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canarycolemine · 8 months

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The Cardinale

Pairing: Cardinal Terzo x Female Reader

Summary: Cardinal Terzo is one arragont motherfucker.

AO3 Link

Warnings: MDNI, 18+ only. hate sex. lots of it. cardinal is a little cheeky piece of shit. WC 4.4k.

Heavily inspired by @mardyart's depiction of Cardi T. Such a phenomenal artist!

Cocky, arrogant, headstrong.

The third Emeritus brother, destined to become Papa one day, nepotism to the highest degree. His suave, angular face and his overly confident charms - how he assumes every Sister will fall into his bed.

How I despise him. How I hope to never fall under his gaze, never be subjected to his attention.

Imagine my rage when Sister Superior informed me that I, her star pupil, will be responsible for tutoring the bastard in English.

He was “reassigned” to the country-side Abbey after displaying what I can only imagine was simply inappropriate behavior for an upper clergy member. The man believes that he can seduce and bed any living thing! Perhaps it’s not a matter of belief, but a goal, rather. At his current pace, he will have had most of the Sisters in his bed before the year is up!

Watching him saunter through the halls, smoking his little cigarettes - inside! I always made a concerted effort to cough as I walked past, head held high. He would simply perish, it seems, if he did not attempt to woo a woman a day. Kissing their hands, wearing his stupid white gloves, and winking that shining white eye.

I love my Sisters, but please, have some self-respect.

Quite frankly, I’ve always been appalled by his behavior. He has never led an entire black mass by himself, needing his brothers to finish the job. There was even one instance where I could have sworn he had a sister hidden under the pulpit from where he stood, evidently having communion. No, Cardinal Terzo only ever wanted to lead the rituals - the demon and ghoul summonings (he needs new things to fuck), the mystic elements (anything he can light on fire), and of course, orgies. (duh!).

It was early fall when Sister Superior invited me to her office. I was promised tea; secretly, I had hoped she would invite me to teach a seminar or two over the semester. My lecture series on the invocation of Lilith and Samuel could rival even the Dark One’s knowledge, himself!

But, no.

“The Cardinal is in desperate need of more restraint, and he could benefit from a more rigorous understanding of the English language. He prefers to speak in his mother tongue, and truthfully, it is not accommodating to international chapters.” Superior started, my ears perked at the mention of my personal enemy. I brought the steaming cup to my mouth. “I could think of none other to teach him all of these skills rather than you, Sister.”

I could hardly register the hind notes of the tea before it went straight through my nose, burning the whole way up! I coughed and sputtered the hot liquid at the shock of my assignment.

Still catching my breath, “My apologies, Sister, but… why me?”

“Give yourself credit, Sister. You are a star pupil!” A shine in her eyes, a smirk in her mouth let me know two things - she meant what she said and there was another reason, too.

My eyes narrowed, seeking the answers in her eyes.

“And you’re the only student that the Cardinal has not gotten to know… intimately.” Her lips pursed, looking towards the ground.

“Sister Superior…” I started, not above begging.

“Sister, I will make it worth your while. I will make sure you have your lecture series as a mandatory presentation for all first-year novicates.” A smile crossed my face, but dropped; still, the deal was unsatisfactory.

I sat up a little straighter, now making a dare. “And, no kitchen duty for the entirety of his lessons.” I hated the kitchens. Everything I’ve ever made was burnt to a crispr, so I’ve always been delegated to cleaning the dishes - the worst thing in the world.

She nodded, “That can be arranged.”

I smiled, relaxing a little, but how it only lasted so long. Resigned to my fate, I was excused to prepare for my lesson with the Cardinal this Tuesday.

A pause from my duties was provided in anticipation - he needed to be assessed for his English skills - grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. From my understanding, he had a functional grasp on the language. But I did not really know.

Truth be told, I have never spoken even a word to the Cardinal - always avoiding him, always souring my face when his eyes gazed at me. I wanted to be wholly unappealing to the man. For the most part, he had taken the hint and left me alone. Although, I could have sworn he said something in Italian as I walked past, something like “how I want to be the stick up her…” I didn’t inquire further.

By Lucifer’s grace, I had successfully avoided him. Until the sunset on the second day of the week, when our paths collide.

I arrived at our designated location - one of the older classrooms, repurposed for private studying, long abandoned by the day. Thirty minutes early to the beginning of the lesson, how I tidied our space, laid the materials out and cleaned the chalkboard.

The hanging wall clock, the ever present heartbeat, kept steady. It was almost unnerving, as if keeping me in tempo with the eventual encounter with the asshole. The old bell tower clock rang out 6 times.

And the aforementioned asshole was not here. The door was unlocked, the sun firmly setting. My lips tightened to a pout. I will give him five minutes - no more.

Electing to sit in one of the old desks I rearranged, I pulled out a trusty book, as I had anticipated his tardiness.

Some twenty odd pages in, and I had lost track of time entirely - forgotten the reason I was in this dusty room. The bastard didn’t even show up, easily thirty minutes late! Quite frankly, it was embarrassing that I managed to stay this long. But now, I elected to start the process of cleaning my things.

In the morning, I planned to tell Sister Superior that I will simply not take the Cardinal as a student, he had no respect for my time. Future Papa or not, not enough breaths on this Earth could be spared for a man with little regard for others.

I managed to talk myself through this script as I cleaned up my belongings, nearly whispering her retorts back. But I would not be deterred! Lost in the monologue, I heard a hoard of boys giggling, getting closer to the door.

No, no. It could not be.

The door opened, the raven haired cardinal stumbled in - his pack of brothers falling behind him. Laughing at some lewd joke, no doubt. He turned to look at me, suddenly stiffening his posture. The smug smile falling from his face. He offered some excuse to the men behind him, closing the door to the two of us. He leaned against the old door frame, creaking under his weight. As if that would make him look cooler. The black cassock he preferred was immaculately ironed - surely not by his own hands. Maybe he was screwing the laundry girls.

I tried hard to keep my gaze away from him. My rage and my pride wouldn’t allow it.

“Scusa sorella, I, eh, lost the time.” He offered with a shrug of his shoulders. His voice was rich with his mother tongue.

“Well, Cardinal, I won’t keep you long, then. Our lesson is canceled.” I coldly retorted.

“Che cosa?”

“Canceled, cardinal.” I spat back, lifting my book and walking towards him. “You were late.”

“But I am here now, no?” That white eye twinkled - a charm that assuredly got him into many sisters’ beds.

“And I have been here, Cardinal. For thirty minutes past our scheduled time. Either your watch is broken or you have so little regard for others that time is no object to you?” I said, every syllable articulated, glaring at him.

His eyebrow quirked, a challenge, he supposed. A grin crossed his face, a chuckle that died in his throat.

“It really is you, eh sister?”

“What?” I shot back, whatever could he mean by that?

“You - you,” he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulling one to his lips, lighting it, and puffing the smoke away from us, “I thought my school would be with you. You are the sister that always walks with a stick up her ass.”

I made a pointed effort to cough at his smoke.

“Some of us have priorities besides fucking an entire congregation, Cardinal.”

“Am I really so evil, Sorella?” he feigned offense, the cigarette affecting his enunciation. Removing from his lips, another puff. “To celebrate our eh, how do you say, istinti?”

“Instincts.” I corrected.

“Ah, si, instincts. That is why we are here, no? Our Lord calls us to do just that.”

“You’ve got quite the head start on the sin of lust, Cardinal, I don’t think you could ever live long enough to dedicate your life to such… dedicated studies of the other sins.”

“It is my favorite.” His white gloves took the cigarette from his mouth, curling it between his fingers, before dropping it to the ground to extinguish the flame. His shoes shined brilliantly, even I could admit, but as I gazed at his shoes, I swore he winked at me through the reflection of his face.

“You really shouldn’t smoke, you know.”

“It is not good for me, this I know.” “I couldn’t care about what happens to you, the flame isn’t good for these old buildings. You’d burn down the whole abbey.”

“You say you don’t care about me sister.” He moved past me, further into the room, settling in one of the old teachers' desks. He kicked those expensive shoes onto the desk, relaxing back into the chair. “But I do not think that is so true.”

I faced him fully, still standing near the door. “I promise you, I do not.”

“Hm,” he chuckled, bringing his gloved hand to his mouth, running the fabric gently against his lower, unpainted lip. “No.” He said so sternly.

“What?”

“What?” he mocked me, a voice that was far too high pitched to be an imitation of me.

I let out an exasperated sigh, to which he laughed.

“Fuck you.” I went for my bag, still at the old desk.

“Do you want to know how I know this?” He said, staring at my rage.

“I doubt you ever shut up, so it doesn’t really matter what I want.”

“Sorella,” he sat up in the chair, his feet meeting the ground and his hands coming together on the desk. “We have not spoken any words to each other. But you hate me so much?”

I huffed. “You have no respect for anyone but yourself!” I could feel an all too familiar lump in my throat.

“How do you know this?” His patience now wearing thin, I could hear it.

“You walk around the abbey like you own the place. I get it, I know you’re the future Papa, but God damn it, you are so arrogant. You’ve never had to work for anything in your life! You think you can just fuck anyone and anything that walks through these doors. You’ve had everything handed to you by a silver spoon, and I hate it.”

My eyes watered, I couldn’t look at him. Whether from my rage or some secret hopes I had, I could feel the emotion.

“I’ve worked so fucking hard to get where I am, and I will never be anything close to you, just because you’re, fucking, you! And now, I have to waste my time teaching you English because you can’t stay focused for more than five seconds!”

My fist met the school table. His face leaned into his hands, thinking too carefully about the situation. His eyebrow quirked.

“... You are jealous of me, then?” He hid a smirk behind his hands.

I glared at him, how I wish my stare could kill.

“Fuck. You.”

“That does not sound like a no.” No effort in hiding his smirk now.

“Since when does ‘no’ matter to you?” I baited.

He feigned offense, yet again, bringing his hand to his chest. “Sorella, I am offended! I can promise you all of my sexual encounters have been enthusiastic by all parties. I would not dare to violate another!”

“What a well constructed sentence, Cardinal. It seems like you have no need for any help with the English language.”

“Ah, she has gotten me off of the topic…”

“All I had to do was talk about sex, so it wasn’t too hard, was it now?”

“No, no, no, we were talking about you, si! About how you are so jealous of me.” He ran that stupid fucking gloved hand through his hair, slicked with grease.

“Even now, you cannot say you are not jealous of me. Admit it.”

I paused. “So what?”

He clapped his hands, catching me apparently.

“She is! She is very jealous of my status and my future. But, I think she is jealous of not only me, no?” His tone shifted, in a direction I was not comfortable with.

“What?”

“She is also very jealous of all of the people that I get to fuck.” He punctuated the syllables far too clearly.

I huffed again, rolling my eyes. “There it is again. She does not say ‘no!’”

I hated how well he was reading me.

“Why do you even care? You fuck everything with a pulse, so why do you care?”

Fuck. I was not selling this very well. His gaze told me everything. The raised eyebrow, the smug pull of his painted lips.

He tilted his head, as if to study me further. I could feel myself recoil.

“You have done too much assuming, Sorella. About me, about yourself.”

He stood from the chair and stalked towards me. Instinctively, I crept back from him, nearing the wall for safety.

“You think I do not care about anyone but me, and that is not true. You think I abuse my future position, but that is not true either. And you think I fuck anything with a pulse.” He reached me, cornering me against the wall.

“And that,” he brought his finger to my chin, forcing my eyes to his, “is not true. I only fuck the pretty ones.”

Here is where I could be offended, he never fucked me. I thought that I was fairly pretty, so damn, that kinda hurt my feelings.

Sensing the monologue, “And you are a pretty one.” His painted lips gently touched mine.

God damn it. I hated how good that felt.

“So you see, sister, I knew you thought all of this.” His other hand reached for my waist, exploring the dip of my body. “I saw the way you scowled at me, pretending to hate me. It was all jealousy. But there is something about the way you hated me that pulled me so, so close. I needed to have you.”

“But how to get to you?” His hands reached for mine, holding them in place, behind my back.

“Who better to teach me restraint?” he purred.

“I act like an asshole for a while, speak in Italian with my friends. I get the attention of the Sister Superior, who will certainly demand I be subdued by studies.” His painted lips traveled a path along my jaw to my ear. “And who here have I not fucked?”

His teeth grazed my earlobe. “I could deceive the world for you.”

I bit my lip. His gaze returned to mine.

“Pretty good, no?”

“Pretending you’re stupid was a very believable act, apparently.” I mustered out, flustered as I was.

“Don’t deceive me now, Sorella.” His lips met mine again, pressing his forehead to mine. “There is one thing I need to hear you say.” His words left his mouth easily, but he was not unaffected. Just as flustered as I.

I huffed, pausing for only a moment.

“Si.”

His lips crashed to mine, with a fire that was barely restrained before. He released my hands from behind my back; his hands traveled to my hips, lifting me. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his waist.

We traveled through the room, locked in the heated kiss, when he sat me on the teacher’s desk.

“On the teacher’s desk?” I giggled, taking in the chosen location.

“It’s always been a fantasy.” He laughed back, then resumed his fury on my neck.

His large hands reached for my habit, pulling it off in a fell swoop. Evident of his experience, it hardly hurt. He pulled away from me, just gazing at me for a moment.

“Pretty one.” As if he didn’t know he said it.

Fuck.

I lead the charge back to his mouth, my hands now locking into his raven locks. The diligent work of unbuttoning that goddamn stupid black cassock. I gave it my best shot. My hands kept slipping on the buttons, struggling to unhook them. He chuckled from our kiss, removing my hands from him.

“Having trouble, darling? It’s always difficult.” His gloved hands made the show unbuttoning each cotton button - traveling down in body in quite the show.

Once to the bottom, he stepped out of the garment and removed his crisp white undershirt. I was out of my body, unaware of how I looked as I looked at him. Each new sight of his skin lit a fire in me. He was as slender as I thought he would be, well defined, certainly. A healthy patch of hair on his chest - he was certainly Italian.

A glance to his eyes knew how I enjoyed his spectacle.

Cocky, arrogant, and headstrong was the Cardinale.

“Your turn.”

He came back to my neck, teasing the delicate flesh. The first moan slipped from my lips as he sucked the skin purple.

“Good girl.” He purred. He lifted my habit from my legs, over my head, leaving me in my undergarments. Pausing his efforts to take in my form. A glance in his eyes - like my body was a feast for his soul. Another look at my undergarments, “Matching?” in reference to the black bra and panties I was sporting.

Guilty.

He leaned closer to me, resting an arm on the table. Teasingly, looking into me.

“Women match when they are planning to be fucked.” My eyes turned from his, embarrassing me again. His other hand came to my chin, forcing my gaze to his. “Was there someone else, Sorella?”

I opened my mouth, but the words failed me.

“No.” He answered for me, feigning sympathy. “There wasn’t, was there?”

My mouth hung open, but I couldn’t admit it.

“Say it, then.”

Bastard.

“Say it, pretty one, I do not have all night.” His voice nearly sang.

The fire his was stroking in me burned, “I need you to fuck me.” I whined, my eyes nearly starting to water.

His hand, holding my gaze, went to my shoulder, forcing me to lay on the old, creaking desk. Quickly, he made work removing my bra. Adoringly, he stared at the exposed skin.

Wordlessly, he painted my breasts with his lips. As his lips latched around my nipple, I whimpered, already so sensitive. His other hand toyed with the opposite breast, kneading the flesh. As his teeth grazed the delicate flesh, he nearly pinched the opposite.

Another gasp escaped.

“She likes it when it hurts?”

Obviously. I fucking hated him so much.

He mirrored his actions on the opposite breasts before trailing his kisses further down my torso. Nipping at the skin, kissing it, dragging his tongue.

He left a particularly gentle kiss below my navel, as he gazed back at me. Wordlessly asking.

I nodded.

He hooked his hands to the elastic of the lacy panties, dragging them off of my legs in a well-practiced motion.

“Spread your legs.” I obliged, as he pulled the teacher’s chair to sit in between my legs.

His gaze never left my core, which he could see how he affected me. He lifted my legs onto his shoulders, granting a better view. Biting the fingers of his gloves, removing them. Gently working the muscle of my inner thighs, unconsciously creeping higher.

Reaching my core, his uncovered hands spread me open further to him. He gazed reverently.

“Pretty, pretty girl.” He stroked my slit delicately, I shivered and whined at the feeling. “Such a pretty girl.”

He brought his face close, kissing my mound and licking the slit all the way up. He left gentle kisses onto my already sensitive clit, dying for attention. He latched his lips around the bud, suckling softly.

As his tongue flicked my clit, I bucked my hips into his mouth, firming my grip in his hair.

He unlatched to drag his tongue, flattened, up and down my core. His tongue prodded at my entrance, lapping at my slick. His fingers moved towards my center, replacing his mouth, pressing into me.

One finger - pumping slowly into me - adjusting the feeling. Adding another one, stretching slightly. His eyes studied my face for discomfort. Once I adjusted, his divine mouth returned to my clit, alternating between kissing and suckling. His fingers curled into me, searching. When they found the spongy tissue inside, the moans fell easily. Begging him. He teased the spot, expertly. Pressing into it with each pump, as he sucked on my clit.

“Cardinal-” I started. “I’m getting - close” I managed to get out.

I could feel a smile on his lips as he continued, speeding his actions.

The band in my stomach was burning, stretching, white hot. At the precipice, as my cries started to build.

When suddenly he stopped. Sitting back, removing his mouth and fingers from me.

I shuddered at the loss of sensation, being so close. I sat up slightly to look at him.

The fucker was wiping my slick from his chin, licking his fingers clean.

Apparently, my face told him how close I was, how it was moments away.

“I wanted to feel it on my cock, darling.” His eyebrow raised. “Plus, it feels better when you ruin it a little bit.”

A fight was breaking in my head, an internal debate I was having with him.

His belt jingled, his pants being slid down and discarded. Left in pristine white boxers, which he lowered. His cock sprang free, dripping with his precum.

“I could have came just from tasting you, you know?” as he began languidly stroking himself, using himself to lubricate the movements. “All of your little sounds, they sounded so sweet. And you were oh so close, weren’t you?”

His teasing was back, his hand sped up, only to build himself up more. I whined.

“Just think. Even an hour ago, you were cursing my name, wanting me dead. Look at you now - begging for my cock.”

He pressed his cock into my core, rubbing the reddened head onto my clit. A guttural noise fell from me. An animalistic cry.

“She was so jealous of me, too. And now all she wants to be is fucked by me. Maybe she’ll die if she doesn’t get it, what do you think?”

“Please, Terzo.” “Oh, using my name now? What happened to ‘asshole?’” His voice cracked, unaffected by his own need.

“Please fuck me.” I cried out, a tear falling from my eye.

“Say it again.”

“Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me.” Tumbling out.

On command, he aligned himself and pressed into my dripping heat. Feeling every inch of my warmth, he shuddered and groaned.

“So, so good” he whispered.

He filled me exquisitely, pressing in carefully, allowing me to adjust. My nails marked his back, savoring every inch.

His hips finally met mine, I swore I could feel him in my stomach. He let out a breath, unsteadied from restraint.

“Don’t have that restraint now, Cardinal.” I teased. “Move.”

A low groan from him, as his hips rolled, moving back. “You won’t be able to walk tomorrow if I don't.”

“Try your worst.”

He slammed forward again, now setting a punishing pace. Feeling the drag of his cock on my walls, I whined. His hands tilted my hips further up, angling to my sweet spot. I gasped at the pressure. It was returning - the precipice. He couldn’t rob me a second time.

“Perhaps, sorella, it is you who needs a lesson, eh?” He nearly coughed through, maintaining his pace. “I could teach you something.”

His hand moved towards we were joined, circling my clit. It was becoming too much - the sweet pressure of him inside and now his devious fingers.

His fingers moved quickly on my clit, building the fire again. My moans telling him it all. As if in perfect rhythm, his pistoning hips and circling fingers.

“Let’s countdown, darling. In Italian.”

His other hand came to my chin, forcing my gaze. He nodded, as if to reassert his power. “It goes…dieci, nove…”

The fire was reaching a breaking point, I knew what he was doing now. His fingers still moved with a steady speed.

“Otto, sette, sei…”

“...Terzo…” I whined.

“Cinque, quattro, tre…”

“I’m gonna…”

“Due, uno.”

The waves of pleasure crashed down on me, my legs shaking. My vision blurry, white hot. His hips stuttered, as I felt him swell inside, riding out my pleasure. Milking him for all he had. The course of our cries rang in the old room. His fingers didn’t stop until I whined with oversensitivity, his spend leaking from me.

He stayed inside, pressing his full weight onto me.

We held each other in an embrace, coming down from divinity. Our breaths in sync, slowing down.

My breath nearly returned to me as I came to, laughing with what air I had.

“What’s so funny?” His smirk shined with a warmth I had not seen before.

“A countdown to my orgasm. Cheeky.”

He laughed. “It worked, eh?”

“Don’t be too full of yourself.”

“I cannot, you are full of me.”

“Ew! Don’t say it like that, dumbass.”

“There is the girl that hates me. I missed her.” He gazed at me, smiling more softly now, tucking an errant strand of hair behind my ear. Holding my face in his hand, so gently. He placed the last soft his to my lips.

“And I’ll never stop hating you, Cardinal.”

“So be it, but it has worked out well for me so far, huh?”

Bastard.

#my writing #papa emeritus iii #papa emeritus iii x reader #papa emeritus iii x female reader #sister of sin #ghost band fanfic #Cardinal Terzo #terzo x reader #ghost band smut #papa emeritus smut #this is unholy #my apologies

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portaltothevoid · 7 months

Text

Between Breaths (An XXX Perspective) - Terzo x Reader

Summary: You're the Head Witch at the Ministry. Arguably at times you hold more power than the current Papa, Papa Emeritus III. You've always hated him and you assumed the feeling was mutual. But what happens when he calls you out on it?

song: between breaths (an xx perspective) by blaqk audio

A/N: had an idea that was encouraged by @copias-juicebox, @fishwithtitz, and @da-rulah. you can thank them or blame them for this. idk i guess i have terzo brainrot. enjoy the absolute filth that is this one shot. (pictures for the mood board all found on pinterest)

word count: 6.5k

warnings: MDNI. enemies to lovers, angst, female reader, hate sex, semi-public sex, library sex, oral m-receiving & f-receiving, face fucking, deepthroating, dom!terzo, brat!reader, edging, fingering, squirting, p in v, face slapping, unprotected sex, cream pie, using a belt as a makeshift whip, choking, lots of bickering banter before the smut, not really proofread, self-translated italian

Being the Head Witch of the Satanic Church definitely had its perks. For example, you could go in and out of the restricted section of the library as you pleased without having to provide any explanation as to why you needed a certain book, your living quarters rivaled that of the highest clergy members, and you were the one calling the shots with anything related to magic, be it a conjuring or a protection spell, a cord cutting. Sometimes your power within the Ministry rivaled that of Papa, the Anti-Pope, much to his chagrin, of course.

Brothers and Sisters of Sin alike flocked to you, not only for your expertise, but because you were drop dead gorgeous, charismatic, feisty, and because you had power. With your office being directly across from Papa’s, you would often catch him glaring at you from his desk as the door to your office might have been a revolving one with how many people were in and out of it. And especially during major holidays, did the Children of the Ministry come knocking at your door. It sometimes seemed like they had forgotten about their darling Papa Emeritus III. They only had eyes for you. That drove him crazy and thus, your rivalry was born.

Despite seeming to have it all, it grew tiring to be constantly surrounded by so many people. Having company at night was great and all, but the connections were vapid. You had no choice but to keep any and all suitors at arm’s length; it was safer that way, both for you and for them. Your work was demanding and that would always come first. There was an aching loneliness that gnawed at you, but you refused to acknowledge it. Relationships, true connection, only got in the way. You weren’t the youngest Head Witch the church had ever seen, barely even in your thirties, because you spent time curating intimate and genuine relationships in the hopes of one day starting a family. You had ambitions, goals, and nothing would get in the way of that.

This led to quite the paradox: you were surrounded by people, loved and excelled at your job, and even craved solitude, but the loneliness that clawed at your heart could be suffocating.

Tonight was one of those paradoxical nights where you wanted nothing more than to be alone, but you wished there was someone you could be alone with – no expectations, no ulterior motives, just the mere act of coexisting with someone who had chosen you and you had chosen them. Often, you would find yourself in the library on nights like this. People would be too engrossed in their own studies to pay you any mind. Or you would just stay in the restricted section, knowing very few people had access to it.

It was quiet enough that you found yourself just outside the off-limits occult books. You weren’t looking for anything in particular, perhaps you’d know when you found it.

Too lost in your own thoughts, you didn’t notice the last person you wanted to see walking towards you until it was too late to make a swift getaway. “Buona sera, cara mia (my dear),” greeted the illustrious Papa as he leaned his back against the bookshelf, an arrogant smirk on his face.

You set your book on the shelf in front of you as your head tilted back with an exasperated sigh escaping you. “What do you want, Terzo? I’m not in the mood for your bullshit tonight.”

He put a gloved hand to his chest and gasped dramatically. “I am offended.”

“Clearly not enough to leave me alone.”

“Ah, you see, that I cannot do, because I’m looking for something, a book actually, and I just so happened to see you, and perhaps you could find it in your cold, black heart to help me.”

It was your turn to gasp dramatically as you slowly turned to face him. “You can read?!”

Terzo rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Will you help me or not?” he asked curtly.

“Sure! The children’s section is downstairs, to the left, all the way to the back. You can’t miss it.”

“I didn’t rise to Papa with the reading level of a toddler,” he retorted with an edge to his voice.

“You’re right, my mistake. It must have been the nepotism.”

He let out a frustrated puff as he pushed himself away from the bookshelf and started to walk away. Your quiet chuckle was loud enough so that he turned on his heel and walked right back up to you. “I don’t understand why you hate me so much.”

“Because you’re a pompous figurehead with a constant need for attention who’s had nearly everything handed to him and the fact your dick sees more traffic than the 405 on a Friday night during rush hour.” You spoke with an air of nonchalance like you were just spouting off a common factoid as you turned to face him, crossing your arms. The bookshelves now against your back.

His eyes turned to slits. “Who am I to turn down those that hand themselves to me willingly? And don’t act like your body count isn’t as high as mine. If anything, I’d bet it’s higher judging from how many people I see – and hear – coming and going from your office,” he spat.

“Well, at least the lives of the people I fuck actually improve afterwards when the spells come to fruition. They aren’t just fucking me for clout and just to say they did only to find out you’ve already moved on to your next conquest.” Your upper lip started to curl upwards into a sneer, but you did your best to control it. The last thing you wanted to do was give him the satisfaction of getting a rise out of you.

“Oh, spare me the righteous act, dolcezza.”

“It’s not a ‘righteous act’ to make my intentions clear to my partners. Maybe you should try that out sometime. Sure would save me a lot of work.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, glaring at you as he took a step towards you.

“It means that your escapades upset enough people that they come to me to seek retribution. Against you. You have no idea how much thankless damage control I have to do for your pathetic ass.”

Clearly, that jab had the opposite effect you intended. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he took another half step closer to you. “Are you implying you… protect me?” he asked slyly.

“Don’t fucking flatter yourself. I’m implying that I’m doing what I have to to keep Sister Imperator off my back.”

“But that is still protecting me from hexes and curses cast by the ones who let their feelings cloud the reality of the situation. And for the record, cara…” With another step forward he placed his hand on the shelf next to your shoulder, leaning in, his voice dropping to a sultry whisper. “I make my intentions very clear.” You refused to acknowledge the way that made your stomach flip and your heart rate picked up speed.

You tried to take a step away from him, but were only met with shelves digging into your back. The crease in your forehead deepened as you clenched your jaw. It wasn’t until you saw his eyes dart between your eyes and your lips did your arms uncross from your chest as you pushed him to the side. “You’re an insufferable rompicoglioni (pain in the ass), you know that?” After turning your back on him, you only managed to get a few steps away before his next question stopped you in your tracks.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about it…”

You tilted your head to the ceiling, your eyes shut, as you let out a deep breath. “Thought about what?” you asked through your still gritted teeth. He stayed silent. You shook your head and turned around to face him again. “Thought. About. What?” you practically growled your repeated question.

He stood there, leaning against the bookshelves, with his bottom lip seductively in between his teeth as he raised his eyebrows at you. “Do I really need to answer that question?” he chuckled.

“I can’t fucking stand you,” you said as you turned to leave his stupid, smirking face behind you. Again, you didn’t get very far when you felt a gloved hand grab your wrist, his grip just tight enough to halt you and turn you to face him.

“Have you ever thought why that is, streghetta mia (my little witch)?” he cooed, bringing his other hand to gently caress your cheek.

“I am not your little—” you began defiantly until he interrupted you. His words suddenly became harsher, much more serious.

“Rispondimi (answer me),” he demanded, his grip tightening on your wrist. His hand on your cheek went from a feather light touch, to forcefully grabbing the side of your neck, aiding in the way he pulled you to him so that almost no space remained between you.

“I already told you why,” you said through your teeth. Your whole body tensed being this close to him. If it was a losing battle, you desperately tried to fight the lost cause of keeping your composure. His deliciously delicate Italian cologne didn’t affect you. The heat from his body didn’t affect you. How roughly he handled you definitely didn’t affect you.

“No. I don’t think you did, because I don’t think you can admit the truth.” The intensity of his stare burned into you (but it absolutely did not affect you). He pulled you into the crook of his neck. Biting the inside of your cheek was the only way you could ground yourself, focus on the task at hand — not letting him win. He was so close to you that you could feel his lips moving against your ear as he murmured, “Everything you hate about me… is what you hate about yourself, amore.”

You lost sight of him; all you could see was red. Twisting your wrist, you broke free from his grasp. Your hands flew up to his chest as you shoved him back. He stumbled slightly, bracing himself on the bookshelves. The amused half-smile on his face told you everything you needed to know: he was loving every second of this. “Seems I’ve struck a nerve, hm?”

“You fucking asshole! I am nothing like you.” The venom clinged to your words.

“You’re not? You don’t enjoy the company of others under the guise of tending to the flock when all you crave is real connection? You don’t flaunt your ‘power’ to make up for every inadequacy you feel about yourself?” He sauntered up to you, placing his hands on your shoulders as if the slightest movement would shatter you.

“You don’t know the first thing about me,” you mumbled through barely parted lips.

“How long are you going to keep telling yourself that, hm?” he purred, hooking his finger under your chin, which you pushed away. You tried to back away from him, but yet again, you were stopped by the bookshelf.

“If you’re so self aware, then why do you still act like a piece of shit?”

He leaned forward, putting a hand on either side of you, caging you in. “Because, streghetta, the only connection worth pursuing thinks I’m a pompous pain in the ass fucking asshole piece of shit figurehead with the reading ability of a four year old. Did I remember everything?” he smirked.

His mismatched eyes burned into yours. His white iris seemed to be almost glowing in the dim library light. The heat that was starting to burn in your center made you stay put. Your only movement came from your head quickly turning to the side as you heaved an insolent breath. Breaking eye contact was the only thing you could think of doing right now, but even that was short lived. He emphatically grabbed your face, silently ordering you to look at him, your cheeks smushing together between his thumb and index fingers. “I asked you a question. Stop being a brat and rispondimi,” he hissed.

“Kinda hard with my jaw in your hand,” you managed to mutter.

“I understood you just fine.” He pressed harder into your face. The longer you were silent, the more pressure he added.

“F-fine! Yes! That’s what I think of you, stronzo,” you spat.

“Brava ragazza. That wasn’t so difficult, was it?” he praised softly. The back of his fingers returned to graze your cheek.

You couldn’t help but press your lips into a thin line as you mulled over when he said “...the only connection worth pursuing…”

“Thinking about what I said?” His hand slid down your neck to your collarbone.

“No,” you replied immediately. Your eyes quickly flitted up to the ceiling at how easily you gave yourself away, which earned you a light, airy laugh. “Wait. Yeah. If this is the ‘only connection worth pursuing’ then what’s taken you so long? Did you have to test out all the others to make sure it was the right choice?”

“You’re too busy scowling at me to notice me noticing you.”

“No, not quite. Try again.”

“This is one of the very few times I’ve been able to catch you alone.”

“Oh, please. Your office is directly across from mine. And I have seen you on multiple occasions staring at me when your door is open,” you scoffed.

“And every time, before I can even think about getting up from my chair, you slam the door shut,” he countered, twirling a lock of your hair between his fingers.

Swatting his hand away, you said, “Still not the real answer.”

“Then what is?” He let his hand fall to your shoulder and slowly began to cascade down your arm.

“You don’t think you’re good enough for someone like me.” With a challenging tilt of your head and raise of your eyebrows, you watched as astounded annoyance clouded his eyes. “Yeah, two can play this game.” You straightened out the collar to his shirt and trailed your fingers down to adjust the top buttons with your eyes focused on your small task. They only looked back into his eyes when you mockingly added, “Caro.”

Finally, you struck a nerve. He took both your wrists and pinned them down beside you. “Before tonight’s over, I’ll show you I’m more than good enough for you.”

You tossed your head back as you laughed, craning your neck to watch his reaction. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. I’ve seen the way your conquests look when they leave your office. It doesn’t take a genius to know you’re a good fuck. It does, however, take a certain kind of person to notice how you never seem completely satisfied… like something’s missing…”

Pressing his body flush against yours, he leaned down and whispered, “Like I said earlier, amore, it’s the craving for real connection, which of course, you of all people would notice something like that.” You could feel the warmth of his breath dancing over a sensitive spot on your neck. “Because… you’re just… like… me…” he added breathlessly as he dragged his lips along your neck before he pulled himself away to stare into your eyes.

The desire pooling between your legs was inescapable. Your eyes darted from his to his lips before returning to the mismatched eyes that watched your every subtle movement. That was all the invitation he needed before he released your wrists to take your face in his hands as your lips crashed together. Just because you lost the battle didn’t mean you couldn’t win the war.

Your hand flew to the nape of his neck where you threaded your fingers in his hair. He moaned into your mouth when you started pulling. Your other hand balled the fabric of his shirt at his hip into your fist.

He broke the kiss only to leave a sloppy trail of kisses down our neck where he began to suck and nip at it. You let your head fall back and your grip in his hair tighten. He maneuvered himself so he was pressing his thigh between your legs and without a second thought, as a breathless moan escaped your lips, you began to rut against him. “I still… fucking hate you…” you panted.

Before he could make his clever retort, your heads turned towards the sound of the door opening. You could hear the light sound click-clacking of heels on the floor below. Terzo couldn’t even get his suggestion out before you pushed him off you, taking his hands in yours and leading him deeper into the library. He eyed you curiously, an impish grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.

When the sounds of the other patrons faded, you slammed back against a random stack and pulled him against you, assuming your previous formation. “Are you sure you want to do this here?” he asked in between open mouthed kisses on your neck.

“I wouldn’t have dragged you over here if I wasn’t.”

His gaze lingered over you as if to double check you were telling the truth. He nodded once. “Bene. Safe word?”

“Rigatoni.” He tilted his head at you, a quizzical look on his face. “What? Do you prefer ziti?”

“No, just an… interesting choice.”

“Non verbal is two taps and a pinch, but first,” you said as you held his wrist one hand and started taking off one of his gloves in the other, “the Mickey Mouse gloves are coming off.” His eyes narrowed into slits as he let you remove his gloves, placing them in his back pocket. You gave his ass a hard slap when you were done, leaning back on the stack behind you, with an exaggerated and triumphant smile on your face.

Taking your face in his now bare hand, he held it like he did just moments ago. He put his other hand beside your head, pressing his body into your and leaning forward, “I’m not going to hold back, streghetta.” He lowered his voice, making it sound husky and gravelly. He let go of you, roughly pushing your head to the side as he did so.

“Good. Don’t want you to,” you paused before you giggled, doing your best Mickey Mouse impersonation.

That earned you a smack across the face. It wouldn’t leave a mark, but you felt the sting go straight down to your core. You looked up at him with a daring smirk.

You could see the anger ice over his eyes. His features darkened. “Be careful what you wish for.”

You yanked him toward you, your fists grabbing his shirt as leverage as you purred in his ear, “Do your worst, papino.”

His hand wrapped around your bicep so tightly, you knew there would be a bruise there tomorrow. He dragged you through the aisles of books to the study area. He let go of you only for a moment to turn you away from him as he pushed you down onto the table in front of you. Biting your lip, you pressed your thighs together, needing some semblance of relief.

Mismatched eyes watching you like a hawk, of course he noticed. “Ah, ah, ah,” he tutted. You heard the faint clinking of a belt buckle and the slide of leather. Using his knee, he nudged your legs away from each other. “Brats like you don’t get anything until they’ve been properly punished.” You chewed on your lip as he folded his belt, allowing for him to have more control.

The brisk air hit the back of your legs as he lifted your maxi skirt up, exposing yourself to him. He put the belt in his mouth, freeing his hands, so he could yank your panties off you. Your ankle lifted off the ground, causing you to throw one of your hands to the edge of the table to save your balance. The belt went into his left hand, he placed it beside you as he leaned over you, pressing his still clothed erection into your bare ass. “Mmm, you say you hate me so much and yet here you are, already so fucking wet for me.” Not giving you any chance to make a smart ass comment, he shoved your underwear into your mouth.

Pushing off of you, he caressed your ass like he was mapping out where the belt would strike you. He went from the left corner down to the right, being mindful enough not to even graze your cunt, giving no reprieve whatsoever. Then he repeated the motion going from the right corner down to the left.

Thwack!

Without warning, the belt made contact with your skin. Tears instantly sprang in your eyes, having been taken by surprise. The force of the blow made you cry out, but the sound was muffled; it just sounded like a poor excuse of a whimper.

“Still think you can handle this, streghetta mia?”

“Mhmm,” you hummed as you nodded – your tone still defiant.

Thwack!

You were actually thankful for the makeshift gag in your mouth, which gave you something to bite down on as you took the pain.

“If I had known–” thwack! “ –That this is what it took–” thwack! “ –to get you to shut your goddamn smart ass mouth up–” thwack! “ –I would have done this so much sooner.” Thwack!

He leaned over you again, this time pressing a kiss to your shoulder before asking if you were okay. Blinking tears away, you nodded. You were more than okay. You couldn’t remember the last time you felt this alive.

“Hmm, I’m not sure I’m completely convinced…” he mused as he stood up. Just as you went to loosen the white knuckle grip you had on the table’s edge, you felt his thumb trail down from your taint, through your folds, and onto your clit, which he circled twice. You moaned loudly. “Mmm,” you could hear him sucking your arousal off his finger, “yes, you are doing quite alright.”

You practically squealed when suddenly one of his fingers slid right inside you. He wasted no time finding the spot that could make you scream. You whined when he removed himself from you, but it was only to flip you over onto your back. Without thinking, your leg hooked around his waist, anchoring him to you. He looked down at you, smirking, before he plunged his middle and ring fingers inside of you. Your eyes rolled back with your head that rested on the table. Your back arched.

And then he began the assault of pressure; his fingers curled up, furiously tapping on your sweet spot. You swear you had never been this wet for anyone before. The noises coming from your cunt only made you clench harder around his fingers. His movements were so hard and so fast, you were almost being lifted off of the table. You were so close, so close. Despite the makeshift gag, you were screaming. Just as the coil in your core was about to snap, he was gone. Your eyes snapped open, wide with rage. Instantly you sat up. If looks could kill, he would have been dead at your feet.

“Stand up. Get on your knees.” For the first time tonight, you followed his instruction, but that was where your obedience ended.

“Figlio di puttana del cazzo (you fucking son of a bitch!)!” you snarled, looking up at him, after throwing the gag to the side.

Shaking his head, he gathered your hair into a ponytail, tugging your head back. You earned your second slap of the night. He undid and took off his pants, tossing them haphazardly to the side. You watched as his leaking cock sprung out. At the sight of it, your mouth immediately began to water. “If you can stop being a fucking brat and actually put your mouth to good use, then maybe you’ll get a reward,” he seethed. He shoved two of his fingers into the corners of your mouth. “Open.”

There was no getting used to him. In what felt like mere milliseconds, his length was down your throat. The only thing you could think of, for just a fraction of relief, was to open your jaw as wide as you possibly could, but even that wasn’t enough. He held your hair like he was holding on for dear life, deep growls rumbled from his chest. With every thrust you could feel whatever leftover animosity he had towards you pouring into you.

A near constant stream of tears cascaded down your face. You could barely see his smirk as you gagged around him. Abruptly, he stopped, pulling himself away from your mouth. Your chest heaved as you tried to catch your breath. “Get up,” he commanded as he pulled you up by your hair. He only let go when you were standing. “Back on the table. On your back.” You relished the break, taking your time to do as you were told. He stayed looking down at you, a lust-crazed look on his face. Expectantly, you looked back up at him, waiting for whatever he had planned next. Grabbing you by the shoulders, he slid you to him so your head was hanging off the table. “Apri (open),” he breathed.

Your eyes fluttered shut as you braced yourself for the second onslaught that never came. He slowly slid himself into your mouth, down your throat. You let the spit you saved from before getting on the table bubble up around him. This angle was a bit easier for you to take him. He used your ribs as leverage to thrust in and out of your mouth. A moan floated from his lips as his eyes closed, letting himself get lost in his own pleasure. You placed your hands on the back of his thighs. His lips curled over his teeth as he moaned again when you dug your nails into him. “Satanas, sei bella (you’re beautiful),” he murmured. Dragging his hands up, he wrapped them around your neck as he kept thrusting down into your mouth.

“Cazzo,” he groaned as he could feel himself in your throat. By this point, you said to hell with your gag reflex. It was easy to ignore while he incessantly fucked your face. He was slightly less aggressive with your neck bent over the edge of the table, his pace slower. As if savoring every inch of the feel of you, he pushed himself into you until your lips curled around his base. You couldn’t help, but moan. “Lucifer, fucking hell,” he growled. He repeated this a few more times before he backed away from you again, his breathing growing labored. You never took your eyes away from his as you spun around and got off the table.

Kneeling in front of him again, you looked up at him with your tear-stained face and doe eyes sparkling. You started stroking his length before you took him in your mouth, tongue swirling around his swollen tip. Then you licked down his shaft until you took his balls in your mouth, gently sucking on them. He groaned as his head fell back. After you licked back up his length, teasingly slow, and took him back in your mouth did you begin bobbing your head up and down. When you moaned again, his hands tangled in your hair again. This time it wasn’t to cause you pain, but to find purchase and ground himself. “Fuck,” he hissed. He was close. You could see it. You could feel it. So you took his hips in your hands, digging your nails into his flesh. Looking up at him, you subtly nodded to him. His fingers curled and pulled at your hair. He sloppily thrusted into your face again and soon you felt his hot seed spilling down the back of your throat as he cried out.

He slumped forward somewhat as his high waned. You stood up, making sure to catch his dichromatic gaze as you did. You wiped the corner of your mouth and swallowed every drop he had given you. He cupped your face in his hands and kissed you feverishly. As you gripped his wrists, he pulled you to him, pushing you back toward the stacks of books behind you until they met your back. You eyed him hungrily as your hands reached for his shirt, your nimble fingers sliding down as you unbuttoned it. Not even bothering to shove it all the way off him, you let your hands explore his chest. The only thing you heard was each other's heaving panting. He was on your lips again the second you made eye contact with each other, his tongue diving down your throat, doing an exploration of its own.

You moaned as you hooked your leg up on his hip, pulling him even closer to you. Resting his forehead on yours, he held your face in his hands, thumbs caressing your cheeks. “Time for a reward, sì? La mia brava ragazza (my good girl),” he cooed softly as he sank down on his knees.

Your breath got caught in your throat as he lifted up your skirt to dive under it. “Oh fuck,” you breathed as he dragged his nails up your thighs. Throwing your leg over his shoulder, he dove right in, his tongue lapping up your wetness seeping from your slit. You moaned again as his nose nudged your clit and his tongue dipped inside you. Your right hand grabbed at his hair under your skirt while your left was sliding up and around on the shelves behind you as you tried to find the best angle to help keep yourself propped up.

Taking his tongue out of you, he dragged it up to your bundle of nerves that were desperate for attention and started to suck on it as his tongue swirled around it. “Shit, s-shit!” you cried out. “Right… th-there. F-fuck. Fuck, Terzo. Don’t you fucking dare stop.”

His ministrations stopped, but only to shove two of fingers inside you. You mewled loudly; it didn’t matter if anyone was nearby or not. They could enjoy the free show at this point. Just as he had before, he was hitting your g-spot as if this was the thousandth time. You were seeing stars, but what you wanted to see… was him. “W-wait, wait, stop!” you panted. You were so close, you couldn’t finish just yet. You tapped him twice and he stopped before you could pinch him. He rushed out from your skirt, a confused look on his face that glistened from your arousal.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you said as you discarded your skirt. “I want to watch. I want to watch you make me cum,” you said lustfully as you perched your leg back onto his shoulder. Your hand threaded into his hair, holding on tightly as he resumed where he had left off. This time, his pace returned to that of the first time he had you like this. You bucked into his face, adding even more friction. “Holy fuck, yes. Terzo, please, don’t stop. P-please. Fuck! There! Yes! I’m cumming! I’m–”

Removing his fingers from you, he aggressively rubbed your clit. You opened your eyes just in time to see him get showered with your juices as they streamed out of you. And that man lapped it up like it was his first drink of water after a hike in the desert. You sunk back into the stack behind you as he looked up at you through wet lashes. He looked like he got caught in the beginning of a downpour – and it was probably the hottest thing you’d ever seen. Maybe you should fuck the people you hate more often if this was the result, because… this was still hatred you felt burning inside you. It had to be…

Afraid your shaky legs would give out on you if you tried to move, you stayed frozen in place. At some point your hand attached to Terzo was helping keep you upright on the shelving behind you. He stood up in front of you, his arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you close to him. When you were secure in his hold, his finger hooked under your chin, directing your hazy eyes to him. “Can you give me one more, amore?” he softly asked you. Eagerly, you nodded. He tilted his head, giving you a warning look. “Is la streghetta at a loss for words?”

“Yes,” you said, still nodding. “One more.”

“Va bene (okay), hard or easy?”

Your eyes darkened as more lust flared up in them again. “Don’t take it easy on me.” His lips curved up into a half smile that turned into a menacing smirk.

A sharp gasp fell from your lips as he spun you around so you were facing the books in front of you. One hand reached in front of you, circling the sensitive bud between your legs. Your head fell back onto his shoulder, while his other hand encapsulated your throat. “Do you still hate me?” he questioned through his teeth as his hips bucked up into you, using your ass to provide himself with the friction he needed.

“Yes,” you moaned wantonly.

You felt his breathy laugh on your ear as his grip tightened around your neck. The blood supply being cut off shot pangs of heat right down to your center just as he removed his hand from there. The whine you were about to make died in your throat as you felt him dragging his cock through your still sopping folds. With a squeeze to your throat, and a bite to your shoulder, he pushed himself inside you. You wanted to be so irritated at how perfectly he filled you up, how your walls stretched to accommodate him, but you couldn’t, at least not right now. Not when it felt so good. Most of all, there was no hiding it from him. Not when the pornographic sounds were spilling out of you. The war was lost way before it even began.

At first, his thrusts were slow. It was like he was committing how you felt around him to memory. You mewled when he hit that perfect sweet spot. And then came the attack.

With steady rhythm, he mercilessly pounded into you. Sounds of skin slapping skin, your unrelenting moans, the heaviness of both your breathing, filled the room. There was nothing else going on in the world, not in that moment. In that moment, there was just you. And there was just him. Coupled with the feeling of ecstasy. All you could do was claw at the shelves in front of you.

You felt the coil tightening again. With your head still back on his shoulder, you could feel your legs growing weak. His arm enclosed around you. His forearm pressing against your lower abdomen introduced a new sensation of pleasure that turned your vision white. Or maybe that just from the way his hand was still constricting around your throat. Probably both, but whatever the cause was, you didn’t care.

“A-aga– I– I’m–” was all you managed to say as you felt even more of your juices gush from between your legs. He bit down onto your shoulder again as he moaned wantonly with it. You could feel he was about to pull out of you, probably to release his spend on your face, but you managed to wrap your arm around his back, letting him know to stay in place.

With his erratic thrusts your arm fell. The overstimulation made it so the only words you could get out were “Inside. Cum inside.” As if on command, you could feel him emptying himself into you, filling you with his seed. After his hips stopped, you both stayed as you were. The hand on your throat slid down and across your waist as he held you there. He supported you as you put your weight back on him and your hands covered his.

Time stood still as you both caught your breath. Once your breathing returned to semi-normal, did he finally pull out of you. You sighed at the feeling of emptiness.

Hesitantly, you stepped forward. You felt shaky (in the best possible way), but you weren’t going to fall over. “Hold on, amore.” You heard him whisper as you folded your arms on the shelf in front of you and rested your head on them. You hummed in response, staying where you were. You closed your eyes, basking in the blissful peace that was settling over you.

Behind you, you could hear the rustling of his clothes and his footsteps as he walked back over to you. In your near boneless state, you didn’t even register the absolute mess that was dripping from you until you felt soft fabric between your legs. You looked down to see Terzo cleaning you up with one of his gloves.

“See? These Mickey Mouse gloves are good for something,” he teased.

You let out a genuine laugh. “Grazie,” you said tenderly.

“That’s as good as we can get for now,” he said once he finished, punctuating his sentence with a couple light pats on your ass.

Playfully, you rolled your eyes and shook your head as you turned to go put your skirt back on. He followed suit. As you were smoothing out your outfit, he was doing the last few buttons on his shirt. You surveyed the scene around you. “I kinda feel bad for the Ghoul that has to clean this up,” you giggled.

Terzo just smirked at you as he put his arm around your shoulders, guiding you both out of the library at a very leisurely pace. Wrapping your arm around his waist you said, “For the record, I still hate you.”

He rolled his eyes at you. “Has anyone ever told you that you are very stubborn, principessa (princess)?”

“Nope, never,” you said with an exaggerated smile.

His light laughter was cut short when you both noticed someone grumbling with their head down as they headed towards you. "Buonasera, fratello. Little late for a library visit, no?”

Secondo looked up at the sound of his brother’s voice. You could see his eyes scanning over the two of you, taking in the disheveled sight. The annoyed look permanently etched on his face deepened. “I could say the same to the both of you.”

“I was minding my own business before this stronzo bothered me,” you said.

“Bothered is a funny way to put it, principessa,” Terzo grinned.

“Why are you here this late, Secondo?” you quickly asked in hopes of preventing Terzo from saying an offhand comment. The way one of Secondo’s eyebrows raised in suspicion wasn’t lost on you.

“An uncrossing spell. One of the Ghouls fucked up. Again,” he glowered. “And it’s falling to me to fix, since someone was unreachable.”

You tugged at Terzo to start walking again, too tired to deal with Secondo’s disgruntledness. “Of course, they did. Well, just, um, don’t go too far past the restricted section.” You and Terzo exchanged a look before picking up your pace. “Buonasera!” you added without looking behind you.

Secondo saw both yours and Terzo’s shoulders shaking with laughter. He just shocked his head as he continued getting the book he needed. “About fucking time…” he grumbled.

#the band ghost #the band ghost fanfiction #terzo #papa terzo #terzo emeritus #papa emeritus iii #terzo x reader #terzo x female reader #papa emeritus iii x female reader #papa emeritus iii x reader #terzo angst #terzo smut

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kissingghouls · 9 days

Text

The Prince

Part Five - The Hungry (ao3 // one // two // three // four)

Vampire Terzo x F!Reader

Summary: With Primo's help you and Terzo try to find a solution to save your vampire. (21500 words I know. I'm sorry.)

Tags/Warnings: NSFW, MDNI, 18+, BLOOD, horror themes, vampire violence, vampire bites, blood drinking, major character injury, vomiting, magic, SMUT, unprotected sex, and more tags on ao3

apologies and thank yous at the end 💜 xo Ghouls.

Part Five – The Hungry

“Did you sleep well, piccolina?”

Primo’s deep voice carried from the far side of the kitchen barely audible over the rumble of thunder outside. It was somewhere between morning and afternoon, though the storm made it difficult to tell one from the other. Heavy rain pelted the stone walls of the cottage in a steady thrum in time with the howling winds. This type of scene used to be so comforting, but now watching water bead and trail down the windows just seemed to make you anxious. Sitting across the room and trying to make small talk with Primo Emeritus didn’t seem to help either. As kind and inviting as he was, he was still a complete stranger. An immortal stranger with superhuman strength you were supposed to stay far away from. Instead, he’d insisted on baking cookies for you.

Shaking your head, you jolted a little as the kettle began to scream from its spot of the stovetop. Sleep had been the furthest thing from your mind after Terzo’s spell. A full night’s rest would have been a dream, but there was no getting comfortable in this situation. How long could you be safe here in the middle of nowhere? How long would they wait this time?

“Primo, can I ask you something?” You wondered aloud, hoping the impending conversation would drown out the sound of the storm and your own thoughts.

He inclined his head, silently urging you to continue. A loose piece of his long, white-blond hair fell over the painted lines of his face as he moved; the rest was carefully tied back with a thin black ribbon. His focus remained on the pale green kettle in his hand as he transferred water into a dainty teapot at the edge of the counter. He moved with such precision, yet still maintained some impossibly delicate grace—the opposite of the way Terzo carried himself. There were other differences—far more than you could count—but where Terzo’s softness was an edge blunted by time, Primo’s seemed to be gently blurred into everything he did.

A flash of lightning filled the kitchen with bright light, the bank of windows on the eastern wall providing the perfect vantage point. You shuddered as thunder followed, too close and too loud for your own comfort. The storm blew a gentle breeze through the cracked windows and the ceiling fan above dragged it further in as it spun in lazy, lopsided circles. The kitchen smelled of florals and tea and rain, feeling like a Sunday afternoon you shouldn’t have access to. Everything was a little too dreamy, made fuzzy by a filter tinged with warm yellow-green like a flashback to someone else’s nostalgic past.

Someone else’s life.

“Why settle in this place?” you asked, vividly recalling the cracked asphalt and sun-bleached everything you’d passed on your way through town. “Why…here? The secluded cottage makes sense, but why live at the edge of some abandoned nowhere town?”

He turned to look at you for a beat before reaching for two teacups. “Well,” he started as he dropped a teabag into the pot. “It wasn’t always abandoned, piccolina.”

He set a cup in front of you before joining you at the table, a sigh leaving his lips as the wooden chair creaked beneath him. “This town…it used to full of a unique vibrance that drew me in. I suppose on some level I grew comfortable here, much like the other remaining residents. But mostly I stayed for the work. That’s what I told myself anyway. I have no doubt that Terzo would have you believe otherwise, but immortality can be incredibly mundane. When I found myself in this little town, I watched it grow from nothing just like I had done with a thousand other little towns in my lifetime. But this one—it was easier to fight that feeling of boredom here, to find a purpose. I chose to put my energy toward something, to have a common goal with the people here while I could. There’s a darling botanical garden on the edge of town, built something like seventy years ago, give or take. I helped fund the project.”

“Really? So, it had nothing to do with the cute girl that delivers your groceries?”

Black and white paint may have covered his entire face, but you could see Primo’s ears turn bright red. “That—she—hmph. She wasn’t even born yet. Neither were you for that matter.”

“Doesn’t mean she’s not the reason you stay.”

“The garden— “

“Sure, sure,” you teased. “Work, work, work.”

“Don’t start picking up bad habits from your beau, piccolina,” he warned. “Youth is wasted on the young indeed.”

“Not if you have an eternity to do something about it.”

He laughed quietly as he poured the most delicious smelling pink tea into each cup. “I forgot how much I enjoy such a human point of view. What of you and your eternal boytoy, hmm? What will you do when this is all over?”

You shrugged, pausing to consider his words. “Haven’t really thought that far. I think…I think I’d like to do all the things I never could before. No matter what happens I can’t go back to my old life—I wouldn’t want to go back, knowing what I know now. If I have to build a new life, it might as well be a better one than before. And if that sounds good to Terzo, then I’m happy to try building it together.”

“Hmm,” he replied with a thoughtful nod and faint smile playing on his lips.

“Belleza, I am happy to build you anything you want. But boytoy? Is that really what you’ve settled on, fratello?” Terzo grumbled as he appeared in the doorway, half-asleep with pillow marks on his face. He dropped into the seat next to you with a heavy sigh and rested his head on your shoulder. “Is that really all I am to you?”

“No. Sometimes you’re more of manbaby,” you replied and kissed the top of his head. “It’s ok though.”

“Ugh, I am so glad you two are getting along,” he teased sarcastically. “You are a bad influence on her, Primo.”

“Me? What did I do?” Primo mused as he took a sip of tea.

“You encourage her—”

“Ah.”

“—to be mean to me,” he whined. “What happened to that wide-eyed naïve girl from before, hmm?”

“I have no idea who you are talking about,” you responded flatly.

“Ah, yes. What happened to the fierce and terrifying woman who pretended not to be watching me sleep every night?”

“She met an unbelievably arrogant vampire.”

He sat up and shot you a big, toothy grin. “Oh, bellezza, was I your first?”

Primo groaned loudly and pushed away from the table. “Whatever you’re trying to do fratellino, do not do it in my kitchen.”

“Ah, calm down old man. I’m only teasing.”

“You were the one I liked enough to save. Even with your baking skills.”

Primo nearly spat out his tea. “Oh, Terzo, tell me you didn’t.”

“I was trying to do something nice for you, bellezza. But fine, fine. Let’s all pick on Terzo!” he grumbled as he stood. For a split-second the life left his eyes, the light within him dimming like a flickering lightbulb in a haunted basement. He was completely blank—jaw slack and body limp. Primo crossed the room before you could even think to react, rushing over to keep his brother’s body from collapsing to the floor. Terzo recovered just as quickly, coming back to himself as he stumbled slightly. He wrenched himself out of his brother’s hold and glared at him, teeth gritted.

“Fratellino—"

“Don’t,” he hissed. “I am fine, Primo.”

“Clearly you are not. How many more times has this happened?” Primo asked, looking back and forth between the two of you.

You crossed your arms over your chest and raised an eyebrow. It had been a few days since the incident in the bedroom and—as far as you knew—he had been completely fine ever since. If he’d started having spells again, this was the first you were hearing of it despite the promise he’d made. “Terzo?”

He shifted from one foot to the other, face washed with guilt as he concentrated on the floor and shrugged. “It… it’s happened a few more times now.”

“A few? What the hell, Terzo?”

“It was only for a couple seconds, bellezza! It wasn’t like the other times!”

“That’s not the point!”

“She is right, fratellino,” Primo agreed gravely. “You should have told me this was still happening.”

“Oh, do I need to report every detail of my life to you now? Would you like to know exactly what we did last night?”

Primo’s teacup flew from his hands and hit the sink, bursting into dozens of porcelain shards. He was so angry he was shaking; his white eye seemed to glow with his fury as his face darkened. You and Terzo jumped as he began to shout. “Satanas, Terzo you are still so stubborn!”

“Bellezza,” Terzo started quietly, moving between you and Primo. He placed a hand on your cheek and lowered his voice. “Would you please excuse us for a moment?”

You nodded silently, searching his eyes for any sign of worry as he urged you to go. You’d barely made it a few steps out of the room before the argument properly started. As you moved through the cottage their voices turned from hushed tones to an almost violent sounding shouting match. The escalation had them rapidly switching between languages to find the right words to fit their ire. None of it made much sense to you, so you let the bedroom door close behind you with a soft click.

No matter what you and Terzo had tried, the little bedroom still carried a faint smell of dust and disuse. The humidity had been so bad that leaving the windows open was hardly an option. At night when the heat broke the sounds of insects droning in the woods was so loud you could hardly think. By the time the storm rolled in, you’d given up completely on trying to air out the room.

You collapsed on the creaky old bed, balling the ancient quilt in your fists. It was still happening. Whatever they’d done to Terzo, whatever poison they’d created this time was still living within him. Things were already complicated enough, but if Terzo was still effected after this many days you knew it would only get worse. If he was hiding it from you, maybe they already had.

A tear slipped down your cheek. You’d been through so much together in such a short time, so many fucked up situations that most people would never have to think about. In some way it made sense if he didn’t trust you yet—you understood that, especially with the way the two of you had ended up together. What you couldn’t understand was why the thought of Terzo not trusting you hurt so much. Why it felt like hot knives in your chest, the searing painful burn of unease. Maybe you hadn’t done enough to show him he could trust you. Maybe he never would. You pressed a throw pillow over your mouth to stifle your cries, endlessly embarrassed by whatever this fucking feeling was.

A soft, barely audible knock on the door signaled the end of the Emeritus screaming match. Terzo said your name from the other side, speaking so gently you knew he had heard you crying.

“Bellezza? May I come in?”

You swiped at your face, brushing away whatever stray tears were left as you called out, “is that some kind of vampire joke?”

The door opened a crack, just enough that you could see his eyebrows pull together in confusion. “We don’t—that’s not a real thing.”

“I know. It’s ok, you can come in.”

He shuffled into the room and closed the door behind him. As he reached the foot of the bed, he dropped to his knees and laid his head in your lap.

“I’m terrible at this,” he admitted quietly.

“At what?”

“Apologies…relationships…honesty.” He sighed heavily. “Vulnerability.”

“None of those things are easy, Terzo.” You ran a hand through his hair as he nuzzled his face into your leg. “I’m not good at them either.”

“You deserve better than me—”

“Don’t say that.”

“I just mean…you deserve a better me than I’ve been lately. I should have told you.”

“Do you trust me?”

He looked up and locked eyes with you. “With my eternal life, bellezza. With everything I am.”

“No more secrets, ok? I want to help you, but I can’t if you keep hiding things from me, Terzo. It…it fucking hurts.”

“I am so sorry, bellezza. So, so sorry. I will tell you everything, anything you want to know.”

-x- Four Months Later -x-

Primo’s house smelled sweet—like sugar and fresh vanilla mixed with roses flowering in a gentle breeze. But underneath the pleasant scent was a hint of copper, a warm metallic tinge that permeated absolutely everything. Your entire life was covered in blood; it coated your borrowed clothes and seeped into your bedsheets, hanging in the air like a permanent red haze. You couldn’t get away from it if you tried. The taste settled on your tongue, bitter and harsh without the sweetness of Terzo’s kiss to wash it away.

Even the gardens felt wounded, the lifeless and bare shrubs now naked against the chilly autumn wind. The surrounding woods had turned as red as everything else, a dying fire against a cold, grey sky. It was hard to stay hopeful on days like this, hard to see beyond what looked like the end of the world.

Your world, anyway.

This was not how things were supposed to go. Stillness fell over the property, stretching past the woods to blot out the stars. You sat at the end of the path, knees in the dirt as you tried to decide your next move and the world just…carried on around you. Time and nature weren’t bound by the same crushing weight that followed you day-in and day-out. They just kept moving. Kept changing.

You dug your hands into the soil, grasping for something—anything—to distract you from the tears slipping down your cheeks. You were so tired of crying. Tired of thinking and feeling and being while just fucking waiting. Waiting for months with only uncertainty and pain to keep you company during the day. Waiting and watching as your lover struggled and grew weaker. You wanted to scream, wanted to scream so loud and for so long that even the old gods were forced to watch you cough up blood. It wouldn’t help but it would be something, anything that didn’t feel like this.

Something that didn’t feel like mourning.

“Do werewolves have big teeth?” you asked him, genuinely curious. Of all the things you’d come to learn about, you still had trouble wrapping your head around your sweet elderly neighbor transforming under the full moon.

Terzo gave you a half-smile as he rolled onto his side. “Not as big as mine, bellezza,” he replied suggestively, practically purring in your ear. His hand fell to your hip, pawing at the bare skin as he nipped at your neck.

“You are the absolute worst,” you groaned, but you didn’t mean it. You never did. These moments with him—these silly little conversations shared in the afterglow with bare chests and sweaty skin—you’d give anything to keep each other here forever.

“Ah, but not five minutes ago I was the best you’d ever had, no?”

“I never said that?”

“Excuse me—"

“It’s true, but I never said it. Wouldn’t it be kind of fucked up if you were bad in bed? Like how many years have you been doing this? A couple thousand?”

“Bellezza, I am not that old,” he grumbled.

“Well, that’s a shame. I’ve been into older men lately.”

“Better only be one man.”

“Aw, Terzo are you jealous?”

“What if I was, amore?” There was hurt in his tone, a seriousness that bit into you with venomous fangs.

“Terzo—”

“I’m sorry, amore mio. I know this isn’t easy for either of us, but—”

You cut him off by covering his mouth with your hands. “You are the only man for me, Terzo Emeritus. Do I need to show you again?”

A warm hand gripped your shoulder, pulling you back to the dying garden. Primo didn’t even flinch as you flung yourself at him, tears and dirt staining the silk of his fancy robe. He’d never mention it; Primo never once asked you to stop feeling, never told you to pull yourself together or chastised you for being an embarrassment to the organization. Primo Emeritus—a man you were taught your entire life to fear above all others—only ever offered you a shoulder to cry on.

And if that wasn’t enough, he’d simply offer the other.

He held you tight, quietly humming some centuries-old forgotten lullaby as your tears ran their course. He wouldn’t speak until you were ready. He never pushed or insisted that this would pass. He just waited to hear what you had to say. It took you a long time to get used to that level of empathy, for his simple acts of compassion to not feel like ulterior motives. But eventually you realized he couldn’t fix you any more than you could stop him from being a vampire. He only wanted to help you.

“It’s not fair,” you managed between sobs. “It’s not fair.”

“No, piccolina, it isn’t fair,’ he agreed, smoothing a hand over your hair. “It’s too much for either of you. But I swore to you I would help, sì?”

You nodded numbly.

He knelt in front of you, grinding more stains into the material of his robe as he placed a hand under your chin. “I would not lie to you, piccolina. I will save Terzo. No matter the cost.”

“What do you mean the cost?” you shot back, voice trembling.

He tutted softly and patted your hand before helping you to your feet. “Nothing you need worry about, my dear.”

“Primo,” you leveled. “What are you—”

“Hush now, piccolina. Why don’t we wake the sleeping beauty? We can discuss things together later, eh?”

You nodded once, knowing the vampire would hardly take no for answer. But something still ate at you, gnawing away at whatever sense of calm you had managed until you were nothing more than an exposed nerve. No amount of Primo’s wisdom or comfort could help you with this one.

“Could I—can I have a minute alone with him first?”

“Of course,” he replied with a kind smile. “Would you care for some coffee?”

“Yeah.” Before he could get too far you reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. “Thank you, Primo.”

It was too small of a phrase for all those feelings, but someday you would find a proper way to tell him how much this all meant to you. For now, you hid your sniffles behind your hands and waited for the older man to disappear back inside before gathering the courage to face Terzo alone.

Over the last few months, the little room at the back of the cottage had slowly become something like a home. Your home. A cozy space you and Terzo had carved out of Primo’s infinite kindness and filled with odd, yet beautiful things from Terzo’s past. A collection of his vintage clothing and accessories had been stashed away in a closet, pieces from another time left here to idly wait for him to return. Neither Terzo nor Primo had shared why he sought sanctuary here those years ago, but rediscovering his old treasures made him so happy you didn’t need to ask. You trusted him to tell you when he wanted to.

If he ever wanted to.

Your feet dragged over the rug, the soft fibers adding some kind of familiar constant in this new life of maybes and what ifs. With a deep breath, the scent of clove and cologne filled your lungs, a warm combination you’d grown so fond of. Some days you went as far as spritzing the cologne on your own wrist to feel closer to him while he was stuck like this.

As much as this place was home, it was also a mausoleum. A place your lover was laid to rest, spending most of his days in a state somewhere between life and death.

Terzo lay on the bed, his eyes closed and his skin dull and grey. His lips had turned a horrid shade of blue made that much worse the longer he “slept.” It never really looked like he was sleeping—his sleeping face was so much more expressive than this empty vessel version of Terzo. Primo once said it had something to do with circulation, trying to explain the line where science met magic to form their physiology. You listened, but it never made much sense to you. You didn’t need to know. All you needed was for your immortal undead boyfriend to be not dead.

No matter how hard it was, your days weren’t always spent in some lonely pit of despair. When Terzo was awake he was still the same old Terzo—effortlessly funny and charming in a way you had never expected. He seemed intent on making your life together as normal as it could be, still trying desperately to woo you with grand romantic gestures straight out of those movies he loved. Some nights you’d stay up well past an acceptable hour, just listening to him share stories from his questionable past, tales of “years ago” that could have meant 3 or 300 years. There were other nights the two of you poured through a book about the history and architecture of Meliora House, marveling at photos of the grandiose mansion in its heyday. He would have you close your eyes and pick a random page before telling about each room in incredibly vibrant detail. While you never stopped being impressed by your boyfriend’s ability to recall so many things over so many years, your heart broke for him that such a big piece of his past had been destroyed forever. How many other things had he lost to time in 900 years?

You made it your mission to create as many memories as you could in that little bedroom with him.

Sighing heavily, you climbed into bed and pressed as close to Terzo as you could. You gently brushed a few wayward hairs from his face, hating how cold his skin felt under your touch when he was stuck like this.

“Sorry I was gone so long,” you whispered, laying your head on his chest. You would’ve given anything to hear him take a breath, for him to wrap an arm around you and hold you tight and kiss you so hard your lips bruised. Sometimes you wondered if you just wished hard enough or found the right god to ask…

“I know you said you can’t hear me when you’re like this, but there’s something I really, really want to talk to you about,” you whispered. “And I’m afraid I won’t be able to when you’re awake. If you’re awake…then it’s real and you’ll hear it and you’ll know. But if I don’t say it, if I don’t tell you…what if you never get to hear me say it? What if you never know? If you never get to hear it because I was too scared to say it…well, that’s no good either. So, what do I do?” y ou asked with a laugh. “I mean, I know what you would tell me to do, but it’s just…I don’t know. I guess it really isn’t that easy, huh?”

You reached up and kissed his cheek as you considered your options. You’d traced every line and crease of the man’s face, memorized every mark and scar so thoroughly they might as well live on your own skin and it still wasn’t enough. You had watched him for so long now—before you’d ever met him—and you could still spend hours just studying someone so beautiful it made your heart hurt.

He deserved to know you looked at him the same way he looked at you.

“I love you, Terzo Emeritus,” you confessed quietly. “And I’m going to tell you to your stupid, handsome face. I will tell you every day, whether you can hear me or not because it won’t change how I feel.”

You swiped away a tear and cuddled closer to Terzo, holding him for what felt like hours. It wasn’t enough; it was never enough. As Primo knocked on the bedroom door, you buried your face in his chest to hide your emotions from the other vampire as much as you could. He’d seen you express everything from rage to grief and back already of course, but if you could spare him one more pep talk you would certainly try. As he shuffled in, the smell of strong coffee began to overwhelm the subtle hint of soap and sweat that lingered on your lover’s skin. No matter how hard you wished you could stay and get lost in him you knew it was no use.

Primo’s slippers scuffed against the hardwood, cups rattling on the same tarnished tray he carried in every evening. Ambling through the room, he set the tray aside and gave you a half-smile before producing a glass vial from his pocket. You sat up and offered your left arm, the right already bruised to hell from previous draws. You hated this part, hated that this had become so routine. You couldn’t get away from the smell of blood, but you’d grown numb to the sight of your own.

The next part was always easiest. A bandage for your arm and a regiment of supplements and vitamins to keep you healthy. Things that kept the blood strong, Primo had told you when it became clear this was headed toward an everyday occurrence. You swallowed the pills down and accepted the cup of expensive coffee the older gentleman had made for you.

The two of you had bonded so much in these shared albeit terrible moments. You doubted he would be so quick to let you into his life without the forced proximity, but Primo never seemed to be bothered by having you around. It didn’t take long for you to understand that he was a balancing act, a man on a highwire with bound hands and nerves of steel. But those feats of strength could not hide the worried, emotional side of a man several hundred years your senior. There was something in the way he had leaned into this caregiver role, something that suggested there was more to his story than what he was comfortable sharing with you. But there were times that he would share, absently recounting stories from his own past. He once told you how Terzo had become frighteningly ill as a child, somehow remembering that very same fear of his brother at death’s door though several centuries had passed. He swore to you in a moment of raw honesty that just as he had done everything in his power to save Terzo as a boy, he would not stop until he saved him again.

And he promised that Terzo never had to know how much you cried.

“Did you two have a nice talk?” he finally asked, turning away. He hunched over the tray and jabbed a spoon into the thick, noxious mixture of tea and herbs whatever else he used to bring Terzo back to life.

You shrugged, not willing to make any more confessions for the day. Instead, you ran a hand through your hair and gave a noncommittal sigh.

“You should rest, piccolina,” he warned with a sigh of his own. “What would he say?”

“He’d probably call you an old man,” you replied, wiping at fresh tears with the back of your hand. “Or he’d put on his grouchy voice and mumble the equivalent in Italian to get under your skin. What’s that thing he always says? Testa di Cazzo?”

Primo chuckled. “Yes, I suppose he would call me a dickhead. Lovingly, of course.”

You managed a small smile before the tears threatened to fall again. “I really miss him, Primo.”

“I know you do, cara. I miss him, too. Though it is nice that someone finally found a way to shut him up for a minute.”

You snorted out a laugh. “Primo!”

“Just trying to lighten the mood, piccolina.” He knelt in front of you and made sure he had your full attention before he spoke. “I will cure him,” he assured you. “I promised you, sì? And I am nothing if not a man of my word. I know finding a solution has taken more time than any of us would like, but—Bah! Let’s wake him, eh?”

You nodded and looked down at your hands. You’d bitten your nails to the quick and ripped your cuticles to shreds over the past few weeks, your body trying so hard to fight off the anxiety that threatened to swallow you. There was dirt deeply embedded under your nails from digging into the ground out of desperation. Pieces of earth still stuck on your skin like tiny reminders of your every fear. “Please don’t tell him—”

“I would never betray your confidence, piccolina. Are you ready?”

You drew a deep breath, centering yourself before giving him a firm nod. Moving to the other side of the bed, you propped up Terzo’s body as much as you could, fighting against the dead weight and stiff muscles. You slid behind him, wrapping your arms around his chest to hold him in place while Primo readied the last ingredient for that awful elixir.

The smell was terrible, an overpowering punch of rust and dirt and the potion stuck to the inside of Primo’s teacups like roofing tar. The final ingredient had to be added seconds before consumption, like the half-life of shots of fine espresso but not nearly as appetizing. Primo nodded once to make sure your hold was strong before removing the stopper from the vial.

Terzo’s eyes shot open as the smell of iron flooded the room. Wild, hungry sounds erupted from Terzo’s mouth, feral growls that only grew louder as Primo moved closer and poured your blood into the mixture. The older vampire took his brother by the jaw, forcing his mouth open enough to pour the tea down his throat.

What used to take seconds now took a full five minutes. Every day you waited longer and longer for the vampire’s rigid body to relax and fill with warmth again. When it finally did, he melted into you with a happy sigh. Smears of blood and flecks of herbs clung to the corners of his lips as they stretched into a smile.

“Amore,” he whispered dreamily. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

Primo pushed the cup into Terzo’s hand before ruffling his hair. “Drink the whole thing, Terzo.”

“I will,” he whined. He made a face as he took another drink and struggled to keep the liquid down. “Augh, happy?”

The older man said nothing as he turned and left the room.

Terzo quickly chugged the rest of the mixture before he turned and nuzzled into your chest. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

And there it was, the last thing you wanted to hear ever again. You groaned and pushed him away, climbing to your feet. Tired of having the same conversation, you slipped into the bathroom to hide the fresh tears that filled your eyes. Primo offered you an out after the fits gradually became worse. He told you that you were free to leave, that if you wanted you could go on and start living a new life. He said you didn’t owe Terzo anything, you got him this far and that was more than enough.

You’d never been more offended in your entire life.

Part of you understood it was out of kindness, that Primo didn’t want you to sit and watch Terzo “die” over and over and over. As nice as it would have been to avoid, you couldn’t help but think how panicked and hurt Terzo would be if he one day woke up without you. The thought broke your heart into a million little pieces, just like it broke you heart that there were still days like this. Days when he’d wake up ready to push you away. His misguided, half-hearted attempt to spare you from this never ever worked. Sometimes you could even joke with him about it, but today…today, with dirt from the dying garden still stuck under your fingernails you wanted nothing more than to be with him.

“Bellezza,” he whispered softly as he appeared behind you, almost panicked. He wrapped his arms so tightly around your middle there was nowhere else to go as his lips hovered near your ear. “I’m sorry, my love, amore mio. So sorry.”

You nodded and learned against him as the walls of that tiny bathroom began to close in on you. “Terzo—”

“Forgive me, amore?” he asked, pressing a kiss into your cheek. “Please forgive me.”

You turned to face him, staring deep into his odd, beautiful eyes. It was too hard to hold onto all that sadness when he looked at you that way, when he begged you. Your request was a whisper, a desperate plea in the silence of the room for him to just kiss you. He crowded you against the wall like he had done so many times over the course of your relationship and captured you in the most devastating kiss just as you’d asked. It was easy to get lost in him like this, to forget the awful trial he was being forced through and each painful day it meant for you. To forget all of it and let him be Terzo and only Terzo. You craved the way his touch quieted your mind, a gentle reminder that he was still here—that he would still be here.

It doesn’t take long for the spark to catch—it never took long with the two of you—and before you knew it, he was on his knees in worship of you. And maybe he did worship you, but you didn’t ask. You didn’t say much other than “please” and “more” as his fingers traced over every inch of your skin, committing you to memory on that bathroom floor.

It was slow and soft and you think Terzo Emeritus might be the only person who could ever fuck you against a wall and still call it “making love.” But you know that’s what he’d say because that’s what it is for both of you. You couldn’t stop yourself as he dragged his sharpened teeth across your collarbone and looked at you through heavy-lidded eyes, so blissed out and alive. It escaped you like so many of the tears you had tried so hard to hide from him and it hung over your heads as Terzo stared back at you, unblinking.

“What did you say, bellezza?” he asked, eyes wide and hips still.

You brought your hands to his face, holding him there. “I said I love you, Terzo,” you repeated, though you could hardly believe you’d said it yourself. “I love you.”

“M-me?”

“Yeah, you.”

“Oh, bellezza.” His mouth crashed against yours, clumsy and hungry as he tried to kiss you a thousand times all at once. “Love you,” he managed to say between breaths, directing most of his concentration toward carefully laying you on the floor. “I love you,” he repeated as he repositioned himself over you and slowly slid his cock back into your heat. “I love you…and you love me.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” you warned.

“Too late for that, amore mio. You’re there forever now.” He grinned down at you and pointed at his chest. “And here too.”

“Ugh,” you groaned, rolling your eyes. “You’re such a fucking sap.”

“Sì, but you love me.” He made a point of circling his hips to watch you writhe and keen under him, smiling the entire time.

“Terzo, please.”

“Anything for you my love,” he whispered into your ear before changing his angle and beginning to fuck you in earnest. As he drove each thrust home, you could see stars in your vision. That white-hot passion that had always burned between you was a flare, a lifeline you could follow back to safety, to someone who loved you. To someone you loved.

He held you close as you came, his fingers digging into your hips as your own clawed at his back. He followed soon after with his face buried into your neck, his breath almost instantly cooling your heated skin. He stayed between your legs, lazily mouthing at your collarbone as you both came down from the high, completely addicted to each other.

“I’m so sorry, bellezza. Please, please forgive me,” he begged once more, finally resting his head on your chest. His hair fanned out, sticking in odd patterns to the sweat on your skin as he lay claim to you once more.

“I already have,” you admitted softly, carding a hand through his messy hair. “Shower?”

He nodded. “In a minute.”

You granted him as much peace as you could on the patterned tiles of the bathroom, silently lying with him and holding him close until he was ready to start the day—though it had to be close to midnight by then. Things seemed to move slower in Primo’s house, as though time itself had its claws in the two of you. Even tiny gestures like Terzo’s fascination with washing your hair could never be rushed no matter how much shampoo he managed to get in your eyes.

You were the same way, of course. Taking care to steady your hand before tracing the angles on his face in that black paint. It was no small task, especially not after he explained the meaning behind it. Every time he would tease you about the serious expression you wore while trying to even out the lines on his nose, taking this delicate, intimate part of his life and making it into some silly game. And you let him, finding yourself unable to stop doing anything that made him smile. Even if that meant you were now in charge of buttoning his shirts for him half the time.

Part of you missed those ridiculous crop tops.

-x-

Terzo settled his hip against the counter, watching closely as you moved through the next part of your routine. Preparing his midnight “breakfast” fell on you as Primo very quickly forbid him from using any of the appliances, some unspoken memory of a culinary disaster shared between them with a knowing look. Carefully, you poured the contents of a blood bag into the mug that previously held your coffee. Try as you might, you could never get Terzo to explain why he liked sharing your cup, he simply asked that you did. It was one of his more reasonable requests.

With the cup in the microwave, the two of you watched the faded design slowly spin in the ancient wood-paneled machine. What once read “Everything’s better in” some town was barely legible after at least a decade’s worth of runs through the dishwasher. The cottage was full of things like that—old and yellowing, well loved, but still functional. You cracked a smile, thinking about how similar your 900 year old vampire boyfriend and a microwave from the 1980’s could be.

“What’s so funny, hmm?” he mused and pulled you into his arms.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing, huh?” He squeezed your sides, tickling you until you let out a high pitched squeal.

“Stop,” you managed through a giggle. “You wouldn’t like the joke anyway.”

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but the ungodly howl of the microwave timer cut off anything he was about to say. He reached for the cup and took a long pull, savoring the rich taste of A Positive with his eyes closed. A pleased hum rumbled in his throat as he tried to lick away the leftover traces, but a deep red line formed above his upper lip.

You smiled and let your eyes trail over every little line and soft ridge buried under the paint. Such fine details were only visible up close when he was painted, but you liked the way they added a softness to the harsh angles. You reached over and swiped your thumb across his lip to wipe away the blood mustache.

“You know I’m not going anywhere, right?”

Terzo stared back at you wide-eyed. After a beat he nodded and lowered his gaze, staring into his substitute meal with a hint of shame.

“I know, bellezza,” he offered quietly. “I’m sorry. I just—sometimes I can’t understand why you would stay with me.”

“Yeah, well. If you have to ask, you’re dumber than you look.”

“How dumb do I look?” he shot back, deeply concerned.

“Oh, bello.” You pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “You don’t look dumb. At all.”

He beamed at you. “Bello?”

“Sì, bello. Bellisimo, even.”

“I love you, bellezza, but your pronunciation is terrible.”

“Oh, fuck off,” you groaned. “Testa di Cazzo.”

“Such a dirty mouth,” he tsked.

“Said the vampire with a blood mustache.”

“Straws are bad for the turtles, bellezza,” he informed you, his mouth set in a deep frown. “I saw it on the news.”

“Ha! I’d believe you could fly before I believe you watched the news.”

He sighed. “Ok, fine. It’s something I heard Omega say once.”

You leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder. He was so warm after he ate that you couldn’t help but relax against him. “Do you think Omega and Alpha are enjoying their extended vacation?”

“I doubt they’ve ever been happier. They’ve asked for a swimming pool for Christmas for the last, oh, thirty years?”

“Do you even celebrate Christmas?”

“No! Which makes it that much more irritating when they ask—"

“Hate to interrupt,” Primo chimed in as he appeared in the doorway to the kitchen.

“Feel free not to then,” Terzo shot back with a wave of his hand. “We’re busy.”

“Apologies fratellino but it cannot be helped. There is something we need to discuss.”

“No,” he replied with a frown. “No ‘discussions’, no tests, no nothing. Not today, Primo. Please?”

It was Primo’s turn to frown, deep creases forming between his eyes and around his mouth. He looked older somehow, more wrinkled and tired than he had a few hours ago. His body appeared almost frail, like a distorted reflection of the way Terzo had become brighter and livelier.

“Primo, are you ok?” you asked gently.

“Always, piccolina,” he replied dismissively. “Now, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. Could you two join me in the lab?”

Terzo sighed heavily and knocked back the rest of his breakfast in one gulp. “Do we have a choice?”

“No,” Primo responded simply.

Together you quietly made your way through the back of the house and down the set of stone steps that marked the boundary of the original cottage. A large glass conservatory stretched across the back of the property; an addition made sometime later where Primo spent most of his time these days. The air in the structure was sticky and humid, heavy with the heat of the day still trapped between the thick panes.

You settled on the small sofa hidden amongst the massive leaves, the pollen from the fresh blooms making your nose itch as you looked around Primo’s makeshift laboratory. A worktable that should have been used for flower arrangements and propagation was covered in countless glass flasks filled with odd concoctions and a colorful assortment of potions. Some bubbled under the heat of an open flame, while others slowly dripped into a new container like moonshine being distilled in some prohibition hideout. Each mixture had been crafted by hand while Primo consulted some dusty old tome, working tirelessly to keep his brother alive. You weren’t sure if it was basic chemistry or some magical alchemy the old vampire had his hands in, neither would really surprise you.

“What is it you want now?” Terzo asked, clearly annoyed by Primo’s insistence. “More blood?”

“No, fratellino. You should sit down.”

He looked nervous, hands trembling slightly as he sat and sank into the sofa. It wasn’t an expression you were used to seeing on the carefree vampire’s face, even when things had been at their worst. Something in Primo’s tone scared him, which only made you frightened in turn. You slipped your hand into his, fingers intertwining in a silent reminder that you were there with him. That you loved him.

The exposed skin of his hands glowed with warmth—with life. You were glad to see him feeling better. Looking better. But Primo’s solemn expression cast a dark cloud over everything in the room. Whatever he had found, whatever he needed to say didn’t look good.

“Fratellino, how do you feel?”

“Better than you look,” he replied in a suspicious tone. “Why do you ask?”

Primo pinched the bridge of his nose. “Terzo…this isn’t easy—”

“You can’t fix it,” he whispered.

“No, Terzo that’s not—” he rushed. He paused with a sigh, searching for the right words. “What’s happening to you—the poison is…complex. It took a great deal of time to break it down and discover all the components—to understand why our temporary solution treats the effects, but hasn’t made any improvements toward ridding your body of this thing—"

“You’re blaming my body for this?”

“Of course not. Will you let me finish?” He snapped harshly.

“Fine,” Terzo huffed and crossed his arms over his chest as he pushed further into the sofa.

“Mi dispiace, mostriciattolo,” Primo replied quietly. “My temper is harder to control right now.”

You felt him tense beside you as he cautiously looked up at his brother.

“You…you haven’t called me that in at least 100 years,” he noted in a whisper.

“Fratellino, do you remember what I told you when you were young?”

Terzo nodded once and wiped away a single tear with the back of his hand. Another memory shared wordlessly between two almost ancient men. “What does that have to do with this?”

“Our enemies underestimate us,” Primo replied grimly. “They think I won’t do what needs to be done. That I—have never faced such a harrowing challenge in all my lifetimes. Surely that is the only way to survive this long, sì? Fear in the form of self-preservation. That I would choose my life over yours.”

“What are you saying, Primo?”

Primo shrugged. “The thing that binds us to each other, the thing we need to survive—they underestimate its power too. I would die to save you, Terzo. I would do it all over again without question. And that makes our family different. It is how we are bound that gives us power.” He paused to look at you. “How we can be bound to another. Our blood possesses properties humans have never dreamed of. The trouble is it will take a great deal of our blood to fix yours.”

“Like how much?” you asked nervously.

Primo didn’t answer, instead he lifted a hand to silence you as his eyes darted around the room. The faintest noise came from outside, barely more than a rustling in the grass just outside the conservatory’s walls. Both men were immediately on edge, their fangs bared in warning as something—someone—moved around the building.

“Stay here,” Primo commanded firmly before making his way toward the door.

Terzo moved so quickly it felt like missing frames in a sequence, your brain struggling to process his actions. He pressed a knife into your hand, swiped from somewhere on Primo’s table. You stared at the thing, blinking slowly until the realization hit you. Danger. Someone had finally come for your vampire.

Silently, you eased behind Terzo and prepared to strike at whatever—whoever—might present itself. You held your breath, straining to hear anything while Primo moved through the side door, his long, white hair disappearing into the darkness.

A feeling crept down your spine—forgotten yet so familiar—winding your nerves tighter and tighter like a loaded spring trap. Adrenaline coursed through your veins, dialing your senses to eleven as you scouted the room. Your pulse raced uncomfortably as the chemical tried to take over your body and mind, every cell screaming for you to fight. To run. You’d spent most of your life training yourself not to be afraid, but that was easier said when the only thing to lose was your own life. But now, with Terzo—with the man you loved—standing before you, that sense was heightened.

There was a desire to throw yourself in front of the vampire—to protect him. No matter what it might cost you.

A shadow formed in the doorway, a large and imposing figure looming in the dark. You readied yourself as it stepped forward, prepared to fight off whoever had come for you. Light hit the solid form and the familiar image of harsh black and white paint in a shape you didn’t recognize became clearer. The man leaned forward, squinting as he scanned the room.

Terzo let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he called out, “Secondo?”

You felt your heart stop as Secondo Emeritus focused solely on you. With each determined step he ignored Terzo’s shouting and shoved him hard as he passed. He crashed into the sofa, the frame completely shattering from the impact and the sharp snap of solid wood bursting into pieces became the soundtrack to your false sense of security coming to an abrupt end.

Secondo had a hand around your throat before you could move—before you could think. He squeezed hard, cutting off your air as he dragged you across the room. Tears welled in your eyes as you helplessly kicked and tried to free yourself. But it was useless. He was strong, too strong. It took no effort for him to haul you up and pin you to the wall.

He stared you down, teeth gritted and eyes filled with malice. “Tell me why I shouldn’t just snap your neck right now, little hunter,” he ground out, fangs flashing with each pointed word.

Fear and pain surged through you, swirling its way around the adrenaline already poisoning your blood. Your lungs burned, screaming for you to take a breath as his fingers flexed and threatened to crush your windpipe. Years of training flashed in your head, every weakness and warning you’d ever heard. What good was any of it now that you were actually faced with an Emeritus vampire?

Maybe, maybe you deserved to die at the hands of a vampire, but you weren’t ready to find out.

You reached out and slashed at him with the knife. The blade easily sliced through the fancy material of his suit and into the soft flesh of his forearm. Again and again you cut into him, but he still wouldn’t let go. With a growl, Secondo wrenched the knife from your hand and stabbed it into the wall a hair’s width from your head. The placement was no accident. It was a calculated move to let you know that Secondo was going to kill you slowly and without mercy.

In one last desperate attempt you jammed your fingers into the wounds you carved, hoping it would break his hold. A warm rush of blood oozed around your fingers, but the vampire didn’t even flinch.

A choking sound escaped your mouth as you fought for each breath, tears streaming down your face. “Ter—"

There was a blur of movement followed by a sickening snap and you hit the floor hard. You grabbed your neck, sucking down desperate breaths as soon as you realized you were free. But how?

Secondo clumsily stumbled backward in surprise; his arm now bent at grotesque angle. Bone and sinew poked through his shredded sleeve as blood dripped onto the conservatory’s stone floor. With a great howl of pain, he pushed a protruding broken bone back into its rightful place and rounded on Terzo.

Terzo crouched in front of you, spitting and snarling like a wild animal. His teeth made a horrifying sound as he threateningly snapped his jaws at his brother. “If you ever put your hands on her again,” he growled in warning, his voice low and terrifying. “You will beg for death.”

Secondo offered him a sick smile as he stepped forward. “I would love to see you try, little brother.”

Terzo rose to his full height, squaring off with the taller man. He was almost an entire foot shorter and his slight frame made Secondo look even more muscular in comparison, but size and scale hardly mattered when it came to the strength of vampires. As old as they were, they were both powerful and possibly deadly to each other.

Secondo’s smile didn’t falter as he took another step. “Do you really think you can stop me before I get to her?”

“Would you like to find out?”

“Boys!”

Primo’s voice rang out so loud it rattled the large windows in their frames. The noise reverberated through the domed structure, bouncing around as Terzo and Secondo completely stopped in their tracks. The vampires were now frozen in their battle stances, refusing to take their eyes off one another but neither dared to move.

“I won’t tolerate you being at each other’s throats, so you might as well get over it now,” he instructed before turning to Secondo and pointing a bony finger at him. “If you touch piccolina again, you won’t be answering to Terzo.”

Secondo narrowed his eyes but otherwise stayed quiet as the warning hung between them.

You scrambled to your feet, keeping your back to the wall as you watched for the next threat. A surge of panic ripped through you as a woman in a designer outfit appeared behind Primo. She gently brushed past him with a small nod and a hand placed carefully on his arm, an ornate ring on her finger catching the light. The gems sparkled like stars in the way only real jewels could before they were hidden under the velvet sleeve of her jacket. She moved with such elegance, even as she rushed to Secondo’s side and delicately held his arm to examine his wounds. He tried to shake her off, earning himself a stern look from the smaller woman that seemed to fix him in place. He cupped her face with his non-bloodied hand, quickly mumbling an apology and something else that brought relief to her face. They exchanged a look—the kind could only exist between two people who were deeply connected or deeply in love—before he pressed his forehead to hers. Secondo’s entire being, this massive, monstrous threat, seemed to completely melt away under her touch.

Peeking out from under her collar was the faint line of a scar. You quickly realized who she must be. Reginetta, as Terzo called her, Secondo’s little queen.

What had happened to them was no secret among the hunters. Time after time you heard about how some rogue group had infiltrated his club, ransomed his assistant, and set fire to the building. How they had nearly succeeded in taking him out in the process. It was a fairy tale full of corpses and poisons, one Terzo didn’t like to discuss at all, but in your time together you had heard the other side of the story. How the hunters had tried to turn love into a weakness and forced Terzo and Secondo to watch as they stabbed his girlfriend. You knew all about how utterly helpless Terzo had felt, how it haunted and changed him from a man you suspected didn’t have a care in the world to one who carried the entire weight of it alone by the time you met.

Somewhere within the ruins of Meliora House, Terzo had also kept a couple of Lucy’s teeth.

You weren’t a part of what they’d done, but you were hardly different. Terzo was in this whole mess because of you—because you also foolishly decided to try to take out the most powerful vampire family in history. And for what? The was no glory, no noble cause. There was just some bullshit sense of victory and justice fed to you for years. You never questioned it, not even once. Not until Terzo directed his attention toward you.

There was nothing about you that was worthy of his love and yet, he gave it freely. He loved you—a pitiful, undeserving mess of a girl with blood on her hands and next to nothing to offer him.

You tried to swallow it down, to make yourself as small as possible and disappear. A wounded cry left your lips as you thought about all the damage you’d done. All that pain and heartache inflicted for centuries by hunters just like you.

He turned as you whimpered, moving faster than your eyes could follow. Holding you tight to his chest, he began to whisper a thousand apologies into your hair before you could even think to protest. You didn’t deserve this, didn’t deserve him, but he was right there with you. Fighting the urge to sob, you wrapped your arms around his neck. Everything the two of you had been through, every errant feeling or emotion you’d pushed down bubbled to the surface and threatened to drown you. You were afraid. You were worried. You were annoyed and happy and loved. You were so, so loved. And you were the safest you’d ever felt—the only time you’d felt safe in your miserable little life—here in his arms. That thought—that knowledge burned brighter than any of the nasty things you could tell yourself about your former life.

Terzo loved you. He’d said it a million times and now you finally understood what it meant. And you’d fight to the death to hold onto it.

“You’ve got real shitty people skills, Twos.”

You lifted your head to search for the voice. Another couple appeared, gracefully making their way into the conservatory. Gold accents adorned their coordinating outfits, glinting in the soft light as they moved. The delicate fringe of their epaulets swayed as Count and Countess Copia gave their surroundings a once-over. Their painted faces hid their expressions, but their military dress suggested they were here for something serious. Terzo however, wasn’t nearly as stoic. As Copia took a step forward, Terzo let out low, warning growl.

“Oh, calm down, fratello,” Copia called out with a dismissive wave. “No one’s going to hurt you or the girl.”

“Honestly,” the Countess started and turned to Reginetta. “How on earth do you put up with him?”

It was Secondo’s turn to growl. “She’s a hunter,” he grinded out.

“Yeah,” the Countess laughed. “A teeny-tiny little hunter in a room full of Emeritus vampires. What exactly did you think she was going to do?”

“She can speak for herself,” you spat as you tried to untangle yourself from Terzo’s arms.

The Countess let out a deranged giggle. “Not if I snatch out your tongue—”

“You’re not going anywhere near her. None of you are going anywhere near her,” Terzo sneered.

“Oh well,” she hummed and turned her attention to Terzo. “Terzo! It’s so lovely to see you dressed like it’s this century.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Well, Sorella, I lost most of my things in a fire and had to run for my life.” He gestured toward her clothes. “What is your excuse for this?”

She flashed her fangs and hissed.

“Amore don’t tease a dying man,” Copia urged, and steering her away by the shoulders. He casually dropped onto the broken sofa, barely noticing the splintered wood at his feet. “Do you have any sort of burial ensemble in mind, fratello?”

“No, because I’m not dying,” Terzo corrected. His fingernails dug painfully into your skin as he buried a much angrier reaction.

“Are you sure? You look terrible,” Secondo teased, ignoring the pinch he received from Reginetta.

“If you’re not dying then why did Primo call us?” Copia asked. “Primo, why did you call us?”

“I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t,” Primo muttered with a groan. “Frankly, it’s embarrassing that none of you can be in the same room for more than two minutes before you start acting like children. I called because Terzo needs help, your help—”

“And not because you’re trying to show off in front of the little hunter, hmm?” Secondo challenged coolly.

“Mind your tone, fratellino,” Primo warned, accompanied by a low growl as he stepped toward his brother.

“Oh, here we go,” Copia grumbled with a roll of his eyes and leaned forward to grab a sharp, broken piece of wood. He tossed the makeshift stake at Primo and Secondo’s feet, issuing a challenge of his own. “You ever see a real vampire bloodbath, little hunter?”

“Enough!” Terzo screamed. His entire body shook with anger as he looked around the room, staring each of his brothers down. “You said we’d be safe here,” he spat at Primo. “You promised me.”

“You are safe here—”

“That stronzo grabbing bellezza by the throat is your definition of safe?” He let out an uneasy laugh as he turned to Copia. “Make your jokes, Copia. By all means, please have another laugh at my expense. But let me ask you what would you have done, hmm? What would you have done if Secondo had stormed into your fucking castle and grabbed the Countess like that? If he had threatened to take her life instead of killing a room full of people so the two of you could live happily ever after, huh?”

“Well, I—” Copia started, but Terzo angrily waved him off.

“I don’t want your fucking help,” he stated tersely. “We don’t need any help from any of you if this is how you’re going to treat us. If this is how you and Secondo plan to repay me for fighting your fucking battles I don’t need you here.”

“Terzo, hang on—” Secondo tried.

“No!” Terzo snapped. “If none of you have any interest in helping, just go back to wherever the hell you came from. Leave us in peace. Let me die in peace.”

“I’m sorry,” Secondo offered softly. The room fell completely silent as he took a few careful steps forward and placed a hand on Terzo’s shoulder. “Mi dispiace. I’m sorry, Terzo. I didn’t mean to—"

“I don’t need your apology,” Terzo grinded out and shook him off. “You owe it to her.”

You shook your head, finally finding your voice. “He was only trying to protect you, Terzo.”

He whipped around with an incredulous look. “He tried to—”

“I know,” you replied quickly, cutting him off. “But I don’t blame him for that. I don’t expect him or anyone in your family to trust me. Hell, I wouldn’t trust me. The things you’ve all been through…It doesn’t matter how much you trust me; I’ll still have to earn it from everyone else. You just need to know the only thing I care about is helping you and if that’s why they’re here—if that’s what Primo needs to fix you…” you trailed off and shook your head. “I couldn’t care less about what happens to me.”

“I care about what happens to you, cara mia,” he whispered.

You offered him a faint smile before pressing a kiss into his cheek. “I know you do.”

“Well, if that’s settled. Is anyone hungry?” Primo asked loudly.

-x-

The cottage had never felt so full of life. A kitchen full of Emeritus vampires, both new and old, were all finding their rhythm as part of the task at hand. Primo and Secondo were singing at the top of their lungs, beautifully harmonizing some old Italian love song while effortlessly crafting a meal completely from scratch. Copia had shed his military jacket in favor of a novelty “kiss the chef” apron while he hovered over a simmering pot. Every few moments he would look up to make heart-eyes at his Countess while she and Reginetta stood nearby, hard at work attacking a cake recipe.

It unfolded like a scene from one of those silly films Terzo loved, a dynamic portrayal of a family that only ever seemed to be found in the most idealistic fiction. Your family, what little there was, had never once committed such an act of togetherness. Even Terzo—who was barred from helping in any meaningful way—flitted around the kitchen refilling glasses of wine and slipping into conversations like the perfect host.

He watched you from across the crowded kitchen, wearing a look of warmth and light and pure love that felt almost tangible. Without missing a beat, he seized the opportunity to take your hand and pulled you into the eye of the storm, making sure you were also a part of the greater Emeritus chaos instead of on its fringes. Primo shot you an encouraging smile as the ladies turned to ask your opinion on attempting something called “Italian buttercream.”

Maybe it was better that your family wasn’t like this, that you had never prepared a single dish that wasn’t frozen or had any idea there was more to frosting than the stuff that came in a plastic tub. Until now, you only had a vague idea of what you were “missing out” on, pieces of that “perfect family” that never seemed real to begin with. You doubted you would have been able to appreciate it for what it was prior to this past summer anyway. But now, hearing the sounds swell around you in that small kitchen meant more to you than anything ever had—including that limited edition sweater Terzo was still hellbent on replacing.

The sense of calm extended over a dinner served around 4 a.m., but it was anything but quiet. Laughter was shared around the table just as much as the food. Copia and Primo scrambled to find their most embarrassing memories of Terzo through the ages like a mother showing off baby pictures to a prom date. Secondo remained distant, though he didn’t ignore you completely. Once Reginetta had warmed up to you, he even began to use more than one word to reply.

The extent of Terzo’s situation was revealed over a dessert eaten with tiny forks. After one too many glasses of wine seeped into everyone’s bloodstream, Primo laid out what he’d discovered to an audience of vampires stunned into silence. Terzo buried his face in his hands while Secondo angrily shot up from the table and began pacing the length of the dining room.

Paying his brothers no mind, Primo outlined the rest of his plan. He’d found a solution, albeit a dangerous one. A mix of vampire blood, a rare plant, and a little bit of magic was all he needed, a list of ingredients you couldn’t quite comprehend. You tried your best to follow along and understand exactly what was needed to save your love, but the plan was so heavily flawed you couldn’t focus on anything but how risky the whole thing was. You weren’t as strong as the others, nor were you immortal, but you knew how to strategize and how to fight. You had an intimate knowledge of how the hunters’ network operated and everything Primo had laid out looked like walking into an obvious trap.

“So, this plant…you’re saying one of the only places to find it just so happens to be your little town’s botanical garden?” you asked. “I’m guessing this is the very same garden that you personally funded?”

“It is the same, yes.”

“I don’t like this, Primo.”

“I don’t understand,” the Countess interjected. “What’s the problem?”

“It’s too easy,” you and Secondo answered, almost in unison.

“Well yeah. But we could just kill them,” she replied with a huff. “Problem solved.”

“No, problem not solved,” Secondo growled back. “Are you even listening?”

“I agree we should kill them, dear Countess, but I must insist that we do not go charging into this. We will need every single body with a pulse that we can find, or we might not make it back from this. They will most certainly be waiting for us and they’ve had months to plan for our arrival. Hell, they’re probably watching us right now.”

“Ok but I do get to kill them, right? Like, after everything? Vampire snacks?”

“Who is going to stop you, amore?” Copia cooed, petting her face with a gloved hand.

“Bellezza,” Terzo started quietly. “Are you going to be ok with this?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, isn’t it possible these hunters might be people you know?”

The other discussions in the room fell away as the vampires waited for your reply. There was a definite possibility that people you once knew wanted you dead, but they were part of another life completely. Even if you hadn’t fallen for Terzo, they tried to kill you. You didn’t know if it was direct or just collateral damage, but the point remained the same. The hunters placed no value on your life or his, or anyone else in the room for that matter. They didn’t care what happened to any of you as long as they got the job done.

You took Terzo’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “If they are people I knew, they’re part of my past. They’re not people I want to know anymore. Honestly, if came down to it, I’d burn the world down to save you.”

“That’s not part of the plan, correct?” Copia asked nervously. “Don’t get any ideas, amore.”

“Must every plan involve all of you walking into an obvious trap?” Reginetta asked voice shaking as she pushed herself up from her chair. She turned and made a quick exit from the room, letting the front door slam as she escaped.

“Tesorino, wait,” Secondo called out, chasing after her.

“She has a point, you know,” Terzo added sharply, rising from his own seat. “It’s not like this sort of thing worked out well for us last time.”

“Terzo, this is different,” Primo offered.

“Oh, you’re right. This is worse. Much worse. This time we don’t have Mary, Alpha, or Omega here to help—”

“I’ve summoned Earth and Air—”

“Fantastic. Why not call everyone so you can host a proper family reunion at my fucking wake.”

Primo slammed his fists on the table. “I’m not going to let you die, Terzo!”

He sighed. “If you want to yell at god old man, be my guest. But my time is limited and I’d rather be doing anything else, so I am going to bed. Bellezza, will join me?”

You nodded once, too lost in your own thoughts to even think about sleeping. “Yeah, just um, give me a minute?”

He frowned, worry lines setting deep in his forehead. He wasn’t very good at being alone these days, especially when your time together was growing shorter by the day. That night in your apartment flashed in your mind, his soft confession about quiet being too much for him to handle. Everything you’d done since you met was to keep him safe, whether you realized or not. But were you really doing enough? Why did it sound like he was giving up?

You placed a kiss on his cheek on your way out of the room. The garden called to you once again, its empty husk now an old friend as you winded your way down the path. In the distance, the horizon was painted a streak of brilliant pink, announcing the arrival of another new day. A tear slid down your cheek as you tried desperately to steel yourself, flexing your hands into fists to keep from screaming.

Primo had figured out a way to help him, but you couldn’t help but think of what might be lost in the process. There wasn’t much you could do about it if this was what Primo wanted—it had never been clearer that he was in charge and whatever he wanted was the plan. But the possibility of something going wrong was so obvious even the others had spoken up, though it didn’t change anything. If the hunters were as prepared as you suspected, you would be outnumbered by an enemy armed with stakes, fire, and poisons that could literally stop the vampires in their tracks.

Was it all supposed to be some hopeless task? A trial designed for none of you to survive? You weren’t going to let that happen, couldn’t let it happen. You’d fallen hopelessly head-over-heels in love for the first time in your life and no one was going to take that away from you. All the silly plots to Terzo’s favorite movies finally started to make sense. You were so terrifyingly in love with Terzo Emeritus that you would do whatever it takes to keep him. Forever.

“It’s beautiful out here, huh?” A gentle voice asked behind you. As you spun around, Reginetta put her hands up to show she was no threat. “I’m sorry,” she started. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Sometimes I forget how easily we can sulk around in the dark.”

“Oh, it’s fine. Um, where’s—”

“Secondo?” she finished for you. “Secondo is taking a very long walk in the woods.”

“Ah. Is everything ok?”

She smiled faintly. “I won’t try to make excuses for his behavior. It wouldn’t be fair to either of you and frankly, he’s a centuries old grown ass man—He just…I hope you can believe me when I say that he loves his brothers even if he has a very odd way of showing it.”

You nodded once. “I understand. It’s…complicated.”

She laughed, her voice high and light like she was the mirror opposite of the man she was trying to defend. “Complicated is certainly one way to put it. I don’t know how much Terzo has told you and it’s not necessarily my place to share either, but there were long stretches of time where they were all living secluded lives. They cut themselves off from the world and from each other, but when everything…happened,” she paused as she fought back tears. “Terzo and Secondo blamed themselves for things that were so beyond their control. I blamed myself for—well, that’s another story. The point is, I’ve never seen Secondo as scared as he was when he heard about the fire at Meliora House. Not even when I was bleeding out in front of him, because that—that he could fix. But if Terzo had been in that house…if Terzo was—”

The tears she’d held back began to pour down her cheeks as she flung herself at you. She wrapped you in the tightest hug you’d ever felt as she mumbled into your hair. “You saved him. You might not have any idea what that means for this family, but I can tell you it means the world to me. And I know you mean the world to him.”

“It’s funny, you know? I love him. I’ve never loved anyone. I love him so much it hurts sometimes and I…I never really thought that was possible for someone like me. It sounds stupid but I think he saved me more than I saved him.”

“The Emeritus brothers are funny like that. I don’t think I ever even let myself dream of someone like Secondo.”

You cracked a smile. “Like a vampire?”

She laughed again. “I will admit that was a surprise. Did you know the Countess was a nun? It’s probably safe to say none of us could have predicted the path we would end up on. But the vampire thing…that’s only a part of who he is—part of who they are.”

“And you.”

“Yeah,” she replied with a nod. “And me.”

“Can I ask…” you drifted off, wondering how invasive you question might be.

“What is it like?” she finished and waited for you to nod in return. “It’s…different. I imagine it’s different for everyone, but once you get used to the new teeth it’s a little easier. And having someone who loves you walk you through it is infinitely easier than I imagine doing it alone would be. But as different as it is, you’re still you. Maybe a little,” she stopped to wave a hand, “amplified, but at the core you’re still everything you were. I sleep easier now, my dreams are a bit brighter. It’s not what I would call a carefree life, especially right now, but I don’t regret making that choice. Not for one fucking second.”

“Tesorino?”

You both turned to find Secondo leaning against the gate at the entrance to the garden, wearing a look of worry under his paints. Reginetta’s face lit up as bright as a thousand stars as she held out her hand to him.

“Hello, my love. Are you feeling better?”

“I am, thank you,” he replied and joined her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. He shot a quick glance your way before taking a deep breath. “Sorellina, I—my behavior—”

“Oh.” You waved your hands. “No, no don’t worry about it. It’s okay.”

“No, sorellina, it is not okay. Please, please don’t tell him I said so, but Terzo was right—that was no way to welcome someone to our family. It was spite and cruelty that was directed at the wrong person entirely. I’m afraid right now I only have words to offer as an apology, but I hope that will be enough, at least until this whole thing is over.”

“It’s—uh—thank you, Secondo.”

“There. Was that so hard?” Reginetta teased, poking at his side. He flashed his fangs.

“You know, for what it’s worth you were actually pretty terrifying,” you offered.

He almost smiled. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Just please don’t make me stab you again, ok?”

“I think you mean let you stab me—”

“Ok, we get it,” Reginetta cut in. “You’re a big, strong scary vampire and no one can stop you, my love. But it is getting late or early—either way we should all go get some rest.” She moved quickly, wrapping you in another tight hug. “I am so glad we finally got the chance to meet. Goodnight, sorellina. Sleep well, ok?”

-x-

Terzo was sprawled out on the bed, lazily flipping through channels on the TV with his mouth set in a hard line and his shirt missing. The rest of the family could be heard shuffling around overhead, their muffled voices asking Primo for incidental things like blankets or the WiFi password. In only a few hours the cottage had turned from a secret hideout to a well-populated ancestral home, transforming into a place where the Emeritus brothers could feel and act like a “normal” family. You smiled to yourself, realizing you’d landed in the middle of some bizarre vampire version of those stupid movies Terzo loved.

He looked annoyed and tired, but with his shirt off and his sweats low around his hips he also looked exactly as he did when you first met. You weren’t sure if it was the sudden arrival of his entire family or something else making him so grumpy, but even in a cranky mood he was still the most beautiful person you’d ever seen. Thinking about it now, you never really stood a chance.

“There you are,” he huffed and turned, stretching his body like a cat in the sun. A tiny grin betrayed whatever feigned irritation had been on his face moments before as he patted the space next to him. “Come to bed, bellezza.”

How could you ever turn him down? You shed your clothes and crawled into the bed, pressing as close to him as you could get. He was still so warm and soft, not yet showing any signs of the poison’s horrible effects. You cupped his face, urging him to focus on you. “I love you, Terzo,” you whispered. “I love you so much.”

“I don’t think I will ever get tired of hearing that,” he admitted softly and brushed a hair away from your face. “I love you too, cara mia.”

“You promise?”

His brow furrowed. “Bellezza? Is something wrong?”

You shook your head. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just—I think—I have something to ask you. And I don’t think you’re going to like it, but I need you to hear me out.”

“I don’t like where this is going—”

“This isn’t something that’s going to be easy for either of us, but if this is what it takes…if walking directly into the lion’s den is our only option to save you, we have to do everything we can.”

“Bellezza, you don’t need to worry—"

“Terzo, I want you to turn me.”

Shocked, he stared back at you unblinking. “No. Absolutely not. No.”

“Terzo—”

He sat up and made a few nervous passes through his hair with his hands. “Bellezza, no. It will kill you. Do you understand that? You will die, to death.”

You sighed as you sat up to meet his eyes. “I know.”

“Then why would you—”

“Because if we do this…no matter what happens I won’t stay dead. It’s…the simple truth is that I love you,” you admitted. “And I will do anything it takes to protect you, even this. Especially this.”

He brought a hand to your face and traced his thumb over your cheek. “It should be me protecting you.”

“Do you think really I can’t take care of myself?” you asked teasingly. “We promised we would save each other and I intend to keep that promise. Forever.” You leaned into his touch, letting your eyes close as he continued to stroke your cheek. “I’m going to make them pay for what they did to you.”

“Has anyone ever told you how sexy you are when you’re angry?”

“Uh, yeah. You.”

“Come here, amore mio,” he asked softly. Carefully you climbed over him, legs straddling either side of his hips as you settled in his lap. “They were very foolish to make an enemy of you, but what you’re asking for…it can’t be undone. It is forever in a way that I’m not sure you understand—”

Your face fell. “Is that what you really think? That I’m not capable of grasping the concept of an eternity with you? That this is just some sudden whim and I haven’t considered the consequences? I have had nothing but time to think about these things since we got here. And half of that time I have spent without you, waiting every day for you to wake up and being terrified that you won’t. I have considered forever and it’s fucking scary, but I am so much more afraid of losing you.”

“Bellezza, I’m not going anywhere. Now that I have found you, I will never leave you.”

“Then why is it so crazy for me to feel the same way?”

“It’s not. It’s just—what if you wake up one day and you want a normal life, eh? That’s not something I could ever give you.”

You leveled your eyes with his. “I’ve never had a normal life. You and me? We aren’t normal people. We never have been and we never will be. I don’t want normal, Terzo. Why would I want normal when I have what we have? I want this. I want you. I want to help my very, very handsome vampire boyfriend survive. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Ti amo tanto, amore mio.”

Your eyebrows pulled together. “You love what?”

“I love you, bellezza. So much,” he cooed and reached up to cup your face. “You are the love of my nine lifetimes and I will do anything for you.”

“Even this?”

He nodded slowly. “Even this. Forever is a long time, cara mia— “

“And it still won’t be long enough, bello.”

He smiled brightly, his sharp fangs on display. “No, but then I will have forever to thank you.”

“For what?”

“For saving me.”

You smiled. “Well, somebody has to.”

“They don’t, but I am very grateful that you did.”

“Well, I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner and that I haven’t really said it enough, but I want to be able to tell you everyday. For the rest of your eternal life.”

“It would be our eternal life, bellezza.”

“It will be our eternal life.”

“Have you been hiding a romantic side all this time, hmm?”

You laughed, shaking your head as you leaned in close and pressed the softest kiss to his lips. “No, I must have picked it up from you.”

“Ah, I see. Well, in that case I’ve been an excellent teacher.”

“How do you stay so humble?”

“It’s a gift, my love,” he replied with a grin.

You rolled your eyes. “So, how does this work?”

Terzo’s brow furrowed as he bit the inside of his cheek. “I’m not entirely sure, bellezza. I know the basics—I drink from you, you drink from me, you die, you come back—but beyond that I’m not sure I could explain the mechanics of it all. Believe me, I wish I could give you more answers. Perhaps Primo could explain it in more scientific terms. But if this is truly what you want—”

“It is.”

He pressed his forehead to yours. “Whenever you’re ready, bellezza.”

“I’m ready. I love you, Terzo Emeritus. And I’ll love you forever.”

He leaned in, catching your lips in a sweet, tender kiss that said more than he could at the moment. He held you close, hands desperately clinging to you like it was the first time or the last time he would ever get to touch you like this. In some ways it was, but only as something fleeting, something temporary. The end of something that could give way to something so much more.

If the two of you would be forever, you’d have to start somewhere.

You barely felt his fangs cut into your neck. He had always taken such care in moments like this, always treated you like the most precious thing he had ever handled. To him, you were—and he made sure you knew every day since that first time you’d saved him. You could tell from the way he hummed against the wound on your throat his worship of you had no end. And maybe he had loved you from the very moment he saw you. Maybe you had loved him right back.

It flashed as your heart slowed, every moment the two of you had spent together replayed in your mind. Screaming at each other in the rain. The night in the garden. The kitchen. His stupid princess bed. Your entire life had led you to those moments—some bizarre, unexpected turn in your destiny had landed you here and now with the man you’d die for. A tear slipped down your cheek as your pulse grew faint, leaving you feeling dangerously calm.

Terzo pulled away and brought his wrist to his mouth, pausing as he looked at you. “Bellezza?” He asked, his voice thick with concern. “Amore—”

“It’s ok. I’m ok,” you assured him. “I just never thought I would be this happy.”

“Bellezza, you must drink from me now. Ok?”

You nodded, wincing at the sound of him biting into his wrist. He brought his arm to your mouth, encouraging you to drink as much as you wanted. As his blood flowed past your lips, you were surprised by how different it was. Terzo’s blood didn’t taste like sour metal on your tongue. He tasted like the way he loved you—warm and sweet and as endless as the edge of the universe with a heavy dash of something you couldn’t quite name. It was like drinking down something ancient and ethereal, yet just as familiar as every song or poem, book, or film you’d ever loved. As intangible as starlight and thick as honey, he tasted of beauty and joy and life.

You drank as much as you could, not wanting to waste a single drop of this gift he’d given you. It coursed through you, warm in your stomach like Kentucky bourbon and just as dizzying. You slumped against him, unable to hold yourself up any longer as his blood began to merge with your own.

“I’m here, bellezza,” Terzo whispered softly, smoothing a hand over your back. “I will always be here.”

A million questions formed and swirled around in your head, unable to travel the distance across the synapses. As they dissolved and fizzled out, your breathing slowed. Terzo kept talking, offering gentle declarations of love, but his voice began to drift until it was too far away to pick out a single syllable and you slipped into a dreamless sleep—

—and woke to the sound of shouting. The smell of blood surrounded you, dried and matted across your skin and in your hair. You weren’t sure how long you were out—long enough for all that blood to dry at least. How long did it take to die and come back as a vampire? Pain wracked your body as your heart began to beat again. Slowly at first, a heavy thump, thump, thump that pushed dead blood through your veins. Each muscle spasmed as you struggled to move for the first time in your new life.

Life? Afterlife? Or were you undead?

Fuck, it didn’t matter. You pushed yourself up, vision fuzzy as you forced your eyes open. Blurry figures with black and white hair stood at the foot of the bed, arms waving wildly as they screamed at each other. Terzo and Primo began to come into focus, but they were too caught up in their argument to notice you were awake. Pulling yourself into a seated position, you settled against the headboard and watched them repeatedly jab at each other.

“I’m not the one who’s lost his mind!” Primo yelled, his voice so loud you could feel it in your bones.

“Hah! If anyone in this house is senile it’s you, old man,” Terzo shouted back just as loud.

“Satanas help me. You idiots keep turning every woman you meet—”

“Not every woman. Just the ones we love, stronzo. Maybe you should try it sometime.”

“You little—” Primo ground out some unintelligible Italian insults, repeatedly striking the back of his brother’s head as a means of punctuation.

“No, your mother stronzo—” Terzo snapped back and covered his head with his arms. “Stop fucking hitting me!”

“Nine hundred years and you still haven’t learned your actions have consequences—get back here!”

“Could you two please shut the fuck up?” You growled, pressing your fingers into your temples. Both men stopped and stared at you, stunned into silence. Relief left your lips in a sigh, the quiet filling your ears as you let your head fall back against the headboard. You unclenched your jaw, opening your mouth wide as you reached up to feel your sharp new teeth.

“B-bellezza? You’re awake?” Terzo stumbled toward the bed, quickly climbing up next to you. He took your face in his hands, inspecting it for signs of anything.

“Looks that way, huh?”

“How—how do you feel?” Primo asked.

You felt different. What was the word Reginetta had used? Amplified. Everything louder, brighter, stronger. More. Instead of elaborating, you replied, “kind of like I want to kill you both.”

Your lover laughed nervously. “Hypothetically, right?”

“Yes, Terzo. I didn’t wake up murderous.”

“Because you were lucky,” Primo warned. “Of all the stupid things—” He cut himself off and threw his hands in the air, laughing angrily. “Mostriciattolo, you are lucky she woke up at all idiota. Ah, Mostriciattolo e Draculina. Perfetto.”

“Primo, what are you saying?”

“Nothing at all, little one.” He gave Terzo a pointed look and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

“What was that about? Why were you two fighting like that?”

He shrugged and slumped onto the bed. “Same as always—I can’t do anything right, don’t think before I act, etc., etc. It’s all very boring, bellezza.”

“He’s upset about me?”

He shook his head. “No, no, nothing like that. He’s upset about the situation. Said it was ‘beyond irresponsible’ even for me, but he isn’t upset about the outcome. He’ll probably tell you as much later. Enough about my grumpy brother, how are you feeling?”

“Kinda tired. Hungry.”

He let out a happy sigh. “Oh, amore mio. Let’s find you someone to eat.”

-x-

Reheated blood tasted nothing like Terzo’s. Thick and bitter, the lukewarm liquid stuck to the inside of some old commemorative thermos instead of pouring easily into your mouth. You turned the container up and to get liquid to drain faster, a dissatisfied grunt leaving you as your attempts failed. The others tried not to make it obvious, but each of them had cast glances of pity your way. The Countess had been particularly horrified that this was Primo’s solution to your first feed, arguing with him for five full minutes before he’d ordered everyone out of the house.

Between the less than palatable snack and the endless sway of the vehicle as it lurched over long-deserted backroads, it was hard to concentrate on Primo’s rant. As distracted as you were, it was obvious that the oldest Emeritus was no longer acting like himself. The compassionate man you’d known for months was gone, replaced by someone loud and angry. His face was harsh in the dim light, his white eye eerily reflecting the streetlamps as he spun around to bark at his family.

“Have I made myself clear?” he asked and frowned hard at the muted replies from his family.

“We get it, Primo. You’re in charge,” Terzo added sarcastically.

His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward and pointed a bony finger at his brother. “Not another word from you.”

Copia spoke up as Terzo shrank into his seat. “The plan hasn’t really changed that much Primo. Don’t you think you’re being a little harsh?”

Primo growled, flashing his fangs as he sneered at Copia. “Is that what you think?”

The Countess sighed loudly and waved her hands between the men. “Are we gonna measure dicks all day or are we going to save Little Lord Terzo? Cuz I’m pretty sure I have the biggest cock around here and there’s no way our precious baby Draculina here isn’t fucking starving. And even if she’s not, I am. Your macho bullshit is far from appetizing, so can we wrap it up?”

“Excuse me?”

“I don’t know why you have your panties in a bunch when you know damn well every single one of us will follow you straight into hell, Primo. So let’s go.”

“She has a point,” Secondo offered. “We can talk about it for ages, but we might as well just get this thing done and get the kid someone real to eat.”

“Ooh.” The Countess’ eyes sparkled.

“No one eats anyone until the ritual is complete. Do you understand?” Primo shouted as the van crawled to a stop. He waited for everyone to nod. “Bene. Let’s go.”

One by one the vampires filed out of the van, joined by the two hulking figures of Primo’s ghouls. They’d arrived sometime before you woke, wearing similar metal masks to the ones you recalled Omega and Alpha wearing once upon a time. Earth and Air were much larger than the ghouls you’d met back in the summer, only appearing vaguely human-shaped. Their forms were almost too perfect, the details a bit too sharp to sit well. Part of it was the heightened vampire sense, but Terzo had briefly explained they simply didn’t care enough to make themselves look more human.

You filed that in your worry about it later folder somewhere between “what have you been doing for 900 years?” and “explain werewolves,” before letting it go.

“Once we get inside, stick to the plan,” Primo ordered.

“It’s not like we have any other options here Primo. Are you going to be like this the entire time?” Secondo asked.

The two older brothers began to argue in harsh whispers while Copia and Countess brushed past and strolled through the front door. Soft lights on the interior made the tall trees visible through the glass that encased the building, giving it a warm orange glow like sunset in the summer. It was a beautiful setting, full of ten times the greenery of Primo’s ridiculously lush conservatory. As you followed the group inside, you realized the botanical garden had a familiar touch. Primo hadn’t just thrown money at something 50 years ago—he created and curated a living work of art.

Terzo gently squeezed your hand. “Are you ok, bellezza?”

You nodded. “Does Primo still run this place or something?”

“It’s that obvious, huh? I tried to tell him they should update things, but he gets all fussy when it comes to this place.”

You hummed in response, gazing up at the lofty glass ceilings. Someday, you’d ask to come back and see this place during the day, but for now you had to stick to the mission.

“We should try to avoid an ambush if we can,” Primo began detailing his plan. “There are three paths to the exhibit we need. Copia, Countess, you two will come with me. Secondo, you and Reginetta take the central path. Terzo, you and Draculina will take the left path.”

“Is it wise to split up like this?” Reginetta whispered to Secondo who simply shrugged before whispering something back.

“Remember, if you encounter any hunters try to leave them alive. Terzo and I will need every drop of blood we can get,” Primo warned. “We’ll meet in the exhibit in fifteen minutes. Be careful.”

He turned and quickly walked away, leaving Copia and the Countess to chase after him with mild annoyance on their faces. Secondo nodded once toward Terzo before he and Reginetta made their way down the central path of the garden. With your stomach turning into tighter and tighter knots, you and Terzo moved through the left path.

Overhead, a system of fans and misters churned out unnatural mechanical noises, but the building was eerily quiet otherwise. Even with heightened senses you couldn’t hear any extra breathing or footsteps, no tell-tale signs anyone else was in the room with you. The occasional brush of a leaf against Terzo’s ridiculously puffy sleeve was the only sound that stuck out. It didn’t make any sense. The whole plot was designed to lure the Emeritus family here and there’s no way the hunters would’ve left the building empty.

Not even for a second.

The first shot whipped past you, barely missing your face before striking a tree. Before you could think much of it, you found yourself at the other end of the room, moving faster than you ever had. A small, metal cartridge had wedged deeply into the cracked bark, its pointed end breaking off as you worked it free. Inside, a clear liquid sloshed back and forth in a tiny vial.

“Terzo—” You’d barely turned to call out to him when the second shot embedded in your chest. Fire flared in your veins as the paralytic poison began to flood your system. Primo had anticipated this, handing out antidotes and vaccines before anyone left the cottage, but just because it couldn’t poison you didn’t mean it didn’t fucking hurt. You dropped on the spot as the vampire had instructed. Let them think it works, his voice repeated. Let them come to you.

It was easier to see now why Reginetta had been so angry about the stupid plan.

An unfamiliar face appeared over you with a cruel grin. “Aw, did that hurt? Funny how this stuff isn’t as effective on humans, but I hear it burns pretty bad.”

You gritted your teeth, keeping your mouth shut as long as you could. You have surprise on your side now, Draculina. They’ll never expect a turned hunter. Use that in your favor. You scanned the room as the man continued to taunt you, searching for any sign of Terzo.

“Where are the others, huh? I know you’re not stupid enough to come here alone.” He bent down, placing his boot on your chest as he wrenched the cartridge free. Pain radiated from the wound, pulsing in time with the beat of your heart. He tsked, shaking his head. “That won’t be enough.”

“Wha—”

He pressed a blade to your skin and whistled through his teeth, motioning to someone unseen. A dozen hunters silently emerged from the tree line and gathered to watch this man torture you. As Terzo feared, there were some you recognized, but not even one stepped forward to stop the attack. You held out as long as you could, biting down on your tongue to keep from crying out, not wanting to give them a single sliver of power over you. Blood began to pool on the floor beneath you and a tiny, wounded whimper escaped your lips before all that pain was replaced by something else.

The hunter hissed, pulling away to examine the fresh cut he’d accidentally made to his own hand. It took every ounce of strength you had left to stay still. Hunger ripped through you like nothing you’d ever felt before. A painful, consuming white-hot spark that could only be sated by one thing. You dug your nails into your palm, hoping to distract yourself but it was no use. You heard every drop as it moved from his hand and rolled down the knife before landing on the floor. It was so loud, a small insignificant sound made into a tidal wave.

You didn’t hear the others begin to shout as they drew their weapons.

Terzo stood at the edge of the path, his white eye glowing with rage as he stared down your attackers.

“Wha—I thought you shot him!”

“I did!”

“Why won’t you just stay dead?” the first hunter screamed.

“You threatened my family,” Terzo seethed, each step threatening. “You burned my brother’s business, killed his wife—"

“Hey, that wasn’t even us—”

“You set fire to my favorite house,” he growled through gritted teeth. “Reduced my home—my sanctuary—to ash and rubble while forcing us to flee in the middle of the night. You chased us, hunted us down in the city and sent assassins after us. And then you poisoned me and forced one of your own to make an impossible decision. I should tear you all limb from fucking limb for your arrogance. There is no honor among you, not a single shred of dignity spared for one of your own. You don’t even regret what you’ve done to her, what you all forced on her.”

He cracked a sinister smile. “And now? Now she’s an Emeritus vampire and I’m going to feed all of you to her, piece by fucking piece.”

Your fangs pierced the first hunter’s neck before he could make a sound. The others began to scream and scatter, but Terzo was too fast. In the blink of an eye, the room filled with the sound of bones cracking and pained cries. A dozen bloody bodies lay at your feet, a sacrifice left at your altar by the man you loved.

The hunter hit the ground in a lifeless heap, his blood dripping from your chin as you smiled and reached for another.

“Bellezza?”

You tore through three more hunters before Terzo was able to restrain you.

“I love your enthusiasm, amore,” he purred as you struggled against his hold. “But Primo’s instructions were very clear. We need them alive.”

You turned your head, lips and teeth colliding hard with his just like that first messy kiss in his bedroom. Power rushed through you, fueled by adrenaline and something new—some impulse you didn’t want to control. Hunger. Power. Lust. Want. Need. It clouded your brain, vision going red as you clawed at Terzo’s clothes and ripped through the fabric of his shirt. You pulled away whatever pieces you could, desperate to feel his skin.

You needed him now, more than you ever thought possible. The two of you tumbled to the floor, knees and elbows landing hard while never letting your lips part. He pivoted his hips and turned to pin you beneath him with a smile.

“Careful, bellezza,” he purred.

“Oh god, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” you rushed, conscious thoughts returning in a flood embarrassment and shame. “I—I don’t know what happened.”

“It’s ok, amore mio. It’s ok,” he assured you while petting your hair. “It’s not your fault. I am rather irresistible and you might be, eh, more impulsive during your transition.”

“Impulsive,” you repeated with a laugh. “Fucking is an impulse now?”

His eyebrows knit together. “For you?”

“Don’t answer that.”

“I promise, bellezza, when this is all over—” He trailed off. He froze for a moment, muscles tense as his eyes went blank. His body went slack, collapsing on top of you in a heap of dead weight.

“Terzo?” You nudged him, slightly panicked until you felt him breathe.

He sat up, shaking his head as he came back to himself. “I’m ok, bellezza. But I think we should get to Primo quickly.”

You nodded and draped Terzo’s arm over your shoulder, lifting him as carefully as you could. You pushed through the exhibit door and into the next room, following the path with your head on a swivel. Getting shot with poison darts had felt about as good as you’d expected, and you were in no hurry to let it happen a second time.

As you moved through the building the path leading to the exhibit Primo had pointed out was suspiciously clear. You hoped maybe that was a good sign rather than a bad one, but it wouldn’t surprise if it was some elaborate setup either. The hunters had months or, depending on the size of the operation, possibly years to plan for this. Any part of of the building could be a trap.

You opened the last door to find Primo in the center of the room, hovering over what looked like an altar. Dozens of black candles surrounded him, their flames adding an eerie flicker to his eyes.

“Where the hell have you been?” he hissed as you approached and flew from his spot. He reached out, gripping your jaw as he eyed the blood staining your face. “What did you do?”

Terzo gave him a weak push, urging him away from you. “We were attacked, you ass. Leave her alone.”

“And you?”

“I’m not doing so well. Obviously.” He stumbled toward the odd arrangement in the middle of the room. Strange symbols lined the floor, etched in chalk and what looked like blood. “What the hell have you been doing in here?”

“Preparing, you ass,” Primo snapped back. “Where are the others?”

“How should I know? I thought Copia was with you. What happened to your grand plan—”

“A plan to save you—”

“Yes, and I will be eternally grateful once you stop acting like—”

“Don’t you dare,” Primo warned sharply.

Terzo sighed and rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to Primo’s project. He took a few unsteady steps, mumbling something in disbelief before dropping to his knees. You rushed to his side, but he shrugged off your attempts to help him stand. Instead, he leaned against you and stared forward, eyes fixed on the strange plant with its single white flower at the center of the altar. He began to shake, shoulders heaving as he gasped for breath.

You shouted his name, frantically trying to get him to answer you or at least say anything. His eyes were still full of life as you forced him to look away, but there was a profound sadness behind them you’d yet to see even on Terzo’s worst days. The vampire was crying. It hit you hard, a punch to the gut you didn’t expect as he collapsed against you, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Terzo? What—”

Primo knelt beside the two of you and smoothed a hand over his brother’s hair. “It will be ok, mostriciattolo. Have I ever broken a promise to you?”

He shook his head and cried harder, unable to form the words to answer as he held onto you.

“Primo, what the hell is happening?” you screamed.

He gave you a faint smile and jutted his chin toward the plant. “It’s…it’s a rare species, effectively extinct. Beautiful. Poisonous. It’s loosely related to datura—”

“Primo, I’m not a fucking botanist—”

“It grew around our home,” he interrupted, his voice flat as he stared at nothing. “When Terzo was a child, the grounds were covered in it. By the time we—it was all gone by the time he became a man. Seemingly lost forever.”

There was another untold story in the look they shared, one that spanned centuries and somehow now included you. You held Terzo, hoping to ease his pain or at least offer some form of comfort as he slowly pulled himself back together. With a hard sniff he pulled away from you, tears tracing lines through his paint.

“Mi dispiace, bellezza. I have not seen this flower in a very long time. I was not expecting to see it again—”

There was a rush of footsteps followed by a slamming door. Behind you, the other vampires began to shout as they dragged any and every object they could find toward a makeshift barricade. The door bowed under the force of something outside, a rhythmic thud against solid metal.

“I am going to tear out your eyes so you can watch me pull your head through your ass you little prick,” the Countess seethed, hurling her threats through the door. She leaned against the wall; her right hand pressed over what appeared to be a stab wound. Copia shrugged off his jacket and knelt beside her to hold it against her side.

“By all means, take your time, Primo,” Secondo barked sarcastically and braced himself against the door. “We’re not under attack or anything!”

“Stay close,” Primo muttered as he helped Terzo stand.

“Where would I even go?” Terzo sassed back, his body growing weaker with each step.

“Not you, stronzo.”

“Hardly the time for name calling—”

“Shut up!” he snapped and turned toward the altar. He began to toss various herbs and tinctures into a to-go cup he’d clearly swiped from the botanical garden’s gift shop. There was a familiar smell of ash and rust as the mixture took on the properties of Terzo’s usual antidote. A thick green-black sludge formed as Primo painstakingly stirred and cast a look over his shoulder.

“Is everyone ready?”

“Do we have a choice?” Copia shouted back, grunting as he twisted broken pieces of the door’s metal frame against itself.

“No matter what happens you must keep drinking. You understand fratellino? Do not stop for anything,” Primo warned in a low voice. With a careful hand he plucked the sole flower from the plant and crushed it between his fingers. He began to whisper something in Latin, a chant you couldn’t quite make out and wouldn’t understand even if you could. The flower began to crumble, turning to a pale dust that slowly fell between his fingers and into the cup. He cast one last look at Terzo and smiled. “To your health.”

He downed the contents and dropped to his knees, shoving his arm in Terzo’s face. “Drink.”

“Are you insane?” Terzo hissed.

Primo used the opportunity to jam his wrist against Terzo’s fangs and hold it there. “Drink.”

Whatever argument he wanted to make died in his throat as Primo’s blood spilled into his mouth. He tried to fight him, desperately clawing at his brother’s clothes, but his weakened state was no match for the older vampire. You watched in horror as your lover struggled, his eyes pleading for help. One by one the other vampires began to realize the seriousness of the situation, turning to look as Terzo slammed his feet against the floor in protest.

Whatever you’d been told, whatever parts of the plan you had all tried to understand escaped the room as glass began to shatter. The hunters were no longer trying to get through the blocked door, instead they spilled in from all sides, seeking any entrance to the solarium. The family formed a circle around Primo’s altar, protecting Primo and Terzo from the rapidly approaching violence, but there were more hunters than you could count. As predicted, they had prepared for this on a scale you didn’t think was possible.

“Primo—” You stopped short and gasped as your eyes landed on him. His face was gaunt, skin sagging away from his bones in a way that made him appear almost hollow. He was aging rapidly, withering away as each drop of life passed from his body to Terzo’s. “Oh, fuck.”

The room filled with the sound of hunters readying their weapons, each taking aim at the vampire of their choice.

Terzo finally managed to break his brother’s hold and pushed him away before doubling over. Every muscle in his body flexed and tensed as he tried to crawl away, pushing as hard as he could. With one great heave, a torrent of dark bile spilled from his lips onto the floor as his body rejected the poison. The hunters froze, many with a look of disgust on their faces as the puddle below Terzo grew.

Movement caught the corner of your eye, a blur of white so fast the humans never saw it coming. Shots rang out as the first few dropped, but Primo was too quick. Moving like an unstoppable ferocious predator, he cleared the room of anyone in his path. Secondo and Copia followed his lead, taking out as many hunters as they could while you rushed to Terzo’s side.

He was shaking, soaked in sweat and sick, but he was alive.

“Bello?”

He grinned and reached out to caress your face. “I’m here, bellezza,” he purred as you leaned into his touch. “I’m here. I will always be here.”

“How do you feel?”

His smile grew even wider, almost sinister. “I am starving.”

You smiled back. “Me too.”

Carnage was the only way you could begin to describe what was happening around you. A massacre—no—a battlefield stretched from one end of the room to the other drenched in viscera and severed limbs. Terzo and the others tore through the room, forced to finish a fight that had started centuries ago. The smell of blood and death was clinging to everything, sharpened senses now unable to ignore even the smallest drop. It overwhelmed you, drawing you into the fray as you bit into the first faceless hunter you could reach.

A few feet away, the Countess gave you a thumbs-up with the severed arm of one of her victims.

-x-

The cottage was unnaturally quiet. As quickly as they arrived, the other vampires had disbanded and headed their separate ways, leaving a cluttered and messy house in their wake. You weren’t sure what was going to happen next. You weren’t sure anyone did.

Primo had nearly died trying to save Terzo. That much was clear from the last time anyone had seen him, but his brothers were quick to assure you that Primo could and would take care of himself. For now, you had to let that be enough, but it felt wrong to leave your friend’s home in such a state.

Especially after everything he had done for you.

You went through each room, picking up whatever you could and putting things back together the way Primo normally kept them. There wasn’t much time, but you sensed Terzo understood this was something you needed. He simply kissed your cheek and left to pack up whatever belongings the two of you had accumulated in that little room.

The kitchen wasn’t a complete disaster, but the least you could do was rinse the handful of old coffee mugs resting in the sink. You washed them carefully though the years and dishwasher cycles had been less than kind to any images they once held. You always assumed you would have time to find out what it was about tourist traps that fascinated Primo, but now you weren’t sure how long you’d have to wait.

It wasn’t until you’d put the last mug away that you noticed the letters. Three envelopes had been left on the table, each the same red as Primo’s scuffed slippers. Each addressed carefully in an elaborate script. Terzo. Draculina. Diavolina.

“Hey Terzo?” You called out, a nervous shake to your voice.

He appeared in a blink, bags in hand as he quickly scanned the room for threats.

“Everything’s ok. It’s just…Primo…he left letters.”

“Ah,” Terzo grunted and dropped the suitcases in favor of clutching his chest. “Thank Satanas. I am too full to eat anyone else today. What does the letter say?”

You shrugged and handed him the one with his name before tearing into your own. There wasn’t much, a simple short note expressing a few wishes written in the most impressive penmanship you’d ever seen. “He says not to look for him—”

“Typical.”

“And that he wants to leave the cottage to his friend.”

Terzo made a face. “He has a friend?”

“You missed so much while you were half-dead, huh?” you teased before reading through the letter one more time. “Hey, what’s Villa Majesty?”

“Eh,” he started and sighed heavily, avoiding your eyes. “I don’t think you will like my answer.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It’s a castle…my castle.”

“Your…what? Like a castle, castle?”

“Sì, it is the smaller one.” He offered with a cheeky grin. “But I think you’ll like it there.”

You groaned. “How many houses do you have?”

He shrugged. “You have plenty of time to find out.”

-x-

“Ah, ah, bellezza,” Terzo purred and brushed your hair away from your neck. He placed a kiss on the newly exposed skin before whispering into your ear. “Slowly, my love.”

You resisted the urge to shrug him off and followed his instructions, drawing long, slow pulls from the vampire hunter’s neck. No one ever tasted as good as Terzo, but he was determined to teach you how to make the most of every kill. Though he couldn’t bake to save his life, so far he had been right about fear and desire tasting better than anger.

You suspected he just got off on watching you feed—not that you minded. Your relationship had started covered in blood after all.

The mattress creaked as Terzo pressed even closer, lips returning to your neck. It had only been a month since you arrived at Villa Majesty—a month-long whirlwind honeymoon phase filled with moments like this and various other “vampire lessons” that were thinly veiled excuses for him to get his hands (or lips) on you. But it was easy to let him try to charm you all over again even if he had already won your heart.

“Like this?” you asked, leaning into him as the hunter’s pulse began to stutter. It was pure luck that you’d found this one, or maybe just stupidity on their part. The village below was small and picturesque enough to attract a few tourists, but it was easy enough to spot someone behaving the way you used to. Feeding on humans can with its own set of morality issues, but when it came to anyone who would take down you or your new family without a second thought the decision was much easier.

Terzo hummed against your skin, his hands reaching around you to free the hunter from your grip. You let out a small yelp as he seized you and pulled your further onto the ridiculous bed, your snack and lessons now forgotten. Much like Meliora House, Villa Majesty was also decorated like a fucking wedding cake, but your lover made up for his eccentric taste in furniture by fucking you senseless on any and every surface he could and making post-coital promises about any remodeling the entire place if you wanted.

Honestly, there were worse things than being wrapped in lavender frills and ruffles while being spoiled by an immortal billionaire.

You pawed at his shirt, grabbing fistfuls of the near-transparent fabric between your fingers as you readied yourself to rip it from his body.

“Nooo,” he whined. “Not this one, per favore. I look too good in this.”

“But you look better out of it.”

“Bah! Impossible, bellezza,” he huffed and rose up on his knees to pose. “Look at me!”

“Oh, I am,” you assured him. You pushed yourself up and let your eyes trail over his form slowly, appreciating every inch. It was growing more faint over time, but you reached up and pressed your fingers to the scar on his chest with a small sigh. “Remind me why we even bother to get dressed again?”

It was his turn to sigh. “Omega and Alpha’s rules.”

“Ah, yes the demonic bodyguards who were tired of seeing your cock.”

His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward and took your wrists in his hands. In one quick motion he pinned you to the bed and hovered over you. “No one has ever tired of my cock, bellezza.”

“Hmm, it is quite nice. Is that why you showed it to me the second I walked into your house?”

“If it works, it works.”

“Terzo?”

“Amore?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” he said with a grin and bent down to kiss you. “Ugh, ok, ok, you can tear it off me—just this once.”

He released your hands and sat back to allow you better access. He was right he did look good like this, but his cock was tenting in his pants and straining against the fabric and that was a look you preferred to any other. You ran your hands over his chest and began the delicate task of carefully slipping each of the buttons free. He groaned at the pace of your work, breath hitching any time you touched the slightest bit of skin. Teasing Terzo had become a favorite pastime of yours over the last few weeks, watching him barely maintain his composure as you found the balance between your heightened senses and his own. He could easily overpower you if he wanted and some days it was more fun to encourage that, but with your appetite sated all you could think about was having him take you slowly.

“Terzo?” You asked as you pushed open his shirt to press a kiss against his stomach. “Make love to me?”

“Every single day for eternity, amore,” he promised with a sly smile. He shook the gauzy shirt from his shoulders and cast it aside, no longer caring about its price tag or the way he looked in it. He eased you onto your back and pushed your knees apart, leveling his face with your sex and the stupidly expensive, but admittedly sexy panties he’d procured for your new wardrobe.

He hooked his thumbs in the waistband and slowly slid them down your legs before stuffing them in the pocket of his tightening pants. He wasted no time burying his face in your cunt and letting his tongue dance a dizzying rhythm across your sensitive nerves. With a firm grip on his hair, you encouraged and praised him letting the man you loved completely take you apart. He held you down with one hand and used the other to tease and slide his fingers into your entrance, working to coax an orgasm out of you.

As you teetered on the edge of intense pleasure, he bit into the inside of your thigh and moaned loudly. At the same time you let go, your body tensing around his fingers as he drank from you. If it wasn’t for how painfully hard he must have been, you thought he could stay there for the rest of his life. Instead, he pushed your knees to your chest and kicked his pants across the room. He pressed into you slowly, eyes closed as he bit his own lip bloody.

“Bellezza, do you see what you do to me?”

You raised your head and watched your bodies connect, sighing with relief as he filled you. “Fuck,” you whispered, hands already grasping at the sheets. “Do you see what you do to me?”

When he was fully seated inside you, he stilled his hips and bent down to press a kiss to your forehead, letting you keen beneath him. Your revenge came as you nipped his throat and let out a particularly lascivious moan as his blood dripped onto your tongue.

“No fair, bella. Do you want me to make love to you or do you want me to fuck you?”

“Both,” you replied with a grin and raised your hips. “They can be the same thing. Especially when you taste this good.”

“Temptress,” he purred and began a torturous rhythm with his hips.

“Vampire,” you shot back, meeting each thrust.

He growled and bit into your neck, drinking from you as his pace picked up. The vibration of his low moans melted into your own, rattling through your chest as you neared your release. He was so loud, alternating between fucking and drinking and moaning while the bed shifted beneath you. You loved him like this, loved to see him so desperately in love with you that he almost couldn’t stand it. You told him so as he pounded into you with a ferocity that drew sounds from your throat Omega would probably leave a note about later.

Terzo’s fingers found their way back to your center as he pulled off your neck and leaned up to watch you come undone. And you did, your bliss hitting you hard in intense waves that washed over you. No one had ever fucked you like he could; no one had ever loved you as he did. No one else ever would.

He cried out, stilling his hips as he reached his own end and spilled inside you. He gasped for air, burying his face in your neck as he came down. The two of you lay like that for a while, twisted up and consumed by your love for each other.

A soft knock broke the silence of the bedroom. Terzo offered you a lazy smile and rolled off the bed, taking the sheet with him. He tucked it around his waist before opening the door a crack to reveal a slightly nervous Omega.

“Uh…sorry to disturb you…but you told me— “

Terzo threw open the door. “Is it here?”

Omega yelped and covered his eyes with his hand. He shoved a small package toward Terzo with the other hand before running down the hallway while shouting, “boundaries people!”

Terzo just shrugged and closed the door. You rolled onto your stomach to watch him rip into the cardboard box, curious to see what was so important it disturbed such a soft moment. The vampire smiled brightly as he walked toward you.

“You have no idea how hard this was to find, bellezza.”

You furrowed your brow. “What is it?”

He winked and handed you the box. Packed neatly and carefully inside was the same vintage hockey sweater you’d once owned, your favorite team’s colors still pristine and bright. Another smaller velvet box sat in the middle of their emblem. You blinked up at him, but he just shrugged and gestured for you to open that one as well.

The next time your eyes met he was on one knee, still wrapped in the sheet.

“Is this why you didn’t want me to rip your shirt?”

“I was trying to create a moment, bellezza.”

You slid off the bed and walked over to him, gently caressing his face. “I think you proposing naked is still a moment, bello. Better than your silly movies.”

He smiled softly. “Will you marry me, amore mio?”

“Yes,” you replied with a nod, tears filling your eyes. “Of course I will, you idiot.”

Thank you to everyone who waited patiently and cheered me on while I tried to complete this story. Your comments kept me going through some really tough times and I can't thank you enough.

I'd like to thank @ramblingoak for holding my hand for the past YEAR and being just the best fucking friend through everything. Suck Club would not exist without you. Thank you. 💜

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ramblingoak · 1 year

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Yes, Cardinal

The Sexy Adventures of Cardinal Terzo ~ A series of stories featuring Cardinal Terzo and his adventures around the abbey

Terzo x Female Reader ~ Cardinal Terzo eavesdrops on your phone call

Warnings: smut, vaginal fingering, hair pulling, biting, bossy Terzo, nsfw, 18+ only, mdni, 1600 words (art by @tasty-ribz )

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Secondo was lucky he was on the other side of the country and not on the other side of your desk.

“Sorella, I think you are forgetting who are speak–”

“No Papa, I think you are forgetting who you are speaking to. I am in charge of the tour budget and that means that any changes made must be approved by me first, do you understand?” Your phone was starting to creak ominously in your fist so you spun your chair around to look out the window and take a few calming breaths.

“All I did wa–”

“Let me put this in simpler terms for you,” You ignored Secondo’s growl and continued on, “Unless you want to finish the tour staying in the most disgusting, roach filled motels I can find, you will run every purchase by me first.”

“Look, all I di–”

“Every. Purchase. I don’t want you to put a dime in a vending machine without asking me first.”

“You think you can speak to me like this?”

“I know I can speak to you like this.” He started to say something else but you cut him off once again, “I also know that unless I hear you say ‘Yes, sister’ and ‘I’m sorry, sister’ I’m turning your credit cards off.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh I would, the Ghouls’ too.” Finally you were met with silence. Hopefully you had made your point, but you knew he’d be sulking about this for months. At least tonight he could sulk in his $2,000 a night suite he decided to upgrade to. “Do you have any questions, Papa?”

“No.”

“Good, that’s good. So you understand the rules now?”

“Si, sorella.” You could hear his teeth grinding and it was glorious.

“Is there anything else you’d like to say?”

“Mi dispiace, sorella.”

“Okie dokie! Have a great night, Papa!” You didn’t wait for his response and ended the call. These fucking Emeritus brothers were going to put you in an early grave.

“I’ve never wanted to fuck you more than I do right now.” The sudden voice from behind you caused you to scream and you jerked your chair around to glare at the man that had snuck up on you.

Cardinal Terzo Emeritus was staring at you hotly from across your desk.

“Lucifer’s balls, Terzo!” You tossed your phone down and glared at him, but like usual it didn’t bother him in the slightest. He walked around your desk and reached his hands out for yours and you reluctantly let him pull you out of your chair. “What are you do–mmph!”

Terzo’s mouth swallowed the rest of your protest and you found yourself practically melting against him. His hands framed your face for a moment before his fingers slipped into your hair, pulling it out of the tidy bun you kept it in during the day. When it started to fall loosely at your shoulders he gathered most of it in a fist and tugged your head back from his mouth.

“You were magnificent, dolcezza.” Terzo kept your head tilted back and dropped his mouth to your neck, scraping his teeth down to where it met your shoulder and then nipping at the skin there. He worried the skin between his teeth before sucking it into his mouth, creating a bruise you knew you’d be pressing your fingers into until it faded away.

“Listening to me talking to your brother turns you on, huh?” He snorted against your neck and lifted his head to lean his forehead against yours.

“Mmm, you putting that stronzo in his place turns me on.” Terzo let go of your hair and then reached down to grab your ass, lifting you up so you were sitting on the edge of your desk. His gloved hands moved to your knees before sliding up your thighs, pushing your habit up as they went. When he caught sight of your lacy panties he grinned up at you, “These help too.”

You meant to respond but all that came out was a moan as he started to rub a finger up and down your covered cunt. He leaned down and captured your mouth again, his tongue pushing between your lips to tangle with your own. You placed your hands on the back of his head so you could angle it to deepen the kiss. His biretta was easily batted out of the way and you let your fingers tangle in his black strands.

Terzo began pressing harder against your cunt, adding another finger and circling your entrance through the silk. You wondered if he realized how wet you were. When his fingers slipped underneath and pushed inside your entrance you broke away from his mouth, dropping your head against his chest to watch them move in and out of you. His gloves were glistening with the moisture he had caused.

His other hand gripped your hair again, pulling your head away from his chest so he could look into your eyes. He pulled his fingers out of your cunt, bringing them up to your lips and you obediently opened your mouth to take them inside. The taste of yourself made you moan around his fingers and Terzo abruptly pulled them out while letting go of your hair. He yanked his gloves off and threw them onto the floor before giving you a heated look.

“Take your clothes off before I rip them off of you.” His own hands flew to the belt around his cassock and while he undid that you eagerly grabbed your panties and wiggled your hips so you could slide them off your legs. Terzo was already working on the buttons by his neck when you gripped the bottom of your habit and tugged it over your head. All you were left in was your bra and you sat there panting as Terzo’s cassock fell from his shoulders to slip to the floor at his feet.

It didn’t surprise you to see he hadn’t been wearing anything under it.

Before you could tease him about it he was kissing you again, his fingers moving to the clasp of your bra and quickly undoing it before pulling it off your shoulders and tossing it across the room. He placed his hands on your shoulders and gently pushed you down to lay across your desk. Terzo moved your legs next, pressing them further apart so he could press himself against your cunt. He gripped his cock and ran it up and down your slit, spreading your wetness from your entrance to your clit.

“Terzo please, no teasing.” He smirked but obliged, pressing the head of his cock at your entrance and slowly pushing in. You raised your arms above your head so you could grip the edge of the desk behind you, your mouth falling open as you stretched around him. When he finally bottomed out he ground his hips against yours briefly, chuckling when you whimpered. “Oh fuck, Terzo.”

He dropped his hands to your thighs, squeezing and massaging the flesh as he gazed down at where you were joined. One hand moved up your thigh and didn’t stop until he could press his thumb against your clit, rubbing over it in a circle. His name continued to spill from your lips like a prayer and that only egged him on. He leaned down to suckle at a breast and you wrapped your legs around his waist to grind harder against him.

“Terzo, Terz–ah!” He pulled off your breast and propped an arm up by your chest so he could look into your face. Watching your expression as he started to pull out and snap his hips to drive his cock back into you. Again and again he fucked you, still moving his thumb around your now engorged clit. He finally groaned and hung his head down, the tips of his hair tickling your skin.

“Look at you, così bella.” You practically wailed when his thumb moved from your clit to start rubbing around your stretched entrance. He pulled his hand away and brought his thumb to his lips, sucking it inside and groaning as he tasted you. “Così bagnato. Is this for me, dolcezza? Are you wet for me?”

“Yes, Terzo.” You couldn’t help sounding a little irritated, sometimes he could be so insufferably smug and it drove you crazy. He raised an eyebrow at your tone and pushed himself up. Terzo pulled out so his tip was resting against your entrance and you felt yourself contracting around nothing. You tried to move down to get him back inside of you but he tsked and placed a hand on your stomach to keep you still. “Terzo!”

“So demanding, dolcezza. It’s kind of rude, no?” He pressed down on you a little harder when you tried to move on his cock again. “I think I need to hear two things before I start fucking you again, ok?”

You let out an exasperated groan but nodded up at him, trying to ignore his triumphant smile.

“Bene.” He placed his other hand on your stomach and then slid them both down to the inside of your thighs, rubbing his thumbs along the sides of your cunt. His cock was still perched right at your entrance, you could feel it twitch against you and you knew he was just as desperate as you were. “Now dolcezza, apologize for your rudeness.”

“I’m sorry, Cardinal.” Terzo rewarded you with a few quick snaps of his hips, each one punching a moan out of you. He stopped himself at your entrance again, panting heavily above you as he stared hungrily at your cunt.

“Bene, molto bene. Now just one more thing,” His thumbs moved over you again, teasing around your entrance before sliding away and gripping your thighs. “Are you ready for me to fuck you?”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

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leezlelatch · 10 months

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What I Was Made For

Terzo x F! Reader - Comfort, skin to skin, love confessions. Sometimes you just need your Papa.

Terzo’s chasuble falls off his body in a rush of satin, pooling at his feet. His gloves come off in equal measure, tossed to the floor carelessly. He removes each layer of clothing with hurried hands, stopping only when he’s standing before you in nothing but his underwear. He slides into the seat next to you, his arms wrapping around your waist in a firm grip as he drags you across the leather couch. You don’t say anything as his hands lift your shirt and usher you out of your leggings, joining them in a heap on the floor next to his papal vestments.

“Terzo,” you finally break, your voice small, and he shushes you. A long finger slides beneath your chin, tilting your head up to meet his gaze. His eyes are warm, even the white one like liquid as he regards you with a concerned and adoring smile.

“I am here, piccolina,” he whispers, bringing your hands flat against the expanse of his chest to feel his heart beat steadily against your palms. “Do you feel me? I am here. I am here with you.” He continues to murmur this as he pulls you into a more comfortable position, cradling your head lovingly into the juncture of his neck as he reclines on the couch. “Feel my skin against yours. And breathe, mio dolce amore.”

You close your eyes and take a deep breath. He smells like caramel. He smells like your favorite candle. He smells like a warm pie baked in the chill of fall. He smells like home. You turn your nose into his skin and nuzzle against it, and Terzo almost coos, a sweet noise leaving his lips followed by a small chuckle. A chuckle of near disbelief as he pulls you closer.

“Ah, what you do to me, eh? Make your Papa such a mess! I thought that was my job,” he squeezes you to him for a moment. “I will have to try harder, si?” He’s smiling, a contentment to his voice that you don’t think you have ever heard before.

“You fluster me,” you murmur into his skin.

“Hmm? What was that?” He teases. “Speak up. Your Papa has a hard time hearing over his bravado, you see.” That makes you laugh, your body shaking on top of his. Terzo laughs with you, deep and joyful, and relieved. “There you are. Come along now, dolce.”

“I said, ‘you fluster me’,” you say a little louder, turning to hide your burning cheeks in the crook of his neck. You feel the brush of his lips upon your forehead and you grow quiet, sucking in a short and shaky breath.

“Thank Satan,” he whispers, lips fluttering against your skin. “I was worried you were falling too close to the edge, and I could not catch you. My only choice, you see, is to fall with you.”

“I don’t want you to fall, Terzo,” your voice is quiet, sad. Your fingers draw through his chest hair, expression thoughtful as you rest skin to skin against him. His fingers copy your movements through your hair, his right hand sliding down to glide a gentle thumb across your cheek.

“But that is the beauty of our love, is it not? We are clumsy together. We fall. And then we kiss each other’s bruises. They hurt a little less each day. Turn from black to yellow. And then they’re gone. Perhaps we shall look back on them, but they won’t hurt anymore. We will just remember the kiss,” his accented voice, melodic and warm, washes over you like a blanket.

You start to sit up, Terzo following you, his fingers grasping at your skin. He is nearly desperate for you to understand. To help you through whatever melancholy is stuck to your precious heart. There are many things Terzo would admit to failing at in his lifetime. This would not be one of them.

“Let me kiss them, amore. Please,” he begs softly, hands at your waist, massaging the soft skin there. “With you is where I am safest. Let me be safe for you.”

The face of the former antipope in front of you is bare of makeup, his brow furrowed, the divot between his brows deepening every day. Crow's feet stretch from the outer corner of his eyes, marking a path of laughter across his face. Silver cuts through dyed black hair. He is the most beautiful man that you have ever seen.

“I love you,” you tell him. Honest and hopeful and raw.

Terzo hands are on you, pulling you firmly back into his lap, wrapping arms and legs around you until any outside viewer wouldn’t know where you ended and he began. He’s heaving great breaths, bordering on a sob as he holds you so tightly against his flesh.

“I love you. I love you. Satana, grazie per questa benedizione. Grazie, grazie,” he whispers fervently, pressing kiss after kiss against your temple, your cheeks, any inch of you he can reach. It has you giggling, and then he laughs too, and you’re both smiling so hard your cheeks hurt.

“I don’t even remember what I was sad about,” you finally say, looking into his eyes, your lips mere inches of his. Terzo smiles, softer now, sweeter.

“Exactly,” he whispers.

#the band ghost #ghost #ghost bc #papa emeritus iii x reader #papa emeritus iii x female reader #reader insert #female reader #papa emeritus iii #terzo emeritus #terzo #terzo x reader #terzo x female reader #the band ghost fanfiction #comfort fic #papa iii #poorly translated italian

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bupia · 11 months

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Love letter: Chapter 2 - Cardinal Copia x Fem!Reader

Summary: After a long and arduous Saturday, Sunday finally arrived. For the first time in months, you were not too excited to see Cardinal Copia in the Sunday’s black mass.

Words: 5.346

Warnings: Some Italian swearing / Teasing / Smut next chapter.

Check the Chapter 1 Check the amazing art by @quaildoodle based on the end of this Chapter

After reading the letter you found, your feelings were mixed up, something between confusion, curiosity, and a bit of excitement. The mere possibility that the letter could be addressed to me stirred a whirlwind of thoughts and self-reflection. You wanted to believe that the way Cardinal Copia acted around you could be the reason why he would write a letter like this to you.

Even if it was not for you, if Cardinal Copia is in love with someone from the Ministry, then that person is lucky. Not only because they were able to capture Cardinal's feelings, but also because they would have Cardinal all to themselves. It was hard not to fall for Cardinal Copia; he was special in his own way. His unique charm, charisma, and enigmatic persona had drawn you in. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but you couldn't shake off the feeling that it could have been meant for you. But who were you trying to fool if not yourself?

You spent the entire Saturday hiding the letter in your habit's pocket just to make sure you wouldn't lose it. On weekends, the Ministry was more crowded than on normal weekdays, and also, it was the cleaning day. It would get even worse on Sundays, especially due to the preparations for black mass, so every room would get cleaned from the ceiling to the floor, you couldn't risk to get it falling into the wrong hands.

On Sundays like that, most of the siblings would get excited to be in Papa's presence, but not you. You would wait for the Sunday black mass just to catch a glimpse of Cardinal Copia. After Friday, you would wait to meet him over the weekend or at the Sunday black mass. However, today was different. You weren't prepared to see him yet.

As the morning had already passed and lunchtime had been over for a few hours, you decided to go out and enjoy some free time in the garden. You still had a few hours to enjoy the rest of the afternoon before the black mass started. You needed to leave those marble walls for a while to breathe some fresh air and clear your mind. You had to get that silly love letter and the fact that Cardinal Copia was in love with someone else off your mind. But before you had the chance to go out, you heard your name being called from a distance.

"Sister, please wait!" You stopped walking and turned to face the voice. "Please, wait!" Sister Helena was running to catch up with you. "Get back! Wait!"

"Sister Helena!" You greeted her with an endearing smile. "What's going on? Is something wrong?"

"No, everything's fine. With me.” She giggles. “I just came after you because Cardinal Copia is asking for your presence in his office."

You were immediately frozen upon hearing Cardinal's name. Today was Sunday, why would he need to see you in his office? You didn't expect to see him until black mass. You looked at her confused because this was not a common occurrence.

"I met him in the corridor with Sister Imperator and he asked me to find you."

With a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, you hurriedly made your way towards Cardinal Copia's office, not even stopping to apologize as you bumped into some people in your path. If Cardinal Copia was asking for you, it was because something had happened, so this was not the right moment to avoid him. But, what did he need to discuss with me that prompted his urgent call?

As you approached his office, you were already feeling nervous. Getting close to the door of his office at the end of the long corridor, you took a deep breath and took some steps until you were in front of it. You raised your arm and knocked twice, but there was no sound. You pressed your ear against the door. No sound.

You decide to reach for the doorknob and open the door enough to poke your head into the office and look around. There is no sign of Cardinal. Suddenly, you see Cardinal Copia coming out of a door that connects his office to the Ministry's archive room, with Terzo following closely behind him, fixing his white glove on his hand. You retract your head slightly, using the half-opened door as cover.

"Perché cazzo non me l'hai detto?" Cardinal says in an acerbic tone, going to his desk and putting the file folder he had in his hands on it. "This is not how it should be, fratello!"

"Fratello! Sai che io sono il Papa! And as Papa, I can make some decisions without consulting the clergy or you." He says, giving him a sarcastic smile. "Especially this one."

"Non dire stronzate!" Cardinal turns his body in Terzo's direction. You've never seen Cardinal talking and acting like that before. "Sì, you are the Papa, Fratello. But I'm your counselor, and I would expect you to see me as such." Terzo giggles and puts a hand on Cardinal's shoulder, but Cardinal removes it almost immediately.

"I've already decided it." Terzo says in a serious tone. "I know what I'm doing."

Cardinal sighs. "Don't get me wrong, fratello, I'm not disappointed." He turns his back to Terzo walking to the window close to his desk opening the curtains. "I just wished you've told me before."

"Mi dispiace." Terzo let out a heavy breath. "Also, we have company." He turns his face to the door, looking directly at you. Cardinal turns his gaze to the door, seeing your face trying to hide behind the door. "So I guess we will talk later after the black mass, Cardinal." He walked to the door, opening it, and gesturing for you to pass through.

"Thank you, Papa." You say as you step inside the office, giving Terzo an adoring smile, but your eyes turn back to Cardinal Copia almost immediately, feeling anxious thinking that you may have interrupted a serious conversation.

"Prego, Sorellina." Terzo replies in a flirty voice. "So, you are the sorella who assists my fratellino?" You notice Cardinal's eyebrows drawing together, as if he is annoyed by the sarcastic tone coming out of Terzo's question.

"Yes, Papa." You voice your words respectfully, noting his gaze taking you in from head to toe.

"Posso capire perché mio fratello ha scelto te." His words were incomprehensible to you, but before you could say anything, Terzo left the office and shut the door.

"Cazzo!" Cardinal spoke in a voice slightly above a normal level.

You approach him, resting a hand on his back rubbing it in circles, looking worriedly at him. He turns his face to you, looking into your eyes and letting out a heavy sigh from his lips, you could feel him relaxing his tense body with your touch.

"Sorella..." He murmurs closing his eyes. "I'm sorry that you had to witness this scene." The soft tone on his voice sends shivers down your spine. It sounded almost as if he was purring.

"It's okay, Cardinal. I won't tell anyone about it." You assure him removing your hand from his back resting it on his arm. He turns his attention in our direction opening his eyes. "Do- I mean, can you talk about what happened between you and Papa?"

"Terzo came to talk to me today about something he's going to announce during black mass tonight. But he could have talked to me about it before deciding on it, before he went ahead with it." The way Cardinal spoke about it made it sound like something serious was coming.

You and Cardinal Copia had a friendly relationship. After working together for months, you felt like he trusted you enough to discuss more personal topics.

"But wh-" He interrupts you by pressing one of his fingers on your lips, shushing you. You feel your face heating up from the touch of his gloved finger against your lips. He take a quick look at your lips before turning his gaze away. Casting him an embarrassed glance, your face warm with his contact, your lips slightly parted. Not a single word can be uttered. Also, you are pretty sure that you squeezed his arm, reacting to the light pressure of his finger.

"Don't mind about it now, cara. I think it will be better to hear it from him." Leaving your lips, he places his hand on top of yours caressing the back of your hand with his thumb.

"Yeah..." You said almost in a whisper still being able to feel the pressure of his finger against your lips. Shaking your head, you clean your throat preparing to speak again. "By the way, Cardinal, why did you call me? What can I do for you?"

"Oh, sì, sì.” He let your hand go to get the file folder from the desk. "Sister Imperator came and gave me this just before Terzo arrived and started bothering me with his shallow talk." You giggle at the way he talks about Terzo. "She asked me to finish them before black mass, so if you're not busy this afternoon, I'd like to borrow your help."

"Of course, Cardinal!” You removed your hand from his arm and quickly made your way to your desk, hearing him clear his throat right after.

"D-Do you think w-we could see it to-together on my desk?" he stuttered. "You know, it would be more practical, and we could finish it faster if we worked together. Two heads think better than one, sì?" He gave you a nervous smile.

"Yes!" Your voice came out in a very excited tone leaning you to blush right after because of his offer. To be honest, there was no point in doing it together side by side as he suggested to you. You both could do it as you always have, but would you have refuse his suggestion?

Rolling the wheels of your chair towards his desk, you tried to avoid his gaze, hoping to hide your red cheeks. He moved his chair to the side, making room for you to place yours next to his. As you settled in, he began pulling files out of the folder. There weren't many files to review, which made you wonder once again why you both had to review them together, but you didn't want to complain.

"Eh... scusi, sorella." He said timidly, reaching over you to open a drawer beside you. His arm extended almost touching your chest and resting on your thighs while he rummaged through the drawer. You bit your bottom lip, holding your breath and keeping your body motionless. He took a glasses case out of the drawer closing it and retracted his arm to his side. You relaxed your chest and breathed out through your mouth. "The lack of light makes me need my glasses to read. Age is cruel, cara." He said reaching for the lamp on his desk, he turned it on, grabbing the glasses out of the case.

"I can imagine, Cardinal." You nod focusing on the papers in front of you. You heard a pleasant laugh coming from his shuttered lips.

For some time, you and Cardinal remain in silence and a subtle tension seemed to linger in the air. But, you kept focusing on the papers and exchanging them with him to give it a deeper review. But when his leg touches yours, you let out an involuntary whine. You rapidly cross your legs, pressing your lips against each other.

The room fell into silence once more and the weight of the unspoken words filled the space between us. The tension remained palpable as Cardinal Copia's gaze fell upon your lap.

"What is this?" he inquired pointing at your lap.

"What?" you followed his gaze and noticed he was staring at a part of the letter that was sticking out of your pocket. The letter was still there. You quickly put your hand inside your pocket, pushing the letter back in. "It's just something one of my siblings gave me." You said in a modulated voice, trying to hide your nervousness.

"I see..." He nodded, drawing his eyebrows together before returning his attention to the paper before him.

Internally, you cursed yourself for the slip-up, but you quickly shifted your focus to another paper, grasping it in an attempt to divert attention from the lingering tension. Glancing sideways at Cardinal Copia, you observed that he remained immersed in his task, seemingly unaffected by what he saw. You let out a sigh of relief, thinking that he might have believed your explanation.

Cardinal reaches for the lamp on his desk and turns it off. Judging by his action, black mass was almost near to start. "Are you finished with those?" he asks, looking at you as he removes his glasses.

"Almost, Cardinal. Just a few more papers to go." You reply, reading the last lines of the file and putting the pen aside. He gets up from his chair and goes straight to a hatstand in the corner of the room, getting his biretta and placing it on his head.

"How does it looks?" Lifting your head, you look at him and give him a genuine smile.

"It looks good, just..." You get up and walk towards him, closing the distance between you two. Your hands reach out for his hair, delicately brushing through the strands of his hair, smoothing them behind his ears and ensuring they fit neatly inside his biretta. The whole time, you was able to feel his gaze on you. "Now it looks better, Cardinal.” You murmured softly, your hands trailing down from his hair to his neck, then finding its place on his shoulder, eventually coming to rest upon his chest.

"G- Grazie.” You felt the erratic beats of his heart against the palm of your hand, he was still staring at you causing you to blush. "Should we be going now?" he asked, breaking the spell as he shifted his gaze towards the door. You nodded in response, retracting your hands from his chest and stepping back slightly. Cardinal Copia took the lead, making his way towards the door and holding it open for you to pass through. As you exited his office, he followed closely behind, shutting the door behind him.

As you walked side by side, towards the chapel, you could hear the talk in the corridors, filled with siblings laughing and chatting about their excitement to see Papa today.

Almost reaching the chapel, Cardinal Copia stopped in his tracks and grabbed your hand, causing you to stop just one step away from him in an empty corridor. The touch of his hand sent a jolt of electricity through you, causing your heart to skip a beat.

"Sorella, you don't need to come with me. I'll get ready for the black mass with the clergy members."

"Are you sure, Cardinal? The-" You turned towards Cardinal Copia, your eyes meeting his as he took a step closer, stopping in front of you, causing you to unintentionally shush. "I-I..." You swallowed your words as you felt him caressing the back of your hand with his thumb, moving his hand almost tangling his fingers with yours.

"Don't worry, sorella. I need to look for Terzo, anyway." You nodded timidly, taking the first step to walk away from him, letting go of his hand. Trying to avoid his gaze, you stumbled on his foot, his arm instinctively wrapped around your waist, providing support and preventing you from falling, you held onto his arm with both hands, allowing his grip to guide and steady you. The closeness between you both intensified. "Be careful, sorella!" Your face flushed with a deep shade of red as you felt his hand resting on your waist and the firm grip of it. He brought you closer to him making your hold on his arm tighter. "Mi dispiace, sorella. It was my fault." Cardinal said in a gentle and apologetic tone.

"It's okay, Cardinal. I-I should have been more careful." Your voice trembled slightly, betraying the mixture of emotions swirling within you. With his arm still securely around your waist, you stood there momentarily, immersed in the feeling of his touch. Slowly he let your waist go. "I'll see you at the black mass!" You said as you made your way far from him going back to the previous corridor to catch up with your friends from before.

"Look who is here!" Sister Gretta said making all of the four siblings look at your direction as you approached them with a smile growing in your face.

"Look if is not the Cardinal's favorite... sorella." Sister Olga said in a ironic tone, giving you a tight hug.

"I'm not his favorite! I just work with him." You giggled, hugging Sister Olga.

"Of course it's 'just work' when you spend the whole day in a closed office until late at night." Sister Ana said, causing you to let go of the hug with Sister Olga.

"Oh, you!. There are just a lot of boring papers to read, and it takes time to read them all, that's all."

"Do you know if maybe Papa needs an assistant too?" You heard them all laughing at Sister Victoria's question. "Stop it, girls! I mean it. Oh, I'd kill to be Papa's assistant!" She brought both of her hands to her chest.

"Yes!" Sister Jade reached for your arm, holding it. "Please, if you know something about Papa, you have to let us know.”

"But he already has an assistant!" You let out a loud laugh, looking at their curious, but confused faces. "It's Cardinal! Cardinal is his assistant. Well, actually, he is his counselor."

"Wait! What?" Jade rested her hands on her hips turning her face trying to assimilate what you've just said. You try not to laugh again, seeing them looking at each other confused by what you said.

"Well... I can't say more than I already have. But, I don't think Terzo is open to having any assistants." They all looked disappointed. "However, I do know that we need to go now to the chapel so we can see Papa. And judging by the time, we can get front row seats." With those words, there was a sudden change in their mood and they all smiled, starting to walk towards the chapel.

As you and your group of friends entered the chapel with the other siblings, they hurried their steps just to be able to sit on the first bench. The energy in the air was palpable as siblings filled the space, their voices blending into a lively hum of conversation and anticipation. The atmosphere buzzed with a sense of reverence and anticipation, as everyone prepared themselves for the forthcoming black mass.

After some time waiting, a melody filled the chapel, causing all the siblings to hush and wait for it to start. The members of the clergy were starting to enter the chapel one by one. Your eyes were fixed on where Cardinal Copia would come from. When he entered the chapel, you quickly turned your gaze in another direction. Terzo entered right after the members, and the siblings gave him all their attention. You could swear you heard some of them sigh as if they were melting in his presence. At this moment, you couldn't take your eyes off him, not because you were also melting in his presence, but because of the clothes he was wearing - some kind of white suit with golden embroidery and... golden shoes?

As the black mass began, your gaze shifted away from Terzo's figure and went to Cardinal Copia. He looked imposing, but then his eyes started scanning the room from side to side, as if he was unable to move his head. Perhaps he was searching for someone, possibly the recipient of the letter? It was certainly a possibility. Of course, you followed his gaze, trying to find who he was looking for. Gradually, your eyes followed his path until they met his. You tried to look away, but it was too late as he was already giving you a gentle smile, almost as if he was greeting you. Great! Now that he knew you were following his gaze, he would probably stop looking around, and you would not be able to satisfy your curiosity.

The black mass was going well until now, but you couldn't help but notice Cardinal Copia's posture in his chair. A subtle discomfort seemed to emanate from him, causing a flicker of concern to surface within you. Instinctively, you recalled the knowledge that Terzo was expected to make an announcement during the black mass. Gazing at Cardinal Copia's expression, a mix of anticipation and apprehension filled his eyes. His gaze shifted intermittently between the crowd and Terzo. It was clear that the expected announcement was going to happen soon.

"Before we leave the chapel and have our dinner, I have an announcement to make," Terzo said, removing one of his gloves. Your eyes went back to Cardinal Copia, as his behavior seemed restless. Removing his other glove, Terzo raised his hand letting an engagement ring exposed. "I'm engaged." You heard gasps from the siblings and saw the alarmed expressions on their faces. Even you were a little shocked. "I know this may be a shock to most of you, but I, Terzo Emeritus, and..." He offered his hand to the bench you were sitting on, and you and your friends looked at each other confused. Then, a woman right beside you stood up and walked towards him, reaching for his hand with a big smile on her lips. “Mia cara... We decided to get married.” He kissed the back of her hand.

At this point, all the members of the clergy were already standing up, looking at Terzo and the woman, except for the Cardinal who was looking directly at you. You didn't understand why he was staring at you, but you stared back at him. His lips moved as if he wanted to convey something, but the distance rendered his words indecipherable. He clenched his fists and took a deep breath, his eyes rolling back momentarily. His gaze now focused on Terzo and the woman, drawing your attention back to them. As Terzo delivered his final words, the black mass came to a conclusion. As Terzo made his way out of the chapel, the members of the clergy, one by one, followed him. The siblings got up and started talking about what had just happened. Your friends were all shocked and couldn't believe it could be real.

"So, it was true that he had someone from inside the ministry?" Sister Olga asked.

"Did you know about that?" Sister Gretta held onto your arms shaking them.

"No, I swear. I didn't know about any of this!" You assured them as you made your way out of the chapel, with them following you.

“I can’t believe the hot...” Sister Ana stopped talking, taking a deep breath. “I can’t believe the Papa really had someone this whole time.”

You were making your way with the siblings to the dining hall. They kept talking about Terzo's announcement but your mind was consumed by thoughts of Cardinal Copia, and your curiosity about who he had been searching for during the black mass lingered. You couldn't shake off the feeling of being caught in my own desires, and the embarrassment weighed heavily upon you. But hopefully, he wouldn't even think that you had bad intentions and it was just a coincidence.

As you entered the dinig hall, the aroma of food filled the air, and conversations filled the room. The siblings were animatedly discussing Terzo's relationship with his fiancé, speculating on how they had met and fallen in love. You listened to their musings, but your mind couldn't fully engage with their conversation. The presence of Cardinal Copia lingered in your thoughts, overshadowing everything else.

As dinner drew to a close, You couldn't help but notice Cardinal Copia's absence. It was unusual for him to be missing from such an important gathering. Terzo made a toast for him and his fiancé, right after it, he dismissed all the siblings present.

Making their way back to their dormitories, you found myself gazing down the long corridor towards Cardinal Copia's office. The darkness seeped from under the shut door, indicating his absence. Questions filled your mind, but you had no answers. As you started to climb the stairs, you reached for the key in your pocket and felt the letter inside, causing you to sigh in relief. At least it was still with you.

Returning to your dormitory with my friends, you took a moment to hide the letter safely beneath my pillow. Keeping it safe and sound for tomorrow.

You sat on your bed and reflected about the crazy day you had today. All the touches and looks you and Cardinal Copia exchanged made you blush again just thinking about it. But, you came to the realization that it was better to keep your emotions in check. It was time to let go of fantasies and face the reality of the situation. The letter and its contents were meant for someone else, and you had to find contentment within the boundaries of the friendship that existed between Cardinal Copia and you.

"Oh no!" Sister Victoria exclaimed, getting up from her bed and bringing you back to reality.

"What's wrong, Victoria?" you asked, turning to face her.

"I forgot I was supposed to take our laundry to the laundry room." She said, pointing to the basket of dirty clothes.

"It's okay, Vi! I can take care of it. Don't worry." You said, getting up and walking over to the basket.

"Are you sure? I can do it tomorrow when there's no one there." She said, looking at you from her bed.

"I insist. I need to take a walk anyway." You said, picking up the basket and heading towards the door. "You can rest now. I'll take care of it." She gave you a smile and laid back in her bad.

You reached for the doorknob, balancing the basket in your arm and hugging it close to your body. When you managed to open the door, you faced Cardinal Copia, who had one arm raised as if he was about to knock on the door. The shock was evident on both of your faces as you locked eyes, caught off guard by the unexpected encounter. You stumbled slightly, but managed to regain you composure and quickly shut the door behind you.

You stood there in the corridor, feeling a mix of embarrassment and surprise. Cardinal Copia was standing just a few steps away, you could sense a slight tension in the air, unsure of what to say or how to break the silence that hung between you two.

Taking a deep breath, you finally spoke. "Uh... Cardinal, I was just... taking the laundry to the laundry room." Cardinal Copia wasn't wearing his normal outfit - no biretta, cassock, mozzetta, or fascia. The only thing from his normal outfit that was still on was his crucifix. You supposed you were seeing what Cardinal used to wear under his cassock - a black shirt and black pants.

He nodded, a hint of amusement playing on his lips. "I can see it, sorella." He said, looking at the basket in your hands.

"Well, I volunteered to take care of it for Sister Victoria. She forgot, and I offered to help." A nervous smile tugged at the corners of your mouth as you shifted the basket in your arms. "But don't worry, I can do it later. What can I do for you now, Cardinal?" you smiled at him, trying to hide your anxiety at having him right in front of you so late at night.

"That's kind of you. Always thinking of others." He paused for a moment before continuing, his voice softer. "You have a kind heart, sorella."

The words touched you deeply, and you felt a flush of warmth spreading across your cheeks. "Thank you, Cardinal."

An uncomfortable silence filled the corridor, although there was a sense of comfort, you could feel a certain type of anxiety in Cardinal.

"Well, I should get going. The laundry won't take care of itself." You gestured towards the laundry room.

Cardinal Copia nodded. "Of course. Don't let me keep you.. But... Eh, sorella, I have a question... And I couldn't wait until tomorrow." He took a step closer to you, causing you to take a step back and hit your back against the door. "The... The thing I saw in your pocket earlier..." His eyes bore into yours, putting one of his hands on the door, leaving it right beside your head.

Your grip on the basket loosens, causing it to slip from your hands and crash to the floor. The sound of the basket hitting the ground echoes through the corridor. Cardinal Copia's eyes briefly flicker down to the fallen basket before returning to meet your gaze.

"Was it the letter from my office?" He asked in a serious tone, almost closing the gap between your bodies, with his face close to yours breathing against your skin, causing a shiver to run down your spine as he looked at your face like if he was studying every inch of your nervousness.

"I..." You find yourself momentarily lost for words, caught in the intensity of the moment. His gaze is unwavering, his eyes locked onto yours, searching for an answer. "I- I mean.... I-" Cardinal's heat was creating an intoxicating sensation with every inch of space that separates your bodies. You felt like if there was a magnetic pulling you to finally close the gap.

It was like if he felt it too, as he closed the gap between the two of you, turning his face down close to your neck, his breath tickling your ear, sending a jolt of anticipation through your body.

"Did you read it?" His voice, barely above a whisper, reach the deepest corners of your being. You could feel a heat growing inside of you.

"I... I..." The tension between you two was palpable, a delicate dance of desire and restraint. You closed your eyes, as if you were waiting for him to do something, you felt like you were close to faint.

You hear a cough coming from the stairs. "Am I interrupting something, fratello?" Your eyes instantly opened, you turn your face seeing Terzo on top of the stairs.

"No. Not at all." Cardinal manage to reply, quickly composing himself and stepping back from you.

You quickly compose yourself too, glancing down at the fallen basket, your cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and nervousness.

"Good Evening, Papa." You greet Terzo, offering him a polite smile, reaching down to pick up the fallen items and placing them back into the basket.

"Non puoi resistere a una sorella, sì?" Terzo laughed in a devilish tone. Cardinal Copia's expression becomes guarded, and you can sense a tension in the air between him and Terzo.

"Stai zitto, fratello." Cardinal said in a serious tone walking in Terzo's direction. Terzo gave him his back starting to walking down the stairs. "Tomorrow, I want to see you early in the morning in my office so we can finish this talk, sì?" Cardinal Copia adds, his gaze briefly meeting yours before following Terzo downstairs.

As they walk away, leaving you standing alone in the corridor, you take a deep breath, trying to calm your racing heart. The encounter with Cardinal Copia has left you feeling both exhilarated and uncertain. Tomorrow's meeting in Cardinal's office loomed over you. You would need to summon all your courage, drawing strength from within, to face Cardinal Copia.

Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

Grammar ⸻

Perché cazzo non me l’hai detto? - Why the fuck didn’t you tell me? Fratello! Sai che io sono il Papa! - Brother! You know that I’m the Papa! Non dire stronzate! - Don’t talk nonsense! Mi dispiace - I’m sorry Prego, sorellina - You’re welcome, little sister Fratellino - Litlle brother. Posso capire perché mio fratello ha scelto te. - I can see why my brother chose you. Cazzo! - Fuck! Scusi, sorella. - Excuse me, sister. Mi dispiace, sorella - I’m sorry, sister. Cara - Dear Mia cara - My dear Non puoi resistere a una sorella, sì? - You can't resist a sister, right? Stay Zitto, fratello - Shut up, brother.

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ghulehunknown · 4 months

Text

Terzo x F Reader - Spanking, Degradation, Breeding

Thank you katfish__ on Twitter for bringing my words to life! Check out her full NSFW version here.

**WARNING for explicit content below**

One Missed Text

Summary: You haven’t returned Papa’s text! - or did you? Well either way he’s very upset with you for seemingly ignoring him, and he intends on teaching you a lesson in manners.

CW/Tags: male masturbation, spanking, vaginal fingering, vaginal sex, unprotected sex (P in V), rough sex, degradation, possessive behavior, breeding, blood, aftercare, spit kink

Word Count: 3.3K

Author’s Note: Happy Valentine’s Day, lovelies! I’m bringing back an older fic of mine from AO3 that I haven’t posted here before. I hope you enjoy it!

Poring over text, you sighed. Sister would have your head if you didn’t complete your work by Friday. You were searching for hours in the Unholy Books for references to give her on the week’s upcoming Black Mass sermon: gluttony. That was not nearly as exciting as lust – unless, of course, you were gluttonous for a slice of your beloved. Speaking of, Terzo had not returned your last text message. You were hoping for a midday romp to break up the monotony of the day’s tasks.

You were both teasing each other throughout the day, as you often did on the most boring days to keep each other entertained during the endless meetings and duties. The other Siblings would tease you when they saw your face light up. “Another text from Terzo?” they would ask, knowing full well the answer. What was the subject matter of those messages?…well, that was a secret after all.

“Please…” he had begged through text today (mixed with several undecipherable emojis) after you sent him a quick nip slip photo. “I must have you. Come to me.” That was over two hours ago.

“Name the time and place,” you responded. You saw the text bubbles indicating he was typing, over and over, until they finally disappeared. Frustrated, you tossed your phone back into your purse and continued perusing the books. It felt like forever had gone by. You picked up your phone again just to check for a notification. Nothing. And it had only been 5 minutes. He was so eager before…what happened?

…

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to you, Terzo was pacing back and forth in his office. He stared at his phone, no notifications staring back at him as if mocking him. He huffed and put his phone back in his pocket, and paced around some more, continuously pulling out his phone every 30 seconds.

His dearest had sent him the most salacious photo (which he immediately saved to his photo roll)…and he felt the heat rising in his trousers. Thank Lucifer he had no more meetings so he could fuck your brains out in his office.

He had responded to your last text inquiring the time and place, “Now. My office, ovviamente. Where else potrei scoparti in pieno giorno cosi forte da dimenticarti il tuo nome?” but you had not responded and he was growing more and more frustrated by the minute. Was the last text too much? Surely not; you had fucked in every scenario before – slow, fast, loving, passionate… aggressive. Maybe you weren’t feeling his assertive tone today? Oh, how he hated the increased paranoia and anxiety that came along with being in love; it drove him mad.

He opened up his camera roll, where he saved all your cheeky photos to his ‘hidden’ album. Texting the password to the album with his left hand, he started to thumb the erection forming in his pants. He leaned back in his office chair and kicked his legs up on the desk, scrolling through the photos while unbuckling his belt and undoing his pants with his right hand. He grabbed a few tissues from his desk and tossed his head back, imagining your mouth on him as he stroked himself faster and faster.

…

It was nearing 5 o’clock and you still had not heard from him. The day was over, and you decided to take up the Siblings’ offer of joining them for dinner and drinks. You headed over to the mess hall and grabbed a bite to eat, chatting with them over a pint and trying to enjoy Ghoul karaoke night (Alpha was “performing” in a series of barking and hissing). You felt a bit dejected, drowning your sorrows in French fries and lager, but tried to brush it off – figuring Terzo got busy during the day. Ever since he had been anointed Papa you saw less and less of one another.

You decided instead of feeling angry, you would reward his hard work with the best fuck he had ever received. You downed the rest of your drink to give yourself a little extra liquid courage, waved goodbye to your friends, and headed back to yours and Terzo’s bedchamber.

When you walked in, you found him leaning against the dresser, cigarette in his mouth and lighter in his hand. Just before he lit up, he caught your gaze and rolled his eyes. You hadn’t realized but your demeanor had changed as soon as you saw the cigarette, your brow furrowing in disdain.

“Come to piss on the fun again?” he huffed, shoving the lighter and unlit cigarette back into his pocket and walking into the bathroom.

“What?” you asked incredulously, following him. (“Not in our room!” you exclaimed the last time he lit one up in bed with you post-coitus.)

“See what you make me do!” He fumbled around in the top drawer of the double vanity, pulling out a nail file, and began to file his nails a little too forcefully.

You stood in the doorway and propped yourself against the doorframe.

He pointed the nail file at you. “You left me hanging today, amore.”

“Me?” you asked, still incredulous at his lack of self-awareness today. “What about you? I was waiting all day for you to tell me where to meet you.”

“Amore!” he exclaimed again, throwing his hands up in the air. His anxieties were building up in him like lava. “So I’m the problem again? I told you to meet me in my office. I waited for you all day – you see how crazy you make me? I even had to take care of this myself – ” He motioned down to his pants, a small tent already formed in his trousers.

You looked down and smiled at the sight. You couldn’t help feeling a little amused. In a way you felt powerful to have such an effect on him.

“Oh you think it’s funny, eh? Well we’ll see how you like being punished for such insolence.”

“Terzo my love, I was waiting for your response all day,” you assured him, but he wasn’t having it.

He exclaimed something unintelligible in Italian under his breath, throwing his hands into the air again then continuing to aggressively file his index and middle fingernails on his right hand. His face turned mischievous as he eyed you out of his peripheral. He turned to you and asked, “You know what this means, don’t you?”

Your face blushed instantly as you knew where his mind was headed. The arousal that had been building up between your legs all day suddenly came trickling down your thighs.

“Don’t act so innocent, amorina,” he said with a smirk. “I know you like to tease and brat, but I expected you to behave today.” He walked around you slowly, like a predator stalking its prey.

You gulped. “Check your phone,” you piped up. He rolled his eyes once more in response. You reached forward, trying to get to his pocket, but he easily swatted your hand away. “Check it!” you urged. “I would never leave you unanswered.”

He seemed skeptical but pulled out his phone and went to his messages. “Oh,” he said, suddenly changing tone. “It appears I did not hit ‘send.’”

“See?” you said triumphantly, trying to get past him to look at his screen, his futile attempts to keep you from looking failing. He tried to erase the message quickly but you read it just in time, blushing again at what he would’ve sent you.

He shook his head as if shaking off the embarrassment of his unnecessary theatrics. “This changes nothing. You should have known where to come and to obey me as soon as you saw the last message.”

You smiled at him, amused that he did not yet have the poise nor the patience that his older brothers had as head of the Satanic Church. He might’ve had a few forehead wrinkles, but sometimes he reminded you of a younger man. He certainly had the impetuousness and stamina of one.

You stepped back into the room, hooking one leg seductively over the leather armchair in the corner, exposing your upper thigh through the slit in your habit. “That’s right,” you said, running with his game. “I was so disrespectful to not heed your call right away.” You took off your veil, tossing your hair back and running your hands through it to smooth down the flyaways.

As you were busy trying to look as seductive as possible, he slid right up next to you, his hand reaching through the slit in your habit. He inhaled the scent of your hair and groaned under his breath, his hand pawing at the hem of your panties. His hand trailed against the cloth, feeling your wetness already saturating it.

“I thought of you all day,” you whispered against his neck, feeling his breath on your cheek, the smell of his spearmint gum washing over you. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders affectionately.

“I can tell,” he said. His touch could be so soft and delicate – when he wanted to be – he had already snuck two fingers past the hem of your panties at your entrance. He brought his hand up his under his nose, thumbing your slick in between his fingers. He turned you around roughly and unzipped your dress in one motion. He tore the fabric off you, exposing you in nothing but your bra and underwear.

“Take them off,” he said, gesturing towards your panties. You obeyed swiftly, and tossed them to the side, wearing nothing but your bra now. As you did that, he took off his belt and kicked off his shoes. He folded his belt and snapped it, almost threateningly.

You eyed the belt from the side, your arms steadying you against the armchair. He had never used a belt on you before; you were only used to the palm of his hand, and he was usually quite gentle.

He saw the glimmer of fear in your eyes and came up behind you, placing the belt on the arm of the chair beside your elbow. “I’ll be gentle for today, amore,” he assured, slipping his hand between your thighs, teasing your wet entrance again. Instinctively, your shoulders relaxed and you sighed, relieved.

“But still you must be punished, no?” He took your chin in his free hand, forcing your face to the side, closer to his lips. You nodded in his hand, moaning slightly as his fingertips roamed around, pushing inside your entrance teasingly. “You see how horny you make me, mmh?” he whispered into your ear, groaning on the last syllable. He pressed his clothed erection against your bare ass, his cock twitching in his pants.

“Open,” he commanded, squeezing your mouth open. He gathered up a wad of saliva in his mouth and spat into your mouth, then clamped your mouth shut again. “Swallow.” You gulped. “That’s Papa’s brava ragazza. You’ll do anything I say.”

You eagerly anticipated his next move, wanting to feel his warm seed rush inside you after waiting all day for him, while simultaneously wanting him to take his sweet time antagonizing you and denying you your pleasure.

“What is my punishment, Papa?” you asked enthusiastically, hoping for him to continue using you.

“I think naughty girls deserve to get spanked by their Papa, don’t you?”

You whimpered slightly and nodded, your chin still in his tight grasp. “Yes Papa,” you feigned lament, hanging your head slack in his palm.

He released his grasp on you and withdrew his fingertips from your cunt, and you slumped over the armchair, holding yourself up by your elbows.

“You disobeyed me today,” he said warningly, palming your ass forcefully – yet still softly – massaging the area before striking again. You nodded in agreement. He cracked his belt again for dramatic effect. Crack! This time the leather hit you harder than his hand, stinging your skin a little. CRACK. You moaned louder, feeling the pain more now. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you mia piccola puttana?” he laughed, sticking his middle finger inside your cunt and feeling more wetness trickle out. He took his finger out and wiped your juices on your back before continuing.

Relentlessly he continued, spewing various obscenities at you in Italian. “Who do you belong to, whore?” he kept asking. “You, Papa!” you would shout through stifled yelps. Every few strokes he would sneak in a gentle touch to your raw skin, soothing the redness.

“You come to me when called next time,” he said. “I do not have all day to wait for some filthy slut to pleasure me. Nor do I have the time to take care of myself day in and day out.” He threw the belt to the side, opting for a more personal touch.

You whined in agreement, preparing for the next strike.

SMACK! he spanked you harder with the palm of his hand. “Mmm!” you mumbled, your flesh throbbing. SMACK! he struck you again.

“I am in meetings all day tomorrow,” he continued as if he was not ruthlessly punishing you and just striking up normal conversation. SMACK.

“Ah! Mmm – then I will be waiting for you here when you return after a long day.”

“No, you’ll be on your knees like the good little slut you are,” he said. Smack!

“But Sister will see – ah! – and anyone else in the room – ” you began but he stopped you.

“Silence!” he hissed, striking your ass once more, even harder this time. “It’s time you put your whore mouth to use and show everyone who you belong to, who you worship.”

All you could do was nod in agreement as he struck you across the ass again. Your skin was raw and aching, and you longed for a more delicate touch. Almost as if reading your mind, it seemed Terzo had ceased the punishments – for now. You peeked behind you and saw him hurriedly take off his clothes. Soon he was undressed, and soothingly caressing the red skin on your rear.

“Are you well, amore?” he asked in dulcet tones, lulling you into relaxation. “I know that was rougher than usual.” He touched your back comfortingly.

You trembled, still holding yourself up against the armchair, but nodded assuredly.

“Good,” he said, inching closer. You could feel the head of his erection prod against your thigh as he leaned in close to your ear. “We aren’t through. Are you ready to be bred like a brood mare by your Papa?”

You gasped as he took you from behind and grabbed you roughly by the hips. He pummeled into you uncompromisingly and determined. There was no graceful entry like when you usually made love; this one was a furious desperation of a man who needed carnal pleasure immediately. “Fuck – Terzo!” you exclaimed, adjusting to his length.

“Take it, whore! That’s it, Papa’s little cum rag. So fucking tight, Lucifer – fuck – cazzo!” he grunted through rough thrusts. You were that tight because he had not worked you up enough in between your punishment and his pleasure. Eventually after a dozen thrusts, you acclimated to his rhythm and pushed back into his cock when he rammed into you. That drove him wild. He cried out an indiscernible, animalistic noise that turned into a laugh. “Oh fuck – Satanas you do it so good – fuck –”

It always pleased you to hear your usually eloquent Papa turn into someone who could barely speak, all because he was inside you, bewitched. Your head spun and face flushed as he continued to pound into you, gripping your hips tighter and tighter until you could feel a warm liquid drip down the sides of your thighs. He was still going – he hadn’t cum yet…

He hastily grasped around your neck and clutched at your breasts until firmly grabbing your shoulder with his left hand, holding you tightly in place, and you smelled iron. You glanced down at your chest and saw bloody fingerprints across your skin. Sticky and metallic, the sensation hit you, making you dizzy. His right hand trailed across your thigh around to your front, smearing more blood along your side to your front.

He deftly parted your labia and circled your clit with his fingertips, mixing your blood with your cum and using it to glide over your sensitive bud.

You moaned, unable to speak clearly. You continued clutching onto the armchair for support, feeling weak at the knees. “Yes – right there – ” you muttered as he delicately fingered you while ruthlessly thrusting into your cunt from behind. You cried out in passion as he hit your g-spot and you could feel your orgasm was close.

“Esatto, ecco la mia brava ragazzina. Vieni per me, mio angelo del peccato.” As he rammed into you with precision, his breathing quickened until he was moaning your name. “Ho bisogno di te, ho…bisogno – di – te,” he stifled, cock quivering inside you.

You shuddered under him, your body trembling as you came. Your body rocked against his chest and he kept his rhythm, never breaking away from his hold on you. You cried out in ecstasy and slumped forward further over the arm of the chair, spent and breathless.

Wasting no time, he grabbed onto your elbows to pull you closer and thrust into you harder and faster. “Your cunt will be full of my seed – fuck!” he said. You yelped, wanting to relax but he drove through you to his climax, his warm cum coating your walls and seeping out onto your thighs. He groaned, finishing out his high on three final slow thrusts, until he collapsed on top of you. The both of you lay in a crumpled heap on top of the chair for a moment, catching your breath.

“Merda!” he exclaimed, pleased. He kissed your shoulder blade then got up, pulling out of you finally. He crouched down beside you and tucked your now unkempt hair behind your ear. “How is la mia principessa, hm?”

You nodded and smiled, closing your eyes contentedly but unable to speak just yet.

“Ah shit,” he said, looking you over and realizing you were bleeding from where his nails dug in too tightly around your hips. He picked you up and threw you over his shoulder and took you into the bathroom, sitting you down by the bathtub.

“Ah,” you muttered, wincing. Your rear end was still throbbing from earlier and the cuts in your thighs were stinging.

He rummaged through the drawers and pulled out antiseptic, cotton balls, and bandages. He took a washcloth from the cupboard and ran it under the tap. He knelt down beside you and wiped away the bloody fingerprints all over your body. He wiped off the wounds on your thighs with such tender care you would not have guessed he was the same man fucking you senseless just moments ago. He put antiseptic on a cotton ball and swiped your cuts.

“Ouch!” you mumbled, the stinging overwhelming for a few seconds before subsiding.

“I am sorry I got overzealous, amore. You just make me so fucking crazy.” He opened the bandages and gently smoothed them over your skin, careful not to reignite the pain.

“It’s okay, love.” You smoothed back his hair and gazed lovingly into his eyes. He glanced down at your entrance, still leaking with his cum from moments ago. “It didn’t take,” you said.

“Mm?”

“I went back on the pill last week.”

“I know, tesoro. I saw the pill pack on the counter. It is fun to pretend.” He kissed your forehead.

Italian to English Translations

ovviamente (obviously)

[Where else] potrei scoparti in pieno giorno cosi forte da dimenticarti il tuo nome? (“[Where else] could I fuck you so hard in broad daylight you’d forget your name?”)

Amore (love/my love)

Amorina (love/sweetheart)

brava ragazza (good girl)

mia piccola puttana (my little slut)

cazzo (fuck)

Esatto, ecco la mia brava ragazzina. Vieni per me, mio angelo del peccato. (That’s right, my good little girl. Cum for me, my angel of sin.)

Ho bisogno di te (I need you)

Merda (shit)

la mia principessa (my princess)

tesoro (treasure)

#the band ghost #ghost band fanfic #ghost bc #papa emeritus x reader #ghost band smut #terzo fanfiction #terzo x reader #terzo #papa emeritus iii x reader #terzhoe #papa terzo x reader #terzo fanart #ghost smut #the band ghost fanfiction #ghost band fanfiction #papa emeritus smut #papa emeritus iii x female reader #terzo smut

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blueghoul · 1 year

Text

Just Hold Me

Pairing: Papa Emeritus III/Reader, Papa Emeritus III/Female Reader

Tags: Soft Terzo, fluff, depression, loneliness

Your bad days have caused you to feel more lonely without your Papa than usual. He’s been so busy, but what’s a little downtime? You need your Papa.

Read it here if you’d like.

You’ve been feeling lonely, more so than usual. All you’ve been doing is laying on the sofa or in your bed, not having much of a want to get up. The ghouls come check on you, but it doesn’t cure the loneliness. You need your Papa, he’s been so busy the last few days, you’ve barely seen him.

Tonight, tonight you couldn’t help it anymore. Your loneliness wasn’t getting any better, it made your depression worse and you needed your Papa. You change into your t-shirt and shorts you sleep in and you walk out your bedroom to his quarters.

With a shaky breathe, you knock softly on his door. It’s late in the evening, you see a dim glow under the door, seems like he’s still at his desk. You hear him call out, “Come, it’s open.”

You fumble with the knob for a second, opening the door slowly to announce your presence, he immediately jumps up when he sees you. His smile falters when he notices your state, the gloomy look in your eyes.

“Oh, mi amore, what is wrong?” Terzo walks over to you, pressing a kiss to your forehead, cupping your cheeks.

“Papa… I-I,” you stumble over your words, choking back the frustrated tears. “I’ve been… lonely, my bad days have been clouding over me, and I need you Papa. You’ve been so busy, I hardly see you.”

“I am never too busy for you,” he pulls you into a tight hug, “I wish I would have known, amore.”

That hug was the tipping point, you couldn’t hold it back any longer. “It’s not your fault, you didn’t know.”

“What can I do to help?” He looks to you, mismatched eyes studying your face with such worry.

“Just hold me.”

Terzo nods, tightly hugging you again. With a grunt, he scoops you up into his arms and carries you over to his bedroom, gently placing you in his bed. Giving you another kiss on the forehead, you groan at the loss of contact, tears still flooding your vision as you reach out your hands for him to come back.

“No, no, I am not leaving you. I am going change and you will stay here with me until these bad days go away, si?”

“Thank you,” you whisper.

A few minutes later, he comes back. Grabbing the tv remote and turning all the lights out, he gets into the bed with you and holds out his arm for you to lay on him. You scoot over to put your head on his chest, his arm wrapping around you tightly. You look up to him, using his other hand he takes your chin and kisses you. Caressing your cheek, he softly smiles, his bare face looking handsome in the dim light.

“No need to thank me, that’s what I’m here for, tesoro,” he assures you, giving you another kiss.

You snuggle back into his chest, tangling your legs with his. You soon fall asleep to the beat of his heart; he wasn’t far behind.

#vent post #please be gentle #the band ghost #papa emeritus iii #terzo #ghost bc #terzo x female reader #papa terzo #terzo fanfiction #papa emeritus iii x female reader #papa emeritus iii fanfiction #ghost band fanfic #terzo x reader #papa emeritus iii x reader #the band ghost fanfiction

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earthry · 10 months

Note

Hello! Humbly requesting a HC of reader sending the Papa’s nudes.

Thank you for the request! I hope you don't mind that these aren't very detailed or as smutty as probably expected

tw: tiny bit spicy, riling the papas up

Primo

Peepaw’s still got it going on.

Will call you immediately and huskily ask you if you’re alone. When you tell him you are, he’ll instruct you step by step to touch yourself.

Turns into phone sex and you learn just how hot it is to hear him dominant and desperate at the same time.

When you’re both spent, he’ll come find you afterwards so he can give you proper aftercare and a very appreciative thank you for the nudes.

In the moment he can be pretty intense but afterwards he’s a teddy bear.

Secondo

Screenshots it and puts it as his Home Screen.

Will send you very detailed dirty talk about what he wants and will do to you the next time you’re both alone.

More affected by the nude then he lets on— will end up getting off to it and then sending you a photo of his own, telling you that you’d better take responsibility.

Terzo

Sends nudes back and fuck are they good. He knows the perfect poses and angles to really show himself off.

You’re the one who ends up flustered instead.

You end up finding him and jumping his bones and the two of you make love while you giggle and laugh because sex is supposed to be fun.

Afterwards he’ll give you tips and tricks on how to take better nudes because he’s a homie.

Copia

Almost has a heart attack and then almost drops his phone and then because he almost drops his phone, almost has a second heart attack.

Is not used to getting nudes and holy fucking shit you’re so hot fuck fuck— he needs like a solid ten minutes to get his brain functioning again.

You’re a little worried when the message reads as ‘✅ read’ but you don’t get a response. You’re about to apologize for sending the picture when he finally messaged you back and it’s just him asking where you are right now.

Hunts you down like a predator after he’s collected himself— he’s practically insatiable. You get a very thorough introduction to how he handles being sent nudes and you don’t regret it one bit.

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6emo6zombie6 · 17 days

Text

A matter best discussed with Papa

Papa III x Reader

Tags: fingering, daddy kink... but I suppose it's more of a Papa kink?? Getting freaky with Papa in his office!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You’d stayed behind in the pews, sitting on your own after the weekly sermon. You wanted to talk to Papa but he was talking to some other sisters. You couldn’t be bothered enough to listen closely to what they were saying, not with the questions you had. Today’s sermon had been—not unusually—about sex, but specifically the orgasm and its importance in rituals. Papa Terzo was undeniably very interested in the topic, and he spoke openly about it, including his own sexual experiences.

Now, of course, there were some giggles and some whispers when Papa expressed his fondness of orgasms, the supposed ecstasy that they brought. It was then that you realized you hadn’t experienced anything similar to what he had been speaking about. Then again, your sexual encounters had been very minimal—but you couldn’t help but wonder, maybe you’d been masturbating incorrectly as well. You figured it was a topic best to discuss with the man who seemed to know all about it.

“oh—Papa,” You said as you hastily got up from the pews, noticing the others had left. Papa’s turn was a tad dramatic as he heard your voice, his robes swishing around him as you made your way to the other end of the chapel.

“Si, cara, what is it?” He said in his usual smooth voice, looking down at you with a fond smile. You’d always suspected he favored you over the others—for reasons unknown.

“Uhm...” You briefly glanced at your feet, then down the hall to make sure it was empty. You opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Papa let out a soft, breathy chuckle as your cheeks started to burn up.

“Would it make you more comfortable to discuss this in my office, cara?”

“Yes, that’d be... that’d be nice.” You nodded quickly, smiling softly as Papa lovingly flicked his index finger under your chin. You followed him to his office as he had suggested. Your heeled shoes clacked against the marble floors of the ministry as the two of you walked.

“Is it about the sermon?” Papa asked as he cast you another glance. He chuckled once more when he saw you gulp, looking away from him.

The two of you walked in silence for a minute before reaching Papa’s office, he opened one of the large, ornate wooden doors and motioned for you to enter. You hesitantly did so, Papa shutting the door behind you.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, tesoro, truly,” He exhorted, sitting down in the expensive chair behind his large desk. His fingers tapped on the wood as you took your seat across from him.

“Now tell me—tell Papa what’s been bothering you.”

You twiddled your thumbs, letting out an unsure “Ummm...” as Papa stared at you, waiting for you to tell him what was going on. He could tell you were somewhat uncomfortable, sighing softly as he leaned back in his chair.

“Well...” you began, piquing Papa’s interest. “You were talking about orgasms and such and I uh... I don’t think I’ve ever had one.”

Papa lifted an eyebrow, a small grin starting to form on his painted cheeks. “I see...” He murmured.

After a few seconds of silence, he patted his lap, waving you over to him. “Come sit,”

You sheepishly walked over, feeling his hands wrap around you and hold you steady as you sat in his lap. He smiled at your obedience, and how shy you looked. You weren’t the most outspoken of the sisters, but he’d never seen you this shy.

“Now tell me, Cara,” One of his hands rested on the side of your thigh, his gloved hand swishing his thumb just below the hem of your habit. “Do you want me to tell you, or do you want me to show you?”

Of course, Papa wanted you to agree to the latter, nothing was more relaxing than having a cute girl writhe in pleasure because of his ministrations. It was definitely one of his favorite pastime activities.

“Show me,” You muttered, biting your lip anxiously as Papa squished your thigh with a grin.

“Good girl,” He spoke in a deep tone, carefully pulling your leg open. “Let Papa show you how to relax.”

You looked at him, seeing his face light up at the thought of being able to pleasure you. He carefully hiked up your already short habit, looking up at you to make sure you were comfortable. A small gasp left your lips as you felt his hand, gently stroking up and down your clothed heat.

“Hm... see what I’m doing? Gotta get you nice and bothered before we do anything else, huh?” He absently bit his lip, his leather glove cold against you.

His gentle movements made for a bunch of comfortable, soft tingles around your lower region, warmth stirring up in your body at the pleasure.

You let out a soft, content sigh as you started to ease into Papa’s touches, he let out a proud chuckle at your submission.

He drew a quick, lazy circle over your clit before stopping the motions, dragging his large hand up your torso and cupping one of your breasts carefully. You let out a soft gasp as his thumb flicked over your nipple, making him chuckle again.

Then, he went silent for a second, his gaze reverting to an old, floor-length mirror across the office. A smirk spread across his cheeks as he let go of you and patted your leg.

“Do Papa a favor and sit there,” He grumbled smoothly as he pointed at the floor in front of the mirror.

You nodded and silently got off his lap, sitting down where he’d pointed at. You followed his movements through the mirror, watching as he took off his gloves before following after you and sitting behind you with his legs on either side of you.

“Papa’s going to show you how to relax, hm... Si?”

The way you panted and blushed as your eyes roamed away filled him with need. The thought of him corrupting such a gentle soul made him let out a shaky sigh.

“Take your uh...” Papa pondered for a second, not knowing the English word. “Your—your mutandine, take them off.”

“Si,” You responded coyly, knowing what he meant. You quickly slid your panties off, laying them beside you.

“Now, open your legs for me.” He kept grinning to himself when you did so, your pussy already slick from his limited touches. “Mio piccola ragazza, you are adorable.” You hooked your legs over his, giving him more room to stroke and rub. He did so happily, his index and ring finger leisurely drawing circles on your puffy clit. His head rested on your shoulder to properly inspect your reactions in the mirror.

The sight was one for sore eyes; your eyes lidded and fixated on his hand in the reflection, your cheeks red and your breathing slightly heavier than usual. You were so responsive, so much more perverted than Papa had ever could have guessed. He loved it.

“Dio, you’re wet,” He bit his lip softly, speeding his fingers up and rubbing your clit a little longer before stopping and inspecting your wetness coating and webbing between his fingers. He let out a soft grunt as he pushed those same two fingers into your juicy cunt, earning a small whine from you.

“Feels good, hm?”

“Yeah,” You replied breathily, little sounds starting to fall from your lips as the older man started to repeatedly pump his fingers in and out. The movement made a wet squelching noise that in turn made Papa smirk. His free hand wrapped around you and squeezed your tits needily, making it harder for you to focus on what he was doing.

After a little while he pulled his fingers out, his hand moving to hold your face as he lifted his hand to your mouth. “Suck them clean for Papa,” He grinned, watching you do as he asked, your tongue eagerly sucking his fingers clean from your slick. He chuckled after pulling them back out and letting go of your face.

“Now, watch what I do.” You watched his hand as he curled his fingers upward. “See? It’s going to feel good like that, I promise.”

His fingers were back in you before you could fully process what he meant. You let out a surprised gasp and watched him do the same thing he did before, only now he was curling his fingers up against a specifically sensitive spot inside you. Your mouth hung open at the intense, yet pleasurable feeling.

He switched between pumping his fingers in and out and curling them periodically, slowly speeding up little by little to push you over the edge. You felt a few soft kisses against your neck as you finally let your head loll back, moans and whines exiting your throat deliciously. It was no secret that the sight alone drove Papa wild, you could feel his rock-hard cock pressing into your lower back.

But this was about you, so you tried not to focus on it too much.

Your moans became a bit louder as Papa hammered his fingers against that delicious spot over and over, your legs started to tremble as you felt yourself grow closer to an orgasm—a feeling that was new to you. You couldn’t keep quiet, it felt too good. You felt a tight, warm knot twisting your insides and begging to unravel. Papa spoke up once he noticed your breathing starting to quicken.

“You’re close,” He grinned, glancing at your trembling thighs. “Rub your clit for me, cara, it’ll make it feel even better.”

Your hand trembled as you slid it down, your entire cunt coated in your juices, as well as the inner parts of your thighs. You’d never felt this great—euphoric, and you hadn’t even come yet. Papa’s hands were like magic.

You carefully rubbed your clit, your legs starting to involuntarily twitch when you started. It felt so intense and you had no clue why you hadn’t ever come to this point on your own.

“O-oh, Satan, I think I’m going to cum,” You managed to mumble between your many pleasured noises.

Papa’s eyes raked over your body, taking in the jumble of hands between your legs, your hard nipples poking through your habit, the slight sheen of sweat on your neck... fuck. He groaned at the sight. You were more beautiful than any painting he had ever seen, your body writhing in pleasure like it was designed to do so.

“Cum for me.” He said in a low, hoarse voice. It sounded more like a command than any of his other sweet comments.

Those three words were all it took. The knot unraveled and you struggled to keep the rhythm on your clit, a wave of tingles shooting up to your head and down to the tips of your toes. Your body trembled as Papa kept up his flawless pace, moaning softly as your back arched and your cunt spasmed around his fingers. You had never felt this great, nor had you felt this perverted. Nobody had managed to get you near an orgasm before, but in your defense you were ill-informed.

Your moans echoed through the office, they were probably loud enough for anyone outside to hear, but you didn’t care. It all felt too good. Your body was overcome with ecstasy, making you wish the pleasure would never end.

Alas, your orgasm gradually died down. Papa pulled his fingers out and licked them clean himself this time, letting out the softest moan at your taste. He would have loved to dive between your legs and use his tongue to make you cum again, but you looked exhausted from it all. His hands slid down to your thighs, his thumbs soothingly rubbing back and forth over the skin.

“hm...” He hummed, kissing your temple. “Poor thing... you must be exhausted.”

#fluff #smut #x reader #female reader #fem reader #ghost x reader #ghost band #ghost bc #the band ghost #sister of sin #papa emeritus lll #ghost terzo #papa emeritus 3 #papa III smut #satanism #satanic #Papa III x reader #ghost fanfiction

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portaltothevoid · 3 months

Text

you're losing me part xiii

ao3 link

warnings: so much angst, tears, smut; fingering, hand job, thigh riding, quickie, little bit of a spit kink, p in v, rough sex, squirting, semi-public sex, (kind of accidental?) voyeurism, cum eating, weed use! smoking with papa!

word count: 11.3k (longest chapter yet!)

Hidden amongst the halls of the Ministry was a place where you would go for solitude. Not many people had reason to pass by here since the rooms in this wing of the top floor were mostly unoccupied. Centered in the hallway, overlooking the bustling grounds below, sat one of the many giant picture windows with a ledge just big enough for you to comfortably sit. You’d been curled up here for a while now, avoiding people.

You’d managed to evade Copia over the past couple days. He was busy with not-so-secret meetings to prepare him to be the substitute Papa while you had been busy bonding with Phantom and the other Ghouls. They gave you comfort you didn’t even know you needed and felt like you had the family you always wanted. It was only a matter of time before your worries and stresses came back knocking, demanding your attention.

Today was his last show. You couldn’t stop thinking about him as much as you tried not to. Your thoughts clung to him like a magnet on a fridge.

Your head had been resting on your knees, but as your mind circled the drain again and again, you leaned your head back with a groan. Even if you could do something, your hands were tied. You let your leg opposite the window slip down to touch the floor as you anxiously started to move it. Resting your temple on the cold glass, you tried to focus on the scene below you. Siblings and Ghouls alike were out for afternoon strolls, on their way into town for a night of fun, helping Primo tend his greenhouses… You chewed on your lip as you felt like a princess stuck in her tower.

Lost in your pity party, you blocked out any and all sounds, missing the sound of footsteps that had become more and more familiar to you. It wasn’t until you felt a warm arm wrap around your calf and a head nuzzle into you near the bend at your knee, did you pull yourself from the inner workings of your mind to see Phantom curling up to you.

“You’re so sad, Tater Tot,” he pouted. You really couldn’t stand the formality of being referred to as Your Eminence, so you asked the Ghouls to come up with something. You’d been munching on tater tots (for the second time that day) and after saying something sassy, Swiss responded with “Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Tater Tot!” After squeals from Cumulus and Sunshine, you’d been bestowed a Ghoulish nickname of your very own.

No matter how deeply you sighed, it did nothing to relieve the crushing sorrow that had been currently placed on your chest. You longed to feel excited for what was to come, but the only thing you really allowed yourself to acknowledge was the dread of the unknown, of living a life you didn’t want, but need to for the “greater good.” You haven’t even ascended and already you were sick of it.

“There are ways to keep things in these halls a secret if both parties are willing. There’s nothing that says you can’t have it all. You just have to be very clever and cunning about it.” And then of course, Secondo’s words kept echoing in your mind.

“I’m sorry, lovebug,” you sighed as you dropped your arm to rub his back. “Is it… is it really affecting you?”

You felt his shoulder rise and drop before he shook his head. “It’s a bit distracting, but only because I don’t know how to help.”

“There’s nothing you can really do… I don’t even think there’s anything I can do.”

“Do you… wanna talk about it? I was told about the prophecy before I was summoned for you, but it’s all… it gets confusing to keep up with everything.” You could tell by the way his eyes crinkled behind his silver mask that he was looking at you shyly.

“The more I try to not think about Terzo, the more I do. I wish I could still hate him. That would make things so much easier,” you lamented as your head fell back against the cold marble behind you. “I just… I get this sick feeling in my gut when I think about what they’re doing. I think… I think this is why Terzo tried to bring about the prophecy the way he did, behind everyone’s backs? The more I think about everything in retrospect, the more I see power wasn’t what he necessarily wanted, but he did want to keep it away from those that don’t deserve it. He thought I would be able to… I don’t know, rise up quicker than I did to stop that? I just see what’s happening now… With how Sister Imperator is controlling everything, to how Copia’s changing slowly but surely… They say I have freewill, but I don’t think I do.”

Phantom nodded. “The greatest sacrifices are always greatly rewarded.”

You blinked, shocked by this sudden sage advice. “Wh-what?”

He chuckled. “Didn’t expect me to be so wise, huh? That’s a message from Lady Lilith. I was told I would give it to you when the time was right. You have power and you have intuition. You’ll know what to do. The only people you need to trust are Lucifer, Lilith, and yourself.”

“You have a wise Ghoul,” a voice sounded from across the hall, making both you and Phantom jump. As your heads whipped across to see the owner of the voice, you saw a very dapper man in a white suit with flowling silver hair and glowing red eyes. He was smirking at you. His shoulders moved in such a way that you knew he was silently laughing to himself, having scared you.

Phantom scrambled to kneel in front of the man, bowing his head. “Oh, please, we needn’t be so formal right now,” he smiled as he waved away the Ghouls actions. “You’ve been questioning your freewill a lot, haven’t you, my child?”

Your mouth hung open slightly as you turned your body to fully face the man and that was when the realization hit you like a well-aimed kickball in gym class. “Lord Lucifer,” you breathed.

He nodded as he pushed himself off the wall. “I planned on visiting you a bit later, but even the most vital members of my flock need unprompted guidance sometimes,” he spoke smoothly as he sauntered towards you.

“I’m so afraid of making the wrong choice. I want to put the flock first, and myself last, but I don’t want to lose… everything in the process.” Your words spilled out in a panicked rush.

He paused to look at you thoughtfully. “Everything? Care to be more specific?”

“I mean like…” Your shame, or maybe even your guilt, made you avert your eyes, looking at the floor and away from the Ministry’s patron deity that stood before you. Sucking in a shallow breath, “I don’t want to lose myself,” you revealed meekly.

Now standing in front of you, he put his hand on your heart. The heat that radiated from it, you swore it would burst into flames at any moment. When you pulled your gaze from the floor and brought it up to his blazing irises, he was nodding. “Yes, you are being guided to make a certain choice. There are many reasons for that. Reasons you will not know for some time and reasons I cannot tell you right now. But trust. Confido fidei (trust faith). No one knows what is to come after the choice is made, not yet. There are much bigger things planned. Continue on the path you’re on. Don’t fear it. You are why we will be able to achieve more during this lifetime than ever before. Let them think they hold the power. Let them believe they have control. Soon you will see, my dear child. And you will laugh in their faces when they realize how they underestimated you. Both of you.” He leaned forward to gently kiss the top of your head.

Your eyes fluttered shut and when you opened them, you weren’t sitting on a windowsill at the abbey. You were on a couch. Phantom was still at your feet. Faint music could be heard surrounding you. In your shocked daze, you finally were able to listen closely enough to make out what you were hearing: Mummy Dust. That was the song being played.

Lucifer had transported you to the show. Terzo’s final show.

You were quite literally pulled out of your stupor when Phantom excitedly tugged at your arm, dragging you out into a hallway. “Phantom, wait! What if someone sees us!?”

He kept walking as he turned to look back at you. “You named me Phantom for a reason. No one’s gonna see us! Come on, I wanna see Papa!”

Generally, the Ghouls bestowed upon the highest members of the clergy were almost always quintessence ones. Their abilities of teleportation and invisibility were used for safety. So, naturally of course, with you being on a fated course to be Lilith’s mortal representative of sorts, that was the element of your Ghoul.

As the two of you meandered through the halls to get onto the floor to watch the show from front of house, you couldn’t help but ponder over why Lucifer put you here, why He wanted you to be here. Just when you thought you figured out your fate, more facets appeared. Clearly, there was more to the ascension than anyone had begun to realize.

When you both finally found a spot to watch the remainder of the show, Phantom bent down and patted his shoulders. With a chuckle and a shake of your head, you climbed on, gaining an unobstructed view over the crowd in front of you just as another song started. The second the first chorus began, it was like Terzo had zeroed in on you.

The world is on fire.

His gaze, in particular his piercing white eye, which stood out amidst the man-made fog that clung to the stage, seemed to be looking right through you. Well, technically speaking he was since you were supposed to be invisible. Your body was supposed to be invisible. Not your essence, your presence. Even while focused on performing, perhaps it was merely subconsciously, he could feel you were there. Undoubtedly, there was a deep connection between the two of you, and neither had even begun to scratch the surface of it. Yet.

And you are here to stay and burn with me.

He outstretched his hand like he was reaching for you, just you. Absent-mindedly, you did the same. Two moths drawn to the same flame. An unspeakable nexus between you and him.

He tore his eyes away from yours to continue with the performance of one of your favorite songs. You thanked and praised Lucifer for bringing you here. Being able to experience this, one last time… A gift you didn’t even know you desperately needed. Even during most of the encore song, you were able to enjoy yourself. But reality slapped you like a brick to the face once you remembered why you were here.

“Come on, sing it a little bit louder!” Terzo encouraged the crowd.

Your whole body tensed. He had no idea, even still. The crowd barely even reacted, but you saw them. Two burly men from a stage right door walked out, grabbing Terzo by the arms off the amp he was standing on. “Che cazzo! Ma che cazzo fate (What the fuck! What the fuck are you doing)?!” he shouted before the mic fell to the stage.

You could feel the panic rising from the Ghouls on stage. Aether tried to run after Terzo. When you noted more movement from the same side of the stage where the two goons came out of. This time, there were three. Two similarly dressed guard-looking types and a frail old man in white Papal regalia. Fury began to burn inside you. One of the men was carting an oxygen tank.

Nihil. Papa fucking Nihil. Of course, Sister would have sent him here for this. You had seen enough.

After rapidly tapping on Phantom, he put you down. “We have to get to Terzo. Now,” you commanded. Before you could even take a step, you felt Phantom’s hand wrap around yours and the next thing you knew you were in the same room as before.

He won’t be able to see us until I know it’s safe. Phantom informed you telepathically while Terzo was pacing around the room. Omega was here too. He looked in your direction, but didn’t react when Terzo shouted, “Ho bisogno di risposte, Omega (I need answers)!”

You sighed angrily as you broke free from Phantom’s grasp. “Terzo,” you started to say as you rushed towards him. You stopped when he yelped like a scared puppy, since to him, you appeared out of thin air.

“Che cazzo, amore! What– Why are you– How did you–?” he stuttered, tripping over his words.

“Um… Lucifer brought, or well, put us here,” you said hesitantly and almost bashfully.

“Lu— Lucifer?!” he stuttered again, still in shock as his adrenaline was on overdrive. “You saw Lucifer?”

“Yeah, but we have to talk about that later.” You stepped towards him, your hands outstretched to take hold of his arms. He stepped forward, meeting you in the middle. Gravitating towards the other like magnets, you held each other's arms just above the other’s elbow. “They’re officially revoking your title as Papa. That’s why you were pulled off stage. It’s… I don’t know what’s going on beyond that, but Terzo, they’re up to something. It’s not good, whatever it is. They did it this way because it’s for whatever’s next for the Ghost Proje–”

“You knew…” he breathed, his lips barely even moving. As if he touched hot iron, he took his hands away from you and stepped back a couple paces. “You knew and you didn’t… tell me?” he said, slightly more audible, but not any less hurt.

“Yeah, and it’s real shitty to be left in the dark, isn’t it? Look, we don’t have time for this! We need to get out of here!”

“And how do you think we do that, hm? I’m sure they’ll let us both walk right out the front fucking door!” he snapped.

You rolled your eyes. “There are two quintessence Ghouls here? We need to get back to the Ministry,” you said forcefully as you walked over to grab Phantom’s hand and dragged him over with you as you grabbed Omega’s.

“But Imperator forbade us from using unsanctioned teleportation…” Omega warned.

Your head whipped towards the towering Ghoul. Your eyes turned blacker than his outfit. “Aw, ‘but Imperator forbade us,’” you droned, mocking Omega, before shouting, “I don’t give a fuck what Imperator allows. Who allowed you the ability to talk? Me. Now grab Terzo and get us back to the fucking Minstry!”

Omega nodded in panic. Both he and Phantom lunged at Terzo, wrapping their hands around his forearms. “Che–” he started to say, but before he got the next word out, they were already standing outside of the main entrance to the Ministry.

“ –Cazz-UGH!” Terzo finished his sentence by turning and throwing up into a nearby bush.

You nodded. “Ah, is that why we’re outside and not inside?”

Omega shrugged and nodded. “He’s mostly human still and they don’t take very well… to… sudden teleportation.”

This being your third time teleporting in the past hour and, well, ever… you were unaffected by it. The reality of your life made your stomach flip from Omega’s wording. Just because this had been your everyday life as of late, didn’t mean you had begun to process any of it. You shook your head and let out a breath hoping to expel some rising nerves along with it as you walked over to Terzo, rubbing his back.

He shrugged you off as he stood up and stormed inside.

“Hey!” you called after him, trotting to catch up to his fast pace fueled by anger. When you finally caught up to him, you grabbed his arm and spun him around to face you. Never in all the time that you’ve known him, had you seen such a fury shine through his eyes. “Hey,” you repeated, much softer this time. “I’m on your side.” Your grip loosened and you dragged your hand down his arm til your hand enclosed around his. “I’m on your side,” you repeated, staring into his eyes, and hoping the look on your face conveyed the conviction and sincerity you spoke with.

His body relaxed slightly as his hand tightened confidently around yours before his expression morphed into one of determination. “Then let’s go confront the bitch.”

Together you walked the halls of the Ministry to Sister Imperator’s office, hand in hand, feeling like a more solidified unit than you had in quite some time. You were about to round the last corner that led to the corridor which housed the senior most clergy members' offices, when you gently tugged at his hand, bringing your small group to a halt. You looked at Terzo with worry and sorrow etched into your face.

“We can’t…” You looked down at your joined hands, reluctantly pulling yours back to your side. “We can’t go in there like this.”

“I know,” he agreed quietly.

“I have to pretend– They have to think I’m theirs. Fuck, there’s so much I have to tell you.” Your shoulders sagged as a breath was pushed from your lungs by the weight of everything left unsaid.

“I know, amoruccio. I know.” He placed his hand on the side of your neck, fingers wrapped around towards the back, allowing him to angle your head down. With a half step forward, he leaned his forehead against yours. You held onto his wrist, rubbing your thumb across the back of his still gloved hand. After a few moments, he let go of you. One of his telltale smirks brightened his face. “You really do. You haven’t even introduced me to your Ghoul yet.”

Phantom did a little hop so he was in Terzo’s line of sight and waved to him. You happily rolled your eyes at the Ghoul’s antics. The other two couldn’t help but stifle their laughter.

A calm settled over the four of you. The brief calm turned to sobered reality when the realization of what brought all of you to this moment settled on you like a weighted blanket. “Follow my lead?” you asked Terzo when a sudden plan popped into your head.

“Sempre (always),” he said with a nod, which you returned.

After a deep breath, you shouted, “Goddammit, Terzo!” as you resumed the warpath to Sister Imperator's office. Turning the corner you continued, “This has nothing to do with me! It wasn’t my place to tell you!”

“So, you admit it, you did know! You knew the whole fucking time!” he shouted back, quickly figuring out the scenario you were acting out.

“Aw, see? Being the last to know about something that’s happening to you really fucking hurts, doesn’t it? Gotta love karma!”

“Don’t even go there. This is completely different and you know it. You could have at least given me a heads up!”

“I don’t owe you shit,” you retorted as you stood with your hand on the door knob. “And you know what? I’m sick of you taking your shit out on me. You wanna yell and whine and cry to someone?” You threw the door open. “Fucking have at it!” you concluded, holding the door open and he stormed in.

Sister Imperator’s eyes were round, nearly growing in size as she registered that it was actually Terzo who was bearing the brunt of your aggression and accompanying you as you burst through the door. Copia was in her office, too. Oh, how convenient. He didn’t even try to hide the smug look on his face, especially when you walked over to him and leaned on the arm of the chair he was sitting in. He flashed you a quick smile, a pleasantry which you didn’t return, playing it off due to being too annoyed from the situation at hand.

“Well? Is anyone going to fucking say anything or just sit around and fucking gawk at me?” Terzo huffed, throwing his arms up in the air.

“The show only ended less than an hour ago. How is it that you are already here?” Sister Imperator raised an eyebrow and directed her authoritative gaze at you. “And what were you doing with them?”

“Ghouls, obviously, Sister,” Terzo said condescendingly to the older woman as he rolled his eyes.

Your palms went up in an act of defensive surrender. “Hey, don’t drag me into this. Phantom and I were coming back from a walk outside and poof!” You imitated a sudden burst with your hands. “They just appeared right in front of me.”

“Unsanctioned teleportation is forbidden,” Sister chastised.

Terzo let out a noise that was somewhere between a scoff and a squeak. “For fuck’s sake, with her here,” he waved his whole arm in your direction, “all your rules for the Ghouls are null and void. And I think my Papacy being publicly revoked without any indication whatsoever warrants an emergency teleportation to get some fucking answers!”

With a heavy sigh, she curled her lips in, shaking her head while looking to the ground as if in a silent prayer for strength. “She will not and currently does not have the proper authority to override rules that I set in place until her ascension is complete.”

“Uh, okay, and Ghouls can use their words now because of me, but sure, yeah. What authority do I have?” You rolled your eyes now. “Omega, I think you did a fine job taking care of the human you are bound to in his time of distress.”

“Thank you, Your Eminence,” Omega acknowledged aloud with a nod, which earned them an ice-cold glare from Sister Imperator.

“Well, would you look at that…” you mumbled indignantly, while shooting Imperator a look that said ‘told you so.’

Copia even let out a short burst of laughter at your defiance, especially when Terzo shot you a look, which he took to be one of frustration for being ignored. You, on the other hand, knew it was more of a warning. You had to tread lightly.

“Enough.” Sister Imperator briefly pinched the bridge of her nose as she collected her thoughts and quieted her frustration, before she turned her attention to Terzo. “Your album cycle is over now. Therefore, publicly, we need a fresh and younger face to represent our Ministry. We need to redirect the path you were leading us down.”

“A path that led us to our first appearance on American television and a Grammy, but yes, what a sordid path that was. Let’s change course!” Terzo interjected snarkily.

“Somewhere along the way you lost the seriousness of our teachings. Quite frankly, you were too goofy. For me, the kazoo was the last straw along with your blasé attitude.”

“Don’t insult my kazoo finesse! It is more difficult than it looks.” You had to suppress a giggle that wanted to escape, so you bit down hard on your lip. Memories of Terzo and his kazoo flooded your mind, but now wasn’t the time to reminisce. So, you shook your head, trying to dispel them. Luckily the simple action just made you look as tired as Sister Imperator was of Terzo’s antics and flare for the dramatics.

After another heavy sigh, Sister continued, “With the ascension looming, it is the perfect time for the transition. Copia will become our new Fidei Defensor (Defender of the Faith) of sorts.”

You let out another scoff. “So what does that make me? Anne Boelyn?” You dropped your voice to grumble agitatedly to yourself, “Maybe this is a fucking monarchy…”

Copia reached over to pat your leg. “No, cara mia. I’ll always choose to work through our issues, not behead you.” He quietly laughed at his own joke, but really it was more of a subtle jab, which he made a point to direct his smirk at Terzo, whose similar dichromatic eyes blazed with fury.

Sister Imperator cleared her throat. “Copia is not officially recognized as being a part of the bloodline, and with Papa Nihil still being alive, he will appoint Copia who will take over leading the Ministry for the time being, seeing as how he is our current most senior clergy member. I already have preparations being made to inform the audience of the Ghost project of the news.”

“Thank you, Sister,” Copia said with a nod and held out his fist for a fist bump, but when he just stared at his hand, he just knocked twice on the desk with his knuckle.

“So that’s it. I’m thrown away like yesterday’s newspaper and replaced with… him?”

“Terzo, you will always be our Third Papa. We could not have gotten where we are today without your…” she paused for a moment, clearing her throat, “without you. We still hold you in the highest regard and with the utmost respect,” she smiled warmly at the now-former Papa, but still, the smile seemed forced. She was acting like the head of HR letting a star employee go due to budget cuts: formal and fake.

“Now, we need to focus on the upcoming rituals,” she continued with her commanding, all-business tone in an effort to steer the subject away from the Papacy before Terzo had even more of a meltdown. “Tomorrow evening, each of you will pledge yourselves to your patron deities. Our star of the show will be pledging herself to Lilith, of course. As for you two,” her eyes darted between Terzo and Copia, almost hesitantly testing the waters as if putting the two of them together in the same sentence would set off some kind of chain reaction, “your deity will present themselves to you. They will offer you all guidance for the final ritual. The following day, you will meet with our High Priestess to receive a tarot reading for clarity on the next phase of your journeys. This isn’t a requirement for the ascension, but any and all wisdom should be welcomed. Through tomorrow’s ritual, our soon to be Papessa Electus Prima will provide us with insight for the ascension itself. We have knowledge of the basics, but more intricate details have to be divinely provided so as to preserve its sacredness. Now that we are all on the same page, please get the hell out of my office.”

“Okie dokie, thank you. Thank you again, Sister,” Copia said as he slapped his thighs and rose from his seat. He bowed slightly at Imperator who smiled, a warm twinkle in her eye. Quickly that faded when she watched Terzo storm out of the office. You were too busy being concerned about Terzo to even register that Sister Imperator had said what your title will be once the ascension has been completed.

Omega, tell him I’ll find him later tonight. I won’t let him go through this alone. You thought to Terzo’s Ghoul just before he stepped out into the hallway.

You got it, Tater Tot.

Phantom shifted awkwardly, ringing his hands together. Before you could offer him any comfort, you were distracted by Copia’s hand on the small of your back as you stood. Together you walked out of the room. Copia closed the door behind you, but not before turning back and offering a small wave to Sister Imperator. As the three of you started to walk, Copia asked, “Will you be joining me for dinner tonight, or will your company be the Ghouls?”

You couldn’t have planned your alibi better if you tried. “I was going to join the Ghouls for one more night. You know, just to get more acquainted with them.”

“The past few days haven't been enough?” he laughed nervously, but somewhere underneath that you could hear his annoyance.

“I wasn’t supposed to say anything…” Phantom spoke up, “but we have something planned for Her Eminence tonight. Uh, since the Ghost Ghouls will be back, and I haven’t met them yet, um, I would feel a lot better if Tater Tot, um, I mean Her Eminence! I’d feel better if she was there with me.”

“Tater Tot?” Copia’s eyebrow shot up in surprise. “Hm, cute nickname. It suits you.” That nickname was only for your Ghouls to use. It sounded wrong falling from his lips. You caught yourself before you started to ball your fists, so you played it off by waving your hand up to his chest.

“I won’t stay there the whole night, but I don’t know how late I’ll be…” you tried to reassure Copia. You came to a stop as you reached the part of the Ministry where the clergy’s quarters were to the left and the Ghoul den was to the right. Slinking your arms around his waist, you gently started to sway as you put on your cutest smile. “In the morning, I’m all yours.”

Letting out a breath through his nose, he placed his hands on your shoulders, gently rubbing them. He leaned down so his forehead was touching yours, causing you to still as you looked into his eyes. “Lucky for you, sono molto paziente (I’m very patient).”

Pushing up on your tiptoes, you kissed him. His hands slid up to gently hold your face between them, allowing him to deepen the kiss. After a few moments, he pulled away. “Are you sure I can’t convince you?” he whispered.

Phantom stepped closed, crouching down between you both so the attention would be diverted to him. “It is a really good surprise. We’d be so sad if we had to wait!”

You shrugged, looking at Phantom and then back to Copia. “Come on, look at those puppy dog eyes. How can I say no?” Both of you chuckled softly. You moved one of your hands up to his face to trace along one of his sideburns. “Duty calls…”

“Sì, sì. I know. I just miss you,” he sighed before he gingerly kissed your forehead, stepping out of the embrace. One corner of his mouth turned upwards into a sly smile, “Tomorrow morning though, you’re mine.”

“All yours…” you said, or technically lied, as you held onto his hand. You needed him to believe that truth. Turning your Ghoul, “Phantom, go ahead without me. I won’t be long. Help them get the surprise set up,” you winked at him. I have to play along, tide him over. Your quick thinking was perfect. You added in your thoughts.

“Okay, don’t take too long… Sodo might come looking for you. You know how impatient he is,” Phantom laughed as he turned to silently glide away towards the Den.

Copia eyed you suspiciously as you turned back to him with a grin so mischievous it rivaled that of a succubus. There was an alcove tucked away nearby. With his hand still in yours you pulled him towards it. “Amore, what are you—?”

“Shhh,” you shushed, putting a finger to his lips, pausing briefly before you slowly dragged it down and then traced his bottom lip. “I know I haven’t been around lately and we don’t have much time now, but maybe I can still make it up to you…” Slowly you trailed your hands down the front of his cassock, until you forcefully grabbed the fabric of his pellegrina. Hastily, you guided him towards you as you spun around, backing yourself into the alcove and up against a wall.

To steady himself, he put one hand against the wall beside your head. The other was tightly holding your hip. Roughly, you pulled him towards you until your bodies were flushed against each other. Your lips crashed into each other’s. The kiss was sloppy and crazed, near manic. He tried to slot his thigh between your legs, but the long fabric of his cassock got in the way. He broke away from you, muttering “Goddammit,” as he started to undo some of the buttons. You bent down to undo the lowest ones, working your way up until you met his hands that trembled from anticipation. Flinging the red fabric behind him, you hooked your fingers in his belt loops to bring him closer to you once again.

He wasted no time sliding your habit up to your hips as your barely concealed core met his leg. Your quiet moan was muffled by your mouth moving against his as you began to grind on his thigh. You never stopped your movements as he breathed out, “What if someone sees us?”

“Then let them see,” you smirked. His eyes searched yours as you saw the carnal, practically animalistic lust finally cloud his eyes. Unceremoniously, your lips crashed against his. You kissed up the side of his face, before dragging your tongue under his sideburn. When your mouth neared his ear, you nipped at his lobe. “Take what you want from me,” you growled.

He pushed you harder into the wall as he used his leg to widen your stance. His left hand took hold of your shoulder, while his right dropped between your legs. With the gusset of your now dampened underwear out of the way, he dragged his leather-covered fingers up and down your folds as his thumb drew circles on your clit.

Tucking your lips around your teeth, you hummed, leaning your head back against the wall. Involuntarily, your hips jutted against his hand, desperately trying to increase the friction.

Suddenly, his movements stopped. You opened your eyes and before you could even whimper, “Eyes. On. Me.” he commanded.

Wrapping your hand around his forearm attached to your shoulder, your eyes locked on his. “Brava ragazza,” he murmured, plunging two fingers inside you. Your nails dug into him as he began to slowly pump his fingers in and out of you. You leaned forward to unbutton and unzip pants, freeing his cock that was screaming for attention. Bringing your hand up to his face, you held out your palm in front of his mouth, which he lewdly licked. When you then cupped your hand under his chin, he spat in it. He hissed as you began to stroke his cock, matching the pace of his curling fingers. If it weren’t for the gloves, you could have seen his knuckles turn white against your shoulder.

When the obscene sounds emanating from your cunt were loud enough for a passerby to easily hear, he abruptly took his fingers out of you. You let go of him as he took himself in his own hand to drag his length up and down your folds before he rubbed the weeping tip against your clit. “Fuck,” you groaned, as you rutted your hips along him, clawing at the back of his neck.

Just when your nails had dug into his flesh almost to the point of drawing blood, he lined himself up and pushed himself inside you until there was no space between his hips and yours. With ease, his length filled you, stretching out your walls almost painfully slow. It took all you had for your legs not to buckle underneath you. Especially when he swiftly increased the pace of his thrusts and drilled into you relentlessly. You could feel your juices start to drip around his cock. That was when you brought your hands to his shoulders, pressing down as you hoisted yourself up to wrap your legs around his waist.

With a grunt, he pushed you further into the wall as you enclosed your arms around his neck. The slight change in angle was everything you needed. Copia moaned into the crook of your neck, before biting your collar bone with a guttural growl. You shut your eyes, feeling the coil so close to snapping. “Diavolessa mia,” he groaned.

My she-devil. She-devil.

Truthfully, you couldn’t decipher if that turned you on or enraged you, but you felt something inside you snap, or rather, come alive. Whatever Infernal gift that lived inside you, now overrode your emotions. It heightened the disdain, the irritation, the hatred you felt for the man who thought this was a depraved act of love. No, for you, this was now just a means to an end. You were using him and the fact he believed the opposite spurred you on with a sadistic glee. Love had no place here with you, only a primal kind of lust.

When you opened your eyes, you knew they were darker than the shadows that shrouded you. Copia couldn’t focus on anything else besides you, but in that moment, you managed to hear soft foot falls, the slight clacking of dress shoes, growing louder as they grew closer. From the ferocity of Copia pounding into you, you could care less about quieting the pants and moans that spilled from your lips. Your volume only increased, partly from the added arousal of being seen and partly to distract Copia from the fact someone would see. You watched as the person came into your line of vision and walked by, looking down at the ground, albeit with a smirk on his face. Slowly his head turned up to give you some sort of kudos for the defiant act of sin you were partaking in.

You were so lost in the haze of an impending orgasm and not able to quickly recognize who exactly just entered your line of sight, who was within earshot. Purposefully, your moans got a bit louder still.

But he would have recognized those sounds anywhere.

The accidental voyeur’s head snapped up, his mismatched eyes met your demonic ones. That look was all it took to send you hurtling over the edge. Instantly, your walls clenched around Copia. The coil didn’t just snap, it shattered. He pulled out of you just in time for your release as your whole body shook, but your eyes never wavered from the man in front of you. With an otherworldly growl, you could feel your juices drain out of you, sounding like someone dropped a glass of water onto the marble floor.

Terzo’s mouth hung at the hinges as he looked to the floor, then back up at you. As he stared into your obsidian eyes, his white eye burned. You could feel it too, like an electric shock. You knew your aftershocks were because of him, because it was Terzo’s gaze that was boring into yours. Any emotion you had been feeling towards Copia was adamantly replaced with this deep feeling of longing for the man in front of you that you couldn’t… that you weren’t supposed to have. Slowly, Terzo pulled himself out of his trance. His face devoid of his Papal paints gave way for the anger and hurt he felt to shine through like a beacon in the night. Having seen more than enough, he retreated.

You barely noticed how Copia had pushed himself inside you again to chase his own release. It was only when he whispered, “I’m close. Cazzo, I’m gonna–” gruffly in your ear, did you pull yourself out of your own trance you had found yourself in. Your eyes returned to normal as you dropped your unsteady legs to the floor and lowered to your knees.

Gazing up at Copia, looming over you as he now stroked himself at a relentless pace, you waited, open mouthed and tongue out. Just the way you knew he wanted you. Mere seconds after he placed the tip of his cock on your tongue, he leaned forward bracing himself again with one hand on the wall. You closed your eyes as you felt the warmth of his cum hit your face and tongue. For the moment, you allowed yourself to imagine it was someone else standing before you. The fantasy was short-lived when you heard nothing but your heaving breaths.

Dutifully, you took him in your mouth, sucking off any of his spend that remained. Swallowing as you stood, his eyes shone with admiration for you. Had it not been for the previous distraction, you would have been proud of yourself, but all you could feel was guilt ripping apart your chest.

No sooner had you removed the back of your hand from your mouth, it was replaced with a hard kiss as Copia held your arms in a vice grip. Any remaining cum on your face, he licked off of you. Again, he rested his forehead atop yours as you both came down from two very different highs. “Grazie,” he said through a breathy chuckle.

“Told you, I wanted to make it up to you,” you remarked with a half smile.

“You sure you won’t be, eh, too worn out for your little Ghoul party?”

“I’ll be fine, don’t you worry.” You weren’t sure who you were reassuring: him or yourself.

Gently, he kissed your forehead, then backed up to tuck himself back in his pants and straighten out his cassock. “‘Til tomorrow morning then, topolina mia.” He started to leave and just as he was about to exit the alcove, he turned just enough for you to see his profile. The way the light hit him made his smirk seem almost sinister. “I understand why you were so enamored with him. We’ll have to do this again sometime, hm? Oh, and, ehm, have fun with your Ghouls… Tater Tot.” You noted the subtle shake of his shoulders as he laughed while he left to return to his quarters.

You froze in place at his words. The hem of your habit barely moved past your hips. Darkness swirled in your eyes like the oncoming of a hurricane’s eye wall after the eye had passed. All you wanted to do was run after him and grab him by the back of his neck and watch his blood stain the white marble underneath you. Your eyes scrunched shut so tightly you could feel the surrounding muscles working overtime. As you focused on breathing in and out slowly, Terzo’s dejected expression flashed through your mind. You had to find him. Seeing you like that… That was the last thing he needed to see today.

After smoothing out your habit and fixing your hair, you started off in the direction you had seen him go. Luckily it was in the same direction as the Ghoul’s Den.

You knew you needed to give him some time and desperately wanted to remove any trace of what just happened, so no sooner had you walked through the threshold of the den, did Cumulus and Sunshine rush right to your side. Aside from the look on your face and your disheveled state, you’re sure they could smell part of what you had just done.

They ushered you to a nearby bathroom that was en suite to one of their rooms. “Oh, honey, what happened? Your emotions don’t match…” Sunshine wondered.

Everything started to pour out of you as the Ghoulettes assisted you getting yourself cleaned up. How you’ve come to despise Copia because of the prophecy and Imperator’s games, how your worry about Terzo somehow called in Lucifer who brought you to him, which brought you to Imperator’s office, which led you to try to satiate Copia with an alcove quickie. Something that was in fact an idea you did actually borrow from your time with Terzo, so Copia’s comment, you knew, was premeditated, only fueling your rage even more. The only reason you even came up with that plan was to get him off your trail, so you could go and see Terzo, but he just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Now the image of his pained and despondent expression was burned into your memory.

“He was here, you know, Papa Terzo,” Cumulus said almost hesitantly. Sunshine nudged her in the ribs, but she waved the other Ghoul off. “He was giving something to Omega. I think it was… It doesn’t matter what it was. He loves you, Tater Tot.”

“I know,” you spoke with a hushed tone, but even that didn’t keep your voice from breaking. “It’s like no matter what we do, we’re destined to hurt each other.”

Sunshine handed her a pair of black pants that were part of their uniform and a matching black button down shirt. The pants fit perfectly, but the shirt was oversized, so you tied it at your waist. You tossed your hair up into a messy bun, allowing your bangs and stray curls to frame your face perfectly.

The Ghoulettes nodded at you in approval. “He won’t hate you for what he saw.”

“I don’t think he could hate you if he tried or if Omega’s life depended on it,” Cumulus said, her eyes sparkling.

You let out a quick breath of a laugh, nodding in agreement. Sunshine put her hand on your shoulder. “Go to him,” she encouraged.

You remembered how he headed back the same direction he had come. It didn’t take long for you to realize that that way, while also leading to the Ghoul’s Den, also led to a side door, which led to a path that went through Primo’s garden. While the path wrapped around the perimeter of the Ministry grounds, not too far off on the outskirts of them was a lone sycamore tree just before the river that was hidden by the neighboring forest.

For whatever reason, despite its majestic beauty, Siblings never frequented this spot. Rarely anyone sought refuge under its branches. Except Terzo. This was his spot. His place for respite from the troubles which plagued him because of his place in the Ministry. It wasn’t long before it became your spot too. In fact, one of the first times he requested your company, alone, he took you there. Whenever you both ended up at that tree, he was always honest. He was vulnerable.

If he was anywhere within the Ministry, that was where you knew you would find him.

The gravel crunched under your shoes as you crossed your arms over your chest in an effort to shield yourself from the crisp, autumn air as the setting sun fell with the temperature. Ahead of you, you could just make out a figure sitting under the sycamore tree. A cloud of smoke drifted away, carried by the wind in front of him. There was a moment you almost smiled. Memories of happier times danced into your mind, but they were quickly squashed by the worry of what you would even say when you did reach him.

Guilt clawed its way into the forefront of your thoughts. You shouldn’t feel guilty for what he saw. Not after what he did to you. Not after you discussed with him the choice you knew you had to make. And yet, there it settled on your conscience like a cinder block. No matter whether you were together or not, it seemed like all you did was hurt each other, sometimes intentionally, sometimes inadvertently. You hated it. All you wanted was for this ordeal to be over. Even if that meant your happiness would be confined to the shadows.

The scent of weed wafted towards you as your footfalls became audible to the man who sat holding a lit joint between his fingers. You didn’t say anything as you sat down next to him, staring ahead at the expanse of nature before you. Wordlessly, he held it out to you, which you took, silently thanking Satan for the mental relief that was moments away. After a couple hits, you went to pass it back, but he just shook his head. It was three quarters of the way gone already, so you took it upon yourself to finish it. Once you snuffed it out, you pulled your knees to your chest, crossing your arms over them for something to rest your chin on.

There were a few beats of silence. Enough time for your lids to feel heavy and your thoughts to quiet slightly. You tried your best to be present in the moment as you listened to the rustling of the dying leaves above you, felt the coolness of the grass underneath you, watched the shadows of the tree dance on the ground in front of you.

“Did you feel something when you realized it was me…?” Terzo asked you, being the first one to break the silence, his voice cautious and barely above a whisper.

“It was like… this jolt of electricity.”

“Hmm. I felt it too. In my eye. The white one. Wonder what it means…��

“Maybe it was because we have this strong connection, I don’t know,” you guessed with a shrug, but then the obviousness of your statement dawned on you both.

Slowly your heads turned toward each other. The two of you erupted into laughter, the most either had laughed in days. Laughing so hard you couldn’t breathe, you pressed against him as you leaned to the side. He pushed back into you. You shifted enough so his leg was against your back as you looked up at him, giggles slowly subsiding. The way he looked down at you, a wistful smile on his face, his eyes shining with an amusement you’d almost forgotten as of late, the way his hair fell away from his face… You’d be lying if you claimed it didn’t make your heart skip a beat.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head, his hair swishing back and forth. “I think you’re onto something, amata mia,” he chuckled.

“You know, I just have this hunch…” you giggled again.

He took one of your hands and laced his fingers through yours, staring off in the distance in front of you as he absentmindedly caressed your thumb with his. He let out a heavy sigh, serving as a reminder for the circumstance of the clandestine meeting.

“I’m sorry you had to… that you saw that…” you mumbled, avoiding his gaze as yours locked on your intertwined hands.

“Why are you sorry? That’s the least I deserve. It’s karma. It’s karma for something I can never atone for.”

“It’s in the past. It fucking sucked but…” Your eyes closed as you tried to expel your melancholia. “I just wish we could stop hurting each other.”

“I don’t think that’s possible anymore, amore.” You looked up at him again to see how he clenched his jaw as he swallowed. “Tell me how your summoning ritual went,” he murmured.

You couldn’t hide the smile that spread across your face. “I went into the trance and there he was. Started out like a black mist and then slowly got more human-shaped. He said Lilith had sent him. He asked me if I wanted to bond with him and the next thing I know I’m, like, jolted back into my body. And then there he was! I ran right over to him and told Secondo to get him a robe, because he shouldn’t be exposed like that while adjusting to mortality.” While recounting the events to Terzo, you were staring up into the tree, but slowly dragged your eyes to him when you heard a giggle. “What’s so funny? How’s that funny? How would you feel if you were zapped out of your Hell home and thrown into… whatever this is!” You glared at him with half-opened eyes as you lazily, yet emphatically waved your hand around.

“It’s just a very ‘you’ thing to do,” he laughed, shaking his head slightly. “We’ve always given a newly summoned Ghoul their space, approach them slowly and with caution. No one’s ever just ran right up to them.”

“Yeah, because most of the clergy treat them as just ‘The Help’ and forget their human side,” you grumbled.

“I don’t treat my Ghouls like that!” Terzo glaring at you defensively.

“I said ‘most of the clergy.’ Not all. Chill, Stoney Tenerone (big softie),” you reassured with a smirk. He just rolled his eyes. “Anyway, now I know why everyone seemed kind of shocked. So, then we did the blood bond. I spoke to him my way, so I guess that’s also why everyone was shocked. We just kind of went and did the thing… silently. And then I grabbed him and we went to the Ghoul Den and got him his outfits. I got to meet more of the Ghouls and I basically spent all my time with them. Which was perfect because I did not want to deal with Copia.” You wrinkled your nose in disgust.

Terzo scoffed. “Trouble in paradise?”

“1.) Fuck you. 2.) It’s far from paradise. And 3.) He pissed me off.” Terzo raised an eyebrow, wordlessly encouraging you to elaborate. “Well, first he casually dropped the bomb that he knew what was happening to you at the final show after we… made up…” You cleared your throat. “He’s starting to get… possessive. Like– like the power is already going to his head…” Your thoughts drifted for just a moment. Quickly you continued before Terzo got a chance to ask you to explain. “Anyway, the next morning, apparently Imperator told him I needed to make an appearance at breakfast. So, of course, that was the last thing I wanted to do. All I wanted to do was sleep. But noooo. Right as I was about to enter, I kind of clammed up and didn’t want to go in. And you know what he fucking said to me?”

“Something stupid?”

“He compared me walking in there and having everyone’s eyes on me because of whatever they think is going on with me as if it were just like the times when I went in there with my head held high when everyone was whispering about what you were doing behind my back.”

“And you didn’t try to kill him for saying that?”

“Not that time. I just showed him who has more power and that it’s not him. I went and sat in your seat at the clergy table.” You beamed at him triumphantly.

He let out a laugh. “I’m sure Imperator loved that.”

“She told me to move and I just flashed her my eyes and was like ‘I think I’ll stay right here,’” You reenacted, showing him how easily you could switch back and forth from your infernal gaze. “Then he tried to order one of my Ghouls to get him breakfast and I shut that down so fast. He tried to make it seem like I was putting on a show because of what was happening to you, but I basically just said how for once people are gossiping about me and what I’m doing and not whose bed I’m in. That shut him up. Then Secondo saved me by helping me with the ritual prep.”

“So when was the time you wanted to kill Copia?”

“Earlier tonight. He’s getting more… I don’t know. I just don’t fucking trust him. First, he called me la sua diavolessa. Then when I… When we were done… He fucking smirked and was like ‘Oh I see why you were so enamoured with him. Let’s do this again. Go have fun with the Ghouls,” and then used the nickname that they call me! As if it was his to use! It’s fucking not. And the way he fucking knew I got the alcove move from you. Like. He’s just trying to upset me at this point.” You let out your frustration with a heavy exhale through your nose. Suddenly as your train of thought veered slightly from the path it was on, your face softened as you looked up at him. “Hey, do you remember when you asked me if I loved him?”

His brows knitted together, unsure of where you were going with this. He only cautiously nodded in response.

“I don’t think I ever did. I thought I did, but… He was just giving me what I needed to fill a void. I needed comfort and somehow he was just always… there.” He brushed hair away from your eyes. It was impossible for him to hide the smirk on his face. “Don’t even say it,” you warned with a light tone.

“Say what? That I was right and you would choose me in the end? No, I’d never say something like that,” he teased. “Wait, you saw Lucifer.”

“Speaking of the end of all this… yeah. He mentioned that and how we need to let this play out, let them underestimate the both of us.”

“The both of us?” he reiterated.

“Phantom said the only ones I need to trust are Lilith and Lucifer. It’s us against them, I guess. I sure as shit will never trust Sister Imperator or Copia for that matter…”

“I never did either. Why do you think I didn’t tell anyone about how I… about what I was–”

“I knew it!” you squealed as you bolted upright and turned to face him. “I finally realized that today. Just before I saw Lucifer. I’m sorry I didn’t–”

“No,” he interrupted sternly. “You have nothing to be sorry for. It doesn’t matter if you understand now or not. I should have trusted that you would understand. I should have told you. I never should have–” He stopped himself from continuing. His intake of breath was shaky at best. “There’s a reason she calls herself Imperator,” he snarled.

“She wants all the control. She… she knows more than she lets on.” Just then, as cliche as it was, a lightbulb went off in your head. “Hey, how did you even think to start looking into the prophecy?”

“Porca puttana!” he growled. “When we first started being intimate, I noticed the mark on your back. I looked up the mark of Lilith, but there was nothing about a prophecy. Until… Our summer holiday. You were in the pool. Sister stood next to me and said something about your birthmark. I responded by saying it was almost as if you had her mark. Within days after getting back, somehow there were texts on my desk that led me to the prophecy. She knew. That bitch fucking knew.”

“She knew you’d get obsessed with it, didn’t she?”

Terzo nodded. “She knew the whole fucking time! Cazzo, and here I was thinking keeping it from everyone was the safe way to do it.”

“How much do you think she knows? How much does Copia know? Fuck. Fuck! Are we still in the dark? Do they know more than us?!” Your voice started to rise with your panic.

Terzo rotated at his torso, putting both hands on your shoulders to turn you towards him. “Listen to me. Lucifer showed himself to you–”

“Yeah and he showed himself to Copia, too. That doesn’t make me–” You cut off Terzo, but he did the same to you.

“Yes, it does. You are special, amata. They chose you.”

Your brows furrowed, realization flashing across your face. With a distant voice, you spoke as if you were trying to convince yourself that these words were true, “He… Lucifer said that it’s because of me they’ll be able to achieve so much…”

“See?” he said in a hushed tone, moving his hands up to cradle your face. His thumbs brushed soothingly along your cheeks. You couldn’t help but let your eyes close as you leaned into his touch. Resting his forehead on yours he continued, “Believe in yourself, like He does, like I do, like I always have.”

Worry pulled at your eyes as you gently pushed him back enough to look at him. “This kind of shit doesn’t come without a price, even I know that. I just have such a horrible feeling this isn’t going to end well. No matter what we do. I don’t think…” your voice cracked, rendering you unable to speak the words that danced on your lips.

“Nothing is going to keep me from you. Niente.” You nodded in agreement as he pushed himself back, turning so his back was against the tree. He widened his legs, “Vieni (come here),” he beckoned.

You maneuvered yourself around, scooting up so that your back was flush against his chest. He wrapped his arms around your waist, leaning his chin on your shoulder. Crossing your arms over his, you intertwined your fingers together.

Out of nowhere, your upper body started to shake from the way you were laughing. After teasingly kissing your neck, he drawled, “What’s so funny, amata?”

You moved your head to the side, craning your neck away from him. “Secondo told me how there are ways to keep this a secret. We just have to both be willing and, uh, I think he said we have to just be clever and cunning about it too.”

“Hmm, davvero (really)?” he murmured, pulling you even closer as he constricted his arms around you while nuzzling into your neck.

“Mm-hmm,” you hummed in agreement as he started to leave a trail of kisses up the side of your neck. You sighed, turning your head as you leaned back as when he neared your jaw. Bringing your hand up to his face as his lips met yours. When his tongue brushed against your bottom lip, your hand slid behind his head as you let him in. You could feel the vibrations in his chest from his quiet moan against your back after you tethered your fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and started to pull.

Swiftly, you broke away from the kiss and turned yourself so you were facing him, knees on either side of his hips, straddling him. You grabbed his face, holding him gently in your hands as you leaned down to kiss him with a higher intensity than before. His hands fisted the linen fabric of your shirt at your waist. It didn’t take long for you to start grinding your hips down and against his, but he let go of your shirt to push back your hips.

It wasn’t until he broke away from the kiss did you fully realize he was stopping you. You eyed him curiously. “What’s… wrong?” you spoke slowly, trying to find your words between the high you still felt and the daze from the kiss.

“Amore,” he looked up at you, his eyes pleading, “we can’t–”

“No, we shouldn’t.” You leaned back in and started to kiss his neck. “Can’t and shouldn’t… are two… different things,” you muttered in between continuous kisses.

His hands moved up your arms to your shoulders where he gently pushed you back again. Your hands slid down to his chest. His eyes were watered down with sadness. He shook his head.

You pushed back to get a better look at him. Your lips parted in disbelief and disappointment. “Why?” you asked, cocking your head to the side. “Is it because of the tree?”

“Wh-what? No? Wait, what kind of spell do you think I cast over this tree?”

“People can’t, ya know, do stuff under it?”

He sighed, shaking his head at you. He wanted his demeanor to remain serious, but he couldn’t help but crack a small smile at you. “No, amore. Wait, how high are you? We’ve ‘done stuff’ here on more than one occasion. It’s not that you can’t lie with another under this tree, but that you can’t lie to another. Very simple misunderstanding I never bothered to correct to ensure Siblings avoided this area… ” he chortled.

“How the hell could I forget?” you giggled as you dropped your head into your palm. “Hey, wait!” you exclaimed, snapping your head up to glare at him. “So, now you don’t want me? What the fuck, Terzo! Who knows if we’ll get this chance again before the ascension or what’s even going to happen after it!?”

“If we go through with this, I’m not… I don’t know if I’ll be able to hide it, to hide from you.”

“Or you just don’t want to be kept a secret. Terzo, you’re gonna have to figure it out if we’re gonna make this work.”

He blinked at you. “Che..?” When it sunk in what you were saying, he moved to get out from under you. You followed suit as he stood up. “No. No! Don’t tell me you’ve had a change of heart.”

“I could– I will never love Copia the way that I love you. Fuck, I can’t even lie to you here! I already told you I never loved Copia, that it was never like that! It was never like what we have!”

“I can’t. I can’t risk losing you.”

“You won’t. I’m willing– I want to make this work. Even if we have to hide it. You’re the one I want, Terzo.”

“I’m the one you want,” he scoffed. “Yeah, you want me, but you won’t fucking choose me!”

“You know why I can’t. I told you already! My hands are tied! I have to see this through the way They want– the way Lucifer wants.”

“I don’t give a fuck what Lucifer wants!” he yelled, throwing his arms up in the air as he moved past you. You were quicker though, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to face you.

“This is bigger than us. Bigger than our relationship,” you said, your jaw clenched as you tried to fight the raging fire that was threatening to consume you from the inside out. “Terzo, I love you. It’s always been you.”

“But you’re his now,” he muttered. He kept his voice low in an attempt to keep it from cracking, but you could hear the tremble that he couldn’t hide.

“He’s the only one that thinks that.” You let go of his arm only to take his hand in yours. “Terzo, please,” you begged.

He moved his arm in a circular motion, breaking free from your hold and took a step away from you. “Don’t. Don’t do this to me,” he warned. His voice cracked as he couldn’t stop the tears that welled up in his eyes.

You stepped towards him, your hand outstretched. He shook his head, hair falling to cover his eyes. A tear cascaded down his cheek. “Don’t,” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper, before he stormed back towards the Ministry.

Your face dropped as you watched him flee. You couldn’t call out to him; you didn’t know what to say. Any possible word, even his name, died in your throat. Tears now pricked your own eyes. Backing up, you shook your head, and kept going until your back hit the sycamore behind you. Slowly you slid down along the rough bark. Without taking your eyes off his retreating form, he soon blurred from the tears that began to fall in rapid succession. Pulling your knees up to your chest, you broke down.

Suddenly you felt warmth beside you. You looked up to see Phantom putting his arms around you, pulling you close to him. Turning to bury your face in his shirt, you sobbed.

There was no comfort in knowing you would laugh in the face of those who think they hold the power, in knowing that somehow eventually you would be standing beside the one you loved. It didn’t matter that Lucifer himself was the one that told you this information. All of that was in the future, a future so unclear and shrouded in a fog so thick, it might as well be nonexistent. Right now, all you were left with was the overwhelming feeling of your heart breaking, over and over again.

part xii | part xiv

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