn’t sound very awake. His speech reminded Henry of the way he sounded when he’d had more than one too many on a night out. He pressed a sloppy approximation of a kiss somewhere near Henry’s hairline. “This okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” With that, slumped even heavier against Henry and stopped moving. A few moments later he let out a sound that might’ve been a relative of a snore. Henry felt himself relaxing. He wriggled one arm out from between him and Joe and curled it around Joe’s side instead, fisting his hand in the back of his shirt. Maybe Joe was a cuddler after all. Maybe he was just used to it, after sleeping so long besides Vito. Henry smiled against Joe’s skin, felt the other mana give him a slight squeeze even asleep. He’d find out which it was. It seemed like he’d have plenty of time to.

This is giving me major brain rot for the m2 boys <3 specifically Vito thinking this about Joe or Henry about Vito

Bonus: Joe’s pick up lines he tells Vito