Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“So that’s… it?” He asked, quite hesitantly so, since he surely couldn’t believe what he saw. His office, or rather janitor closet, looked… strange.

There was a couch instead of a chair. In front of a mediocre desk which already had many things scattered around on it. Work related papers and organisers, some pens… and an old TV? No good hardware in sight. Copia sighed.

“It will be adjusted.” Said Mr. Psaltarian. “We had to hurry everything, the renovations, after Sister‘s sudden death. You do understand this, don’t you?” The man looked at Copia, as if he was expecting a reply that suited him. Of course, Copia complied to save the peace.

“Sì, I do, of course I do. This is all, yes? I would like to… to settle in for now.” Copia sighed, silently urging Psaltarian to leave. He couldn’t bear another minute of obvious humiliation like this.
“One moment,” said the man, and Copia tensed. He could feel the muscles in his jaw twitch and hear the leather of his gloves squeak. Still, he nodded.

“This, Frater, is Judith.” Mr. Psaltarian turned around to wave towards some woman Copia didn’t know, who had apparently waited in outside the door all the fucking time. His eyebrows shot to the ceiling.
“Good day, Mr. Psaltarian, Frater.” Said the woman, idly making her way inside into the chaos and smiling at Copia, who was a little starstruck by her. She had beautiful, long brown curls, warm eyes, and a smile to die for. Who was this?

“Ah, g- good day.” He stammered, offering his hand, which she took. “..?”
“Judith!” She repeated, shaking hands with him and never letting her eyes leave his. Copia didn’t understand what was going on.
“J- Ju- Judith, yes. Sì, hello Judith.” The way he greeted her, he was just way too overwhelmed by the whole situation, it made him blush. How embarrassing. “You can call me Frater. Or C. Or F. No. P. No! Call me C, please.”

She chuckled, nodding along.
“Judith is going to be your new secretary, Frater.” Mr. Psaltarian joined in again while he cleared his throat. They both shot their heads towards them.
“My what?” Copia’s eyes went wide. A very own personal secretary?!
“Your secretary. You will need help coordinating the new guy’s new post, the Clergy itself, the band… everything. She will be of great help.” Psaltarian took a breath before he continued.
“Maybe she will be able to assist you with even more important future affairs as well.”

Frater looked at Judith again. Whatever that meant.
“Alright…” he then said, awkwardly clasping his hands together. “Good. We’re done here now, right? Yes? We good?” He urged.

“Yep. That’s it. You can get to work now.” Said Psaltarian. “I will show Judith around a little more. She needs to be introduced to all the Clergy’s affairs…”
Judith, all smiles again, was ready to follow the man to learn more about her new profession. And Copia almost let out a breath of relief, if it wasn’t for Psaltarian, who stopped in his tracks.
“Actually, Frater, why don’t you show her around? Your office isn’t quite done yet… and now that I think about it, you would do a way better job, would you not?”

Copia was dumbstruck. “Oh.” He replied curtly, his shoulders high and tight. He could not just say no like this. “Uhm… yes. Yes. Of course, eh… why not, eh? It won’t take too long. It sure won’t.” He babbled on, mumbling towards the end of his sentences, and held back a sigh.
“Great!” Mr. Psaltarian brought his hands together and motioned them to move. “You two will get along perfectly. Have fun. And take your time.”

Copia side eyed him, but didn’t say anything further, before he guided Judith out of the door and followed her. Whatever this was, Copia did not trust the situation. Somehow.

———

“So eh, that is… my former office.” Copia sighed nervously, with a bit of awkward hesitation, trying not to sound too distracted as he noticed the slight changes there. The new guy. He’d been there already. And Copia hated it. He felt his jaw tense again. He felt his fingers craving to turn into fists and smash against the hard wooden desk that had been his own for so long. Only his.

“It’s a beautiful office, Frater.” Judith smiled again as she looked around. Her smile was eerily warm. Eerily comfortable. She looked at him with her brown eyes, like pools of pure honey, and Copia could barely think straight due to several reasons and sentiments. It had been a long day so far, and he didn’t even know where his thoughts were.

“It- it is. Yes.” He could finally manage to say, holding back a sigh and a sharp comment on how it was not his anymore. “I put my love into this. For so long now, because since my job as the Treasurer of the Clergy is… was… such an important one. I have spent hours… eh… days on end here, sorting out the Ministry’s budget, tax returns and stock investments.” He rambled on. He did indeed avoid eye contact with Judith.

“You are a smart man, Frater.” She charmed, blinking up at him. Copia’s head snapped towards her. “Scusa?” He asked, confused as he was.
“The Ministry seems to be remodelled and fresh. Beautifully designed and well maintained. You must have saved a lot of money for the Clergy, right?”

Copia shook his head. But meant the opposite. He was taken aback by her boldness. “I- well.” He began to explain himself. “I did save us some money. Yes. I mean-“
“It’s okay, Frater. I can see it. You’ve done good things for the Ministry.” She nodded softly, bringing her hand up to his shoulder to soothe him. Copia tensed.

“Eh, well thank you, thank you.” He told her, clasping his hands together. He needed to get out of this situation. He had already shown Judith the most important parts of the Ministry. The conference rooms, the crypts, the dormitories. The papal suites and the kitchens. What else was there to show her?!
“Judith, would you please be so kind and eh… excuse me for now? I have a lot of things to do still… sorting some… Frater… eh… matters. It’s late, no?”

The woman reluctantly took her hand away from him, and never broke warm eye contact. “Oh, yes. Of course, Frater. I do not want to disturb you any further when there are more important… affairs to tend to. However…,” she then started rummaging around in the inner pocket of her black blazer, taking out a little calling card. “My phone number is on there. Please, do not hesitate to call me if you need anything. I’m your assistant now, and I am more than happy to oblige my new boss, helping and supporting him in every way.”

She bowed a little bit and smiled again. Copia’s breath hitched. He couldn’t interpret this woman at all, and his own emotions were so confusing to him that he could barely think straight. He took the card anyways.
“Ah, sì. Grazie, Judith.” He finally choked out, and she did a little curtsy before she left the room, leaving her warm goodbyes.

Copia felt a rush of an indescribable something flash through his body once she’d left, and it made him shiver. He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath before he made sure she was gone. That everyone was gone. He needed some time for himself. Just for himself.

Copia gathered all his courage to finally sneak around his old office. The office that held so many memories. Back in his Cardinal days, he would sit there for hours, not only working through the Ministry’s budget. But also writing new songs, having drinks with other Clergy members, having affairs with other Clergy members. Feeding his secret rats there.
As Papa, he had not been much different, but maybe he had focused on other things. On success. On something that no one could ever take away from him. Sheer success and power.

Both he had plenty of. He had brought the band to a point where it had never been before. Success and power came hand in hand, so he was promoted to Frater Imperator, swept away from the stage and his beloved profession of being the Treasurer of the Clergy.

His old office, a place that was special to him. Always had been. Well maintained. Now so utterly different. His desk was still there. But the rat mouse pad was exchanged with a purple mosaic one. The paper stacks were moved from the left to the right side - pathetic.
Copia made his way around the desk to look into the drawers. Gone was his neatly organised set of ink pens. It was now full of regular purple pens, soulless and mass produced. Like a cheap promotional gift. Oh, look at me. I am the new guy and I have something for you. Disgusting. “Papa V Perpetua? Che cazzo…,” he murmured, reading what had been printed on them.

On the left side of his desk, there laid a calendar, presumably with self taken photos, and weird quotes on each page. Copia let out a huff. He read it out loud, although in a whisper. “’The road that leads to nowhere is long.’ Tsk, what in the ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ is this shit?” He mumbled with a sneer. He hated everything about this.

Not only had he been robbed of his job. Now this new guy also got his office, and apparently, he was also allowed to keep alcohol in his cabinet behind the desk. Copia had never been allowed to do that, stating that alcohol was only to be consumed in the dining area or the papal suits. He felt hot inside. He felt white, hot, burning jealousy and rage. And he couldn’t even deny it. Who or whatever this new guy was. Copia needed to gather more information about him. Somehow. And sometime very soon.

And Judith?
Copia caught himself again and looked at the little paper card, letting his thumb run along the intricate fine lines of the beautiful font her name and phone number were written in. His personal assistant.

He let out another sigh. A deep breath. And then, without hesitation, he took his phone out of his pocket, and called. He needed some goddamn relief, right then, right there.

Chapter Text

I didn’t know what had been going on with him, or what he’d done at work to be so… so off in a way, but things happened the way they did and I could barely process them.

I woke up from a little nap in his bed, since I’d been sleeping for a while after I’d spent my time cleaning his chambers just a little bit, and prepared some dinner for us to heat up. How I woke up?

He was behind me, had his hand gently wrapped around my throat to press my back against his chest. He was still clothed, I could feel it, whereas I was only clad in a flimsy little nightgown I’d brought there.
“Lift your leg for me, cara.” He muttered urgently into my ear, muffled and raspy, but before I could do anything myself, he was already on me, grabbing my thigh himself and pressing his knee against my cunt. I didn’t know what to make of it, so I let him do as he pleased.

It was so warm around him, underneath his sheets and pressed against him, that the little movements of his thigh against had me moaning in no time. Part of me hoped that he finally accepted to use me as his personal fleshlight.

“Copia? Wha-,” I tried to ask him how his work day was, but he wouldn’t let me finish the sentence. The hand wrapped around my throat came up to squeeze my cheeks and cover my mouth, his thigh then pressed against my cunt and stilling. I whimpered at his actions. They made me feel hotter than I’d ever expected.

“I need to fuck you now, cara, alright? I need to have my cock milked, can you do that for me, hm?” He muttered, almost dangerously as his voice wavered, and he let out a groan when he pushed his hips against my ass and almost thrust me off the edge of his bed.

I whimpered and nodded furiously against his hand, my own coming up to cradle the back of his, and then he let go of my face, slowly letting the tips of his fingers run down my throat, to my sternum, to graze my nipples through the thin fabric.
“Words, cara. Can you do that for me?” He asked again, less patient, and I gasped when he grabbed one of my breasts and kneaded them so beautifully that I pressed back against him hard, making him huff. I was on edge.

“Yes, Sir.” I whimpered, and he hummed his approval. “Good girl.” He purred, wasting no time to let go of my breast and made his way down my stomach to stick his fingers underneath my nightgown. I whined when they made contact with my bare cunt underneath (I had refused to wear knickers) and let out a growl when he realised how fucking wet it was for him already.

He circled my clit for a moment, even dipped a finger inside, nothing that would get me far but it still had me writhing. By that time, his other hand had snaked underneath me to hold me tight against him by my chest, making it unable for me to move away from his teasing touch.
“Look at you. Are you always like this, cara, hm? Are you so easily aroused whenever you there’s the prospect of you getting fucked into the mattress?” He mocked me, and I was surprised, honestly, since I’d never heard such an arrogant tone coming from him.

I whimpered when his fingers left me wanting more and needy, clawing his hair in disapproval, but he brought his hand up so we could both inspect the generous slick that had coated them. He hummed again, and I tried to be quiet against my bit lip.

“What’s up, cara? You’re so quiet. Tell me, do you always taste so sweet like this when you wanna be claimed, hm? Open up.” I was so confused first, but he stuck his fingers inside my mouth immediately. I never protested, I just diligently swirled my tongue around them and took my hand from his hair to wrap my fingers around his wrist, pushing them deeper into my throat and moaning against him as I felt him begin to slowly roll his hips against my ass.

“Always so sweet, cara? Or just for me?” He snarled the last word, and when he’d decided he’d had enough, he harshly pulled his fingers out of my poor mouth with a pop, fumbling with his pants and pulling himself out of them. He wetted his already slick cock with a few good pumps of his fist, aided by my slick and spit, before he yanked my thigh up underneath the blankets and groaned when I gasped, swiping the tip of his dick through my folds to make me whimper.

“A- all for you-“ I whined, my breath already ragged and short, and I decided to play the game with him. It was so hot, I could barely think straight, and Copia snarled when he heard my confession, mercilessly sinking into me and biting my shoulder when he was slowly starting to bottom out.
“Fuck.” He groaned against my skin, his voice muffled and strained, making me shiver and clench around him, my eyes and head rolling back, giving him access to more skin of my neck.

“Fuck me.” I moaned out, not necessarily as a demand, but as an expletive that underlined how well he stretched me, how deep he was inside me despite our position, how much of a chokehold me had on me - literally. How hot his possessive bites were, and how I hoped that the marks stayed.
“With pleasure.” He mocked me, immediately starting to thrust relentlessly. I screamed out, my hands fisting the sheets and his hair, since I hadn’t yet fully adjusted to him. It hurt so fucking good. I had never had such good dick ever before, I swore to whatever deity there was.

“You’re so fucking tight.” He huffed out, skin slapping against skin, my need growing as his thrusts became so heavy and fast. I could even feel his balls slap against my clit, wet and hot, that I cried out from the sheer pleasure of it. “Just for me, too, huh? Can’t fucking believe it. Would you let anyone else fuck you like this?” He purred into my ear, wet and somewhat aggressive, that my eyes rolled to the back of my head when his scent washed over me. Oh, he was so fucking hot like this.

I couldn’t answer him, he was fucking me into oblivion and my leg began to shake, so he held it up with insane strength, making himself drive deeper inside me and arch my back against him.
“I’m gonna cum.” I whimpered, biting my lips as he pushed so deep I thought I was going to pass out, my hands almost pulling his hair out as I didn’t know how to cope with the pleasure I was given. I was a panting mess, and so was he, huffing into my ear and sweating against my back. I wanted to drink him, I wanted to ride him silly as some sort of revenge, but right in that moment, I couldn’t do anything but cry against his attack.

“Fuck yes you are.” He spat at me, his own arrogance sending shivers down my spine and a hot flush of lust into my core. “Touch yourself. You promised- oh cazzo.” He couldn’t finish his demand, as my hand immediately flew down to rub my clit hard, my fingers just lightly brushing against his cock as I did so. He let out a shaky, almost whiny breath when I clenched around him harder, and with a few, relentless thrusts of his, I came hard around him, milking him dry as I had promised before.

His name fell from my lips, and that was enough for him to fall over the edge es well, pumping me full with his seed and amplifying the wet slap of skin with his generous gift. In moments like these, I was beyond happy to be on birth control. He just felt too good inside to ever let go.
I basically came once again right after, the feeling of his force had me panting and quivering against him. “Fuck, sì, just like th- that.” He huffed out with a few shallow thrusts, fucking us through our mutual highs. I kept coming, I knew I was overstimulating him, but I was well aware that this was what he wanted. What he needed. What I needed.

Fucked out and sweaty, we did fall asleep like this.

——

The next morning, I felt extremely weary still, I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and smiled when my unfocused eyes slowly made out the silhouette of who could only be Copia. He was quietly adjusting his suit, trying not to wake me.

“Good morning,” I croaked, achy but genuinely happy to see him, and he stiffened, his back turned towards me.
“Buongiorno cara, did I wake you? I apologise.” He asked softly, slightly looking over his shoulder, but never in my face. I cocked my head to the side and propped myself up on my elbows.
“No, not at all. It’s fine. Where are you going?”

I watched him get ready, he was almost done, and he let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for a while.
“I… my office, eh? The new one?” He sounded less confident than I had expected him to be.
“What about it?” I shrugged. He finally turned around and looked at me as if he was scared I was going to slap him in the face or whatever.

“What?” He asked, and I lifted an eyebrow. What was up with him?
“What, what? Why are you acting like this? Why are you stiff?” I was done playing his weird little games, and let out a sigh. His breath hitched, uncomfortably so.
“Eh… the office… it is, you know? Different. Very different from my old one.” He began to explain. I hummed.

“Different in what way? Difference can make life more fun.” I tried to reason, stifling a yawn. Copia held his breath again.
“Ah, I don’t know. It feels like a demotion, this… this whole Frater thing. Look, my old office was tidy and nice. My new one is a couch and a messy coffee table.” It suddenly bubbled out of him. My eyes went wide.

“What do you mean?” I inquired, surely surprised. I had not expected him to be so… down after his first day back in office.
“They say it is still being prepared. But eh, it all looks like a mess! I hate when it’s messy.” He let out another breath. “I feel strange, cara. And I am sorry for last night. Again, I apologise.”

He was small again, despite his regal outfit, he looked anxious and deflated. It made me feel for him. I righted myself a little more.
“Don’t be fucking sorry.” I told him, a little more chidingly, and furrowed my brows just a little bit, but it was enough to scare the rat. He looked at me with those puppy eyes in the low morning light, and for a second, I was scared he would crumble completely. I took a deep breath. “I liked it. I would’ve told you to stop if I hadn’t. You need to trust me, too, C.”

He didn’t say a thing for a moment, and rather wrung his hands together, making the leather of his gloves creak awkwardly.
It was silent for a moment.
“Look. How about we go see your office together, hm? Maybe I can help you decorate?” I offered, trying to lighten the mood. Copia really seemed to think about it for a moment. Then, he sighed.

“That is a very nice idea, cara. But eh.., I have a rather important meeting now. I don’t think…, and also, Judith will be there to sort some documents.” He reluctantly told me. I looked at him quizzically. Copia’s head looked like it was about to fucking explode. He was red.
“Judith?” I asked, warily side eying him. I immediately realised that my scrutiny was completely out of place and instantly regretted it. I should not question his coworkers…?

“My secretary. Personal secretary.” He finally admitted. He looked so nervous for some reason. The silence started to feel uncomfortable and stifling.
“Ah.” I just replied, wanting to punch myself for the lack of approval. What was wrong with me? “Why can’t I be there? Am I gonna bother her?”

Copia swallowed hard. Was he sweating? “Oh no no no.” He immediately waved me off. “It’s just that there is not much space in this… eh… janitor room of an office yet, we will have to squeeze each other in there and nothing is organised. Can- can we do that another time, maybe? I still need to acquaint myself with the situation myself!”
He sounded so desperate, so… weird that I let him be for the moment. I shrugged.

“Alright. I will-“

“Per favore, stay. Stay. Make yourself comfortable, eh? I will be back later tonight. Much work to do, eh? With or without the secretary.” He chuckled awkwardly, trying to add a joke here and there, but it only made me feel even stranger.
I waved him off. “Okay yes. See you later.” I somewhat smiled, and then he threw me a genuine smile before he made an even weirder copiaesque noise and made his way out.

We said our mutual goodbyes, and then he left. I sat in silence (and, admittedly: emptiness) for a good moment, and then reached for my phone to check the news. Two missed calls.

Chapter Text

I had decided to take a shower to wash off the sweat I had been sleeping in since Copia’s little escapade. Usually, showers helped me to relax, but this time, I could not get out of there soon enough. I needed to find out more about this Judith person.

Not that I was jealous or anything. I had no right to be. Copia wasn’t my partner, he was a situationship. I was just… worried that maybe he had been cheating on someone by using me. I would have never let that slip… well, or maybe I would? He was too irresistible. It made me feel weird, debating my morals like this.

He was his secretary. Nothing more, nothing less. And still I didn’t understand why he didn’t want to introduce me to her. Or anyone, really. Then again, he had not fucking need to. He wasn’t obliged to do that.
I sat on the bed, scrolling on my phone. Googling this Judith person. I had no idea who she was, what she looked like, or what her last name was. Still, I kept searching “Judith, Satanic Ministry.”

Nothing. I was starting to nervously nibble on the skin of my fingers before I realised how stupid all of this was. It was fucking pathetic. He was not in a relationship with me.

I sighed, closed my eyes for a second and threw away my phone. I needed to somehow ground myself. It was hard for me, truly, but I needed to get a grip. I figured that maybe taking a walk would be a good idea, to clear my mind and get some fresh air. The room was stifling anyways. So I got up to open the window, and look outside for a while. It was a calm day, not too outstanding weather wise, but bearable. Just the breeze of clean air made me feel a little bit better.

It was weird. I had never felt this way before, guilty to no end and on edge. I didn’t know how to deal with those feelings. I didn’t even know what to make of them. I somewhat hated myself for being like this. It was unfair to him.
Then again, he claimed me. He claimed me as if I was his. Maybe it was all just part of the show. We had flings, no more. And yet he made me feel like I belonged to him. It was hot, and maybe that was the whole and sole point.

After a while of trying to sort myself, I decided to take the walk then. I had managed to put on somewhat decent clothes. Previously, I had never really left Copia’s chambers. Sure, I had before to get some groceries, but I hadn’t really explored the place. So, even though I knew I maybe should not have done that, I took the other staircase this time. This Ministry was vast and confusing, but I thought that maybe part of the thrill of the adventure was to explore the place itself.

So I walked down an ornate staircase, trying to act normal. It was all empty. Where was everyone?
I stared at the huge paintings on the walls, one of which starring… Copia? As a Cardinal, as it seemed. My eyes went wide. He looked fucking hot.
Not that he didn’t look hot in our day and age, but there was something about him donning a moustache and sideburns that made me feel funny inside. He was depicted in a red cassock, holding an expensive cane and wearing skin tight black leather gloves with a silver grucifix embroidered (?) on them that made my mouth water.

I knew I needed to speak to him about this one day. Fuck. I wondered if he could wear the cassock once again. Just for me.

I moved on then, reluctantly, and made my way through a very long corridor. There were many offices around. Some of which said “Sister Imperator”, “Papa Nihil” or “Papa V Perpetua”. The last sign was the only one that looked… ornate, new. Not old and and dusty. I had never heard these names before. Well, maybe, but not really. Not actively, maybe.

Further down, I read a familiar name, though. “Frater Imperator.” Copia.
I walked towards the door, which was not as beautifully decorated as all the others, and clearly not as thick. Because for some reason, if I was quiet enough, I could overhear a conversation. It was Copia. Presumably on the phone with someone else. Even though I knew it was wrong, I leaned in to listen.

“Sì. That’s correct. I’ve invested in steel before. Yes. No. Because you told me to. I wanted-“

He sounded agitated. I kept listening.

“Listen, I do not care what the new guy is up to. I do not care what he invests in. The only thing I care about is that he won’t keep the revenue floating around in fucking space for too long.”

I’d never heard him like this. What the fuck was wrong with him? I leaned back again to take a breath. I sighed. What I did was wrong. Entirely wrong. His work was none of my business, and I should’ve left already. Now, I could not steer back anymore. So who even cared if I stayed a little longer?
After a moment, I leaned in again to eavesdrop.

“Yes. She… she serves me well. I do not want a ‘replacement’, Psalty. I do not want anyone else to-“

My eyes went wide. What did he just say?

“…spend time with her. She does a great job. Really. Better than anyone else before.”

Silence.

“Sì. No replacements. I do not want to discuss this right now. If a discussion like this ever comes to surface again, I will act accordingly. For now, she serves me well. Oh, sì. Diligently so. You cannot imagine it! She does a great job.”
His voice was almost a snarl, and it made me gasp. He did sound so agitated. So protective.

“Oh, sì. About that? I will call Judith. Of course. Grazie. Ciao. Bye. Whatever.” He mumbled, somewhat.

Judith.
This name made me boil inside. And I hated the feeling so much.
I did not have much time to be annoyed, though, because I soon heard him rummage around in his office. Fuck. He was coming closer towards the door.

I started panicking, and hastily looked around for a place to hide, and I gasped when I found nothing more than a fucking pillar to squeeze myself behind. I ran, as silently as I could, and held my breath when I heard him press down the door’s golden handle.
He stepped out of there, and I closed my eyes and held my breath against my anxiety. I was a pathetic mess.

He was on his phone again.
“Sì, Judith. Buongiorno. Are you free right now?” He asked, and it made my stomach turn.
“We need to talk. It’s rather important. I suggest we… have lunch together? The weather is nice today. Meet me outside in the Ministry gardens?”

I didn’t know what to feel. This was nothing. Objectively, this was nothing but a fucking meeting at work. What was wrong with me?
He walked past me, and I wanted to sink into the fucking marble. I watched him walk away from me and hid behind the pillar. He looked so fucking good like this, his back shaped by his expensive black suit, the way he idly walked away and gestured with his hand as the other one was occupied holding his phone against his ear. What a man. He made me feel things I’d never felt before. In every way.

“Bene. See you there soon, eh? Thank you.” He smirked, I could hear it, and then ended the call. What kind of scene was that?
Was I going crazy or was it okay for me to react like this? I felt something burning in my chest. It was the worst feeling. I wanted to get rid of it, I wanted to rip it out of my ribs. But it was gnawing so deep inside of me that I knew that no measures would help to end it. It felt like it was ending me, though.

Chapter Text

“Good thing. I think it’s slowly getting better.” Said Copia, somewhat disinterested, as he wearily cut his steak in half. He and Judith had decided to sit outside for lunch. The Ministry gardens offered many benches and tables to enjoy one’s food there.

“He is doing a good job already, his investments are smart.” She smiled, and Copia shot her a look. Trying to act like he was agreeing with her. She nodded. “Yours were smarter, though.”

Copia let out a huff. “Oh, do not flatter me. It is not like he isn’t basically copying everything I do. We both did the same things. With investments, though, it’s better to play it safe. So if he chooses to do what his predecessor did, so be it.”
He chewed on his meat, kind of exhausted from the day already, and the annoying talk he’d had with Mr. Psaltarian an hour or so before.

“You didn’t always play it safe, though.” She challenged him, the twinkle in her eyes becoming brighter. Copia cocked his head in question.
“You’ve made some risky investments. It worked out well. Do you think V can keep up with this?”

Copia held his breath and just looked at her for a moment. “Judith, eh, you know..,” he began, and cut another piece of meat, even though he was starting to feel rather nauseous. “I do not care what he does, as long as it does not hurt us. He can ask me, if he needs… help.”

She nodded understandingly, and took a sip from her glass of water. “You’re right. He does have some kind of degree in finances. So we should trust him.”
Copia listened to her chirp about this fucking V guy, and it made him want to burst out into hysterics. A degree in finances? Who even believed this shit?

“Sì… good thing.” He chuckled warily, and then sighed, trying to down the rest of his lunch. Well, Copia never had a degree in finances, and still he fucking knew what to invest in and what not to invest in. If he could not keep being the Treasurer of the Clergy, then at least he hoped to stay the Treasure of the Clergy, as Sister used to call him when he was younger. The secret favourite. Something his… father never understood.

“So, you had a phone call today, right? Do I need to know anything about it?” Asked Judith then, trying to change the subject. Copia’s eyes went wide in shock, until he realised that, yes, maybe she needed to know more about some of his phone calls, to categorise them or whatever.

“Ah, sì. It was a call with Mr. Psaltarian. Uhm, he was asking me about my… uhm…,” he suddenly started stammering. How was he going to explain this? “My relationships, you know? I am not getting any younger. And… how does one say… the clock is ticking, no?”
He felt hot around the collar. He had been such a mess lately, since his private life had just been as confusing as his new promotion. Demotion. Whatever.

“He wants you to have children?” She asked bluntly, and Copia was taken aback by her directness. The way Judith smiled at him, though, her warm eyes making him feel safe, helped him to calm down.
“Well, ehm. Sì. Of course he does. We are all out of progeny. And since I am the boss here now… good genes, no?”

She hummed. “Mhm, yes. I understand. Do you have a plan already?”
There it was. The topic he did not want to talk about at all.
He sighed. “I don’t know, to be completely honest. There is someone I am very fond of, but I don’t know what she will think of it. It’s quite fresh, no? I do not want to overwhelm.”

He felt like the world was deflating around him. She was hot. She was good in bed. That was great. But this would never be enough to ask her to bear his damned children. What was he even thinking?! He could not pull her into his life like this. They weren’t even a couple.

“Is she a Sister of Sin? Affiliated with the Clergy?” Judith prodded, and suddenly, it was her turn to act a little bit more wary. Copia just shook his head.
“No. She is not.” He just admitted with a shrug. “But this would not be a problem. It’s not against the rules. We are no kings and queens.”

Her mood changed, but she tried to hide it. “Well, I do understand. But would it not be… better for our image for you to have someone… who is deeply anchored within the Clergy?”
He let out a mirthless chuckle. What was all of this about? And why was she acting like this?

“Image? I do not see why this is necessary? The woman I am… eh…. dating is amazing. She is kind and considerate and lets me be me. This is most important, no?” He was slowly losing his patience. What was up with these two? Psaltarian had tried to keep pushing him out of his situationship with his girl, and now Judith tried to convince him he needed someone deeply anchored within the Clergy. It was his life and his dick he was gonna stick inside whoever he wanted, so why was he not allowed to decide what to do all by himself? If this was what being Frater meant, then he’d learn to hate his job even more.

“I am just saying… can we trust her? What if she tries to infiltrate the Ministry?”
There was a sparkle in her eyes that Copia could not quite read. It gave him shivers, though. He looked at her, wild eyed, for a good moment.

“Listen, dear.” He finally said, “I think I know who to trust and who not to.” He looked at her slyly. “Now please, I need to get some work done today. If you’d excuse me?”
She looked at him blankly. Then slowly nodded. “Yes, of course.” She smiled. “I will be there later.”

He smiled at her, and then made his way back to his office. Or maybe not? He needed clear his head once again. Maybe some alone time was the way to go. Maybe he needed to sort his feelings. Maybe he just needed time to think.

Chapter Text

I came back to his chambers after a good walk. It merely helped to clear my eerily loud mind as much as I wanted to, but it did help me to relax a little and rationalise things.

Maybe it was all a misunderstanding. But still, I found it strange that Copia would not let me meet his people. Then again, I was not his partner. He could do whatever the fuck he wanted.

That meant that I could do that, too. When I was out on my walk (I had to admit that I had been a little agitated), I met a man. He was cooly prancing around the Ministry’s (admittedly oversized) corridors, carrying some important papers. He looked cool, wearing a purple cassock and all. My sentiment made me feel brave.

I had basically bumped into him, and he kind of blushed when it happened. It made me smile, I had to be honest there. He was very kind to me, gave me a purple pen with what I guessed was his name carved on it, and I was fascinated by the fact that he had the same eye condition as Copia did. He kinda spoke and moved similarly to him as well. I wondered if they were brothers or otherwise closely related of some sort, but then again, Copia had never mentioned anything like this before. Not that he’d been obliged to.

When I had arrived back at his chambers, I prepared some Chinese takeaway. Frankly, I’d been too emotionally and physically exhausted to cook, and since Chinese food always helped me get rid of the bad feelings, I decided that it would be a good idea to get some. I knew that Copia would not be against it either.

Once I’d plated the food (I tried to make it look a little more aesthetic just for the sake of us having dinner together), I heard the doorknob turn. There he was… late as ever.
“Buonasera dolce signora!” He called out, smooth as he was, and I could not hide my blush. I loved it when he spoke Italian. And I even understood that one.

“Good evening, C.” I smiled, turning around to watch him enter the kitchen. His eyes lit up when he spotted the scene in front of him. He looked tired, though. Exhausted, maybe. I was worried.
“Everything okay?” I asked, furrowing my brows as I made my way towards him, pulling him in for a hug. Suddenly, when I saw him, all my strange feelings somewhat vanished. I inhaled him deeply, and then felt him press me against himself.

“It’s alright, all good.” He lied. I could tell. So I pulled back to really look at him. Admittedly, a little chidingly so. “Just had a very exhausting day at work. Many annoying phone calls. Many meetings. Barely time for myself.” He then explained. I sighed.
“I have picked up some takeaway from your favourite Chinese restaurant, if that helps?” I tried to calm him. He smiled wearily.

“Helps me more than you can imagine. You’re very considerate, cara.” He brought his hand up to my chin. I looked into his warm, mismatched eyes, and he pulled me in for a chaste kiss that lingered. A silent ‘thank you’. It made me smile into the kiss. Could I really doubt him? Or was it time to start doubting him? Was he like this with everyone? I was his situationship, after all.

He pulled away then. It was his turn to worry. “Mmh, what about you, cara? Is everything alright?” Fuck. So he had felt my unease.
I waved him off. “Everything’s perfect. You know I-,”
“If last night was too much, per favore, tell me.” He urged again. Oh, so he was still stuck there. I had to admit that it was starting to annoy me. I collected myself.

“C, no. Last night was absolutely amazing. I’ve told you before that I love it when you’re assertive like this. Suits you so well.” I smirked, throwing my best flirty look at him. He held his breath for a moment. My God, he was so unnecessarily anxious.
Then, he raised an eyebrow. “I’ll keep that in mind then, cara.” Then, he looked at the table, changing the subject. “But we should eat before it all gets cold, eh?”

I nodded, pulling him in for another hug. Right in that moment, my broken little world seemed healed again.
“So I assume you rather don’t want to talk about work right now, hm?” I quipped softly, letting go of him and settling in front of my plate. Copia did the same and groaned.

“Ah, cara. Even if I wanted to, there is nothing special to tell you. You know eh… we’re still sorting my damned office. It’s gonna take some time, but it’s getting somewhere.” He began digging into his food then. “Beijing beef, eh? My favourite.” He smiled at me.

I just smiled back. When I’d ordered the food, I just told the waiter to “bring me whatever Copia Emeritus usually orders.” Glad it worked out well. I smiled.
“Hmm, sounds good. Especially when there are helpful people backing you up, huh?”
Why was I beginning to test him?

He shot me a suspicious look and raised one eyebrow. I remained quiet. “Helpful people?” He almost scoffed in the most mirthless manner. “Who? They never help me with anything.”
My eyes went wide. “Huh? I thought you had a personal secretary?” I asked, bluntly then.

“Judith?” He asked, and I nodded. “Tsk, ah. Well. She’s just there to eh… how do you say..,” he tried to find the right words, gesturing awkwardly. It made me look at him funny. “She’s just sorting out papers and budgets, eh? Nothing… physical.”
I gnawed at the edges of my fork and hummed. “Physical? As in she’s not actively helping you rearranging your office?” I probed, and he immediately nodded. This one felt weird.

“Sì. She’s just taking care of all the paperwork. My office looks like shit still. Boxes everywhere. It looks awful. Others eh… do not.”
I could see his jaw clench when he mentioned the mysterious other parties, and it made me want to ask more questions.
“When I accidentally took a wrong turn today in the Ministry floors, I walked past some offices. Your mother’s, I guess…?” I inquired carefully. He nodded.

“Ah, sì. You took the upper Clergy’s shortcut. This one leads to all the offices.” He explained plainly. “Not the most beautiful area of the whole complex.” Shrugging, he kept eating his meal.

We chatted a little more. I hadn’t yet told him about my encounter with this mystery man. I felt like it would have been a little out of place. Instead, we shared a bottle or two of his favourite red wine. To be honest, I was growing so tipsy that in the end, I didn’t even know how many glasses I’d had.

We proceeded to chat, laugh, and talk about the most stupidest topics. It wasn’t until midnight when we somehow found ourselves in his living room, dancing to some of the records he’d thrown into his record player. It was a mix of everything. Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper. Literally everything, but all too similar at the same time.

We danced, he pulled me closer to him, and the world spun around me. Why he kept me, I did not know. But it moments like these my worries vanished. Pulverised. Disappeared.
I did not think about me probably being his side chick.

It was hot, and I could tell that the both of us felt the alcohol hit. Not only that we were starting to feel our legs wobble a little bit…, we also felt the heat rising inside of us.

Copia kept looking at me with those eyes, and I could barely deny him as my senses were flooded with his scent. I pushed myself against his chest, and and listened to him hum in approval. We kept dancing, but I could feel him hard and ready against my leg.

“You’re hard.” I smirked, and accidentally brushed my thigh against his crotch. Copia groaned, and then took my chin between his fingers to make me look at him.
“Have you seen yourself, cara? How could I not be? Look at those pretty little eyes practically begging for my cock.” He flirted with a voice that was dripping with pure lust. He was right. I could not ever deny my need for him.

I loved the way he got more confident when he had a drink or two. It was hot. Sexually, he was all I ever needed. All I ever wanted. I bit my lip in approval.
“If you’ll have me?” I teased back, trying to make it as sultry as possible, and Copia’s eyes flashed. He smiled at me, viciously so.
“I’ll have you in any way you want, dolcezza.” He told me. I felt my pussy throb.

I took a sharp breath and leaned in to whisper against the shell of his ear.
“Then fuck me into the couch.” I dared him, and he let out a disgustingly hot groan. He was on me a split second later.
His kiss was bruising me, our tongues fighting against each other’s as we made out sloppily, and I could barely breathe when he guided me back towards the couch. His moans in my mouth and his hand wrapped around my throat had me feeling dizzy. If I hadn’t been drunk already, this would have been the moment where I would’ve gotten drunk off his taste alone. I could never get enough of him.

“Get your ass up there.” He commanded, letting me breathe for a moment, whispering his filth into my ear and manhandling me to face away from him. I gasped at his sudden display of strength, and fell right onto the large couch, steadying myself with my palms against the headrest and my knees on the couch itself, whimpering when he already pulled my pants and knickers down to squeeze and massage my bare ass.

“Oh God!” I whined, arching myself into his touch, and his hand flew up to wrap around my throat, pulling me closer against him.
“Do not say this sick bastard’s name in my presence ever again, capito?” He warned me, and my eyes rolled back when I felt his clothed crotch pressed against my bare skin.
“Yes, Sir.” I gasped, moving my ass back against him, and he groaned deeply once again.

“Needy little thing.” He murmured, pulling himself away from me, and I mourned the loss. Only to the point where I felt his fingers swipe through my folds from behind, and my legs already began to shake from the contact and the anticipation alone.
“So wet..,” he said, more to himself, as he kept teasing me. “As always, no? You crave me.” He stressed. I nodded desperately.

“I need you.” Was the only thing I could say, as I already white knuckled the fabric of the couch. “Please.” I begged.
Behind me, Copia diligently coated his fingers in my slick. Then, he tutted. “Mhmm, I know.” He said smug as he was, pulling his fingers away from me and making me whine again, until he yanked my head back by my hair, making me look at him. He looked dangerous in the low light of his living room.

“I know you do. But you can’t deny me dessert now, can you? Not when it’s that good..,” he purred, and before I could protest, he stuck his soiled fingers into my mouth, making me taste myself on them. I hummed around his digits, my eyes fluttering shut, and it pleased him greatly.

I didn’t know what to focus on. His fingers down my throat, his hand firmly gripping my hair…, or his hard cock pressing against my ass. It was all too much already, making me wet his pants, too. And he hadn’t even started yet. The alcohol just enhanced every sensation.

As soon as he’d had enough, though, he pulled his fingers out of my mouth and chuckled. “Don’t you taste so sweet?” He asked me, and then fumbled with my folds again just to vex me, making me shriek when suddenly, he pushed two wet digits deep inside. Oh, he felt so good!

“Fuck, yes!” I panted, trying to enjoy the sensation of him pumping his fingers in and out of me for as long as I possibly could, opening me up, because I knew he was going to deprive me of these divine pleasures soon enough again.
“Mhmm, now. Let me have a taste myself, hm?” He chuckled deeply, and before I could process anything at all, he let go of my hair and I let my head fall forward, ready (or not ready at all) to receive him in whatever way he saw fit.

“C!” I screamed, not only because he removed his fingers, but because suddenly, I could feel his sizeable nose pressed against my entrance, and his plump lips against my clit. He threw his hands up to my waist to keep me still, and I sputtered out expletives when he moaned plenty against my pussy. Oh! So this was what actual heaven looked like!

He ate me out messily from behind, he was noisier than usual, more passionate. Sloppier. The alcohol seemed to fuel him in ways that made him even more feral than usual, and I welcomed it with every stroke of his skilled tongue and ever suck if his lips. He made sure I was extra wet for him.

“Fuck.” He muttered over and over again, flicking the tip of his tongue against my clit and sticking it inside of me as well, holding me in place and tongue fucking me to a point where he had me shaking and begging for release.

When I had wetted his face completely, though, he quickly pulled away once again. I cursed him sharply, since I knew that he knew that I was so close by then. He just chuckled smugly.
“You do know that I’m not done yet, hm?” He teased, and a shiver ran down my spine when he took one hand away from my waist and I heard the buckle of his belt and his zipper being opened.

I was a panting, wiggly mess and bit my lip as I looked over my shoulder, watching him shrug down his pants as much as he needed. He was hard and leaking. And the trail of hair that disappeared underneath his chemise looked delicious. He gave himself a few good pumps, and then looked up at me, smirking smugly as he jerked himself off.

“You didn’t answer me. Do you want his?” He asked again, with a lope sided smile on his face. I watched him show off his cock in front of my eyes, and I nodded hastily. “Please, Sir. I need you so bad.” I begged again, and Copia just hummed. He brought his cock closer to me, and I let out an obscene groan when he began to swipe his leaky, hot tip through my dripping folds. Copia couldn’t contain deep, rumbling sound of satisfaction either.

“Cazzo, dolcezza. Non c’è altro che desidero più della tua figa..,” he murmured, and before I could ask him whatever the fuck he said, I felt him push inside all the way up to the hilt, and I screamed when he nudged the good spots inside of me. He reached so deep, I thought I might explode.

Only then did I realise that I could see parts of us in the small mirror hanging on his wall in the living room, and it gave me a thrill of insane pleasure as I saw his eyes roll back, too. His balls pressed against my clit and I coughed out my need for him, before he began to pull out again, almost completely, only to ram himself deep inside anew.

I held onto the couch’s backrest as if my life depended on it, because Copia set a relentless pace. He fucked me hard into the couch, and punched the air out of my lungs, only bringing me back to earth again when he pulled my hair hard, my eyes rolling back as he loomed over me. Not only did our skin slap against each other’s, we squelched a lot, too, fighting against the creaks of the couch trying to hold us both, and it fuelled me. The way I could hear his grucifix chain slap against his chest, it made me go insane over him.

My vision was blurry from the alcohol, but I all that mattered was that I felt myself growing closer, as Copia took the lead completely and steered us to our shared bliss.
“Sei mia, cazzo. Solo mia. Mmhm, look at you crumble.” He purred upside down against my lips as they barely touched from the sheer force of his thrusts. But he kept pulling my hair back, and when his other hand came to sneak around my throat, the tips of his fingers pulled down my bottom lip. I almost exploded.

“Open up. Come on.” He moaned against my lips, his own thrusts making his voice sound shallow, and of course I obliged. He loved the sight of me being absolutely used by him, I knew it.
“Such a… f- fuck, good girl.” He panted, and the actions alone made me clench around him. I was so fucking close, and his balls kept wetly slapping against my clit relentlessly. But what really threw me into the throes of ecstasy was when he suddenly spat in my mouth from above.

My eyes went wide in shock, and I clenched even harder around him, making him hiss. “Th- that’s it. Swallow this. Be good and come for me, come on.” He urged, and not only was I squeaking his name desperately by then, I also started to lose my vision when he choked me again, crashing his lips awkwardly against mine.

I came hard around him, harder than ever, fuelled by the alcohol in my system, and I could feel him spurt his cum inside me right after. He growled into my mouth, licking his spit off my tongue as I was too lost to focus on swallowing, and fucking his seed deeper inside of me with every hard thrust. I was shaking, panting and screaming his name, helping him to ride out his own intense orgasm.

“Spero che prenda..,” he murmured, and when he slipped out of me, he cupped my oversensitive pussy with my hand, placing a lingering kiss between my still clothed shoulder blades. I then collapsed on the couch, shaking and utterly spent.

Copia was slowly kissing down my back, and then grabbed me by the waist to pull me down onto the couch and against him. He held me close as we revelled in the afterglow, drunk and flushed, and content.

“You did so well, cara. Grazie.” He murmured, kissing my head as I shut my eyes close. I was suddenly beginning to feel very tired. Yet I reached back to stroke my nimble fingers through his hair.
“I fucking loved it, C. I love how you start slipping into Italian whenever you’re losing control.” I remarked wearily, but with a sincere smile.

He chuckled softly. “Whenever I slip into you, cara, my brain shuts off.”
I gasped and weakly slapped his chest. “That one wasn’t funny!” I quipped. He laughed himself.
“The truth never meant to be funny in the first place. Now come on. Let’s get you cleaned up and ready for bed. It’s late, eh?”

He helped me get up again, though I only followed reluctantly. I was really fucked out and blissful, but Copia was right. I would feel better wrapped up against him in his royal bed.
So I followed, he cleaned me up, and on our way to his bedroom, I saw his gaze flicker to the pen that was given to me by said mystery men, and I saw something strange flash in his eyes for a moment. Something I couldn’t really read. But he did not look amused. Not at all.

Whatever that was, I thought. For the moment, I was too drunk and tired to care. All I cared about was Copia’s warm, naked body pressed against mine as we shared a cigarette and lulled each other to sleep in his bed afterwards.

Exactly what I’d needed.

Chapter Text

Copia was at work again. And honestly, I had to go home and get stuff done, too. Not that I really wanted to, but work was about to call and I needed to get some things done before I was to throw myself back into the annoying part of life. My fucking office job.

After last night, I needed some time to recover. Not only because of our remarkable session, but also because the alcohol still took some time to leave my body. I was glad that he had ordered some breakfast, though. That had really helped me.

We woke up slowly, and Copia had fiddled with me a little, not really wanting to go anywhere with me. It seemed like he just wanted to be close to me, to touch me and to kiss me all over. That seemed to be his way of showing genuine affection, I thought. I let him, but as soon as the alcohol wore off, my doubts were surfacing again. It became worse after he had received a call from Judith, urging him back into the office and interrupting our little morning indulgence.

So, I wrote him a little note, using the pen that this other man had given me before. I still wondered why Copia had been so… so agitated by it. He had tried to hide it, but he hadn’t done a good job at that. I hadn’t known why, but later, things would clear up for me.

Hey C,

I will be on my way home for now. Got work tomorrow, as you know. Text me if you’re free this upcoming weekend. xx

It was short and telling. Honestly, I didn’t care. If he had something official going on outside our little flings, then it was his problem, not mine. I didn’t know shit. I could just enjoy his attention. Good for him, too. That’s what the Satanists did, right? They sinned. How blind could I be?!

So, I packed my stuff and made my way out. As soon as I left the Ministry’s front doors, a sting entered my nostrils. Something I hadn’t smelled in quite a while. I hated it.
My head snapped to the left, and then my eyes went wide. There was the man I had met before, standing outside in the wild and treating himself with something that looked (and smelled) like a fucking joint.

“Hello there,” he smirked, shooting me a charming look. I smiled, happy to recognise a somewhat familiar face. His eyes went wide. “You? Here again? You out for a hike orrr?” He asked me, eyeing my backpack that was, admittedly, about to burst. I giggled.

“No no, just… going home again. I’ve been staying here for a while, you know? Checking out the life here..,” I tried to explain myself. I was too embarrassed to say I was currently sleeping with what I assumed was his boss.
He just chuckled. “Mhm, and? You like it? Already found a favourite spot around here?”
V… he was a strange man, I thought. But somewhat enticing. So like Copia, but at the same time, not at all like him. He was more forward. Cheekier, in a way.

“A favourite spot?” I repeated, growing hot around the collar. So far, I hadn’t seen much except for Copia’s chambers and some random floors. Fuck. V just smiled.
“You’re blushing.” He remarked, and I wanted to sink into the fucking floor. “Has no one shown you around yet? Tsk… outrageous!” He took another, rather dramatic drag of his joint, and offered some to me. I politely declined.

“Shown around… well. Is there something important to see? Something I need to know about?” I asked awkwardly, trying to avert the focus from me. Because yes, to be completely honest, Copia hadn’t shown me around at all.
“Hm,” he began, “I’ve got some time off now. I can offer you a little tour? But eh.., you seem like you’re about to leave anyways. I don’t want to keep you here.” A shrug, and he pouted. I didn’t know what to make of this guy.

Somehow, my curiosity got the better of me. The remaining alcohol did it’s thing, I thought. “Sure, why not? The place seems worth a tour for sure.” I agreed, and he smiled knowingly. Wait-
was I flirting with him?!
“Good,” he told me enthusiastically. “Come on in then, hm? You sure won’t regret it.” He flicked away his smoked up joint, and gestured me back inside. Something about him enticed me.

“Please, leave your stuff in my office, hm? You do not have to carry it around the whole time. This way.” He offered me, and I thanked him, since yes, my stuff was about to break my back and Copia had given me a hard time walking.
For some reason, I felt like all of this was wrong. But objectively, I should have had no issues with going with the man. Copia was not my partner. And even if he had been, I would have been allowed to talk to other male human beings, would I not have?!

I thanked him, and we made our way to his office. Walking slightly behind him, I noticed his hair for real then. A perm of some sort, raven black and it triggered me to touch it. It was secured underneath his mask. Which I hadn’t asked him about yet. All these Satanists, they seemed to be very serious about their face paint. Probably to hide their identity.

“There we are! Come in.” He announced, pulling out his heavy keys to open the door that was adorned with a brand new gold sign saying “Papa V Perpetua - Treasurer of the Clergy.”
It looked expensive.
I made my way inside, and my eyes went wide with shock. This had to be the most insane office I had ever seen.

A dark, old and regal mahogany desk, huge and very stable. A bar. Lots of expensive bottles filled with various kinds of alcoholic beverages showcased there in the shelves. Expensive PCs and desktops. Neatly sorted paperwork. A white board with a lot of cryptic financial info written on it. Rare paintings. An overall very warm and welcoming atmosphere without ever losing its professionalism. I was in awe.

“That is… your office?” I asked, not being able to believe what I just saw in front of me. He chuckled, helping me to get rid of my backpack and walking over to his desk to hide in beneath it.
“Yeah, pretty neat, no?” Smirked V, leaning over his desk to sign off another paper he had presumably been given. He looked up at me under his lashes, and I smiled.

“Absolutely. I like it. So you’re the… finance dude over here, huh?” I asked, desperately trying to get some smalltalk going. Not that he made it hard for me. I was just extremely socially awkward.
He hummed. “Yeah. I had been called to come here just very recently. Before, and I don’t know if you’ve met him yet, the dude named Frater Imperator was responsible for all that stuff. So that’s basically his former office. He was promoted to Head of the Clergy after his mother died and got a new one. So to be very honest with you, I didn’t really decorate this room here. All his doing.”

I tried to hide my surprise. So, that made sense now. I needed to find a way to not have to answer the question about meeting the boss.
“Oh, that’s… a tragedy. The death I mean.” I tried to be empathetic, tried to avoid making him realise that I knew more than I pretended to.

“Ah, rumour has it he somehow manages it all quite well. I haven’t met him yet. He seems chill, though. Has a good and important job. And can you believe it?! He even has a personal assistant. How I wish!” He quipped, and I felt my jaw tense. I still felt fucking weird when it came to Judith. For some reason, she made my blood boil.

“That’s… that’s…,” I needed to stay objective, fuck. “That’s insane, actually. I am one, too. You know? I work as a secretary. For lawyers.” I suddenly blurted out. I needed to fucking get a grip. V lifted his eyebrow.
“Oh, do you now?” He asked, and I interpreted his demeanour as rather smug. “Well, if you ever look for a new job… you can hit me up.”

I was taken aback my his… intensity. Maybe the weed made him more confident. Or maybe it was just the way he was. It felt interesting.
“I will… keep that in mind.” I just said, smiling awkwardly, and he made his way towards me. His gaze was something, and I felt myself stuck on his eyes. He was intimidating, but in an interesting way.

“We pay well.” He said, too, calmly so, but with a sweet smile on his lips. “Since I’m in charge. I feel like secretaries and personal assistants are… underpaid.”
He was correct. For the workload I had to deal with, they could at least pay me a little bit more per hour. I sighed.
“Yeah…, yeah. You’re right.” I chuckled nervously, and he hummed. He was so close to me, and I didn’t know what to make of it.

“Now,” he offered, his voice warm and comforting. “There is another job here that needs to be done, hmm? I wanted to show you around.” He winked, but I really could not tell if it was meant to be flirty or not. Part of me was convinced that this was just what his personality was like. Similar to Copia, he was hard to read. And similar to Copia, he pulled me in.

“Yeah, yeah. I just- I don’t have much ti-,” I warned him, but he tutted me. “No problem, girl. I will make it quick. I thought just in case you come here more often, you want to acquaint yourself with the building and its mysteries, hm? Just say when you need to leave and we can postpone exploring the rest to another day?”

He looked at me, sincerely, and I could not tell what his intentions were. Did he just want to show me around? Or was he wooing me? Or both?!
Anyways, I nodded, and followed him around. We made our way past Frater Imperator’s office, and I tried to listen to the conversation there. I did hear a female voice, and I heard his as well. He seemed agitated. Were they fighting?

I had no time to dwell on it, since V rushed through the process of showing me this floor, explaining it by telling me that I’d surely already seen it, since we first met there. He was right, it had been nothing new for me. It felt familiar in a way.

“Have you seen the gardens before?” He asked me, turning around to meet my eyes. It was weird. I swore I saw Copia flash in them sometimes. Though, admittedly, Copia’s were never as red as his in this current moment.

“I have not.” I answered quickly. “Are we going there?” I kinda wanted to see them for real. I loved beautiful gardens.
V hummed. “Oh yes we are.” He smirked. “Gonna take you there, hmm?”
We walked on, and my eyes went wide for a short moment. What did he just say?

“So, the gardens,” he kept yapping (though I had to admit he was a little more collected than Copia, he kinda spoke less), “they’re tended to by my uncle Primo. He kinda likes… plants, ya know?” He was gesturing wildly, and I explained his slurred voice with his recent indulgence. “He’s gardening all the fucking time. I would never have the patience for this. But I admire it. It looks fire, you’ll see.”

We kept walking until he lead me out of the Ministry’s back doors. I was immediately taken aback by the huge hedge arches that showed themselves in full regalia, with rose petals in full bloom that emitted a scent that almost made me feel like I was levitating. I spotted little lights here and there, and I was sure that this was even more beautiful in the dark.

My jaw must have been on the floor, because I only focused again when I heard V chuckle. “Hmm, you like that?” He asked me, and I was shocked by the similar intonation that was so dearly familiar to me. It made me feel a little funny.
“I fucking do. I love it.” I gawked. Only then did I find more tulips on the floor, next to a cobblestone path leading to an actual garden featuring vines and all kinds of fresh fruit and veggies.

“Can’t believe no one has ever shown you this before. It was the first place I went to after I came here. Needed some air to breathe and… needed to stack up on some things, if you know what I mean.” He winked at me with a lopesided smile, and when he cocked his head into a very specific direction, I knew exactly what he meant. He really was a stoner. And for a moment I wondered if the Treasurer of the Clergy should be one. Again: none of my business, though.

I nodded, and we walked along. Past little springs and a fucking huge ass greenhouse. It was all so cottage core coded. I honestly adored it.
“That’s beautiful,” I just gasped, looking around the place and watching the butterflies and bees look for nectar. V smiled. “Well, you fit right in.”

I looked at him, taken aback but not at all repulsed by his little comment. To be completely honest, it only made my stomach flutter. I felt myself blush.
“Ah you!” I just giggled. “I can’t compete.” With a wave of my hand, I tried to brush it all off. He tutted me.
“I might have to show you the lake so you can check out your own reflection in there… prove me right.”

Okay. Now he was flirting. And for some reason, in my current state, I welcomed it. Something about him was eerily attractive. Was I a whore? I was not bound to anyone. I could experiment if I wanted to. So why the fuck not?!

“God. You’re a charm.” I giggled, and he feigned exasperation. “Do not say this name! I will turn into dust!” He joked, and I had a sudden flashback to my last …session… with Copia.
“Do not say this sick bastard’s name in my presence ever again, capito?” It ringed in my ears.

He caught me disassociating for a split second. “I am nothing but a spreader of the truth, girl. And of other things, sometimes. But that’s a whole different topic. Come on now, huh?”

That was it for me. The Devil was in the detail. Or in the obviousness. What I knew was that he was right in front of me, and I was willing to follow him. Just as an experiment. Just for today.

Chapter Text

It had been another exhausting day for Copia. Not only did he have to deal with annoying conversations, he also had to check and sign off some of those fucking papers V had sent to his office. He hadn’t even met the man personally and he was already fucking with his nerves.

Whatever, he thought. The night was his at least. The only very unfortunate thing was that his dolcezza was not there. She had gone home. Since she was going to have to return to work the next day.
Copia knew that she had a life of her own, and that no strings were attached. But still, he had grown so very fond of her.

He enjoyed coming back to his chambers in the evenings, surprised by her cooking some good homemade food or his favourite takeaway. Some wine. Some dancing. Some casual and not so casual intimacy. Copia had realised that actually, this was all he wanted. Just… a normal life.

It was quiet in his chambers. So he decided to watch some TV. A series, maybe. But Breaking Bad again? After the bazillion times that he had already watched it before?
Ah, he thought, let Walt suffer all over again. He decided to distract himself with some of his most familiar things, since the newfound source of his calmness wasn’t there right now.

So, after a well deserved shower and a whole ass bathroom concert just by and for himself, he settled down on the couch with a glass of red wine in hand, propping his feet on the coffee table. He was in his red tracksuit, needing nothing more than a cosy break.

Copia switched on the TV and started watching his all time favourite series. He could barely focus on it, though, since his mind still wandered to somewhere else. He could not do much against it. His thoughts switched between the uncomfortable conversations he’d had at work and his dolcezza. Oh, he admitted that he missed her.

He took some sips of his red wine and reclined back a little more. The taste of it against his lips made him reminiscent of the night before. He had been so disgustingly kinky with her. At least as far as he dared. For now.
And she loved it.
It made him bite his lip, thinking about the way her dazed little eyes had looked up at him as he took her from behind and pulled her hair back.

The show was long forgotten. All Copia could think about was the next time he was going to be able to make her sing for him again. He loved that she was vocal. It got him off good.
Sighing, he took another swig. Copia looked down on himself and smiled weakly, finding himself half hard just from the imagination alone.

He pulled out his phone and tried something. With his free hand palming his dick, the alcohol and the lack of blood in his brain made him feel funny and, admittedly, kinda desperate. So he dialled her number, hoping to reach her.
He was lazily stroking his clothed cock, waiting for her to pick up the phone. He hadn’t had any kind of phone sex in ages. But he was confident to get her there, even without touching her. She had been so wet and ready for him always that his confidence had grown immensely.

But nothing. Copia groaned in frustration. She didn’t pick up. Fuck it, he thought, realising it was late already and that she was probably asleep. But Copia, he still needed to blow off some steam. Taking himself out, he started to stroke his cock in earnest. His head laid back against the headrest where her sweet hands had held onto dear life just 12 hours ago, he squeezed himself at the base, before letting go and spitting in his hand, resuming his ministrations.

“Fuck.” He muttered. “Need you.”

He was desperate for her, desperate for anything she could give him. Copia soon realised that his hand alone wasn’t enough. She had ruined him. Nothing could ever compare to her sweet pussy or her diligent, warm mouth. Copia was edging himself, and he didn’t even intend to.

Another sip of red wine didn’t help either. He bit his lip, cupped his balls to massage them as he thought of a solution. Only then did he think about the long forgotten fleshlight that laid unattended somewhere in his closet. Surely, that one would help him.

So he got up to get it. He kicked off his tracksuit pants in the process, aching and hard when he got there, and soon, he was holding the thing in his hands. Of course it was transparent. Copia had some kind of a breeding kink, but he barely ever voiced it. Well, not directly.
But watching himself fill this thing was so hot to him for some reason.

He pulled out a bottle of lube as well, trudging back to the couch. He plopped down on it once again, already feeling his cheeks heat up as the anticipation kicked in. Of course, the toy would never be as good as her, but he could at least try and resemble the experience.

So he fingered more lube into this thing than he’d used to. Spreading its folds as well as he could, he stuck two fingers inside, moaning at the thought of him fingering her tight cunt, opening her up for him. He scissored the thing, imagined her sweet little moans that he pulled from her every time they indulged, and fucked his fingers inside harder to make the toy squelch.

That was something that turned him on greatly. Knowing that she was always so wet for him, so ready to receive him. He loved lapping it all up. “Look at you.” He murmured to himself, completely lost in the process of lubing up the toy. He watched his fingers work inside, crooking them a little just like he knew she loved it. He was a pathetic man.

When he pulled his fingers out, his muscle memory made him stick them into his mouth, licking up everything that coated them.
He had his eyes closed and muttered an expletive when he realised that it tasted nothing like her. He was too caught up in the moment to realise what he was even doing. Copia rolled his eyes at himself. Why was he like this?!

As he was brought back to reality, he watched his dick throb against his stomach, leaking and begging for attention. He hissed when he took himself in his hand again, and finally, slowly, began to push the dripping toy (yes, he had lubed it up so well that it dripped onto his tip) down on his cock.

“Satan in Hell.” He moaned, his eyes rolling back as the tight, slick walls gripped his meat. He took in a sharp breath through his teeth, and groaned it out again. His hips bucked up already, impatient and needy, as he lowered the thing until he was buried to the hilt. Looking down on himself, he breathed heavily as he saw himself sheathed deep inside. He could only imagine the way it must feel for her.

After he had stilled for a while, he began to move the toy, imagining her riding him, the way she knew he loved it. The thing squelched, and with his eyes closed, he thought of her cunt dripping down all over his balls, swallowing him up as if she never wanted to let him go.

“Fuck yes. Cazzo, cara!” He groaned, gritting his teeth when his grip around the toy hardened, clenching around his dick inside. It urged his need to thrust up into it, and he himself was surprised by the sheer force of his lust.
He took over then, fucking into the toy with abandon. It squelched and leaked, riling him up, and when he found the strength to look at it, he cussed, since the sight of his dick thrusting into this thing was just too hot for him to handle. He was so fucking close.

“Take me.” He muttered and spat through gritted teeth. “Feel me fill you. Fuck.”
He imagined her begging for his cum, milking him until there was nothing left for him to give. He could feel his face flush and his eyes roll back, since all the pretty thoughts had him going insane. And that was it for him.

His abdomen and thighs tensed, and he let out a deep groan when he watched himself pump his release into the toy, nearly coming again just from the sight alone. He cursed, crazy over the fact that was filling it up good, fucking it deeper inside with every thrust of his.

“That’s it.” He moaned, deep and relieved, spurting his last few shots inside, before he milked the remaining rest by squeezing the toy hard, nearly bringing himself to the brink of unbearable overstimulation. He was quivering, and when he pulled it off his throbbing cock, his cum mixed with the generous amount of lube leaked out of the toy and dropped down on his stomach.

“Cazzo.” He hissed, trying to save himself and the couch from soiling it too much. He was panting, out of breath, and at least a tiny but more satisfied. Nothing could ever compare to his dolcezza. And he hoped that she knew that.

He rested like this for a moment, before he realised that it was time to clean himself and the toy up. With a weary sigh, he got up again, and made his way to the bathroom. He could barely walk.

However, on his way there, he spotted the damned pen again. He had no idea how it had gotten there. But it felt like a thorn in his eyes. Like a dagger in his soul. The man was infiltrating his life. Consciously or not, it made him boil inside. It felt like something burning deep inside his chest. It was gnawing at him. And he had no idea how to get rid of the feeling.

His post-coital bliss was gone. He bit his fist and closed his eyes to ground himself. This was beyond his control.

“Fucking V.” He growled against his hand, fighting against the fire raging deep within his soul.