— — One Shot — —
If a mafia boss didn’t want to get their gang or themselves killed they had to be a lot of different things.
Willing to crush, eliminate, or erase their opponents.
Show off their danger and cunning.
Have good style.
Creative.
Sapnap obviously hit all of those but he tended to lean toward those last two requirements more than anything. Perhaps because he was willing to test limits and ask questions more than the other gangs in the area. And he was impatiently waiting for the last person in his closest circle to get their foot through the door so he could share his newest idea. Personally he was pretty excited about it.
“Sorry I’m late.” George apologized with a prolonged yawn, blinking sluggishly as he plopped into the seat closest to the door.
When are you not? He mentally snarked back.
“Dude, it’s like 11 in the morning, why are you still sleeping?” Karl laughed. The other brunette shrugged before focusing on Sapnap.
“What now?”
“Hey!” He protested at the chuckles that rang around the table from the men around him. “It’s a good idea, hear me out!”
Eventually the other three fell silent, giving their full attention to the fiery ravenette. He didn’t bother stamping down his grin now that he knew they were listening. “Okay. So you know how Manburg is slowly beginning to move their drug ring into our territory and they think we haven’t noticed?”
Quackity’s face fell into a deep scowl at even the mention of the drug ring. He had personal beef with the leader of that faction, a lanky man named Wilbur. He’ll definitely love this idea.
“The new taco restaurant, right?” Karl hummed, tapping his finger on his chin thoughtfully. “With the truck always parked in the alley?”
“That’s it.” He nodded. “Well we’ve gotten confirmation that the trades happen in the truck but the drugs are stored somewhere inside.”
“What’s the plan?” George leaned forward, looking a little more awake now.
“We burn it to the ground.”
Silence followed as the words left his mouth as Quackity gaped at him and the two brunettes glanced nervously at each other. Looks like he’d need to elaborate. “They’re still partially in their domain. If we want them out for encroaching on our territory we don’t need them to know it’s us. That could prompt a fight. So we need to do it in a way they can’t pin the blame on us without losing our Kinoko flare. It’s the perfect way to get away with that!”
“So…” George replied slowly. “Basically just commit arson.”
“Controlled arson.” He retorted. I’m not that dumb.
“Right…” He continued, glancing at Karl before maintaining eye contact with the mob boss. “Do you know how to do that?”
Sapnap blinked. “You think I don’t know how to commit arson?”
“Not that.” Quackity snorted. “What George meant to ask was if you knew how to control it. We’re mafia, we don’t kill innocent people for fun.”
“Oh.” His smile began fading into a pout as he frowned at the table. “I didn’t think about that.”
“Tell you what,” Karl nudged his shoulder before standing up and heading toward the door. “If you can figure it out, we’ll burn it to the ground.”
His three closest confidants filed out the door, leaving Sapnap sitting alone at the table. He probably should’ve thought his plan out a little more. But it hadn’t sounded like they were completely opposed to the idea. So he just needed to figure out the employees work schedule and when the best point of attack would be. And how to tame fire. Can’t be that hard, right?
Sapnap pulled his white hat further down over his messy black hair, shading his face more than before as he stood in the doorway of a nearby shop, staring at the taco restaurant across the street. He was still debating what was the best course of action on how to approach without looking too suspicious.
“Maybe don’t be lurking in a random doorway then.” A voice on his left startled him. He jumped, hand instinctively reaching toward the gun strapped across his stomach under his loose shirt but stopped the motion when he realized the person beside him was civilian.
He flushed at the call out before realizing what it meant. “Oops. I said that out loud, didn’t I…”
The other man raised an eyebrow, a smirk twitching at the edge of his lip, but he didn’t answer. He had fluffy blonde hair that looked golden under the sunshine and dazzling green eyes that reminded Sapnap of when spring grass bounced back from a long, mushy winter. He was also wearing a familiar blue uniform that most messengers wore to keep the mafia from immediately shooting them.
It took Sapnap a moment to realize he had a brown leather bag hanging off his shoulder and a thin box in his hands. “Sorry, am I in your way?”
“I didn’t think you would’ve guessed.” The blond teased, making his cheeks redden even more as he quickly dodged out of the doorway and made room for him to enter what appeared to be a cute little clothes boutique. He needed to get out of here before he risked further blowing his cover. His feet began carrying him away from the store before he caught another glimpse of the mailman through the window and he paused. Hmm… I wonder if…
If he was delivering to this block perhaps he had something for the underground drug ring. This might just be Sapnap’s way in.
Ironically he had been delivering to the restaurant but Sapnap hadn’t gotten a chance to ask him out on a date, for work purposes so he could scope out the set up, before he’d been called back to base for an emergency that required his attention.
Now he was sitting at his computer at 5 in the morning using George’s hacking program to get into the database for the closest post office. If the blonde he’d run into earlier was working undercover for the mafia he’d never heard of him. It was possible he was legitimately an innocent who didn’t realize just what he was delivering to the restaurant. So he was double checking.
If he could intercept him again, somewhere on his route, perhaps at the same boutique as before, he could establish indirect contact. Finally the download was completed and he had access to the profiles of the different runners.
It didn’t take very long to find his route, considering very few messengers wanted to make deliveries on a barrier between two of the largest clashing mafia clans and even fewer survived. Soon a familiar blonde face stared up at him from the computer screen, the faintest beginnings of a smile touching his features and making them softer than Sapnap suspected they actually were, bright green eyes almost sparkling.
Name: Dream Clayton Wastaken
Address: 6744 N Holly Road, Barstow, CA
Age: 26 years old
Sex: Male *note (requested pronouns he/they)
Relations: Single
Family: Son of Puffy and Schlatt Wastaken, sibling to Drista Wastaken and Foolish Totem Wastaken *note (keep eye on in case of allegiance change)
Occupation: Mail runner *note (transfer from Pogtopia district, been working for 4 years previously)
Start date: March 6, 2037
Route: 5th Avenue - Parkway St *note (border between Manburg and Kinoko districts, considered dangerous, will not be liable for any possible injury or death)
That confirmed that he personally had no correlation to Manburg or the mafia in general. Schlatt was the city’s mayor, though he could do very little with the several mafia gangs that surrounded him. He and his wife, Puffy, lived somewhere in the Pogtopia district, far into the heart of the city. He’d never heard of the sister but he remembered it’d been a big deal when Foolish went missing and was later confirmed a member of the Badlands mafia gang.
He couldn’t help the widening grin spreading across his face as he reread the relationship status section. Dream was single.
“Hello~” He sang as he stepped into the boutique, which he had learned the name was Sugar Sweet Styles. “Anybody here?”
“I’ll be with you in just a moment!” A distinct voice called from the backroom. He smiled to himself as he stepped over to the nearest rack of men’s clothes. It had several hangers with various different styled shirts, from a sleeveless turtleneck to a letterman jacket with a fire emblem on the back. Sapnap paused as he observed the jacket, fiddling with one of the sleeves as he got a feel for the fabric. I wonder how much this is.
“Hey Eret!” Somebody called out cheerfully, startling him out of his browsing. He hadn’t even heard the door bell go off. Immediately he recognized the tall blonde as he stood in front of the cash register. Another person came out to meet him with a delighted smile on their lips. They had a clearly masculine build but were currently wearing a short sleeved strawberry themed dress. “I’ve got that new delivery of boots for you! Can you help me bring them in?”
“Of course Dream.” Eret’s smile brightened as they strolled toward the door. Dream turned to follow him but paused when his eyes caught on Sapnap’s.
He prayed his cheeks weren’t too red as he felt them begin to heat up again before he offered a grin and waved slightly. Dream’s eyes lit up with recognition as he glanced over his shoulder in the direction the shop owner had disappeared in.
“I can help.” He offered, hurrying to catch up with the two and open the door for him. Come on Sapnap, just like you rehearsed.
“Funny seeing you here again.” Dream hummed playfully as he walked over to the running truck where Eret and another plain looking man in the same blue uniform were unloading boxes. When all five boxes were out Dream signed the other man’s clipboard and he gave a grateful nod before driving off.
“Alright, Eret can you take the bottom left? It should have the high heels. We can handle the rest.”
“No problem.” They nodded, eyes flicking over Sapnap before Dream shifted to pick up the top two boxes and give them access to the previously mentioned box. They hoisted the big box onto their hip and strolled back inside. His attention snapped back to the blonde when he moved to take a third box and he quickly moved to take the remaining two. Another beginning of a smile flickered across the blonde’s face before vanishing again.
“Is it really that funny seeing me here again?” He teased. “Maybe we were destined to meet again.”
“Oh?” Dream hummed, amused. “Why’s that?”
“I’ve had a vision.” Sapnap replied grandly as he nudged the door open again with his foot, holding it in place for Dream to slip past before following.
“Really?” A smile began sneaking across his face again, this time staying in place on his heart shaped face. He’s actually really cute.
“Indeed.” He kept the act up, earning a wider grin in the corner of his eye as they approached Eret at the shelves of shoes along the wall. Sapnap was quick to set his boxes down and step back to give himself a little floor room as both Dream and Eret watched him.
“You see…” He lowered his tone dramatically, earning a chuckle from the store owner. He flung his arms out for added flare with a bright grin on his face. “You are the chosen one!”
“And what does that mean?” Dream smirked, green eyes vibrant with enthusiasm. Sapnap’s chest lifted slightly when he realized the blonde already knew what he was getting at and appeared to be genuinely game with it.
“It means I’d be honored to take you out.” He offered a sweeping bow before lifting his head sheepishly. “If you’d let me.”
“Have you ever had this food before?”
“I told you I’m soorrrryyy…” Sapnap groaned with his head into the table, trying to smother the laugh that was edging into his tone and failing miserably.
A full on cackle escaped Dream as he leaned back in his chair, practically falling out of it. They had a couple plates of various food items from the taco restaurant in front of them but the only thing that had really been touched was the nachos due to how nasty everything else was. He probably should’ve expected it since it was just a cover for a hidden drug dealership but with Dream’s laughter ringing in his ears he couldn’t find himself to worry about the food being laced with anything.
“I’ve got the layout for most of the restaurant. The drug storage is in a hidden room in one of the back fridges.” Sapnap reported into his phone, typing all the information he’d gathered on his date into the computer before him. The sun was just beginning to set and his mood couldn’t be any higher. He’d just returned from his ninth date with Dream and had all the information he needed.
“What about the innocent hires?” Karl questioned on the other side.
“The only civilian employees that work there handle the morning shifts. So all their trades must happen later in the day.”
“And the arson?”
“Douse everything in gasoline, use a lighter and let the hair spray direct the stream.” He recited, recalling a previous conversation with Dream and the story he’d shared about how he and Drista had almost burned her hair off and their house down, messing with hairspray and a match. That had been their picnic date, where they’d brought their own food and a blanket and had spent hours snacking and chatting with each other in the park that was on the edge of his territory.
“Alright.” The brunette verbally smiled over the line. “I’ll contact George and Quackity. When do you want to hit it?”
“Tonight.”
Somebody had tripped a hidden booby trap or something because there was now a fire alarm blaring in Sapnap’s ears and he hadn’t lit the match yet. No. No, no, no, no, no!
“What happened!?” He yelled into his ear piece.
“I don’t know!” Quackity squawked.
“Everyone get out! Security cameras are activating.” George’s voice crackled with static over the distance from his computer to their position.
“Sorry Sapnap, we’ll try again later.” Karl went radio silent.
He cursed under his breath as he hurried out of the food storage area he’d been in. The gasoline was slick under his sneakers and he slammed roughly into the front door before he yanked it open and darted out into the night, panting. Frustration rolled off him in waves at the failed mission attempt.
“Sapnap?” His heart lurched in his chest at the familiar tone, now doused in a combination of horror and disbelief. He turned slowly to make eye contact with Dream, who wasn’t currently in uniform. The blonde’s vibrant green eyes widened when he recognized the formal mafia wear that was associated with the Kinoko gang.
“D-Dream, I-”
“Sapnap where are you!? Quackity snapped in his ear. “We have to go now man!”
“I’m sorry.” He muttered before spinning around and running into the deepening shadows, the fire alarm filling his ears.
He’d been stupid. He’d forgotten that Dream was just a means to an end.
“Sapnap, get out here now!” George pounded on the door to his office. He huffed, dragging himself away from the screen and flinging the door open with a scathing glare.
“What.” He bit out. It had been a week and a half since their failed attempt to eliminate Manburg’s shady drug business. Their rival gang had blamed them for it but since there was no actual damage they didn’t have valid reason to start a turf war.
“Get over here!” Karl called out from the meeting room. He could hear the faint sounds of the TV on and he let out a heavy sigh before allowing George to drag him into the room, where Karl and Quackity were staring at the most recent news story, captivated.
He had a double take at the headline. Somebody had snuck into Manburg’s taco restaurant earlier that morning and set the entire place aflame. Authorities were still working on recovering the footage of who did it. The only clue had been the remnants of a can of hairspray in the smoldering ashes.
He burst through the boutique door, heart thudding in his ears as he struggled to catch his breath, desperately surveying all he could see of the shop.
“Can I help you?” Eret called, brushing their hands against the same strawberry dress Sapnap had met them wearing before their eyes met his and he froze. He’d learned just how close Eret and Dream were over his time fake dating the blonde and had no doubt the man wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him like he’d hurt Dream.
His instincts were proven right when their tone immediately hardened into something colder. “You.”
“What happened?” Sapnap demanded. He had nothing less to lose if Eret was going to kill him, if they even could, which he very much was beginning to believe by the blank glare they were sending him. But he had to know if Dream was okay.
“Dream quit a little less than two weeks ago.” They replied coolly. “Told me he had reason to be suspicious of his deliveries to that taco restaurant that burned down. We risked opening a package and found it filled to the brim with illegal drugs. He’s been working for me since then.”
“Are they okay?” He burst out, shifting back his weight back and forth anxiously. Something must’ve revealed his desperation because Eret’s expression, to his shock, softened slightly.
“For a mafia boss you’re very immature.” They replied. “But I hope that stunt we pulled off was enough to get us Kinoko’s protection.”
It took far too long for Sapnap to process what he said before his jaw dropped. “That was you?” He squeaked out.
“Yeah.” Eret nodded firmly.
“O-of course you’d be under our protection! If you wanted we could make you honorary members-”
“I think all he wants is an apology.” They replied, moving toward one of the far back corners where a few blank mannequins sat with a pile of clothes. A small shift in his peripheral vision had him spinning toward the backroom entrance where a familiar figure was leaning against the doorway.
“I promise to make it up to you.” He apologized softly. Dream tilted his head slightly as he considered the offer.
“And how do you plan to do that?” The blonde asked just as quietly, fidgeting with the oversized emerald green sweater he wore. Green looks so much better than blue did on him.
“I could take you somewhere.” Sapnap suggested, terrified of breaking whatever was happening between them. He didn’t want to lose the blonde again but he understood forgiveness may take time. The silence between them was fragile and he didn’t want to force Dream into answering.
“... As long as it’s not tacos.”
