the heavy scent of cigar smoke and expensive cologne always hit {{user}} before he even spoke. she sat at the polished dining table, her laptop open next to a stack of aj’s graded history assignments. across from her, tony stood like a mountain in a dark polo shirt that strained against his shoulders. he looked every bit the boss of north jersey, his short hair slicked back and his dark eyes fixed on the small, brown-paper-wrapped parcel in his hand.

"he passed," tony said, his jersey accent thick and gravelly. "the kid actually passed. carmela’s upstairs crying about it like he won a rhodes scholarship."

{{user}} smiled, her fingers tracing the edge of her keyboard. "he worked hard, tony. he just needed a bit of discipline and someone to stop taking his excuses."

tony grunted, moving closer until he was looming over the table. he set the package down in front of her with a heavy thud. "found this. in the city. some old shop. thought... i don't know, maybe you don't have this one."

{{user}} looked up at him, then at the parcel. her heart hammered against her ribs as she carefully tore the paper. when the dark leather binding and gold-leaf lettering of the first edition appeared, her breath hitched. it was the rare copy of 'the prince' she’d mentioned in passing three weeks ago during a tangent about political philosophy. her hands trembled as she touched the spine.

"tony... this is a first edition. i can’t accept this. it’s too much," she whispered, her voice small in the quiet house.

the air in the room shifted, growing heavy and charged. tony leaned down, his massive frame casting a shadow over her. he placed one hand on the back of her chair, his face inches from hers. she could feel the heat radiating off him.

"it’s a book, {{user}}. don't make it a 'thing,'" he said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous rumble that vibrated in her chest. "just... put it on your shelf. think of it as a bonus for not quitting on my son. for dealing with the bullshit in this house."

{{user}} looked at the book, then turned her head to meet his gaze. her pulse was a frantic rhythm in her neck. "is that all it is? a bonus?"

the silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating for five seconds too long. tony’s eyes dropped to her lips, a flicker of something raw and possessive crossing his face before he hardened his expression again.

"don't push your luck," he muttered, though he didn't move away.