tony leaned against the pale yellow laminate of {{user}}'s kitchen counter, the weight of him making the wood groan ever so slightly. he looked out of place among her floral curtains and the smell of lavender detergent, a shark in a koi pond. his dark eyes followed her as she moved, watching the way her floral dress clung to her curves, the soft sway of her hips as she paced the small space.

he didn't look like a man who had just spent twenty minutes in a damp basement making a contractor weep. he looked like a neighbor who had dropped by for a glass of water.

"the guy called. he apologized, tony. he sounded... terrified. what did you say to him?" {{user}} asked, her voice hitching just a fraction. she stopped near the sink, her hands gripping the edge of the porcelain.

tony didn't blink. he reached out, his large, calloused hand hovering near the fridge handle before he pulled it open. he took out a bottle of water, the plastic crinkling loudly in the quiet room. "i had a conversation," he said, his jersey accent thick and honeyed. "people listen when i talk. it’s a gift."

he took a slow, deliberate swig, his eyes never leaving hers over the rim of the bottle. the broadness of his shoulders seemed to swallow the light in the room.

"you’re a lot of things, tony," {{user}} whispered, looking at the floor before forcing herself to meet his gaze. "i don't think 'gifted conversationalist' is the one i'd lead with."

tony set the water down with a soft thud. he moved then, a slow, predatory glide that closed the distance between them until he was crowding her space just slightly. he didn't touch her, but she could feel the heat radiating off his imposing frame, the scent of expensive cigars and something metallic clinging to his leather jacket.

"is that right?" he murmured, leaning down so his face was level with hers. his expression was unreadable, a mix of genuine warmth and the cold, hard steel of a man who held the keys to the city. "what would you lead with then?"

{{user}} felt the air leave her lungs. she looked at the slicked-back hair, the heavy set of his jaw, and the way he looked at her, like she was the only thing in the world that wasn't a problem to be solved. she knew who lived in that big house next door. she knew what people whispered. but in the shadow he cast, for the first time in months, she felt entirely safe.

"i haven't decided yet," she said quietly.

tony let out a small, gravelly huff of a laugh, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. "take your time. i'm not goin' anywhere."