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The office door slammed against the frame as both men walked through it, the air heavy with the remnants of adrenaline still coursing through their veins—a feeling that, at this point in their lives, had become more common than breathing the polluted air of the New World.
The arranged marriage seemed almost a joke in the current situation. "For love", was what his father and mother-in-law said everywhere. A couple made of two people so alike and different could only be created with a lot of love or mutual interest in achieving something beyond themselves.
And the second option is where the stakes for both families lay
The easiest way to gain access to the Charlotte family's wealth and protection was through marriage. And the easiest way to own the arsenal kept by Germa was
to make a good deal, practically undeniable
A son in exchange for all the money and resources in the world seemed a simple bargain to accept when you're a proud businessman like Judge
Under these conditions, the marriage of Vinsmoke Ichiji and Charlotte Katakuri was arranged, and finally, just over a month after they "met," the ceremony took place in one of the many luxury hotels bearing the Charlotte name
In the large office, Ichiji looked through his glasses at the camera that had been installed in Katakuri's office a few days earlier by one of his family's subordinates. He put his hand on his back, searching for the handle of the gun that rested in its holster
Katakuri didn't need to check anything; he was already certain that the camera in the corner of the room would be on, just as it had been for years, and would remain so in the future. As he sat down in the leather armchair in the corner of the room, he discreetly reached for the pistol he always kept in a locked compartment
The red eyes of the man with hair as dark as a ripe plum searched for those of the red-haired man, who was leaning against the desk — a place so natural to him that it remained empty all the time, the piles of paper that accumulated and disappeared over time never touching the spot where the red-haired man had settled as a habit for the last two — seven — years
Two years of marriage, the minimum amount of time to avoid suspicion if one of them died — the time established in the contract between Germa and Whole Cake Corp to work together. The farce would come to an end today, their families were sure
Something as fragile and sacred as love couldn't survive in the aggressiveness of their world unless it was forced down their throats with a contract full of zeros or was as wild and cunning as the most ferocious animal. Fortunately, Ichiji and Katakuri were two foxes of the worst kind
________ Seven Years Earlier________
Ichiji, at the height of his 22 years, found himself in a tricky situation. Perhaps insulting a minor family during a night of gambling wouldn't go unnoticed, and as a reward, bullets flew in his direction. Even if he used up all the ammunition he had on him — just over 15 cartridges — he still wouldn't be able to finish them all off. So, he went for the best option available: to get in the car and try to lose them
He tried to drive as far away as possible, but his pursuers were determined not to let him see the sun rise the next day
In his rampage through the city streets, he eventually found himself in a neighborhood known for its sweet smell and a suspiciously mafia-like family
Perfect.
His Porsche would attract attention, and he reluctantly decided to leave it in a dimly lit alley. He sneaked through the shadows of the night to a building that even today doesn't keep guards on rounds with less than 15 minutes between them
It was the middle of the night, and though he knew about CEO Katakuri, one of the most influential sons of the Charlotte family — who would be crazy enough to break into a building with the Charlotte name? — he spent most of his time traveling, and it was practically impossible to find him in the building. He didn't expect that when he entered through the terrace, he would be greeted with a gun to his head by the gigantic man who cast his shadow over him
"What are you looking for here?" Katakuri's dry, haughty tone made something strange spread through Ichiji's chest. The older man pulled the safety catch — a subtle way of saying that Ichiji should have a good reason for having his life spared
Lying didn't seem advisable now. Ichiji took a deep breath and tried to relax his body in the way he had learned from his father so many years before
"I thought this was a bakery. I was going to buy some cookies," his bad joke didn't seem to get through to the tall man, who stared at him like a muscular, armed statue
The racket caused by the mobsters chasing Ichiji woke the residents of the area. The motorcycles and the crowd of men who rumbled through the streets, along with the warning shots that sounded like fireworks, disturbed the place that had been calm moments before.
The CEO, who had stayed late to review some export contracts and missing cargoes, lowered his gun. Before the man with dark glasses could breathe again, massive hands clung to his curls, squeezing his scalp tightly
Katakuri dragged him to the window on the top floor and stuck his head out. After a few seconds, the pursuers spotted him and bowed briefly while a man in plain clothes stood in front of the group
"Mr. Charlotte, what an honor to see you. Since when did you return to the city?" the reason for Ichiji's escape spoke animatedly to the CEO, who kept an impassive face.
"Mr. Sato, take your men and leave. Your noisy presence bothers the citizens who need to sleep." Ichiji's head remained below the window line, kept out of sight, but he didn't need to keep his eyes on the mobsters below to know they didn't plan to leave early
"Sir..." The man squirmed with masked hatred and disgust as he turned to Katakuri. For this and other reasons, Ichiji had called him pathetic, because that's what he was. What sane man would try to override the orders of someone as influential as one of the heads of the main family? "We came here in search of a man who insulted your family's honor. We can't go back empty-handed," he said, shaking his head and frowning
Katakuri raised his eyebrows sarcastically. "And what man would that be?" The hand on Ichiji's hair squeezed tighter.
"A son of the Vinsmoke family who had come to do business." Ichiji saw a plan unfolding in his head and finally decided to open his mouth.
"They planned to betray the Charlottes," he whispered so only Katakuri could hear, though the man didn't turn his head. The corner of his eye was looking at Ichiji suspiciously
With one ear open, Katakuri listened to Sato talk about the disrespect he had suffered while Ichiji slowly denied it.
"They came to sell their products," Sato defended
"They called us months ago," Ichiji scrolled through dozens of messages on his phone, dating back months.
"The Vinsmoke proposed a deal that would only help them and make it difficult to make deals with other transport companies," Sato said, deeply offended
"What idiot would propose a deal that no one would accept? They asked for protection, and we asked for strategic land," Ichiji shrugged.
"They tried to tarnish the Charlotte name. They even tried to convince us to steal from the family.
"They embezzled some of the goods and sold them as their own products. They even tried to sell the Charlottes' future projects. The Vinsmokes just aren't stupid enough to betray a big family like the Charlottes and talk so openly about it," Ichiji raised his phone, and through the speaker, Katakuri heard the confirmation of everything the younger man was saying
"I've heard enough." Katakuri's words weren't directed only at Sato. "Go home. Tomorrow I'll settle the dispute with the Vinsmoke myself." Sato swallowed dryly.
After a few seconds of exasperation, he ordered his men to leave the neighborhood. Ichiji's knees burned from resting directly on the ground.
The window was closed, and Katakuri's hand went to Ichiji's waist. "Wait, what are you—"
Without more than a warm touch, Katakuri's hand passed over Ichiji's hips, taking the gun the younger man kept concealed under his suit. "Oh."
Katakuri didn't wait. "Follow me," he barked, heading to the office at the end of the corridor. A small but imposing plaque marked CEO in gold letters with Katakuri's name below it
The room had a serious and mature air, books on a large bookshelf near the wall, and a floor-to-ceiling window offering a privileged view of the city. They might be mobsters, but they had good taste and knew how to maintain a professional facade
"Sit down." Katakuri pulled out a chair and, turning his back to Ichiji—a sign of how weak he considered him—walked over to the armchair accompanied by a small table with a closed book on top
Resting his jaw, still covered by a scarf, on a closed fist, he stretched out his left hand to Ichiji. "Explain from the beginning."
Ichiji kept talking for some time, putting into context his family's business and the coup d'état that the Satos were planning. Katakuri interrupted him to add details or make inquiries when necessary. When the discussion was finished, Katakuri asked an interesting question
"And why did you come to Komugi Island?"
Ichiji scoffed. "There was a possibility you might be here, so I took the risk."
"I rarely come here," Katakuri's deep voice sounded like velvet in Ichiji's ears.
"Then, as we can see, my luck has yet to fail me."
For the first time in a long while, Katakuri found someone interesting. "I could have killed you the moment you stepped onto that terrace." How far could Katakuri push him?
"But you didn't." Ichiji got up from his chair and walked over to Katakuri, not looking hurt or angry, just curious. "Why?"
Katakuri thought for a moment. "I have a weakness for pretty faces," he let out the half-truth with an ease that made Ichiji laugh a little.
They stood silently looking at each other, it wasn't in his nature to do anything like this, but he decided to repeat the dose, this time with a little more ardor
"Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?" He pulled out the gun he kept inside his suit and pointed it at the middle of Katakuri's forehead, who just sighed
"I wouldn't gain anything by killing you, not even a headache, so why bother?" He got up from the chair and taking the book in his hand, he carefully placed it on the bookshelf filled with several other equally thick books
Ichiji's intrepid hands followed the head of the older man, who was leaning against the shelves covered with books "And you, what's stopping you from killing me?" He crossed his arms
"Nothing, I'd make a name for myself, don't you think?"
"No, your family would be dismantled like a biscuit being stepped on"
Ichiji didn't seem very happy with the answer he received, which made Katakuri believe that a little being a little more straightforward wouldn't hurt. Telling the truth is a good thing after all
"Did you think I was lying when I said I spared you for your pretty face?" his voice manages to be even deeper in this almost whisper tone, it tickles his ears
He creeps closer in short steps, and like the world is going to wait for him to move, he walks slowly
Ichiji tries to take a few steps back, but has his way blocked by the table, Katakuri, finally approached, pressing his chest against Ichiji's, the elevated temperature exhaled from the taller man could be felt through the three piece suit he was wearing
Large, rough hands reached for his chin, and as he partially opened his hand, Ichiji realized that half of his face was covered, a hot feeling burning in his belly
The gun was thrown under the table by Katakuri, now it seemed useless with the other already this close to him, so he let loose of it as the man's mouth now rested against his ear
"I think you'd look really cute with my marks down your body" he uttered.
When the hand evaded his face and dragged its way to his neck, shivers went down his spine and he gave himself up all together to this man, it couldn't hurt to let himself be taken by someone like him, just once to be seduced this easily by a stranger
Kissing him seemed like the only right thing to do
And in this hot, violent rhythm they spent their first year, a clandestine passion that he tried to convince himself he could give up whenever he wanted, but deep down he knew, things would be different with the two of them than with anyone else
As time went by, Katakuri's clothes appeared in the other man's wardrobe, the work trips that conveniently overlapped with each other's became more frequent, the early morning outings that became early morning coffees, the long talks about the future, the non-talks, the warm silence that surrounded them and soothed the pain in their souls with every meeting
The advice that was listened to and followed, how Ichiji knew Katakuri's entire schedule in the same way that Katakuri knew everything about the Vinskmoke family business and vice versa. The names and characteristics of Katakuri's beloved brothers and sisters and all the disagreements between the Vinsmoke siblings.
And for five years their affair remained a secret, until the name Vinskmoke reached Charlotte LinLin's ears - not that Katakuri hadn't mentioned them before, only now they became relevant to her - and the woman became aware of how useful they would be to her: more firepower
The attempt, at first, was to bring together a brother of Ichiji and a sister of Katakuri, but after the fiasco that ensued where Sanji fled with a group of friends - and his supposed boyfriend Zoro - LinLin found herself against the cross and the sword
He didn't have to try very hard to convince her to marry another Vinskmoke son - an older, responsible son who will have the sense to respect his father and obey him, right mama? - with an equally responsible son, who wouldn't run from the altar out of some frivolous feeling like love, family always comes before self-love, as she always taught
"Why not marry the eldest daughter of the Vinskmokes?" Cracker also used his speech to point out the woman's intelligence and that during the chaos caused by Sanji, she had been the one to maintain her posture and help the Charlotte's rebuild the venue.
"The Vinskmoke are a company passed down through generations" Katakuri spoke from the corner of the meeting room for the first time, it had been a unanimous decision, although difficult among them, that Katakuri would be the one to marry a member of the Vinskmoke "And like us, they have a public image to maintain, what do you think would happen if I married her?" He fell silent so that someone could give him a satisfactory answer
Perospero hummed, then agreed with Katakuri's silent statement "They'll demand that you have a child, which would make it harder for Mama to control them" He thought some more "If you marry one of the men in the family, it will be easier to get control over the company"
Smoothy interjected from his chair at the table "Ichiji is the eldest, isn't he? If the Judge dies, he'll be the one to inherit the company, and since two men can't have children, if the other brothers die too..." the room reached a silent consensus and then moved on to the next topic to be discussed.
On the phone call later that day, a smile of relief was shared between them, although it was only the beginning, the feeling of victory made them sleep more peacefully that night. The next day they were introduced to each other for the first time, or so both families believed.
_________________
____________
______
Ichiji unsheathed his gun and pointed it in Katakuri's direction
"A repeat of years ago, is it?" He didn't have to raise his eyes to hear the natural noise the gun made in his red-haired hand, he'd seen him unsling it so many times and use it so many more times, his words evoking a smile in Ichiji. But he wouldn't be surprised if his brothers were freaking out while looking at the cameras
"Only if there's a repeat of the scenes that happened afterwards too," the older man just made a "hm" and nodded, he hoped his younger brothers weren't watching this. The top of his jacket had been left on the hanger by the door, his white button-down shirt showed off his tattoos, something that Ichiji was always internally grateful for when he saw them.
Katakuri rose from his chair and walked over to the desk where his lover sat, his gun pointed at his head the whole time.
He opened the last drawer of the desk and pulled out some bullet cartridges, slowly putting them into the pistol, while looking at Ichiji, as he had done years ago, he pulled the safety pin, and placed it face up on the redhead's chin, who in turn rested the barrel of the gun on the older man's temple
"The lies end today" Ichiji spoke in a low, slurred voice, the words practically intertwined together
Katakuri smiled and pulled aside one of Ichiji's legs, placing himself between his thighs "I know you only married me for my family's company" People didn't give him enough credit because they were afraid of him, but Katakuri is a really funny man. It took Ichiji three years as lovers to realize that he loved Katakuri and more four to know that they'd be together for life, knowing the real circumstances made that sentence sound comical
"Yes, but you did the same thing" he pulled the safety catch, the show would start now
Both families wanted to get out of this situation, and although they wouldn't be able to own Whole Cake Corp in a million years, as businessmen they still held a large stake in the company, and with their marriage the race to the top would be easier.
"The Vinskmoke are a family of snakes, and although they show themselves to be a technology-oriented company, we know that their main trade is illegal weapons and the trafficking of them, we have enough documents, photos and videos to prove it that each one of you will rot in jail if they are leaked" Blackmail is an easy and effective way to make someone shut up, so it was this option that they both opted for to show the families how much this will be a war with no winners.
__________ Days Before___________
"Our time is almost up" he was laying with most of his body on yop of Katakuri. His head fit almost perfectly on the side o Katakuris neck, and he put there a few kisses -as they are married now, a few hickeys even -, all he got as a response was a "hum" and a hand going up his back and resting in a possessive form on his waist, squeezing him a couple times
The only thing lighting up their room was the bathroom connected, as they both just didn't feel like turning it off " One of us will have to go" he simply stated
"What do you mean?" The hot breath against his neck spoke softly
"Mama doesn't want to be partners with Germa, she wants Germa to herself, remember?"
He nodded and Katakuri felt Ichiji's hair tickling his neck "They think that killing your father off will be their way to owning it, and logically we are married, co-owners, conving you to pass it on to the Charlottes would be what mother expects..." he keep silent, waiting for some type of response come from Ichiji
"It wouldn't make a difference if the heir to Germa was Reiju right?"
"No, they would simply kill her off"
"Alright, i know i don't want neither to die or give up Germa, what are the other options?"
"As running away is not a option, we could try convincing each others family that they would gain nothing by putting up a fight"
"And how are we supposed to do that?"
"Well" Ichiji tried to pick the right words to say, but in the end he chose simplicity "Blackmailing is always an option" his husband quietly nodded with his head in agreement, and few seconds later, were back to kissing, trying to enjoy the rest of their night together before having to go back to worring about everything under the scalding sun of the New World
Few days later, their plan was ready, and they executed it marvelously
___________
"Oh, is that it?" He wanted to laugh
"Yeah" Katakuri started spitting out places and people involved with the Vinskmoke, the way they had agreed months ago, Ichiji could see the edges of Katakuri's smile under the scarf, he couldn't wait to get home and rip it off.
"You think you're so far above us," he rolled his eyes exaggerating enough for the cameras to caught it "we've spent years investigating and gathering information about you," it was true, "you're known not only for your famous sweets, but also for being deeply involved in a variety of drug cartels, the main ones on the continent when it comes to exports, not only that but several members of the charlotte family are involved in kidnapping and murder, the information bank, which you will never have access to, guards the lives of each and every one of you rats, if the Vinskmoke wanted Whole cake it would be nothing but past that point, don't think you have any ground to stand on to threaten me or my family." The acting was truly Oscar-worthy, neither family would want to be involved in crimes as controversial and heavy as these, so this alone should be enough to maintain stability between them, at least for now.
Ichiji wondered what expression his father must be making when he saw the cameras and the evidence Katakuri was pulling out of his office drawers.
Katakuri would like to be a fly in the room where his brothers were watching the cameras, while Ichiji scrolled through incriminating photos and videos on his cell phone, dates and places and the barbarities that had happened to them.
At the end of the discussion, both were huffing and puffing, their weapons almost forgotten in their hands. The silent audience was startled when the red-haired man sitting at the table finally lost patience and pulled the scarf from Katakuri's face. Katakuri didn't seem bothered at all, and just keep going
"Do you really think there's anything to prove my family's guilt? You bastard husband" his thighs squeezed the older man's waist, who seemed to forget what they were discussing about for a moment, it was definitely on purpose, pushing back was the only right thing to do
He grabbed Ichiji's neck and started arguing again, his face almost glued to Ichiji's. Foul language was thrown to the wind when Katakuri realized that the younger man didn't even seem to be paying attention to what was being said.
Despite this, Ichiji wasn't lacking in arguments, he was using half his brain on the fight and the other half looking for a way to glue his body to Katakuri's. So he decided to grab him by the hair.
The final straw was when Katakuri put his weight on the table and Ichiji finally had the chance to pull him into a kiss
He simply couldn't resist, Ichiji's right arm circled Katakuri's thick neck and pulled him closer, his right hand clenched the handle of the gun and lifted it towards the old camera and fired once, letting the gun fall to the ground afterwards, wrapping itself completely around his husband.
"So dramatic" he heard the whisper against his mouth and just smiled, watching Katakuri perform the same sequence of movements, hand on Ichiji's waist, gun pointed at the other camera, shot, and finally the sound of the gun falling to the hardwood floor.
Their plan would work for at least a few more years, or until one of them died. Both situations are equally likely
But until doom knocks on their door, they decide to live the moment, finding happiness in each other's arms