Yelena found me sitting down in a cafe. "Did you complete the job?"

I nodded. Yelena trembled slightly and then looked at me with a glare. She kept her snarl for a while until she finally sighed and sat down, stealing my iced mocha in the process and gulping the remnants in a single gulp.

She didn't seem to mind the indirect...you know. Instead, she wiped her lips and threw her arm around the chair. "You should've told me first before you started."

"Oh? I thought they briefed you already."

"Never mind. As long as you finished the job it's whatever."

She was clearly disappointed but was doing her best not to show it. I did feel a little bad but this would mark my debut as a reputable member of the family. As time passed, my reputation in the mafia grew and I was given a promotion from the a regular lackey to Yelena's second-in-command. 

With my help, the group eventually became one of the strongest and elite in the whole branch of the Russian mafia. Yelena got her wish and was able to remain in the family business. Though I didn't take too many contract kills, any I accepted I'd heavily research the cases before carrying them out. There were only a few people I sorely wanted to kill and I didn't want too much innocent blood on my hands. 

Several months passed and I was now on par for another promotion within the family. The higher-ups had seen my rapid rise and were currently discussing whether to give my own group. But I had other ideas due to several developments in my life.

For one thing, there was the fact that Eve and I officially became a couple.

It had happened a few days after that one night.

There was just no denying that we had feelings for each other and if the night made one thing clear, it was how much I loved her. We were sleeping together like old times, except naked and connected at the hip in more ways than one.

After that night, I made sure to get Eve to use pills or protection. I didn't want to risk her reputation by getting her pregnant. Who knows how hard the paparazzi would slam her for that? With how much sex we were having, there was no doubt that she would eventually, so this was a precaution. The last thing I wanted was to hinder any possible offers for Eve or destabilize her career.

But we did begin to openly date and show affection in public.

–––––––––

It was holiday season and Eve was wearing a red and green sweater that suited her very well.

After the show, Eve suddenly received an explosion of more and more prestigious offers as well as guaranteed bookings to other fashion shows. As such, a news channel pressed her for an interview. They had filmed it the other day and we were watching it together in the living room while sharing a cup of coffee.

She was snuggled against me as we watched the news report turn to an interview. I smiled seeing her on the TV. Despite being used to the attention, Eve was still hiding her face in my shoulder out of embarrassment.

Man she was cute.

I shifted our bodies and focused on the interview. A middle-aged woman in a blue suit was asking a question. "So, Miss Martin, there have been rumors going around that you've gotten a boyfriend. Would you mind touching on that subject?"

Eve turned red both on the screen and in person. "Don't look...it's so embarassing!"

Her voice was muffled.

The Eve on the screen began talking as well. "To tell you the truth, I have actually, gotten a boyfriend. I am very, very, very much in love with him. He's always been there for me and I can't think of a single person who'd be better for me than him."

The interview kept going but my focus had completely shifted towards the Eve who was peeking at me from my shirt. Seeing how genuine she had been was a massive turn-on and I muttered her name. "Eve..."

We made love on the couch until it was time for dinner.

––––––––––

Eve forced us to decorate for the holidays.

To be honest, this would be the first time either of us had experienced a Christmas. I had never had the time or saw the need and Eve was just too busy to even bother. So she came up with a brilliant idea to go Christmas shopping together.

We bundled up in coats and walked outside.

It was snowing lightly and the streetlights were on, though it was still in the mid-afternoon. Along with my coat, I had on a beanie and was currently walking side by side with Eve, with our fingers intertwined.

No matter how many times I held her, I would never get used to how soft her hand was, compared to my own.

The streets were full - as expected of the night before Christmas. Everywhere I looked I could see couples. Seeing the same scene, Eve only gripped my hand tighter and pressed her body against mine. She was literally clinging to me as we made our way down the streets.

Intertwined with the sound of the wind whipping through the buildings was the chois that were belting out carol after carol. We stopped and held hands while quietly listening to the group of choir children dressed in coats and mittens holding bells. Eventually the group finished their carols and cheerfully walked away, likely looking for a new spot to sing in. With the little show over, the small crowd that had congregated slowly dispersed, us included.

The first place we went was a place for Christmas trees. Eve found this place online and said that the reviews were really good. It was an outdoor garden that was half-full of massive pine trees. I had no idea how they even could afford the space to house this many trees, especially in the city.

"Eve, these are way too big..."

She laughed, "Cmon dummy! Of course they've got smaller ones! We're getting one of the miniature size ones! Though maybe one day I wouldn't mind decorating a large one with our children..."

I pretended I didn't hear the last part and followed her as she wove through the maze of trees. I smiled at how she excited she appeared and her bright eyes full of laughter and happiness.

We found ourselves inside of a tent-kind of shop. She was indeed right and there were smaller trees inside, which Eve carefully deliberated over before settling for a cute little tree that was housed in a small pot.

The man behind the counter, a man whose smile was full of chipped, yellow teeth, spoke from underneath his shaggy hair. "Is that your girlfriend mister?"

I nodded proudly while resisting the urge to pull down Eve's hood and stroke her hair. She instead squeezed my hand a little tighter, hearing me affirm our relationship.

We brought the tree home and set it up in a corner of the living room before heading out once more, this time separately.

It was now time for some Christmas shopping.

I wasn't sure what Eve would want or what the other girls would want. For some reason, Eve was insisting that I get gifts for the others as well. Something about sisters.

After the party following her first fashion show, the girls that had attended suddenly became closer together. It was almost like they had this unspoken agreement. When I asked Eve about what had happened, she just gave me a enigmatic grin and shooed me away, promising that "you'll find out later."

As a result, one thing that changed was that Eve wasn't as possessive as she normally was. At least with the other women. She still had a tendency to monopolize or show me a lot of affectionate skinship in front of the others, but she seemed to be more open to the idea of me at least befriending them.

Which was why I was now on the hunt for nearly a dozen Christmas gifts. However, the first and most important gift would be for Eve. I made my way to a marketplace that was famous within the mafia. They had all sorts of great shit that could be used for anything. I even spotted some of my acquaintances running their own stalls or shopping for themselves. Mind you, I wasn't here for the gift itself. All the stuff here was low-quality or off-brand and there was no way I'd thrift on a present for my girlfriend!

I was here for inspiration instead. Which I found at the next stall I came across. On a blanket, a wide assortment of jewelry was assembled. Everything from necklaces to rings. The old man managing looked up at me with a grin on his face. He likely thought I was some sucker who would pay an exorbitant fee for some fake rocks. The merchandise was sparkling, but it was clearly shoe polish and not the luster of actual jewels. That was a trick they taught you in Mafia Hustling 101.

I wasn't ready for a ring yet. I knew in my heart that I'd eventually need one, but not this year.

So I settled for a necklace.

I googled the nearest luxury jewelry store and took a cab there. Upon stepping in the store, I was immediately greeted by an attendant who frowned at my appearance. I tried my best to ignore the stares.

Eve sat me down, not long after we had started dating, and told me that I was not "ugly" or "deformed" as I usually believed. She had informed me that the stares I'd get weren't out of fear. Rather they were out of admiration? It was hard to believe at first. Was she seriously calling me a ladykiller? With all my grotesque scars and tough look?

I was...'hot?' "So when the girls the other day called me hot, it was because I was attractive?"

"Yes!" she had screamed. "I love you but boy do you have a thick skull!"

She went on to explain how since we were twins, it was guaranteed that if Eve was attractive, I would too. I pointed out the faulty logic but she had ended the conversation saying something about how "her boyfriend was the most gorgeous man alive." So my scars only upped my sex appeal. Thinking back on it, it was clear that their faces were red out of embarrassment or self-consciousness, and not out of fear.

And so back at the jewelry store, I knew that they weren't worried I was a burglar or anything. No, judging from the heated whispers coming from the several females that were also around and the glares their boyfriends gave me, it was for a more biological reason. This was also in part of how well Eve had worked to dress me up. While giving me some clothes to wear, she had told me, "Though I don't like the idea of other girls going into heat because of you, I'd rather you look nice."

I gave the attendant a bright smile and overheard him scoff while rubbing the ring on his finger. "Thank heavens Clarice isn't here..."

The man cleared his throat and gave me a business smile. "How may I help you, sir?"

"I'm looking for a necklace. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Is it for a special someone?"

"Yes."

The several women eavesdropping let out a collective sigh after hearing I was taken.

"Hmm. I do have some couples jewelry though they might not just be necklaces."

"Please, I'd like to see them."

He nodded and told me to wait for a minute and disappeared into a room. He came out no long after juggling several cases in his arms. He laid them all out on a glass counter and opened them one by one.

The first was a pair of matching platinum rings. Next.

I went through several other pairs of rings. Did this store seriously only sell rings?

But thankfully I finally came across something that caught my eye. There was a glittering necklace with two halves of a heart inscribed with some words that I didn't understand. I showed the attendant an embarassed smile and asked him to explain what the words meant.

"Ah, it's Latin for forever yours and forever mine."

This was the one.

"You have a great eye sir, this necklace is made of a combination of silver and the heart is made of a pure ruby."

"I'll take it."

I handed him a card that he swiped through the register. He asked me if I wanted it wrapped and I nodded. The man was kind enough to stick a white-ribbon on the top.

I carried the wrapped present for the rest of my errands. It took me the whole day but I made it home in time for our Christmas Eve dinner.

Eve was already waiting for me and had finished decorating the house. She had finished buying her presents long ago, as unlike me, she didn't procrastinate until the last day. She had strung up some makeshift snowflakes and snow angels, as well as somehow connecting every room with lights. She had even decorated the tree, sprucing it up a bit by adding tinsel and a small star on top.

She greeted me with an apron.

Seeing the presents under my arm, she lead me towards the living room and directed me to place them next to the tree. We had a small kiss before starting to eat. We still had a lot to do, mainly preparing for a Christmas party the next day. Though some, like the Marie sisters and Christina, wouldn't make it because of family reasons, the others had all agreed to come over.

Our dinner wasn't too special but we did set the mood by lighting a few candles and sharing a bottle of aged wine.

We both were light-headed when it was time to sleep. I finished my business in the bathroom and yawned while making my way to the bed. I walked into the room with half my eyes open but quickly woke up after seeing what was waiting for me.

Eve had lit scented candles and spread some flowers around the room. A small part of my brain was itching at me, wasn't I supposed to be the one doing this kind of thing? but it quickly shut up when my eyes registered the sight of Eve in nothing but three green ribbons covering her breasts and pussy.

She even had a Santa's hat on for crying out loud.

I wordlessly went to her side and just held onto her. We didn't rush into sex and just held each other, feeling the others warmth and just snuggling for a while. Eventually, I spoke first.

"Jesus Eve. I'm so grateful for you."

She sighed, her hot breath tickling against my chest. "I love you Adam."

"I love you too..."

We kissed as the candles finally burned out, encroaching the room into darkness.

I slowly took off my own clothes and placed my hands around her waist, touching and feeling her skin as she shuddered. Our tongues danced in the midst of it all and we finally separated our mouths, both of us panting for air.

"Merry Christmas Eve."

"Merry Christmas," she whispered back.

Our tongues met once more. Though I couldn't see her face, I could feel her gaze on me and it got my blood boiling. My erection had already stood up and was pushing against the confines of my boxers. I removed them and slowly entered Eve. Compared to our usual sex, it was much more gentle and more defined by the kisses and affection we showered each other in the process.

I didn't mind this kind of sex either and marveled at the way her body just melted at my touch.

Needless to say, neither of us got much sleep that night.

–––––––

A.N.

Small Announcement: Now that there are twenty chapters out, I've come to a general idea of where this story is going. The whole mafia thing will just be a minor plot point and not the main focus. One reader mentioned that it was a little boring and out of place and I agree. I wasn't really feeling the whole thing as it didn't really fit in with what I was hoping for. Might even revise the last chapter someday.

Anyways, so plot will be driven solely by the relationships between Adam and the others. Slice of life? Yessir.

One more important thing is that release schedule will be updated. It'll be less frequent, now being three or four releases a week. I'm pretty busy and will be hard-pressed to post stuff every day like I've been doing. I'll try and make them meaty and at the least 3k words hopefully.