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Bloodlust: Chapter 6 - Dracopia x Fem!Reader

Summary: The following morning has finally arrived, marking Copia's highly anticipated reunion with his long-lost siblings after years of separation. Driven by his quest to uncover the truth about his mysterious past, Copia isn't quite prepared for what his siblings have to share. However, as secrets are unveiled, new layers of Copia's story are revealed, plunging him deeper into his enigmatic past.

Words: 14.222

Warnings: Angst (blood; mortality; dead body; blood drink; mentions of mortality; bite) | SMUT! (dirty talk; oral sex, m-f; fingering; teasing; overstimulate; oral sex, f-m; bites during sex; penetration: p in v; unprotected sex; breeding) | Swearing | Italian swearing

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Available on AO3

Final chapter.

Tag list: @copiasslut @copiasprincipessa @haelithra @new-age-space-age @the-did-i-ask @sodoswitchimage @thesoundresoundsecho @fishwithtitz @nimbusghoul @enchantedbunny

A delicate tickle graced your cheek, swiftly followed by a soft, affectionate kiss. It roused you from your slumber, with the softest of giggles. Slowly, your eyelids fluttered open, revealing Copia's hand tenderly cradling your face. He drew you nearer, gracing your cheek with a cascade of affectionate kisses, each one warmer than the last.

With your eyes half-lidded, you turned your face toward him, glimpsing a faint smile adorning his lips. He leaned in closer, gently bestowing a tender peck upon your lips.

"Buongiorno, dormigliona," he murmured softly.

"Good morning, Copia," you replied, your voice carrying a trace of morning warmth.

With a gentle motion, you shifted your body towards him, nestling your forehead against his chest. Inhaling deeply, you allowed his comforting presence to wash over you. Your hand found its place on his chest, fingers tracing tender patterns through the fabric of his shirt, while you nuzzled your face against him.

"How did you sleep, cara?" he inquired softly.

"I had a good night, what about you?" you replied.

"I... I didn't sleep at all," he admitted with a hint of unease in his voice.

"Why?" you asked, your words barely more than a murmur.

"I spent the whole night trying to remember something about my past, about that day, about her. But all I can remember are flashbacks of the church in ruins and me killing those people," Copia confessed, his voice weighed down by the weight of his memories.

"Copia," you began gently, "you had a traumatic event in your life. You lost your home, your brothers, and someone you loved. It's not easy to cope with such loss, and it's not your fault for struggling to remember. Your brain is simply processing it the best way it can."

"I just wish I could at least remember something, feel something," Copia lamented.

"And you do, Copia, not all of it, but you do have some memories inside of you," you reassured him gently. "I don't know how it feels to carry that burden, how you must be feeling right now," you took a deep breath, "but trust me, everything is going to be alright."

Copia locked his gaze with yours and enveloped you in a tight embrace. You reciprocated, drawing him close as you took a deep, calming breath. His lips found the top of your head, leaving a gentle kiss in their wake, prompting you to turn your face to meet his, your eyes connecting.

However, something caught your attention, causing your eyebrows to furrow. Your hand instinctively moved to Copia's lips, and your thumb brushed against his thin mustache, wiping something away. As you turned your thumb in your direction, realization struck you like a bolt, and your eyes widened. The red spot on your thumb took you by surprise, and you turned your gaze to Copia, where you could see the embarrassment in his eyes.

"Copia... Is this...?"

Copia took your hand in his, bringing your thumb to his lips, and with a gentle suck, he cleaned it. "Mi dispiace, amore, I... felt a little hungry," he admitted with a hint of sheepishness.

You withdrew your hand from his and brought it up to your neck, a look of concern on your face as you sat up abruptly on the bed. Copia's eyes widened, and he followed suit, holding your face with both of his hands.

"No, no, no, no, amore," Copia reassured you, shaking his head earnestly. "It's not from you, I promise."

You nodded, removing your hand from your neck but still watching him closely, though his expression turned melancholy. He let go of your face, turning his head away.

"Copia..." you murmured, calling for him.

"Do you really think I would do it to you, cara?" he asked, his voice heavy with disappointment.

"No, Copia... I'm sorry," you apologized, reaching for his hands and holding them tightly. "It was an involuntary reaction. I'm deeply sorry, Copia. I know you wouldn't hurt me."

Copia turned his face back to meet yours, and you gave him a gentle smile. Leaning in, you pressed a tender kiss on his lips and let out a heavy sigh.

"I know you wouldn't hurt me. You promised to take care of me, and I believe you will," you whispered against his lips, reaffirming your trust in him.

Copia's eyes softened as he heard your words, and he held your hands with a reassuring grip. "I would never want to hurt you," he whispered, his voice filled with sincerity.

"Yes, I know, I'm sorry," you expressed with regret.

Copia smiled warmly and reassured you, "It's okie dokie, cara mia."

"You promise me?"

"Sì," Copia affirmed. "I do understand your fear." He leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on your cheek.

"I'm not afraid of you..." you started to say, but before you could finish, Copia took the initiative. He grabbed your waist and laid you down, crawling his body on top of yours.

"Aren't you, amore?" his face hovered just inches away from yours, and a playful smile danced on his lips as he asked.

You shook your head, denying any fear, and your hands found their way to his face. With a sense of longing and desire, you closed the gap between you two, capturing his lips with your own. Your hands roamed his face, and you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer to you, pressing his body against yours. Copia adjusted his position, his hand moving to your thighs, gently parting them to settle himself more comfortably between them.

You moved one of your legs closer to his hips, exerting a gentle yet purposeful pressure to anchor him in position. His hands caressed your thighs before gliding up to your hips, securing their grip with firmness. As your chest pressed against his, your hands began to wander over his back. His fingers traced intricate patterns along your sides, evoking a sharp intake of breath from you.

"I think I need some more time in bed with you," a mischievous glint sparkled in Copia's eyes as he whispered, his warm breath brushing against your lips.

"Yeah? Why?" you asked, tilting your head.

Copia gazed into your eyes with a playful glint, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Because," he whispered huskily, his voice laced with desire, "I can't think of a better way to start the morning than in the warmth of your arms."

With a playful smile, you leaned in, your lips meeting his in a tender kiss. The kiss was soft at first, but soon became more passionate, with tongues intertwining and hands roaming over each other's bodies. Your heart beat rapidly in your chest as you felt yourself getting aroused. He responded by wrapping his arms around you and pulling you close to him. You felt the heat of his body through his shirt as he pressed against you.

Your hands wandered down his back, exploring every inch of him as you continued to kiss him passionately. Copia moaned into your mouth, his hands running up and down your sides. His lips were hot on yours, and you could feel a heat emanating from them. The kiss were becoming more demanding his tongue sliding deeper inside your mouth, tasting you.

You broke away from the kiss, your breath ragged as you gazed deeply into Copia's eyes. His gaze intensified, his eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint, and a playful grin played upon his lips.

"Should we get up now? To meet your brothers," you asked, your breath still heavy.

"Oh no," Copia replied, "We're going to stay here for a while longer."

You smiled at his response, nodding in agreement. Perhaps his brothers could wait a little longer as you and Copia savored the present moment. However, your heart raced as you felt his hand slide under your shirt.

"W-What are you doing, Copia?" you stammered, your voice quivering with surprise.

"Let me compensate for yesterday, amore," he murmured softly, his eyes filled with desire and tenderness.

Your breath quickened even further as his hand slowly moved down between your legs, making their way towards your ache core. You let out a soft gasp as his fingers touched your core, your hips bucking involuntarily. You bit your lip, and Copia grinned at your reaction, his fingers gently rubbing your sensitive flesh over your panties.

"A-Are you sure about it, Copia? We don't need to do it now," you hesitated, seeking confirmation.

"You don't want to do it?" he inquired.

"I... I want," you admitted, your desire matching his.

"So let me do it for you, cara," he whispered

You moaned softly, your hands finding their way to his hair, gently tugging on it as his fingers made their way to your clit. Copia gazed into your eyes with a wicked grin on his face.

"You like it like this, amore?" he asked.

You nodded your head in response, your agreement silently conveyed. However, before you could utter a word or share another breath, your mind went blank as Copia's fingers slip inside your panties finding your clit. Your hips bucked upward as he began rubbing it gently, causing you to whimper.

"Yes... Copia... please," you whispered. "More..."

Copia met your plea with a knowing smile, ready to fulfill your every desire. Your legs shook as he caressed your clit gently between his fingers. You closed your eyes, your whole body shaking as you arched your back, grinding your core against his fingers.

"So wet," he murmured, his fingers sliding along your slit. "I'm very satisfied to feel how wet you are for me, amore," he said, rubbing your clit harder.

He withdrew his hand from inside your panties going with it to the waistbands, slowly pulling them down your legs. He lowered his body, leaving his hand between your legs, still caressing your core. You opened your eyes, widening in surprise as you felt him kissing your inner thighs. A soft moan escaped your lips as your fingers tangled in his hair.

"I can't wait to taste you here, amore," Copia whispered.

"C-Oh! Copia..." you moaned, your hips moving up and down. "Please... I need you."

"Do you?" he asked, his voice filled with desire.

"Y-Yes... P-please..."

His tongue darted out to taste you. One of your hands rested on the edge of the bed, your eyes closed again as you enjoyed the feeling of Copia's tongue lapping at your flesh. As he opened his mouth wider, you could feel something sharp brushing against the sensitive skin of your core. You opened your eyes to see him staring up at you, his head moving slowly, his tongue gliding over your wetness. Your eyes closed once again, your breathing coming in short pants.

His tongue swirled around your clit, making you squirm. Copia spread your legs wider, his hands resting on your thighs as he licked you. His tongue circled your clit, teasing it. You cried out, your body shaking as his tongue made its way down your slit, plunging deep inside you.

"Oh yes! That feels so good," you sighed, your fingers digging into the bed.

Your body writhing as Copia's tongue explored your entrance. The fingers your had on his head, ran though his hair, holding onto him tightly. His hand found its way to your clit, rubbing it. Your juices flowing freely, coating his fingers. He pushed his head closer to your core, his tongue plunging deeper, thrusting you with it.

You wrapped your legs around his head, pulling him deeper, wanting more. Copia moaned against your core, the vibrations sending chills through you. You moaned loud and your head rolled from side to side, the sound of his mouth sucking and licking your wetness sent shivers down your spine. His fingers stroking faster, your hips bucking against his face.

"Oh... Copia, Copi-Ah! Yes, just like that, don't stop," you cried out.

You grabbed a hold of his hair, puling him into you harder. Your nails digging into his scalp, he lets go of your clit, and reaches up to grab both of your breasts under your shirt. Pushing them together, his mouth still working over your core. He squeezed your breasts hard, pinching your nipples between his fingers. His tongue went again to your clit, flicking it over then dipping lower to taste your wetness.

"Oh!" you gasped. "Fuck! Copia... Please... Ah! How can you be so good at this?"

He lowered one of his hands, moving it back to between your legs, going with it inside of you, pumping in and out slowly. You bit your lip, feeling his fingers sliding in and out of you. He added another finger, pumping them faster, matching the speed of his tongue.

"Copi-Ah! I can't, this is too much, oh fuck," you moaned loud.

"Is it? Do you want to cum?" he asked, his voice husky.

"Yes! yes! yes! yes!"

"Molto bene," he cooed. "Just wait a little longer for me, amore, sì? Just a little bit longer."

You nod and he kept the peace of his moves inside you, working on your spot. His tongue flicked around your clit again, then went to your entrance. Faster now, he sucked on your clit, his fingers thrusting harder. His other hand still playing with your nipple, pinching and tugging at them. You can feel your orgasm building deep within you, your muscles tightening around his finger.

"Copia... I'm going to..." you whimpered.

"Not yet, amore," he said, pushing his fingers deeper inside of you.

"I can't take it anymore, please," you begged, trying to pull away from his mouth. "I want to cum, I need to cum."

He withdrew his hand from your breast and wrapped his arms around your leg, pushing you further onto his face, burring his face deeper on your wetness. You arched your back, grinding your core against his face. Your breath quickening as you tried to fight the urge to come.

"Please... please..." you cried out, your eyes rolling to the back of your head.

He pulled his fingers out of you, and went with his tongue to your entrance, plugging deep inside of you, tasting your juices, moaning into your core. You were almost there, you could feel it coming. And then, just when you thought you couldn't take anymore, he stopped.

"Now, amore, now!" he growled, taking your clit between his lips.

He sucked hard on it, and you screamed out feeling your orgasm building inside of you. Your breathing rapid, your chest heaving as he sucked your clit. You screamed loud, your back arching and your body convulsing. Your hand gripping the sheets as he sucked on your clit, pushing you over the edge.

"Yes, Copia, I'm going... I'm go... I... I..."

You felt your orgasm rushing through your body, your walls contracting, your body shaking uncontrollably. You screamed as you came, your juices pouring out of you, covering his face. He lapped up every drop, savoring your taste, swallowing them greedily.

You looked down at him, your eyes glowing with your orgasm, and smiled. He looked up at you, giving you a soft kiss on your clit. He removed his face from between your legs, crawling back to the top of you.

"That was amazing," you whispered, breathless, your fingers gently tracing patterns on his skin.

"Was it?" he asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"Yes... it was very good, Copia," you reassured him.

"I'm glad I was able to give pleasure to you, cara mia," he said with a satisfied smile on his lips.

You giggled slightly, your affection for him shining brightly. You cupped his face with both of your hands and leaned in with a tender, passionate kiss. You felt his body relax on top of yours. The kiss deepened, and you could taste yourself on his lips.

"Now I think it's my time to give you something," you whispered, your hand gently trailing down his chest, your intentions clear as your desire for him continued to burn brightly.

But before you could reach for him, he gently grabbed your hand, stopping you. "Amore, it's not necessary," he said with a warm smile.

"But, Copia, I want to do it for you," you insisted, your desire to please him evident in your eyes.

"I know, amore, but I think we don't have enough time," he explained. "I should be going to meet miei fratelli."

"Are you sure?" you asked, your lower lip pouting slightly.

He nodded and pressed a gentle peck on your lips. "I want to ask you to come with me because I don't want to face miei fratelli alone, but I'm too afraid to bring you there. I know they wouldn't hurt you, but I don't know how much they've changed," Copia admitted, his vulnerability showing as he shared his concerns with you.

"Copia, I can go with you. I'm not afraid of them at all, because I know they will not hurt me," you assured him, punctuating your words with a tender kiss on his lips. "I have you by my side, and you promised me you won't let anything happen to me, and I trust you."

"Would you really do it for me?" Copia asked, his eyes searching yours for confirmation.

"Copia, I would do anything for you," you replied with sincerity. "Do you want to go to meet them now?"

"Can you get up?" Copia arched a playful brow, his eyes filled with amusement.

You looked at him, blushing hard. "I- I... I'm afraid I can't," you admitted shyly.

He chuckled, biting his lower lip. "Then we can stay like this for some more minutes."

Copia lay down next to you, pulling you closer to him, wrapping his arms around you in a warm embrace. You rested your face on his chest, closing your eyes, allowing your body to relax. As you shifted your leg, you bumped into something. Curiosity piqued, you opened your eyes and widened them in surprise as you saw the bulge on his pants.

"Copia..." you began.

"Leave it, amore, it's fine," he said, blushing even deeper.

You couldn't help but giggle at his embarrassment, finding his reaction endearing. Closing your eyes again, you wrapped an arm around him, holding him close. Copia pulled the sheets to cover both of you, enveloping you in a cozy warmth.

After a few minutes of peaceful intimacy in bed, he pressed a loving kiss on the top of your head. You opened your eyes and looked at him, giving him a gentle smile in response. You slowly sat up on the bed, yawning softly before getting up and heading to your wardrobe. You selected some clothes and turned to Copia, who remained on your bed.

"I'm going to take a shower, and I'll be right back," you informed him, seeing him nod in agreement.

With that, you left the bedroom and made your way to the bathroom, preparing for a refreshing shower to start your day. The water embraced you in its gentle warmth, and you closed your eyes, letting the tranquility of the moment wash over you. As you sank deeper into the water, your mind briefly wandered to the incredible moments you had shared with Copia. It was indeed amazing how he made you feel, and the connection between you was undeniable.

However, you realized that lingering on those memories would needlessly extend your time in the bath. With a serene smile, you chose to set aside those thoughts for now and direct your attention to the current moment. Exiting the comforting bathwater, you reached for a towel and proceeded to get dressed. Once you were dressed, you left the bathroom, returning to your bedroom to find Copia already wearing his attire.

You rested against the doorframe, your gaze fixated on him with unwavering attention. Your eyes followed every curve and line of his form as he stood before the mirror, meticulously perfecting his outfit. He turned his face towards his shoulder, as he caught your reflection in the mirror. Copia's gentle smile graced his lips as he took a few steps toward you, cradling your face with both of his hands and planting a tender kiss on your forehead.

"Should we be going now?" you inquired.

"Sì, we should," he replied.

"Are you nervous, Copia?" you asked.

"A little, but it's going to be alright, with you by my side," he reassured you.

You nodded, and he released his hold on your face, taking your hand in his. Together, you walked to the living room and left the house. As you strolled down the street side by side, heading toward the location where the ball had taken place a few weeks ago, you could feel the tension in Copia's grip on your hand. You were nervous too, but you needed to remain composed to support Copia through this.

Upon arriving at the old house where the ball was held, Copia suddenly stopped in his tracks, gazing at it intently. You took a small step in front of him, offering a reassuring smile. You gently tugged on his hand, guiding him toward the old house. The two of you stood before the front door, and you knocked. Copia's grip on your hand remained firm as the door swung open, revealing Terzo.

"Fratello! Sei venuto!" Terzo averted his gaze from Copia and looked at you. "And, as it seems, you've brought a guest."

"Sì, I asked her to join me," Copia replied, his body still tense as he released a heavy sigh.

"Well, I don't see any issue with that, given we weren't entirely certain you'd honor our little reunion with your presence," Terzo said with a wide smile as he wrapped his arms around Copia, embracing him tightly.

"Cosa sto facendo qui, Terzo?" Copia inquired, his expression unreadable, not moving a muscle.

"Da quando sei diventato così brontolone?" Terzo chuckled, releasing Copia from the hug and giving him an affectionate pat on the back. "Non preoccuparti, fratello," Terzo sighed, a warm smile gracing his lips. "Ti abbiamo appena sentito mancare."

"Maybe we should go inside now, right?" you suggested, reaching for Copia's hand with a warm smile on your lips.

"Piccolina is right," Terzo agreed, turning his back and starting to lead the way back inside the old house. "Inside awaits i nostri fratelli and," he paused, looking at you over his shoulder with a mischievous grin, "food."

With a smirk, Terzo took the lead, and you followed closely behind Copia. While you weren't scared, you couldn't help but feel a touch of nervousness about meeting Copia's brothers and how he would react to the reunion.

As the three of you entered a room, the air was filled with the scent of fresh blood. Your gaze scanned the room and landed on a man holding a woman in his arms. Copia's eyes fixed on him as he fed on the woman, his fangs gleaming as he satisfied his thirst. Your expression tightened at the sight, fascination and trepidation swirling within you. Your grip on Copia's hand tightened, and he turned his face to you.

"Don't worry, cara," he whispered softly.

Terzo observed the two of you and cleared his throat, prompting the man to release the woman he had been feeding on, her lifeless body falling to the floor. He quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and greeted Copia with a wide, friendly smile.

"Copia!" He exclaimed, his arms wide open as he approached Copia with genuine delight. "Non posso credere che tu sia veramente qui," he said, carefully stepping over the woman's lifeless body on the floor. Then, his gaze turned toward you with a hunger in his eyes, and he licked his lips slowly. "E hai portato uno spuntino con te."

Your discomfort grew as you felt his hungry gaze on you, and Copia's grip on your hand tightened. Your hand found its way to his back, with a firm grip you hold his shirt. Copia hesitated for a moment, his gaze shifting between the man outstretched arms and the lifeless woman at their feet.

"Lei non è uno spuntino, Secondo," Copia said firmly, his protective instinct evident as he pulled you closer to him.

"For now," Secondo conceded, wrapping his arms around Copia in a show of brotherly affection. "But it's okay, fratello, we all need a bit of fun from time to time," he added with a wink. Secondo then patted Copia's back and released him, keeping his cheerful disposition intact. "But tonight, we celebrate our reunion!"

"I want to enjoy this moment as well, but I think we have things to discuss, sì?" Copia said, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness.

Secondo let out a thoughtful hum and then turned his attention to Terzo. "Go wake up Primo, Terzo," Secondo ordered.

"Why don't you do it, cretino?" Terzo shot back.

"Because I'm the older one here," Secondo replied with a smirk.

"Three months is not old enough to think you can tell me what to do, cretino," Terzo retorted, a playful glint in his eye.

Just then, a voice resonated from the hallway before a man entered the room. "Can't we learn how to behave?" he quipped.

You turned your face toward the voice behind you, your gaze falling upon a man with an ancient appearance as he entered the room. You observed Copia's reaction, noticing him shaking his head slightly before turning his attention to the newcomer.

"Copia," the man said, his eyes fixed on him. "Mio fratello, sei davvero venuto."

"Primo," Copia said, his smile widening as he let go of your hand and walked towards the man. "I can't believe you three are alive."

"I must admit we didn't believe Terzo when he said you were alive," Primo replied.

Secondo couldn't help but let out a chuckle, his grin unwavering as he crossed his arms and glanced at Terzo. Terzo, in turn, shot Secondo a threatening look.

Terzo's threatening expression toward Secondo softened into a grin as he turned to face Primo. "Well, it seems my word isn't taken seriously around here," Terzo quipped, his tone filled with playful reproach.

"It never was," Secondo said, his tone filled with nonchalance as he turned his back to Terzo and strolled back toward the woman on the floor.

You couldn't tear your eyes away from him as he roughly grabbed the woman's wrist and dragged her toward another room, the sight of it leaving you with a racing heart. The reality of being in the presence of four vampires, even if one of them was Copia, began to sink in, and a shiver of fear ran down your spine. The reassurance of Copia's presence did little to alleviate the unease you felt in this moment.

As you turned your face away, you suddenly found the old man who had just entered the room standing right in front of you, his gaze locked onto you. Startled, you instinctively took a step back, but you quickly bumped into Terzo's body behind you. You felt his firm grip on your arms, keeping you in place as he stood protectively between you and the mysterious newcomer. The atmosphere in the room grew even more charged with tension, and you couldn't help but wonder about the intentions of the brothers surrounding you.

"You don't need to be scared," Primo said softly as he extended his hand to gently cup your chin, his touch surprisingly gentle given the circumstances. "We won't cause you any harm," he reassured, his eyes meeting yours.

Although his words provided some comfort, your nerves still ran high, especially when Terzo's face drew closer to your neck. You could feel his breath against your skin, and his hand on your shoulders caressed you tenderly.

"As I can see the mark is still here," Terzo's warm breath tickled your ear.

Your gaze shot toward Copia, whose expression had shifted to annoyance and anger. In an instant, Copia swiftly made his way to your side, taking your arm in his hand and pulling you close to him. He wrapped his arms around you in a possessive and protective manner, burying your face in the crook of his neck.

"Basta!" Copia's voice rang out in a furious tone.

"As I can see, Terzo was right for the first time," Secondo commented casually as he passed by you and Copia.

Copia took a step back but kept you in his arms as he looked at his brothers. "What do you mean, Secondo?"

Secondo chuckled and shrugged. "That you are in love."

Time seemed to stand still as you froze in Copia's arms, your heart pounding in your chest. The word "love" echoed in your mind, and you felt a mix of emotions surge within you. Copia was in love with you? But, more importantly, were you in love with Copia? You turned your face upward to look at him, trying to find the words to express your thoughts, but your voice failed you in the face of this unexpected revelation.

"Don't worry," Terzo reassured, his voice firm. "We have no interest in her."

Copia turned his face downward to meet your gaze, his eyes locking with yours. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he began, "My feelings toward anyone here are up for discussion. I came here because I want some answers."

"Answers?" Primo inquired, his expression growing more serious. "Terzo, cosa hai fatto?"

Copia met Primo's gaze squarely. "He told me about what you three did to me," he replied with unwavering determination.

A heavy silence hung in the air as the three brothers exchanged glances. Copia, in the midst of his emotions, released you from his protective embrace and adjusted his gloves on his hands. Primo took a step forward.

"Secondo, could you take her to another room?" Primo requested.

Your heart quickened at the suggestion, and you turned to Secondo with a sense of unease. "Why?" you asked, your voice trembling slightly. "Why do I have to go to another room? I don't want to."

Your fear and discomfort were evident, and you were reluctant to leave Copia's side, especially after witnessing Secondo's unsettling actions earlier. You couldn't shake the feeling that your safety was in jeopardy if you were separated from him.

Secondo suddenly walked over to you, his grip on your arm causing you to stumble slightly. Fear flashed across your face as you looked at him, but his wide grin sent shivers down your spine. His other hand found its way to your lower back, steadying you.

"Fai attenzione, piccola angela," Secondo whispered in a husky tone, his words sending a chill through you.

"Secondo," Copia called out in a serious tone. "Lasciala andare."

"Primo said to take her to another room, fratello," Secondo replied defiantly.

"Non lo dirò di nuovo," Copia warned, his patience wearing thin.

Reluctantly, Secondo removed his hands from you, and you swiftly moved back to Copia, wrapping your arms around his neck tightly. The tension in the room remained palpable, but for now, you found refuge in Copia's protective embrace.

"Whatever you three have to tell me, she will stay here," Copia declared firmly, his hands resting on your waist as he pulled you closer. "No one will take her to another room, capito?"

"Qualsiasi cosa tu voglia, fratello," Secondo conceded, raising his hands in a placating manner.

"Copia, I didn't suggest it as a bad thing," Primo interjected, his tone more conciliatory. "I just thought it might be better for your lover not to hear about it."

"Why?" Copia turned his head in Terzo's direction. "Is there something more that I should know? More than the fact that you three practically got rid of me?"

"Copia, you..." Terzo began, but Primo raised his hand to silence him.

"Me? What about me?" Copia released your waist, pulling you behind him protectively.

"You died," Secondo stated bluntly.

The gravity of Secondo's words still hung heavily in the air, the revelation echoing through the room and leaving you stunned by the weight of it. But suddenly, you heard Copia starting to laugh, his laughter ringing out loudly and confusingly in the tense atmosphere. You looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Died?" Copia asked through his laughter. "I died? What are you saying, fratello?" His amusement seemed entirely at odds with the serious revelation.

Primo let out a weary sigh, and Copia took a determined step forward, closing the distance to Secondo. Terzo acted swiftly, moving to your side and pulling you away from the brewing confrontation. You watched from a safe distance as Primo positioned himself between Copia and Secondo.

Copia's eyes widened with rage, and he demanded in a voice that brooked no argument, "Explain yourself right now."

Primo reached out, holding Copia back and preventing the situation from escalating further. "Copia, per favore, listen to what we have to say."

"What more do you all have to tell me?" Copia demanded, his gaze now fixed on Primo. "For years, I thought you three were dead, that those people killed you. Then, I discover that Terzo was alive, and he tells me about what truly happened that day, that the two of you were also alive just like him. Then, he tells me I had a past lover, a woman that I can't even remember, and then, she is the one who died. And to top it all off, I discover that you three decided to get rid of me," Copia's voice quivered with a mix of rage and sadness. "And now," he choked back tears. "Now, I discover that I died. No one is giving me straight answers here; I have no idea what is happening."

Secondo reached for Primo's shoulders and gently moved him aside, creating a space between Primo and Copia. He then approached Copia, his hand finding Copia's shoulders, and he pulled him into a tight embrace. Copia responded by wrapping his arms around Secondo, tears flowing down his face as he held onto his brother.

You averted your gaze from the them, feeling somewhat like an outsider in the midst of their complex family dynamics. Terzo released his arms from around you, and you took a moment to adjust your clothes. As you watched, Terzo walked over to where Copia, Secondo, and Primo were standing. He reached for Primo's shirt, pulling him closer to Copia and Secondo, and the three of them embraced Copia simultaneously.

"Fratello," Secondo began in a murmur, his voice filled with remorse. "It's me who you have to forgive here, especially me."

The three brothers slowly released Copia from their embrace, giving him space to process their revelation. You remained where Terzo had positioned you, maintaining a respectful distance as you observed the unfolding conversation.

"Because it was me who killed you," Secondo confessed, his words hanging heavily in the air.

Copia's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. He looked around at Terzo and Primo, seeking confirmation from their solemn expressions. "What happened that day, Secondo?" Copia's voice trembled with emotion. "What truly happened? I just need to know what happened."

"On that day, Eleanora came to the church looking for you right after you left," Secondo began, his voice carrying the somber memories. "I happened to be wandering nearby when I saw her entering the church. I approached her and informed her that you had just left. She asked me if she could stay there, as she was adamant about meeting you before the mass. It was a day of mass, so she could remain there without disrupting anything," he continued, his hands clasped together in remorse. "So, we all left the church that day, and she stayed there waiting for you."

"And what did she want?" Copia asked, his voice filled with anxiety. "Did she tell you why she was there?"

Secondo shook his head in the negative, signaling that Eleonora's intentions that day had remained a mystery. Copia let out a heavy sigh, his hands coming up to cover his face as he took a deep, contemplative breath.

A heavy silence hung in the room as Secondo continued, his voice cracking with emotion. "After that, I don't know what happened. Terzo suddenly came to us, saying that the church was in flames and that the villagers were filled with anger. He insisted that we needed to get out of there, but we couldn't leave you behind. We went back to find you, and all we saw was you holding her in your arms. We watched helplessly, unable to do anything."

"Ci dispiace profondamente, Copia," Primo said, his voice filled with remorse as he rested a hand on Copia's shoulder. "There was nothing we could do. There was no way to save her, and you knew it. That was the moment you started with the killing."

"And that was the moment I had to stop you," Secondo explained solemnly. "That was the moment I came and... stopped you."

"You stopped me by killing me? That was your solution?" Copia's voice quivered with a mix of anger and sadness.

"Fratello, you know that I could never kill you for real," Secondo replied, his voice heavy with regret. "It was more like a... It was as if I had knocked you out. And then, as you fell into my arms. After that we had to decide what to do with you, and that was the moment me and Primo decided to send you away."

Copia's questions continued, his voice filled with a desperate need for answers. "And why? Why did you three do this to me? Why didn't you three come with me? Why leave me alone all this time?"

"We had no choice, Copia," Terzo said, his own voice tinged with sorrow. "I... We didn't want to do it, but Italy was not a safe place for us four, and we knew that the best option was to send you away."

"Because you three thought I was dead, so it was just better to get rid of me," Copia lamented.

"We didn't know if I really killed you or not, Copia," Secondo admitted. "We knew you might probably be alive, but we weren't sure. And because of it, we couldn't just leave your body there, so we put you on this boat, hoping it would sail away because in case you woke up, you would be safe in somewhere else."

"So the reason my memories are like that, confused, is because you decided that killing me was the best idea?" Copia's voice trembled with a mix of anger and hurt.

"I didn't kill you!" Secondo exclaimed desperately. "I didn't even want to kill you. It's just that when you fell into my arms, I realized what I had done, or what I thought I had done, because now you are right here in front of me! In front of us!"

Copia's emotions continued to pour out as he expressed the pain he had carried for centuries. "For years, I thought you three were dead. I felt lonely, scared, and sad. I didn't have a family; I didn't have a home. I was a stranger among strange people, left alone by the three of you. You never thought about looking for me before, and I wouldn't have known you three were alive if it weren't for Terzo."

"Copia, we didn't plan for things to be like that for you," Primo declared earnestly. "We didn't send you away because we thought you were dead. It was because of the possibility that you could come back to life that we did it. We wanted you to have a new life, a new home in a new place. Far from the accident, far from the pain."

Copia's frustration and anger were evident in his response. "And you three decided it for me? It should have been me deciding my life, but you three took it from me. You three decided it for me!"

Terzo stepped forward, his voice carrying a sense of regret. "Copia, we know it might not have been the right decision, and we understand your anger. But we did it out of love, out of the desire to protect you and keep you safe. We couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

Copia looked at his brothers, his emotions still raw and turbulent. "You may have done it out of love, but you robbed me of my choice, my identity. I lost everything that day."

"Fratello, per favore, forgive us," Secondo pleaded. "Forgive me."

"Copia, we didn't intend to abandon you," Terzo said. "Secondo wasn't certain if you had truly perished or not; we were uncertain. We suspected you might still be alive, yet we couldn't be certain. We simply wished for your safety."

Copia's emotional outpouring overwhelmed him, and he fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face as his hands covered his eyes. The depth of his sorrow was palpable, and you couldn't bear to see him in such pain. You hurriedly walked over to Copia and knelt down in front of him, wrapping your arms around him in a reassuring embrace. One of your hands gently cradled his head, allowing him to bury his face in your shoulder as he held onto you tightly.

"I'm here, it's okay," you whispered softly, your voice filled with tenderness and comfort. "I'm here, Copia. I'm here with you now."

"Fratello-" Terzo began to speak, but you shot him an angry glare over your shoulder, interrupting him with your stern expression. "I think we should leave them alone for now," Terzo stated firmly.

You turned your attention back to Copia, pressing a gentle kiss on his head as you felt his tears soak through your shirt. His attempts to speak were choked by his own emotions.

"It's okay," you whispered softly, your voice filled with empathy and patience. "We don't need to say anything now. Take your time, Copia."

Copia clung to you, his tears slowly subsiding as he held onto your comforting presence. The room was filled with the echoes of his pain, and you remained there, holding him close, providing a safe space for him to release the emotions he had kept buried for far too long.

After a while, Copia's grip on your shirt began to loosen, and he pulled back slightly, his tear-stained face looking into your eyes with a mixture of gratitude and vulnerability. His voice was soft and filled with sincerity as he finally found the words to speak.

"Grazie," Copia whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. "Grazie for being here, for not leaving me alone."

You smiled gently, brushing a strand of hair away from his face. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

"Cara mia..." Copia began, his gaze locked with yours. "Ti amo così tanto, amore."

You furrowed your brow, gazing at him with curiosity. "What did you say?" you asked, not quite comprehending his words.

"He said he loves you," Primo said as he made his way inside of the room.

You widened your eyes and Copia's sudden change in demeanor caught your attention, and you followed his gaze as he turned to look at Primo, who was standing near the door where he had exited only a few minutes ago. Copia rose to his feet, gently bringing you up with him, and pulled you close against him in a protective embrace. Your eyes darted between Copia and Primo.

"I asked Secondo and Terzo to wait outside, but I had to come back to talk to you, fratello," Primo explained.

Copia took a step back, still holding you close, as Primo spoke. "What more do you want to tell me?" Copia asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Vieni con me, fratello," Primo said, motioning toward another door in the room.

Copia released you from his embrace and took your hand, following Primo's lead with you in tow. As you walked, your thoughts were in a whirlwind. Copia had just confessed his love for you, and you hadn't had the chance to respond, to tell him about your own feelings for him. The weight of unspoken emotions hung in the air.

Feeling a surge of warmth and affection, you tightened your grip on Copia's hand, prompting him to look at you. With a sincere smile, you conveyed your feelings without words, letting your eyes speak volumes. Copia's gaze met yours, and he couldn't help but return your smile with one of his own as he continued to walk alongside Primo, with you by his side.

Primo stopped in front of a door, opening it to reveal a bedroom. He entered first, holding the door open for both you and Copia to follow him inside. Primo watched as you both entered the room and then walked over to a nightstand, opening a drawer.

"When we sent you away," Primo began, "we kept some things you had. I know you think that we didn't care about you, but we did. We kept your things for years so we could still have memories of you."

Primo retrieved a box from inside the drawer and returned to where you and Copia stood. Copia released your hand and reached for the box, his curiosity piqued. He exchanged a glance with you before looking back at Primo, who nodded, signaling for him to open the box.

Copia carefully opened the box, revealing its contents. Inside, he found a collection of items that seemed to hold a piece of his forgotten past. Tears welled up in Copia's eyes as he picked up a small, weathered journal. He leafed through the pages filled with his own handwriting.

"This is your history, fratello," Primo said softly, his gaze filled with empathy. "We never wanted to erase your past. We wanted to protect you from the pain. Secondo thought he killed you that day, but, I knew you weren't dead. I kept these so that someday, when the time was right, you could reclaim what was lost if we found you again."

"Grazie," Copia's voice was choked with emotion as he looked up at Primo.

As Copia continued to leaf through the pages of the journal, a small piece of paper slipped from its confines and fell to the floor. You bent down to retrieve it and handed it to him. Copia took the paper from your hand, his curiosity piqued. He unfolded it slowly, his expression shifting from curiosity to something more profound.

In that moment, Copia let the box and the journal fall to the floor, his attention fully captured by the contents of the paper. His eyes moved, scanning the paper. Copia's gaze locked onto yours, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotions that were difficult to put into words. His lips parted as if he were about to speak, but he remained silent, as though struggling to find the right words. You reached for Copia's face, cupping his cheek delicately, concern etched across your features as you sensed his bewilderment.

Copia showed you the paper with a drawing, your eyes widened in shock and surprise. In that instant, an inexplicable shiver cascaded down your spine. The drawing depicted a woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to you. It was as if you were looking at a portrait of yourself, and the resemblance was so striking that it left you speechless.

"What is this?" you asked in disbelief, your gaze shifting from the drawing to Primo, who was approaching you both.

Primo examined the drawing in Copia's hands and then turned his gaze to you, his expression one of shock and realization. Without a word, he quickly left the room, leaving you and Copia alone in the bedroom.

Copia took a step closer to you, his eyes fixed on the drawing. "She... is you," he said softly. "But how... how can it be you?"

You were at a loss for words, unable to explain the inexplicable connection between you and the woman in the drawing. The mystery deepened, and the questions that lingered in the air remained unanswered, leaving both you and Copia with a sense of bewilderment and intrigue.

Your mind raced with questions, and you stammered, "I... I don't know, Copia. I have no idea."

"It's as if... as if I knew you," Copia whispered, his voice filled with awe and disbelief. "And I found you."

Copia's hands shifted from your waist, pulling you closer into a warm embrace, and his eyes welled up with tears, mingling with his contented smile. Your hands continued to tenderly stroke his shoulders, offering reassurance. His arms enveloped you tightly, and he rested his head gently on your shoulder.

Your hand gently found its way into Copia's hair, fingers entwining with the strands. Inhaling deeply, you held him close with your arms wrapped firmly around him. A whirlwind of thoughts swirled in your mind concerning your connection to him and the mysterious woman. Was it simply an uncanny coincidence? A drawing from years past seemed hardly conclusive evidence. You began to question the potential link between you and the woman from Copia's drawing. Nevertheless, he had drawn nearer to you, and everything with him always seemed so intense.

"Co-" you were abruptly interrupted as the three brothers entered the room, each of them wearing expressions of shock and apprehension.

"Is it really true?" Terzo was the first to speak. "Are you really her?"

"Her?" you echoed, puzzled.

"Eleanora," Secondo clarified.

Copia loosened his embrace slightly, allowing you to turn and face the three brothers who stood before you, their eyes filled with anticipation and uncertainty. You could sense the weight of their unspoken questions in the air.

You took a moment to collect your thoughts before responding. "I... I don't know," you admitted, your voice trembling with uncertainty. "I can't say for certain if I'm her or not. It's just a drawing, and resemblance alone doesn't prove anything."

Copia gently grasped your chin, turning your face toward him. "I know you're not her," he began, his voice a tender murmur. "I know she's gone, and I understand that. Please don't think I'm trying to replace her with you."

You met his gaze and replied, "I... I don't think you are."

But Terzo's question lingered in the air, casting a shadow of uncertainty. "But is she Eleanora or not?" he pressed.

Copia's response, however, was resolute and filled with emotion. "I don't care," he declared. "She can be her or not, I don't care."

You turned to face Copia, your eyes seeking an explanation for his unexpected reaction.

"I love you," he said with unwavering sincerity, his eyes reflecting deep emotion. "I don't care if you are a past lover of mine, I don't care if you are Eleanora. The only thing I care about is that I found you and you found me. Whether you are her or not, it doesn't matter because I fell in love with you long before I ever saw that drawing."

Tears welled up in your eyes as you whispered, "I... I love you too..."

Copia held your head gently, drawing his face close to yours, and captured your lips in a passionate kiss. You closed your eyes and clutched his shoulders tightly, savoring the intensity of the moment. His other hand caressed your lower back, and you willingly surrendered to the sensations coursing through you.

A sudden cough from one of the brothers interrupted your passionate moment, causing you and Copia to break the kiss abruptly. You turned your face towards the brothers, feeling your cheeks flush a deep shade of red. With a somewhat embarrassed smile, you gently pulled away from Copia, taking a moment to discreetly adjust your disheveled clothes, his hands still resting on your waist.

"I'm sorry," you apologized, your embarrassment evident in your tone and flushed cheeks.

Primo got closer to you and reached out and gently squeezed your hand to reassure you. "No need to apologize," he said with a soft smile.

As Secondo reached for your other hand and pressed a kiss on the back of it, you turned your face toward him, a hint of fear in your gaze. The tallest of the brothers had an imposing presence, and something about what you had observed upon entering the room had unsettled you.

Secondo noticed the unease in your eyes and quickly withdrew his hand, his demeanor softening. "I apologize if I startled you," he said with a more reassuring smile. "I can be a bit... intense sometimes, sì?"

"It's okay, I... I'm fine," you reassured them with a gentle smile.

Terzo grinned mischievously. "Good to know you're not afraid of us, especially after our little 'accident' together."

You responded with a serious tone, setting the record straight, "We didn't have any 'accident' together. It was just you thinking you could take advantage of me."

Secondo chuckled, giving Terzo an amused look. He released your hand and placed it on Terzo's shoulder, teasing, "It's the first time I've seen you fail in your prey, fratello."

"Shut up, cretino," Terzo retorted, brushing Secondo's hand off his shoulder with a playful scowl.

"Just one thing isn't quite clear," you began.

"What's on your mind, bella?" Primo inquired.

"Why are we here? I mean, this is the same place where the ball was held last week. What brings the three of you here? Also I didn't think this was a real house with bedrooms and everything."

"Oh, piccola," Terzo chimed in with a laugh. "That ball was ours."

"What!?"

"You see, it's our property, the three of us," Terzo explained further. "We occasionally need new places to reside, and we own properties around the world. This happens to be one of them. And what better opportunity to meet some... sustenance."

"For some reason, this modern age enjoys events like those," Primo added. "So we often host them to invite people into our homes, and then, well, we indulge."

"So I could have become dinner..." you remarked, a hint of playful unease in your voice.

"And what a delicious meal you would have been," Secondo replied with a mischievous grin, his words laced with dark humor.

Copia, who had been quietly observing the conversation, couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at Secondo's flirtatious remark. His grip around your waist tightened, and a possessive look flashed in his eyes.

"Secondo," Copia said, his tone tinged with a hint of jealousy, "Let's not make her uncomfortable with such talk."

Secondo chuckled lightly. "She's already aware of who we are; I don't think she's that uncomfortable with the vampire talk anymore."

Copia clarified with a meaningful look, "I'm not talking about the vampire talk, fratello."

Secondo's eyes widened in understanding, and he let out a knowing chuckle. "Ah, capisco cosa intendi ora," he said with a sly grin. "You're worried about me stealing your donna away?"

Copia's jealousy was palpable, but he attempted to maintain a composed facade. "Io apprezzo la tua autostima, Secondo."

Terzo's laughter erupted loudly, filling the room, and he playfully slapped Secondo's shoulder. Secondo, clearly irritated by his brother's antics, turned his face towards Terzo, his brows furrowing in annoyance. Copia couldn't suppress a knowing smirk, while Primo simply sighed, shaking his head in a resigned manner.

"We should leave the two of them alone now," Primo suggested, placing his hand on both Terzo and Secondo's shoulders.

"Does that mean we can go back to my home?" you inquired.

"No," Primo insisted, "I insist that both of you stay here, bella. It's been years since we've had the chance to see our fratello, so we'd like you to be our guests, and Copia, you should stay as well."

You nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. That's... fine, I suppose."

"Perfetto!" Primo exclaimed with enthusiasm. "You two can have this room for the night."

You nodded with a gentle smile, your eyes following the three brothers as they turned their backs and began walking toward the door, signaling their departure. However, just as they were about to exit, Secondo abruptly stopped and turned back, fixing his gaze on Copia.

"Fratello," Secondo called out to him. "Do you forgive us?"

Copia sighed deeply, his emotions a tumultuous whirlwind. "I wish I could stay angry with you three, but I'm overjoyed to see you all alive. I admit that I need more time to process everything, but for now, my heart is filled with happiness knowing that I still have my family."

"We are relieved to know you are still among us," Primo said.

"I'm relieved to be around you three again," Copia remarked.

"I have just one more question, Copia," Secondo began.

"What is it, Secondo?" Copia inquired.

"A human? Again?" Secondo teased, crossing his arms with a knowing smile.

Copia nodded solemnly, not uttering a word.

"You know the consequences of it, sì?" Secondo continued, a hint of warning in his voice.

"What consequences?" you asked concerned.

"Bene," Secondo began, "first, you will not live forever. You are not eternal like us, even though we age very slowly. You are not like us. Also, he will always be fighting against the desire to taste your blood..."

Copia's gaze never wavered from Secondo. "Va bene," he assured. "It's worth it. This time, I'm going to do everything right."

"Questo non è il nostro problema, Secondo," Primo interjected, placing his hand on Secondo's shoulder and turning him away from you and Copia.

The three brothers exited the bedroom, with Terzo closing the door behind him, leaving you and Copia in a moment of intimate solitude. The silence that followed was charged with a palpable energy, the unspoken understanding of the weighty matters that had been alluded to.

Copia's hand cupped your face, his thumb gently stroking your cheek as you turned to him with a warm smile. "So you love me, eh?" Copia teased, his voice filled with affection.

You couldn't help but giggle in response. "Oh! Are you going to tease me about it now?"

Copia's expression softened as he pressed a gentle peck on your lips. "No, amore, I just didn't expect you would say it back," he admitted softly. "I thought... You didn't feel it the way I did."

"I thought you didn't feel this way about me..." you confessed, your voice carrying a note of relief as you saw Copia's gentle smile in response.

Copia leaned in to capture your lips in a kiss, but before the moment could fully unfold, a knock on the door interrupted your connection. Copia let out a frustrated hum and reluctantly took a step away from you, making his way toward the door. Copia reached the door and opened it to reveal Primo, who had returned, wearing a more serious expression than before.

"Perdona l'interruzione," Primo began, his tone shifting from urgency to a more casual one. "I came to ask if you would like to join us for a meal, fratello."

"A meal?" you asked innocently.

"Fratello, I think that now is not the best time for it," Copia responded, a sense of reluctance in his voice, withdrawing his hands from your face.

"Are you sure?" Primo pressed, a hint of concern in his tone.

"Sì, sì," Copia affirmed, his tone firm.

"Bene," Primo nodded. "I'll let you two rest for now."

As Primo left, you exchanged smiles. Once the door was closed, you turned your attention to Copia, who began removing his gloves. He moved gracefully towards the bed, leaving the gloves resting on the mattress.

You moved to the bed, sitting on its edge, your body turned towards Copia as you fixed your gaze upon him. "Copia, are you sure you don't need to eat?" you inquired, your concern evident.

"I'm pretty sure, cara," he assured you, turning his body towards you.

"It's okay for me if you do need to eat, I wouldn't mind at all," you said with sincerity.

"Cara, trust me, I'm fine," Copia reiterated, his tone gentle yet resolute.

"Okay then..." you replied, a hint of anticipation in your voice. "Well, I guess we will spend our evening here, then?"

"Sì, probably. Is it okay with you?" Copia asked.

"Yes, a house with vampires doesn't bother me anymore," you responded, your tone light.

"Oh, are you not afraid of the vampires anymore?" Copia teased, taking a step closer to you.

"If they all look like you, I'm not afraid of any of them," you retorted, a mischievous glint in your eyes as you bit your lower lip.

"Are you saying I'm not intimidating enough?" Copia teased back, running his hands through your thighs, taking his place between them.

You shook your head, watching him approach you slowly. "I don't think you are intimidating, not at all."

Copia closed the distance between you two, his hands firmly gripping your hips as he pulled you to him in a swift and powerful motion, causing your body to collide against his.

"So you're not afraid of what I could do to you?" he murmured, his voice low and suggestive.

"Should I be afraid of what you could do to me?" you responded, your own voice equally suggestive, as the tension between you both grew palpable.

"Perhaps you should, considering I am a vampire," he replied.

"Oh, and are you a formidable vampire, Copia?" you inquired, your hands gliding across your chest.

Copia's eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint as he moved closer, closing the distance between your faces.

"Cara mia," he purred, "I can be as dangerous as you think I can be," his voice took on a deeper, seductive tone.

You could feel the heat rising between you, your bodies nearly touching, and the room seemed to pulse with a magnetic energy that neither of you could resist. Copia's fingers traced a slow, teasing path along your thigh, sending shivers down your spine.

"Tell me," he continued in a sultry whisper, "how dangerous do you want me to be, cara?"

Your breath caught in your throat as desire coursed through your veins. Your hands moved to rest on his shoulders, and you leaned in, your lips dangerously close to his ear.

"As dangerous as you can be," you murmured, your voice dripping with desire.

"And how much enticing do you want me to be, cara?" he whispered, his voice husky.

You smiled wickedly, biting your lower lip. "As much as you want to be," you responded.

Copia's eyes widened slightly as you spoke, inhaling sharply, his hands moving up to grasp your waist, pulling you into his embrace. His lips met yours in a passionate kiss, his tongue sliding into your mouth, dancing with your, exploring every inch of it. The kiss was fiery and intense, he moaned softly and you pressed your body against his, grinding yourself against him. His hand slid down, cupping your ass, pulling you tighter against him.

You broke the kiss, breathing heavily as your fingers deftly unbuttoned his jacket. "I want you Copia, I really want you," you said, gasping for air.

"Do you, cara?" he asked, his voice low and dark.

"More than anything," you replied, your body trembling with desire.

"I really want you too," he murmured.

You blushed, your heart pounding in your chest. Your eyes were shining with desire as you gently reclined on the bed, watching him removing his jacket. Copia crawled on top of you, moving slowly, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

"Wait," you said resting your hands on his shoulders. "What about your brothers?" you asked, concern evident in your voice.

"They are not here, cara," he replied, his voice low and husky. "So we don't have to worry about them. They are very busy, so is just you and me now."

You bit your lower lip, your hand slipping down to cup his crotch. "So let's make ourselves very busy now."

Copia's eyes darkened as you squeezed his hardness. "So eager, cara," he remarked with a chuckle.

He bent forward and kissed you softly, sucking your bottom lip into his mouth. His tongue flicked out and teased with the tip of it. You parted your lips allowing his tongue to slide inside your mouth, moaning softly, pressing your body against him. His hands slid up and down your body, until he slid his fingers under your pants. You gasped as they found your wetness.

You were already soaked, and he knew exactly where to touch you now. He stroke you through your panties, and you could feel your juices flowing freely. Your breath caught in your throat as his fingers stoked through your flesh, dipping into your heat, and pressing into your clit. Your legs shook, and you pushed against him, grinding yourself against his hand.

His lips left yours and traveled slowly down your neck, licking and sucking gently. He nipped at your neck, then sucked your earlobe between his sharp teeth.

"Oh... Copia," you whispered in a gasp. "Yes..."

"Yes? What is 'yes,' cara?" he asked, drawing closer to your ear.

"Yes, fuck me."

Copia felt a shiver racing down his spine at your words. He let out a low growl and moved his head to meet your gaze. His eyes sparkled with desire and lust as they bore into yours. He pulled away from you, and you whimpered, disappointed.

"Say it again," he urged.

"Fuck me, Copia," you said, leaning in, brushing your lips on his. "I can't wait any longer. Fuck me right here, right now."

"Amore," he said, his voice thick with desire. "I want to see every inch of you, per favore."

You nodded, and Copia smoothly moved from atop you to the bed, sitting with his back against the headboard. You then stood in front of him, anticipation coursing through your veins, quickly shedding your clothes. He watched you, his eyes devouring you. You could feel his gaze burning through you, and you trembled at the thought of how much he wanted you. It wasn't impossible to not feel like a goddess standing before him, and you love it. You approached the bed, and he gently grasped your hand. You climbed onto the bed, kneeling in front of him.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire..." he paused, his voice filled with a dark and mysterious allure. "Very long existence," with a slow, deliberate grace, he leaned in closer, his lips hovering just inches from your neck. "You make my centuries of existence worth every moment," he whispered, his breath cool against your skin.

Your heart raced as his words sent shivers down your spine. "You made the years of my existence worth every moment," you replied, your voice trembling slightly.

He chuckled softly, his fangs glistening in the dim light. "I've seen countless wonders in my time, but none compare to you."

With a newfound sense of desire and urgency, your hands moved to his chest, gently but firmly guiding him back towards the headboard of the bed. Your fingers danced along the buttons of his shirt, deftly undoing them one by one, revealing the contours of his body beneath. His shirt hung open on his body, your eyes roamed over his bare chest, taking in every sinuous line and the cool, smooth skin that seemed to beckon your touch. You couldn't help but bite your lower lip in anticipation.

You lowered yourself, gently placing kisses on his chest. His hand found its way to your head, fingers entwining in your hair. Your eyes closed as you lavished each inch of his chest with kisses. Continuing downward, your lips trailed to his stomach, leaving a trail of moist kisses in their wake. Your hands, meanwhile, explored his thighs with gentle caresses.

"Cara mia," he moaned softly.

"Hush," you whispered, placing a finger to his lips. "Allow me to compensate you for this morning, Copia."

He chuckled softly, and you continued your descent, placing a tender kiss along his happy trail, moving down to his bulge, where a gentle kiss left him whimpering in delight. You unzipped his pants, reaching inside. You wrapped your hand around his hardness and squeezed it gently, feeling it pulse in your hand. You looked at him, pulling his member out of his pants. His hardness sprang free and you gasped at its size.

"Mmm, amore," he purred. "It's been so long since someone touched me like this."

"Don't worry, Copia. We'll ensure the wait is well rewarded," you murmured, a sly grin playing on your lips.

You wrapped your lips around the tip, tasting him. He groaned, his eyes closing. You smiled at him, then wrapped your lips on the tip again, running the tongue over it. His hand tightened in your hair, and you moaned around him. You heard him groaning again, and you slipped his member deeper into your mouth. You bobbed up and down, sucking him hard. You crossed your legs and gently rubbed them together.

"Merda! Cara, per favore, have mercy of me," he growled. "Cazzo, amore, this is..." he was cut off by his own passionate moan.

You felt his body tense and head him grunting as he held you close. You increased your pace, bobbing your head up and down on his shaft, sucking hard. He tasted so good, and you moaned around him once again. He cried out, thrusting his hips upward. You continued to suck, but slowed your movements, going with your hand to hold his member, stroking it. His breathing became ragged, and you locked your gaze with his.

"Amore, if you continue like this... I... I won't be able... to control myself," he gasped, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

You ignored his warn and continued to suck him, your hand stroking his length. You felt his member swell in your mouth, and you quickened your pace. He cried out, and you removed your mouth seeing his body shaking and his load shooting. He shuddered, finally opening his eyes, grinning at you. You lowered your head licking him clean, and then, pulled back, licking your lips.

"Mi... Mi dispiace... I didn't intend for it to happen so quickly," he gasped.

You chuckled softly, gently holding his face in your hands. "Don't worry, Copia. I'm happy it happened quickly; it means it was great, didn't it?"

"It was amazing, amore mio," he replied with a wicked smile. "Now come here."

He pushed you back and held your hips, guiding you onto your back. You spread your legs wide, eager for him. He moved between them, and you sighed as you felt his length sliding between your folds. He pressed himself into you, and you moaned. As you gazed into his eyes, recognizing the uncertainty in his eyes, you nodded and then looked down, watching him slide into you. You whimpered as he filled you completely, stretching you. He leaned over you, his hands on either side of your head.

"Cazzo, you're so tight," he said, his voice rough. "So hot."

He leaned in kissing you deeply, his tongue plunging into your mouth. He began moving slowly, and you wrapped your legs around his waist. He broke the kiss and looked into your eyes, his face contorted with pleasure.

"Are you ready?" he whispered.

You nodded and he began to move inside of you, slow and easy. You closed your eyes feeling him moving within you. You sighed happily as you felt yourself melting beneath him. You opened your eyes and watched him, reveling in the sight of him taking you. Your hands instinctively moved to his face, cradling it gently.

"Ah... Copia," you sighed. That feels so good, you feel so good, you can go... faster if you want."

"Merda, amore, you take my cock so well, you're so hot and wet," he groaned. "You feel so good, cazzo, you are amazing!"

Copia picked up speed, pounding into you. You arched your back and moaned. You reached up and grabbed his hips, pulling him into you harder. He growled and moved faster, his strokes becoming harder, slamming his hips against yours.

"Yes, yes, yes! Like th... Copi-Ah! Ah! Please, don't stop, fuck me," you moaned biting your lower lip.

He leaned down and kissed you, his tongue darting into your mouth. You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him down to kiss you harder. You moaned on his lips and he broke the kiss. He gazed down at you, but his demeanor had shifted noticeably. His eyes appeared darker, his lips slightly parted, as if he were in some kind of trance. His movements continued, but his hungry gaze focused solely on you, prompting you to furrow your brows with concern.

"C-Copia? What's wrong?" you asked, your worry evident.

Copia remained unresponsive, his thrust growing more intense. The intoxicating sensation was undeniable, but the apprehension about his expression gnawed at you. You gently released your arms from around his neck and reached for his face, leaning in to plant a tender kiss on his lips.

"Copia," you whispered softly. "What's happening?"

Suddenly, he stopped moving, and the intensity in his expression melted away. He shook his head and straightened up, withdrawing from you. He sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard panting heavily. You sat on the bed in front of him, tilting your head to the side as you regarded him with deep concern etched across your face.

"Copia..." you called out to him, your voice filled with concern.

"Your heat is overwhelming," he admitted, his breath ragged. "It's driving me wild, making me crave you more and more, and it's making me yearn to taste you."

"Then bite me," you implored, resting a hand on his thigh.

"No, cara, I can't bear to hurt you," he protested.

"Copia, you won't hurt me," you assured him. "You would never hurt me. Please, I can't stand to see you like this. If you want to bite me, just do it."

"Are you absolutely sure?" he asked, seeking confirmation.

"I am," you replied firmly. "Please, don't torture yourself any longer."

As Copia hesitated, his dark eyes locked onto yours, searching for any sign of doubt or fear. He leaned in closer, his lips grazing your neck as he whispered, "I promise, amore, I'll be gentle."

With those words, he bared his fangs and slowly sank them into your neck. A sharp gasp escaped your lips as a mixture of pleasure and pain coursed through your body. Copia's arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer to him as he drank from you, his movements careful and controlled. The sensation was unlike anything you had ever experienced before. Copia's instincts kicked in, and he drank just enough to satisfy his hunger without causing you any harm. As he continued, your world began to blur. Copia gently withdrew his fangs from your neck, his lips pressing a soft, lingering kiss on the puncture wounds.

"You're as sweet as your appearance," he whispered, his words barely audible. "Did I cause you any pain?"

He held you close, his cool skin pressing against yours, and the rhythm of his undead heart throbbed against your chest. Your hand found its way to his hair, your fingers gently caressing his scalp.

"Just a slight discomfort, but it's alright. It wasn't too painful," you whispered in response.

Copia's eyes softened as he continued to hold you close, his fingers tracing gentle patterns along your back. "Mi dispiace for any pain, amore," he murmured, his voice filled with remorse. "I tried to be as gentle as I could."

You leaned in and placed a tender kiss on his lips, reassuring him. "It's alright, Copia. I knew what I was getting into, and I would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant helping you."

His grateful smile persisted, and he withdrew his fangs completely. Gently, he lowered you onto the bed, his body hovering above yours. "Did I ruin the mood?" he whispered, his voice filled with desire.

You shook your head with a soft chuckle. "Not at all, Copia, not even a little."

His longing eyes met yours, and he confessed, "I want to continue, but I'm afraid I'll get that urge to bite you again."

You ran your fingers through his hair, reassuring him with a passionate gaze. "If you ever feel that way, don't stop, Copia. Just bite me."

With a mischievous grin, Copia leaned in, his lips meeting yours in a passionate kiss. He crawled on top of you, straddling your hips. He reached down and guided himself into you once more. Your body arched beneath him. He reached down, and grabbed your ankles, lifting your legs up and spreading them wide. You moaned and arched your hips up, rocking your hips against him. Copia moved slowly, building up speed. You felt him grow harder inside of you, and you tightened around him.

He broke the kiss and growled. With forceful intensity, he thrust into you, increasing the tempo and pressure. His body descended, bringing his face closer to your neck. His teeth nipped at your neck, and you moaned, your nails digging into his back.

"Ah, Copia, it's ok, bite me," you moaned softly. "Bite me, take me as yours in every way."

This time, he didn't stop his movements. Copia grabbed your waist and opened his mouth wider. With a feral hunger, he bit your neck even harder. You could feel his sharp fangs eagerly sinking into your skin, his vampire nature fully unleashed. The sensation sent shivers down your spine as you realized the depth of his desire. His lips brushed against your skin, and you couldn't help but be both captivated and apprehensive.

"Oh! Oh! C-Oh! Copia..." you closed your eyes, as you cried out.

The initial sharp pain gradually transformed into a strange, euphoric pleasure that left you breathless. His lips and tongue worked in tandem, both soothing and electrifying the wound. You could sense the intoxication in his movements, the hunger and the power that coursed through his veins. His grip on your body tightened as he indulged in the life essence that flowed from your throat.

His grip on your waist tightened, and you felt his body tremble with a mixture of pleasure and restraint. He pulled his lips away from your neck, and his gaze met yours. You noticed that his mouth still bore traces of your blood. You extended your hand toward his lips, using your thumb to wipe away the stains. He responded with a smile and planted a gentle kiss on your thumb.

"Merda!" he exclaimed. "You're incredible in every aspect. Your blood is exquisite, your pussy is delicious, your lips are intoxicating, and the way you take my cock feels incredible."

His words sent shivers through your body, causing you to clench around him as a loud moan escaped your lips. You hastily covered your mouth with your hands. Copia couldn't help but chuckle as he withdrew from you, eliciting a sigh from your lips.

"We can make some noise, but let's not get too carried away, sì?" he remarked with a playful tone.

Gripping your waist firmly, he spun you around and positioned you on all fours, his member rubbing against your clit. He slid back into you, and you gasped. He began to move faster, slamming into you. He reached around and rubbed your clit, his other hand grabbing your hips.

"I-I'm sorry," you stammered in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry, amore," he reassured you, his grin widening. "Your moans are like music to my ears, but I'd prefer to keep that symphony just for me," he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

He pumped into you faster, his length hitting deep inside of you, his fingers digging into your hips. He kept increasing his speed and you were about to come. The feeling of him inside you mixed with his fingers on your clit was to much to handle. He rubbed faste, and you screamed, your orgasm ripping through you. You came harder than you ever had before, your walls squeezing around his member.

"Fuck, Copia! A-Ah! I'm coming, I'm coming," you whined.

Copia slowed down his pace as you spammed around all his length. He slammed into you again, coming inside you, filling you up with shots of his loads. "Ah, cazzo, amore, sei così perfetta! You made me cum so good on your pussy," he grunted and you felt his hot seed fill you.

He removed his finger from your clit, bringing it to his mouth, licking it. Painting heavily, he slowly pulled out of you. You could feel his seed dripping out of you and you bit your bottom lip, closing your eyes. You collapsed onto the bed, your breath heavy and your body still tingling from the intensity.

Copia lay beside you, and you snuggled up against him, seeking his comforting presence. A contented sigh escaped your lips as he tenderly kissed your forehead. In the silence that followed, your fingers absentmindedly traced patterns on his chest, their gentle caresses a soothing distraction.

What had just transpired was undoubtedly the most incredible sexual experience of your life, and you felt an undeniable urge to continue, but a sudden weakness had washed over you. Perhaps it was because Copia had consumed your blood, which didn't trouble you in the slightest, but it did raise questions about the future. Would every encounter be like this? Would you always feel this drain afterward?

Secondo's words echoed in your mind once more, reminding you of the stark differences between you and Copia. He was immortal, and you were not. Your relationship with him had an expiration date, a fact you had been trying to push aside. It wasn't the time to dwell on such thoughts, not after experiencing one of the most extraordinary moments of your life, but these intrusive thoughts seemed impossible to escape.

"Amore?" he called for you, a furrow forming on his brow. "Is everything okie dokie?"

"Huh? Me? Yes, I'm okay, Copia," you replied, your fingers nervously tracing patterns on his chest.

"You seem distracted, was it not to your liking?" he inquired, his eyes searching your face for any sign of unease. "Are you feeling sick? weak?"

"No, I mean- Yes, it was incredible, Copia, don't worry," you chuckled softly, your gaze finally meeting his. "I'm fine, I'm not sick, I'm completely fine."

"So what is it?" He took a gentle step closer, his hand reaching out to caress your cheek. "Do you want to talk about something, cara mia?"

"I... There's something on my mind," you began, your voice laden with uncertainty.

Copia looked at you with a loving and patient expression. "What is on your mind, amore? Tell me."

You took a deep breath before continuing, "I was thinking about what Secondo said about us being different, how we are not... equal."

Copia's expression remained soft and understanding. "Oh, amore, this doesn't bother me at all."

"I know, but, Copia," you sighed, your voice heavy with emotion. "I'll grow old, and life will pass, and I'll die at a certain age, and... I... We will not be together forever, and you will always be around, but I'm not eternal."

Copia listened intently as you voiced your fears and concerns, his love for you evident in his eyes.

You continued, your voice trembling slightly, "I would be glad to spend your limited life by your side, but I can't deny that seeing you... watching you live on while I'm gone would hurt me. I don't... want to think about me leaving you," you confessed.

Copia's gaze never left yours as he spoke reassuringly, "But you wouldn't be leaving me, amore. That would be just the consequences of a human life."

"But what if I don't want to face the consequences of my human life?" you questioned, your voice barely above a whisper.

Copia leaned in closer, his eyes filled with love and understanding. "What do you mean, cara mia?"

You hesitated, struggling to find the words to express your deepest desires. "What if I want to have eternal life by your side, Copia? I just love you so much, I... I can't bear the thought of growing older every day, knowing that I won't be with you in the afterlife."

Copia's gaze held yours, and he spoke with a tenderness that left no room for doubt, "Amore, am I understanding what you are saying?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet, Copia," you replied, your uncertainty still evident. "Because, I don't know if I would be prepared for this lifestyle."

Copia reached out, gently caressing your cheek with his thumb, his eyes filled with love and devotion. "You wouldn't have to worry about it, cara," he assured you. "I would be by your side all the time. Taking care of you, being with you, loving you."

Your heart swelled at his words, and you felt a rush of emotions. "Would you?" you asked, seeking confirmation.

"Sì, amore mio, forever and ever," Copia affirmed, his voice filled with sincerity. He shifted his position, moving on top of you, his eyes locking onto yours with unwavering affection. "So what do you say, cara?" he asked tenderly. "Do you want the eternal life by my side?"

Grammar

Buongiorno, dormigliona - Good morning, sleepyhead.

Mi dispiace, amore - I'm sorry, love.

Sì - Yes.

Cara - Dear.

Molto bene - Very well.

Miei fratelli - My brothers.

Fratello! Sei venuto! - Brother! You came!

Cosa sto facendo qui - What am I doing here?

Da quando sei diventato così brontolone? - Since when did you become so grumpy?

Non preoccuparti, fratello - Don't worry, brother.

Ti abbiamo appena sentito mancare - We just missed you.

Piccolina - Little one.

I nostri fratelli - Our brothers.

Non posso credere che tu sia veramente qui - I can't believe you're really here.

E hai portato uno spuntino con te - And you brought a snack with you.

Lei non è uno spuntino - She is not a snack.

Cretino - Idiot.

Mio fratello, sei davvero venuto - My brother, you really came.

Cosa hai fatto? - What have you done?

Fai attenzione, piccola angela - Be careful, little angel.

Lasciala andare - Let her go.

Non lo dirò di nuovo - I won't say it again.

Capito - Got it.

Qualsiasi cosa tu voglia, fratello - Whatever you want, brother.

Per favore - Please.

Ci dispiace profondamente - We are deeply sorry.

Fratello - Brother.

Ti amo così tanto, amore - I love you so much, my love.

Vieni con me, fratello - Come with me, brother.

Capisco cosa intendi ora - I see what you mean now.

Donna - Woman.

Io apprezzo la tua autostima - I appreciate your self-esteem.

Bella - Beautiful.

Perfetto - Perfect.

Bene - Well.

Va bene - It's fine.

Questo non è il nostro problema - This is not our problem.

Perdona l'interruzione - Forgive the interruption.

Merda - Shit.

Cazzo - Fuck.

Mi dispiace - I'm sorry.

Sei così perfetta - You're so perfect.

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fluffysourpatch · 2 years ago

Text

I-I cant anymore, I. NEED. HIM.

He is so very limber

📷: Nathan Goldsworthy

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fluffysourpatch · 2 years ago

Text

Until the end of time my little ghoulette

Sodo x fem!reader

Warnings: none really.

!1194 Words!

// Chapter V //

Leaving

After about a week, she was one of his best students. She was a hard worker, and Sodo was proud of her.

“What do you think of me!? I got really good haha!” Gigi jumps happily, proud of herself.

"You're a hard worker, and I'm proud of you" He grinned, as she jumped around. "That's impressive. You learned all of this, in just a week. Don't know anyone who could do that" He laughed. "If you keep on working, you're gonna become one of the best students, I can see that happening"

“I'm happy to hear that! But thanks to you Sodo because you are my teacher!” she smiles at Sodo giving him credit for doing everything for her, for putting up with her bullshit and childishness.

"Oh, you're making me blush" he said, grinning. "It's an honor to have such a good pupil like you. I know you can reach great heights" He nodded, putting his hands behind his back. "Just keep doing what you’re doing, okay? We can't have you start slacking now"

“Sure sure” She nods.

"Good" He nodded, "But in return, I ask you: please, please, never ever call me sour. I hate that nickname more than anything. We'll get along just fine, as long as you don't call me that. Do I get an agreement?" He grinned.

“Ugh... But I liked calling you like that! It’s our friendship! Like it means something to me to call you like that and that it also annoys you!” Gigi tries to argue about it, waving with her hands as she explains to Sodo.

He was extremely disappointed, but he kept calm. "I hate it, if you hadn't noticed by every time, I've told you to stop calling me that" Sodo was almost angry, "I'm not kidding, and that's more than a little rude, you know? What if I would call you something that you really, really hate?" He grinned, "Would you think that's fair? I don't think so" He gritted his teeth, "Listen to me. From now on, you will stop using that nickname. Promise me right now"

“Then do tell me which nickname do I hate?” This girl wouldn´t stop, would she?.

"That's not the point!" He shook his head, "It's the fact that if I ask you to stop doing something, because I really hate it, you don't listen, and keep doing that, it's incredibly rude and inconsiderate. Do you understand?" He had a stern looks on his face, now. "You will call me Sodo, nothing else" He said, as he sighed, "Is that clear?"

“I am cleaar...” she rolls her eyes playfully, looking away from Sodo. Seconds later she whispered a tiny sour patch and laughs, runs of fast away from Sodo who looks now mad.

"Damn it" He muttered, as he ran after the smaller girl. He caught up with her, and grabbed her arm. "That was rude" He growled in her ear, his eyes darkening. Gigi giggles, patting Sodos shoulder as she says… “Chill out dude haha sometimes we need some fun!”

"This isn't funny, I've asked you countless countless times to stop doing it. Do you think that's fair?" Sodo was almost growling, as he kept a hold of her arm. "You will stop using that nickname" he said, as he looked at her, his eyes darkening.

"And there's a boundary between fun and just plain mean" Sodo said, "And calling me sour isn't fun in any way"

“FINE” She rolls her eyes pouting. “Then I won´t call you Sour Patch anymore, damn your really not fun huh?

"Alright then" He said, still holding Gigi's arm a little too harshly, "Next time you do something that I asked you not to, I'm punishing you" He grinned, before calming down, "But I'm glad we could talk about it. Have a good day, Gigi" He smirked, before letting go of her arm.

“Have a good day Sodo!” sour patch…

Sodo narrowed his eyes, before sighing. This girl is going to be the death of me

The next few weeks Gigi learned a lot from Sodo and from others, she got very clever and stronger each day. One day Copia and Gigi were walking the hallway, Gigi got the courage and tells him everything what happened with her parents. How they abused her and why he found her this day outside in the streets. Copia was in shock, not understanding how you can do this to your own Child. He never also got the love from his own Parents but no child should go through this.

Gigi felt better after explaining this to Papa, it felt good to let it out.

“But how could your parents do this to you, my child? They never showed you love?” He asked with a sad and worried face. “Do you need a hug my child?” He asked and opened his arms for her with a smile.

“Its okey Papa! It’s a long time ago, well not very long but it doesn´t hurt anymore but thank you for listening to me” She accepted his hug. Gigi closes her eyes… it feels warm, soft and comfortable. Like she would really hug her father now. Even if Gigi is a ghoul and Copia is the papa, it feels like he´s her real father.

Gigi steps away from the hug looking at Papa “But what I don´t understand is, why you want to send me to an other church?”

Copia sighs and walks with her again his hands behind his back. “Because you learned a lot here already… there is nothing more for you here my child. The other church? It will teach you much much more. Difficult tasks for you. New challenges.”

“But what about Sodo? Does he know about this?” She asks, she sees Copia sighs and rubs his head. “I will tell him soon…he will not be happy about because Sodo has a hard time letting anyone go. But he needs to accept it”

“I don´t feel like going to a different church” Gigi mumbled sadly, playing with her fingers. Copia placed his hand on her back and rubs up and down, comforting her “Everything will be good, after you learned everything, you will come back home Si?” He smiles at her “And you need to come back, if not then Sodo will have my head sooner or later” He sighs, afraid a little how to tell this to his ghoul that his favorite ghoul will leave.

Gigi giggles, “I really don´t know how you will survive him but I wish you luck papa” Copia chuckles and gives her a big hug, his hand on her small head. “Don´t you worry about me Si? Sodo might get mad at me but he will get over it. He maybe tries to kill me but he knows he can”

Gigi pulls away from the hug and gives another big smile to Papa “Okey then, I will go to my room and start packing then see ya later!” she waves at him and turns around to leave. Copia waves back with a smile and sighs watching her leaving

“I might adopt her” He mumbles.

______________________________________________________________

Helluu, I posted after years haha. I hope you like the new short chapter :)

#dewdrop ghost #dewdrop ghoul #fluff #ghost band #papa copia #sodo ghost #sodo ghoul #ghost band x reader #sodo x fem!reader #cardinal copia #copia emeritus #papa emeritus iv #papa iv #copia being a daddy #angst

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fluffysourpatch · 2 years ago

Text

His little cherub

Copia x Child Daugther!Oc

// Words 3043 //

Warnings: beginning angst but then pure fluff! Copia a loving father to his little daugther!.

Copia looked up from the mountain of paperwork on his desk, picking up his cup of coffee and taking a sip before speaking. "Come in." He calls out to the person behind the door, putting down his pen and leaning back in his chair, fixing his posture and combing his fingers through his hair to appear more presentable.

inside came Gigi his only daughter 5 years old who he adopted. “Daddy? Can we play?” she asked him but Copia has a lot of duties to do

Copia sighed, but smiled softly. “Maybe tomorrow, kiddo.” He answered, ruffling her hair. “Go play with your toys for now, okay?” Copia looked over his papers again, before leaning back in his chair. It seemed his little girl always knew exactly when he was busy.

“But I wanna play with you!” she stomped her feet

Copia looked up from his paper, looking toward Gigi. “My child, I wish for nothing more than to give you all of my attention, but I still have work to do!” He sighed in exasperation. “Please, do me a kindness and play with your dolls, or your crayons, or anything else; I promise I will play with you when I have time…” Copia said, his frustration melting as he saw Gigi’s frown. “Please, Gigi, be a good child.”

“But to play with my dolls is boring! They won't response! she exclaimed and stomped her feet again I wanna play with you!” her frown turns into anger.

Copia let out an aggravated sigh. “Mia cara, Gigi… I know you wish to play with me, but I am too busy… if this were any other day then I could play with you, but I need to finish this pile of paperwork so I might get to bed at a reasonable hour. Please, I am only asking that you play with your toys for now.” Copia said, trying his best to appear stern and firm.

Gigi walks up to him and took some pen from the desk as she threw it at him angrily “NO I WANNA PLAY!” she yells but the pen didn´t hit Copia.

Copia sighed quietly, rubbing his temples. This was getting annoying. “Il mio bambino, please do not make this difficult. I just need you to play with your toys for a moment. I need to do my work… please, just wait for me. I promise I’ll play a little later…” Copia said, his tone more tired than annoyed this time.

“But I wanna play with you!!” she yells again and starts to hit the desk. Copia’s patience was beginning to wear thin. This had gone on for long enough. Gigi was going to learn how hard work was, and that he just couldn’t always get his way whenever he wished. “Bambino, this behavior is unacceptable. Play with your toys, and learn to be patient because I cannot…” he paused for a moment, realizing he didn’t want to yell at this sweet little girl, but she certainly wouldn’t listen if he didn’t. “I cannot play with you right now.” Copia said sternly.

and then she pushed Copia to his limit as she went up to him and kicked his leg angrily.

“Gigi, stop this instant!” Copia shouted, his voice loud for the first time today. “I have to finish this paperwork, and I cannot do that if you continually distract me and beg me for playtime. Do I make myself clear? Please, mia cara, stop this behavior. I cannot play with you right now, and you must learn to respect that, to be patient and accepting of the situation. What is it that I must do…” Copia trailed off, shaking his head angrily and trying to regain his composure. Gigi jumped as his voice raised against her, never in her life did he scream at her or lost his patience with her. Her eyes widened and took a step back. Copia took a deep breath, realizing that he was scaring his little girl. He sighed, rubbing the side of his face and smiling softly. “Tesoro, I am so very sorry for yelling, I am just… tired, and I need to get done this paperwork. You must play with your toys until I have enough time to play with you, as I promised. Will you promise me this?” Copia said, kneeling down next to Gigi. but she didn´t listened to Copia, she turned around to run out of the office without a word. Copia sighed, looking toward the door. “Gigi, come back here, please. Mi dispiace Tesoro…” Copia sighed again, looking out the window before looking at the papers in front of him once more. “Oh dear…” he muttered to himself silently.

As Gigi was running away from the office, she run the hallway and reached a door she knocked fast without stopping.

Sodo let out a sigh as he heard the door knock. He rose from his desk and opened the door, seeing Gigi standing there. “Hello, little one.” He said softly. “Is everything alright?” Sodo looked puzzled.

she shook her head as tears are spilling from her eyes “daddy screamed at me!” she sobs trying to wipe her tears with her tiny hands.

Sodo put his hand on Gigi's shoulder, taking a moment to crouch down and speak to her at her level. "Sweetie, did you know that your daddy was working? He is very busy right now and doesn't have time to play with you right now, however, he still loves you very much. Maybe he yelled at you because he's just stressed out right now, and he's still adjusting to his job." Sodo says, trying to comfort the young girl.

“But I wanted to play with him... “she cries “he didn’t play with me a long time ago... I miss papa” she sobs

Sodo sighs, standing up taking Gigi in his arms. “Darling, you can’t play with Papa right this moment… but I can. And it’ll be like having a big brother for a while. I’ll play with you until it’s time for you and your papa to go to bed, okay sweetie? Is that okay with you?” Sodo asked her, smiling gently.

She nods at him with tears in her face as she smiles at him and giggles plus cries the same time. “We can play together?” She asked him again wanting to know if he really wants to play with her.

“Of course, we can, sweetheart! Let’s play with the dolls over here, alright?” Sodo said, walking toward a toybox on the other side of the room because sometimes Gigi always left her dolls at Sodo’s room so he made a box to put them inside. “I wonder which doll you’re going to pick…” he muttered to himself as he began opening the box and picking out the toy. He smiled softly before giving Gigi a hug and turning around, waiting for her to grab a doll, any doll.

Sodo smiled as he watched Gigi take a doll from the box. “Which doll did you pick?” Sodo asked, crouching down next to the youngster as she shows him which doll she picked, as he is speaking at her own level again. “Let’s start playing!” he said, his tone cheerful.

she giggles and starts to play with Sodo

Sodo picked up the other doll as well, speaking with a sweet, high-pitched voice as he started playing with Gigi. He would mimic her and her doll’s voices to add to the game; he always enjoyed entertaining children, and he was especially close to Gigi. He always wanted her to have the best childhood, even if it meant helping out to relieve her father from a bit of his stress.

after some playing Gigi fall asleep on Sodo’s bed with the doll in her hand

Sodo let out a soft chuckle at the sight of Gigi sleeping. She was absolutely adorable when she slept. Sodo made sure to tuck Gigi in for the evening, smiling softly as he adjusted the blanket. "Sleep well, my little lamb.", Sodo whispered to the young girl.

Copia stepped into the room, still in his robes, and saw Gigi sleeping peacefully in Sodo's arms. He cleared his throat. "Hello, Sodo." Copia said calmly, approaching both Gigi and his Ghoul "Oh, lord..." Copia muttered, watching both Gigi and Sodo interacting in the room. "Is she...? Did something happen?" He asked the question of Sodo, his expression a mix of bewilderment, concern, and anxiety.

Sodo looked up at Copia, smiling softly as he held Gigi protectively. "No, it's quite alright, Copia. She came crying to me, so I took her into my room for a little while. She had said you yelled at her." Sodo answered, his tone gentle and warm. He looked over at Gigi calmly.

Copia nodded silently, feeling even more concern wash through him as he watched Sodo gently rocking Gigi in his arms. With a heavy sigh, he stepped forward and looked down at his daughter, touching a strand of her hair that was falling on her face. "mio piccolo amore," Copia said softly, touching Gigi's cheek. He looked up at Sodo. "Mi dispiace tanto, Sodo." Copia said, his tone soft and worried.

Copia continued to stare at Gigi, his expression one of sadness, guilt, and remorse. He turned to Sodo, who gently patted Gigi's head as she slept. "Grazie Sodo. Please, take good care of her, won't you?", Copia said softly. He then turned to Gigi carefully, gently kissing her forehead. "I am sorry for yelling at you, Gigi. I am so sorry... ti amo mio piccolo angelo"

the next morning, Gigi woke up to Sodo’s bed alone. Gigi sat up slowly in Sodo's bed, feeling slightly confused. She knew she remembered playing with Sodo, but he wasn't in the room anymore. She looked around, feeling slightly alone and slightly scared. Where was Sodo? Where was her papa?

She tried to remember exactly why she had been in Sodo's room in the first place. She knew he was playing with her, but her memory felt fuzzy. Did she remember what happened yesterday? Was her papa mad at her? She couldn't remember.

she stood up and walked with her little legs out of the room. She went to the dining room where the sisters of sin were serving the food for the ghouls. There she saw Copia “daddy!” she came running to him

Copia was eating a light breakfast with one of the Ghouls. He smiled gently as he saw Gigi run toward him. He got up from his chair and picked her up, giving her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Good morning, la mia piccola colomba.” Copia said, his tone full of the affection that was always there when it came to Gigi. “Did you have a good time with Sodo last night?” he asked her.

“Yes, we played together and had lots of fun!” she giggled and hugs him tight with her arms and legs around “I miss you daddy...” she whispers to him as she hides her face at his neck.

Copia felt warm inside as he felt Gigi hug him. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, smiling at her. “I am so glad you had the joy of spending time with your uncle last night, my little Tesoro, I am sorry I have not been able to spend a lot of time with you the past few months, I am simply so busy.” Copia said, his tone soft.

He then lifted Gigi up a bit, and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I promise, though, that once I finish some paperwork, we can play some more Si?”

“But when are you finished?” she asked sadly “I can’t wait anymore papa...”

Copia held Gigi close, smiling softly as he felt her hugging him tightly. "Colomba, I should be finished by lunch time Si? Will that be okay with you?" Copia said, his tone soft and gentle. "Do you think you can wait just a bit longer? Please." he said, looking into Gigi's eyes.

“C-can I stay with you then while you work?... I promise I will be quiet... “she booped her nose with his nose while looking at him

Copia’s expression softened as Gigi booped noses with him. The young girl was utterly adorable, and despite how busy he was, Copia couldn’t help but melt with each gesture of affection.

“Of course, Tesoro” he said softly, “and you don't need to promise; you’re always such a good little girl, it’s one of the things I am proud of most.” Copia said, his love and affection flowing through his sweet words.

Copia chuckled as he felt Gigi’s stomach growl. “Ah, it seems you must be quite hungry. Let us go see if the sisters are done cooking your food.” Copia said, carrying Gigi as he turned around to walk out of the room. As he walked away, he placed a kiss on Gigi’s forehead; a sweet gesture he had never done with any other child.

after they ate, they went to his office. Copia was doing his paperwork and Gigi was playing or drawing silently beside him, sometimes between drawing she reaches for his hand to hold it for some Minutes.

Copia sighed as he looked back over at his papers, focusing on his work again. Then he felt Gigi’s hand sneaking with his, he smiles softly and squeezes her hand.

As he looked down at the papers in front of him, feeling a bit of guilt wash over him. Gigi was only looking for his attention; she was only a little girl. She wanted to play, she wanted to be loved, she wanted him to be proud of her. “Hmm…” Copia spoke out loud, thinking. He set down his pen and put the papers in front of him to the side.

Gigi was drawing her and papa in a picture holding hands as they do right now. She looks up at him and then asked softly “can I sit on your lap daddy? O-or... Is it distracting you from work...?”

Copia smiled gently, his eyes warming at the scene of Gigi drawing him and her together. He reached down and picked Gigi up to sit her in his lap, kissing her gently. "Of course, you can." he said softly, "This is the best part of my day, having my beautiful little girl in my lap." Copia brushed back Gigi's hair, and spoke to her as he looked at what she was drawing. "And whatever you are drawing must be so beautiful. Can I see it when you are done?" She hums a quiet yes as she continues drawing and waggling with her tiny legs

Copia nodded gently, smiling as he felt her weight in his lap, and felt Gigi humming softly, probably in content. He looked down to check out what Gigi was doing, still watching her draw. “Hey, Gigi? I am proud of you.” he said softly, his voice warm and full of affection.

“You are?” she said as her eyes sparkle, “I am also proud of you daddy!” she giggles

“Why, yes. Of course, love. You are the most important thing in my life, my little cherub. And every tiny accomplishment you make, makes me the proudest papa in the world, do you hear me?” Copia said softly, his eyes sparkling as he spoke. He brushed her hair away from her face, his fingers gently brushing past her cheeks, “And what about this? Eh? You said you were proud of me, too. Why would you say that?” he asked, looking down at Gigi.

“Uhm... Because you work very hard... You work hard for me, for the people who loves you outside... Uhm what where they called... Fans”

"Ohh, yes, mio piccolo amore. That's correct! Fans. And yes, I do work for them. But I work hard for you, too. You are my most precious thing, and I do everything in my power to protect you, and make you happy. Ti amo, Gigi." Copia said softly, his smile as warm as always. He gently stroked her hair again, letting the warmth from his touch comfort the young girl.

After that Copia continues to work on his papers and Gigi on her drawing still sitting on his lap.

Copia sighed and picked up Gigi from his lap. "Tesoro It's time for you to go to bed," he said softly. Gigi looked at him for a moment, a tiny frown on her face. "...But papa... I wanna spend more time with you." she said, her tone sounding almost pleading. Copia looked at her a moment, smiling softly, "Come. Let me take you to bed." He said, gently, taking Gigi back to her room. As they arrived, he laid her down on her bed, putting the blanket over her and rests his hand on her forehead smiling.

Gigi glanced at him with her happy smile as she asked him “Can you stay with me? And read me a bedtime story? Please?” Copia smiled softly at Gigi's request, nodding slowly. "Si, Tesoro. I can stay with you tonight, and if you'd like, I can even read you a bedtime story." He said, kissing her cheek.

Copia read Gigi her favorite bedtime story as she hugged him tightly to her. It was a story of a king who loved his daughter deeply and took her hunting, to share in his favorite past time with her. Copia smiled as he read, looking down at Gigi as they cuddled closely to him. She was precious, more precious than anything in the world to him, and he was so happy she was his little angel.

Eventually, though, Gigi's eyes began to flutter with sleep. She looked up at Copia one last time, her face showing her love for him. And then, she fell asleep

Copia looked down at Gigi as her eyes closed. He gently set her down on her pillow, her small frame buried underneath the covers of the bed. Copia leaned down and kissed her forehead, his expression full of love and affection.

“buonanotte mio piccolo tesoro prezioso.” Copia whispered softly, turning off the light in the room before closing the door, leaving little Gigi to happily sleep.

______________________________________________________________

Hii! I always wanted to write a Copia with his daughter story! and well here I am! i hope you like it and i hope the Italian words are not wrong! whoops it would be embarrassed if they are not correct. sorryyy! :p

If you want a Part Two, leave a comment! :) <3

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fluffysourpatch · 2 years ago

Text

The Cardinal's Bride, Chapter 8: Playing House

Previous Chapters: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 ~~ Pinterest Board ~~ Spotify Playlist

Thank you to @tasty-ribz for the wanted poster! For some more amazing fanart check out: @meowsaidmissy (1 / 2), @snail-shell2335 here, @vahvco here, @ghulehgwen here, @rabidghoul here, @nocterish here, @enjoy-my-swearing here, @blacktie-whitenoise (1 /2), z-xmyers (1/2/3/4), _simpera_ on instagram and valkyrieinpink on twitter. Also a huge thank you to @kissingghouls for all her help and emotional support.

~ Cardinal Copia x Female Reader: western au, smut, romance, fluff, NSFW, 18+ only, 12,200 words ~

You woke up to Copia kissing your neck.

It hadn't felt like you'd been asleep for long, the room still dark when you finally opened your eyes. The sensation of his mustache and growing beard on the sensitive skin there roused you quickly. At some point he’d gotten under the covers and so the only thing separating you both was the thin fabric of your night clothes. He was holding you close and you let yourself melt a bit against him, enjoying the feeling of waking up next to him. When he realized you were awake he pulled away from your neck and rested his chin by your ear.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

You couldn’t help but laugh because he didn’t sound sorry in the slightest. A quick nip to the skin of your neck had your laugh turning into a gasp and you tilted your head back involuntarily to give him better access. His chest rumbled against your back and he moved his hand that was on your stomach to pull at the neck of the nightgown. It shifted to expose your shoulder and his mouth followed, gentle kisses making goosebumps pop up on your skin.

He had touched you like this while you both had rode around the farm earlier, but in bed it felt far more intimate. It felt like it could lead to something more, something that you had been thinking about long before you’d even met The Cardinal. With him here, actually here, and touching you like this, you couldn’t help but want more. You wanted whatever he would give you and you were willing to give him anything he wanted as well. Taking a deep breath you pushed away from him only long enough to turn around and press yourself back against his chest.

“Copia, I-I want you.”

It seemed like his white eye glowed briefly for a moment but his mouth was on yours before you could say anything. You placed your hands on his chest and gripped his shirt while one of his arms wrapped around your waist to pull you as close as possible. It felt so good to be near him. His arms and legs were strong as they held you, but his stomach was soft as it pressed into yours. You wanted to see more of him, you wanted to see everything and you wanted him to see you too. When your fingers found their way to the buttons of his shirt he broke the kiss and let go of your waist to halt your progress.

“Principessa, we shou–”

Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a loud crash from the front of the house and the sounds of Ethel shouting. Copia was up and out of the bed in seconds, grabbing his gun belt from the dresser and quickly buckling it around his waist. You sat up and watched as he drew one and moved towards the door, leaning against it to listen for a moment before easing it open.

“Copia!”

He quickly looked your way and shook his head.

“Stay here until I come back.”

You wanted to argue because you didn’t want to sit here alone and worried, but when the shouting got louder Copia ducked out of the room and took off down the hall. Copia’s voice soon joined the others and you jumped up from the bed to walk towards the door. How could he expect you to just wait in here? You leaned your head against the wood, straining to hear what was going on but the voices were too muffled.

With a fortifying breath you grabbed the doorknob, opening it up just enough to look out into the hallway. You relaxed somewhat when you recognized the other voice, Dewdrop was loudly telling Ethel off about something. Ignoring Copia’s instructions you left the room and quickly made your way down towards the sitting area where they were. At the sight of Ethel pointing a shotgun at Dewdrop you let out a loud squeak, immediately slapping both of your hands over your mouth when they all turned your way.

“Oh, great. She's here.”

Copia sighed when he turned and saw you.

“I told you to stay in the room.” You gave him a sheepish look and shrugged. Copia shook his head before turning back to Dewdrop and Ethel. “Will someone tell me what's going on?”

“Uh…we need you. In the barn.”

“What’d you do to my barn?”

Dewdrop flinched when Ethel pushed the end of the barrel closer to him.

“Nothing! Unholy shit, your barn is fine!” The Ghoul nervously glanced over at Copia, looking like he was struggling to think of something to say. “It’s uh, Brizio?”

“Brizio? What’d you do to my horse?”

Dewdrop groaned and banged his head against the wall behind him.

“I didn’t do anything to him! He just started limping and Aether sent me to come get you.”

“Limping how? He was fine a few hours ago!”

“Copia for the love of Lucifer will you just come with me to the fucking barn?”

Dewdrop and Copia glared at each other for a moment before Copia finally relented, nodding and then turning to look at Ethel.

“Fine. Ethel, do you mind?” Slowly the older woman backed away from Dewdrop, lowering the shotgun so it pointed at the floor. “Grazie. Polpettina?” You froze when Copia gave you a stern look. “Stay. Here.”

You nodded solemnly, watching as Copia shoved his boots on and followed Dewdrop out of the house. Ethel wandered by and laid her shotgun on the dining room table as you walked towards the front windows. You turned away from the window to watch her for a moment before looking around the front of the house. With all the noise you were surprised that her husband wasn't out here with her.

“Where’s Harold?”

“In bed. I wore him out earlier.” You snorted and laughed along with her before looking back out the window. What could have possibly happened to Brizio in the last few hours? Why did Copia want you to stay inside anyway? You sighed and glanced at the door, wondering how upset he would be if you followed him. “You better wear his coat.”

You turned back towards Ethel when she spoke again.

“What?”

She was smiling warmly at you as she motioned towards where Copia’s red duster was hanging.

“It’s cold out, put his coat on before you go out there. You could at least wait on the porch.”

With a wink she picked up her shotgun off the table and headed back down the hallway. You watched her disappear into her room and then turned back towards the door. Ethel was right, you could at least wait on the porch. You grabbed Copia’s duster and put it on as you walked into the cool night air. The barn door was partially open and you could see light on from the few lamps inside. You sighed and settled into one of the chairs Ethel and Harold had out there, pulling your legs up so you could rest your chin on your knees.

Hopefully Brizio was alright and not actually hurt. Although the thought of something else being wrong and not knowing what it could be wasn’t comforting either. You kept your eyes on the barn, but it didn’t take long for sleep to start to claim you again. Copia’s coat was warm and comforting to be wrapped in. Slowly you let yourself rest against the back of the chair, tucking yourself into it so you could sit more comfortably.

It wasn't long before you finally lost the battle with your eyes with sleep claiming you as soon as they were closed.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

“Hey. Principessa.”

Copia’s voice startled you awake and you quickly glanced around trying to get your bearings. It took you a moment to remember why you were outside and you immediately looked up at Copia when you did.

“Is Brizio ok?”

He snorted, shaking his head as he held out his hands for yours. You stood up and started walking towards the door, but Copia tugged you back against him. With a groan he took your seat in the chair and then pulled you into his lap. You sat down with a huff, but you couldn’t help but laugh when he jostled you around until he was happy. You ended up sitting sideways with one of your arms around his neck.

“Did you actually believe that?” With a small smile you shook your head. “I didn’t think so, I’m surprised you didn’t follow me out to the barn.”

“I was trying to listen to you.”

“I suppose there’s a first time for everything, huh?” Copia hissed when you pinched his neck, his eyes narrowing at your face before he broke out into a yawn. “Merda, it’ll be nice to stay here for a few extra days.”

You froze at Copia’s words, your eyes looking over his face.

“We’re staying?”

“If Ethel is ok with it, yes. A friend showed up with some news from my brother Secondo.”

“He’s the one that runs the casino, right?” When Copia nodded you continued. “What kind of news?’

“Saltarian’s men have been sniffing around The Ministry. Secondo sent one of my Ghoulettes, Cirrus, to ask us to lay low.” When he felt you freeze at the mention of Saltarian’s name he rested a hand on your thigh and slowly started to rub it up and down your leg over your nightgown. “It’s alright, Principessa. We’re just playing it safe.”

You nodded but kept quiet, a breeze going by making you shiver and press into him more. Copia didn’t seem to mind, his arm around your back tightening while his other wrapped around your waist underneath his duster. You shoved your free hand into the pocket to keep it warm, pausing when your fingers came into contact with something stuffed at the bottom. Curiosity got the better of you for the second time that night and you pulled out what it was, your eyes widening when the chain made of blue and clear crystals sparkled in the moonlight.

“What’s this?”

“It’s my rosary, a gift from my mother.” He reached out and brushed a finger along a few of the crystals before holding the symbol at the bottom in the palm of his hand. “This is the Grucifix, the symbol for our church.”

“It’s beautiful.”

Copia seemed lost in thought for a moment as he looked down at it.

“My brothers each have one too.” He snorted and let go of the rosary to wrap his arm back around you. “Well Terzo doesn’t, his got stolen because he couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. You’re not allowed to talk to him by the way.”

You rolled your eyes and took one last look at the rosary before slipping it back into Copia’s pocket.

“Whatever you say, dear.”

He chuckled as he tightened his arms around you to hold you more securely against his chest.

“I’m lucky I found such an obedient wife.” Your breath caught when his hand wandered down your thigh to rest on your knee so he could slowly start pulling your nightgown up. When you shivered as the cold air hit your legs Copia sat up and pressed his lips to your ear. “Do you remember this morning, Principessa? When you said I could touch you?”

“Yes.”

Your knees were now exposed and you started to breathe faster as he rubbed his thumb along the inside of your leg.

“So this is ok?” You whispered another ‘yes’ as you looked down and watched his hand disappear under the fabric. “I’ve been thinking about touching you here all day.”

Copia had practically growled the last sentence into your ear. He immediately began to press his lips behind it, trailing them all the way down until he was where your neck met your shoulder. Here he started to give you hot, open mouthed kisses over and over again. With a gasp your head fell back when his teeth nipped at your skin right as you felt the knuckles of his hand brush against your sex.

“You two should be in bed.”

You yelped and whipped your head around to see Ethel standing by the front door with her arms crossed over her chest. Copia slowly pulled his hand out from under your nightgown and you frantically began to push it back over your knees. You wriggled in his lap to try to stand up but his arms were like iron bands around you and he wasn’t letting go. With an aggravated huff you finally sat still, glaring at his grinning face.

“Mi dispiace, Ethel. Mia Polpettina got a little carried away.”

Copia finally let go and you stumbled off of his lap, taking a moment to straighten your nightgown and his duster before you turned to face Ethel. She had a small smile on her face as you walked towards her. With a soft pat on your cheek she moved so you could walk inside. Copia wasn’t far behind you, but Ethel stopped him before he made his way through the door.

“How’s your horse, Mr. Emeritus?”

“Just a small injury on one of his legs. He will be better with a few days of rest. Would it be alright if we stayed a bit longer? I know my wife would appreciate some extra time off the road as well.”

There was something odd about how they were looking at each other, something in their posture that made you feel like you had missed something.

“You’ll need to work, there’s plenty to do around here and you need to earn your keep.”

“We will, I promise.” Copia nodded your way with a smile. “Polpettina will work extra hard.”

“Oh, don’t worry about your wife Mr. Emeritus. She’ll stay with me during the day.” Ethel finally entered the house, Copia following and closing the door behind him. “There’s a lot I can teach her I think.”

“Grazie, Ethel.” Copia walked up to you and helped you take his duster off so he could hang it up again. “Now I think we’ll take your advice and head to bed.”

“Please do.” Ethel turned from Copia and looked at you, her face immediately softening. “Goodnight dear, don't let him keep you up too late.”

You told her goodnight and then let Copia lead you back down the hall. His hands were firm on your shoulders as he walked behind you, only letting go when he opened the door for you and motioned you inside the bedroom. You took a deep breath and turned to see him leaning back against it once it was closed. He was staring at you, his gaze wandering up and down your body for a moment before he closed the distance between you.

“Are you going to kiss me again?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Principessa.”

Copia noticed the hurt look on your face and he reached out to pull you close, leaning down to rest his forehead against yours.

“But why?"

“Because it’s getting harder for me to stop.”

You placed your hands on his chest, one hand staying over the steady beat of his heart. The other you let slide to the open neck of his shirt so you could rub the hair between your fingers.

“Then don’t.” You leaned back when he let out a breathless laugh. “Copia, I want you. I wanted you this morning too.”

“How about all those times you were clutching my picture while you were in bed?”

“Yes! I wanted you then! I imagined you there with me every night.”

He groaned and pulled away, taking a few steps back while shoving his fingers through his hair. Your breath quickened when you saw his eyes slowly look you up and down again.

“Principessa, do you even know what you're asking for?”

“Copia, I’m not the innocent city girl you seem to think I am.”

He let out a bark of laughter, shaking his head before stepping back towards you. He reached out for one of your hands and brought it up to his mouth, his eyes never leaving yours as he pressed a kiss to your knuckles before he spoke again.

“Trust me, no one could confuse you for someone innocent.”

He snorted when you tried to yank your hand away. His other arm sneakily making its way around your waist and you found yourself pulled tight against him once more.

“Are you going to keep talking or are you going to kiss m—“

His mouth was hot and demanding as it pressed against yours, his tongue sliding in immediately and teasing your own. You were tempted to pinch him for interrupting you, but now that you were kissing again all your other thoughts left. His mouth was hot and demanding against yours and you did your best to keep up. Eventually you had to break away to catch your breath and as soon as you did Copia started to back you up towards the bed.

“Lay back against the pillows.”

You crawled onto the bed and scooted back to where he wanted you. While you tried to calm your breathing Copia stood there for a moment watching you before he moved to unbutton his shirt. Bit by bit his chest was exposed to you, the dark hair you had caught glimpses of was spread over his pecs and it then trailed down his stomach to disappear into his pants. There was a tattoo over his heart, you couldn’t tell exactly what it was in the candlelight and you opened your mouth to ask, but it was at that moment that he got onto the bed and moved between your legs.

“Copia, I–”

“Hush now.” He placed his hands on your ankles and started to push your nightgown up. His eyes stayed on your face as he worked and you felt mesmerized by his mismatched gaze. Your breathing grew faster when he pushed a hand up your thigh again and your mouth fell open in a gasp when his fingers brushed against your sex. “Are you wet for me already?”

There was no point denying it when his hand was right there so you just nodded frantically, gasping again when one finger pushed between your folds and rubbed you close to your entrance. Copia groaned as he felt your arousal and he pushed closer to you, spreading your legs a bit further apart. Even in the low light you could see the bulge in his pants and it hit you that he desired you just as much as you desired him.

His finger began to move up and down, going further and further each time until it started to catch on your entrance. Each time it did he moaned deeply in his chest, but he didn’t stop his movements. Copia spread your wetness from your entrance to the nub at the top of your sex over and over again, back and forth. Your breathing was becoming labored as he began to move faster and when he added a second finger you couldn’t help but buck your hips up. Copia growled and leaned over you to press a quick kiss to your lips before pulling away once more.

“Is this what you did in your bed? When you were thinking of me?” When the tips of his fingers pressed into your entrance ever so slightly you had to put a hand over your mouth to try to muffle your cries. He pumped them in and out a few times before dragging them back up between your folds. Copia adjusted his hand and began to drag his thumb back and forth across you. “Did you rub your clit like this? Is this what you like?”

“Yes, yes please Copia. Right there!”

The pressure was building in you so fast you could barely take a full breath. Copia was panting above you too, his eyes drifting from where his hand was buried between your legs up to your breasts before resting on your face. His features softened as they took you in. You could only imagine what you looked like, red faced and sweaty. Tears had begun to gather at the corner of your eyes and you had the sudden urge to hide your face from him.

“Sei bellissima. So beautiful.” He pushed his fingers back inside of you again, further this time, and began to pump them faster. “Are you close, Principessa?”

“Yes!”

You tilted your head back, your mouth falling open when he began to move even faster. He leaned forward, pressing his free hand into the bed and you immediately reached out to grip his forearm. The muscles under your fingers were strong and you dug your nails in as the pleasure neared its peak. Copia said your name again and you did your best to meet his gaze as your body felt ready to fall apart.

“I want you to come on my fingers, Principessa. I want to taste you, use my mouth on you.” He pulled his arm away from you and you clenched the blanket in your fists when he moved that hand between your legs and rubbed your clit with his thumb. “I want to feel you come apart on my cock.”

With one last swipe of his thumb you came, turning your head into the pillow to try and muffle your cries. You were trembling so hard it felt like someone was shaking the bed. Copia pulled his hand away and you whimpered at the loss of contact. After a few steadying breaths you turned your head to look at him, curious as to what he was doing.

The sight before you wasn’t something you’d ever forget.

There was a sheen of sweat on his skin, the moisture glistening in the candlelight. He had his head flung back and his mouth open in pleasure. As your eyes trailed down you saw that he had undone his pants and was slowly pumping his cock. The fingers that he had inside of you were spreading your wetness up and down his shaft as he moved.

You wanted to reach out, you wanted to help him. To offer your body for him, but you couldn’t. It was enthralling to watch him like this and all you could bring yourself to do was lay still as he worked. When he began to speed up he dropped his head forward and met your eyes. You could see his thighs flex against the fabric of his pants as his movements increased and soon you were watching him fall forward, holding his weight up with one fist planted against the bed as his cock twitched and he came.

Pump after pump of cum left him. He caught the majority in his hand but some spilled between his fingers and fell onto your nightgown. A soft whimper left you when you felt the warmth seep through the fabric and touch your skin. You found yourself wondering what it would feel like inside of you and you were immediately thankful the room was dark enough that he couldn't see how red your cheeks probably were.

Copia eventually pushed himself back up and leaned over the side of the bed. He came back up with his shirt and used it to wipe his hand and cock off before tucking himself back into his pants. The shirt was dropped back to the floor and he crawled forward to stretch out next to you. He brought a hand up to brush his thumb across your cheek before sliding it down your body to rest on your stomach. He plucked at the fabric there with his fingers, right at the wet spots his cum had left, before he met your eyes again.

“Do you think Ethel will let us keep this?”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Everyone stayed busy over the next few days.

Harold, Copia and the Ghouls made their way around the farm. So many little projects having been neglected as Harold and Ethel aged. Ethel wasn’t proud of all the work that needed to be done, but after their sons moved away it had become harder to keep on top of things. They stayed busy with what little farming they did and Harold went on monthly trips to town to sell what they harvested and get whatever supplies they needed. To you it didn’t seem like enough to keep the farm going, but they didn’t seem to be hurting for money. You had asked Ethel about it a few times, genuinely curious about how everything worked, but she had just smiled and told you not to worry about it.

While everyone else worked outside you helped Ethel in and around the house. You had grown even closer to each other and you found yourself wondering if this is what it felt like to have a mother that really cared about you. Someone to help you grow and learn about the world around you. The actual world and not whatever small bubble you lived in. Ethel continued to share little stories about her life before the farm and with each one you gained new admiration for her. You were beginning to suspect that Ethel was an outlaw in her own right before she ran into Harold (and then ran off with his horse).

The morning of the final day eventually dawned and you found yourself burrowing as deep into the blankets as you could get. You didn't feel Copia next to you, but that had been normal since he decided to listen to Cirrus and stay longer. He was getting up with the sun and after rousing you with scratchy kisses he would leave and head off to work. You wished he would stay longer, but the attention he had been giving you at night made up for it.

After cleaning up from working outside and eating dinner Copia would practically drag you into the room and pull you into his arms. He was taking his time exploring your body and learning what would make you tremble and cry out for him. You were learning about him too, finding the little spots you could nip and kiss to make him groan your name. After making sure you were satisfied he would pull himself out and make himself cum while you watched. Every time you tried to reach for him he’d gently press you back down into the bed.

“Soon, Principessa. Soon, I promise you.”

You never replied, you would just lay back and melt into the covers as he worked his cock while you watched. He had yet to be fully naked in front of you, but you’d been able to admire his strong forearms and shoulders. Both well muscled from years of handling guns and horses. Copia liked it when you ran your hands over his shoulders, trailing them down over his chest. You would rake your fingers through his chest hair, making sure to trail them over his tattoo before moving them down to his soft belly and sides.

Thinking of his body and how it felt under your hands had you rubbing your thighs together. You sighed and rolled onto your back opening your eyes to look at the ceiling as you slowly trailed your hand down your stomach and began to pull your nightgown up.

“So this is what you do when I leave, eh?”

With a gasp you pulled your hand up and looked over to the dresser. Copia was standing there, shirtless with a straight razor poised on his cheek. His eyes met yours in the mirror and you glared at him when he smirked. With a clean swipe he moved the blade over his skin, taking the beard with it. You let your head fall back against the pillow with a sigh, it was your fault for not noticing he was still there. For someone that could be loud and brash he could certainly be as quiet as a mouse when he wanted to be.

“Is today our last day here?”

“Si, we’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

You stayed still in bed, listening to him hum quietly while he worked.

“What are you guys working on today?”

“There’s only one more stretch of fence to repair and that won’t take very long. We’ll all have some time to relax a bit before tomorrow.” You heard him swish the razor in the basin of water and then the sounds of him splashing his face. The floorboards creaked as he walked back towards you, the bed dipping under his weight as he sat on the edge. “Hey, come on, look at me.”

When you obeyed it felt like you were looking at someone you hadn’t seen in ages. Copia had already had at least a week’s worth of stubble on his cheeks when you had initially met, so to see him clean shaven and up close was startling. He looked just like he did on his wanted poster and your cheeks instantly heated up. With a groan you jerked the covers over your face and tried to move away from him when he started laughing.

Stupid, handsome cowboy.

“Go away!”

With a firm grip he pulled the covers away and you were forced to look up into his handsome face. His cheeks were smooth, the skin tan with a few freckles dotted here and there. Copia’s sideburns and mustache were groomed perfectly and you lost the motivation to care about your blushing. He knew what he did to you. There was no point trying to hide it.

“See something you like?”

With a heavy, exaggerated sigh you nodded your head. The sigh turned into a squeal when he lowered his mouth to the crook of your neck, his teeth nipping at your skin.

“Copia! Quit it!”

He grunted when your knee got close to connecting with his crotch. Copia turned and fell back on the bed next to you, propping himself up on his elbow to look down into your face. He seemed more content than you’d ever seen him and your heart ached knowing that would probably change as you left tomorrow and got closer and closer to The Ministry. He seemed to know where your mind had gone and gave you a soft smile, reaching out with his other hand to gently tap your nose.

“I have a surprise for you.”

“We’re staying longer.” Copia snorted and shook his head, when he reached out to poke your nose again you twisted away. “What is it then?”

“Sunshine is waiting outside for you.”

“What for?”

“She is insisting on giving you knife lessons.” With an excited gasp you threw the covers off and scrambled out of the bed. Copia laughed as you rushed over to your pile of clothes Ethel had given you. You had nearly unbuttoned most of the top of the nightgown when you suddenly remembered Copia was still in the damn room. When you spun around to glare at him he was leaning back against the pillows watching you. “Don’t stop on my account.”

“Copia, please?”

“Fine, fine.” He rolled out of bed and grabbed his shirt that was hanging off one of the posts. You watched as he pulled it on and slowly buttoned it up. “So you can watch me, but I can’t watch you?”

“Not when Sunshine is waiting.”

“Ah true, she doesn’t handle waiting very well.”

When he had his shirt done up he stepped closer, crowding you against the wall by the door. Your hand was still firmly holding the top of the nightgown together, but with his warm body so close you were having a hard time not letting go. He slowly lowered his head down and hovered his mouth over yours for a few breaths before pressing a slow kiss to your lips. When he pulled away much too soon you tried to chase his mouth, only stopping when he reached out to cup your cheek.

“Why did you stop?”

“I have to stop while I can, Principessa.” His gaze fell to your lips and then further down to where your nightgown was open. With a deep breath he looked back up to meet your eyes and smiled. “Be careful out there, ok?”

“I will, I promise.”

“Bene.” With a quick kiss to your forehead he finally moved away and went to the door, pausing when he had it open to look back over to you. “One more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Dewdrop is out there.” He chuckled when you groaned and quickly pointed a finger at you. “Don’t stab him.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

You didn’t stab Dewdrop, but it was a close thing.

Despite his whining about being used for practice the morning went well. Sunshine had dragged him with her so that she could point out the best places to aim a knife and even though the ones she had you use were covered he still flinched every time they touched him. He claimed it was because he still didn’t trust you after you had bit him, but after Sunshine threatened to bite him herself he finally quieted down and behaved.

Otherwise the morning was fun, you enjoyed spending time with Sunshine and Ethel even came out for a bit to watch and help. Dewdrop enjoyed his time even less with Ethel there as well. The older woman certainly wasn’t as nice about holding back like you or even Sunshine was. You had a feeling Ethel was getting back at him for trying to sneak into her house that night and eventually Dewdrop just gave up and stayed down on the ground. Ethel seemed happy at that point and handed Sunshine her knife back before she looked at you.

“Come inside soon, I had Harold fill up the tub so you could have a bath.”

Your mouth fell open and you resisted the urge to jump up and down as Ethel walked back to the house.

“Oh a bath, must be nice staying in a nice house and not a fucking bar–fuck! Sunshine!”

Dewdrop grunted when the Ghoulette tried to kick him again. He managed to grab her foot and yank her leg away so she landed on the ground next to him. You jumped back as the two began to wrestle and for a moment you were worried you should go try to find another Ghoul, but Dewdrop shrieked, laughing as he tried to get away from Sunshine. As they both chased each other around you sighed and decided to head towards the house, the call of a bath was too strong to resist. Ethel greeted you with a clean set of clothes when you made it inside.

“The water is from the well so it won’t be very warm, but I had Harold fill up the tub in the spare room for you. There are a few extra buckets if you want the water higher.” You squealed and couldn’t stop yourself from hugging her. She laughed and gave you a quick squeeze before pulling away. “I’d lock the door behind you though because that husband of yours wandered towards your room not too long ago.”

“Thank you so much, Ethel.”

You were already unpinning your hair before you got to the door. The thought of a bath, an actual bath and not splashing around in a creek sounded divine. A bath and clean clothes, you almost wanted to cry at the thought. You shook your hair out as you entered the room, almost wanting to skip in like a little kid with how excited you were. Everything stopped though when you closed the door and turned towards the tub. The sight that greeted you made your mouth fall open and you dropped your clean clothes onto the floor.

“Ciao, Principessa.” Copia turned towards you and gave you a lazy grin. “Cat got your tongue?”

“What are you doing?”

Copia stretched out a bit, groaning in contentment as he leaned back against the tub. The ends of his hair were wet, his shoulders and arms shining with moisture as he rested them along the edges. You stalked over, your hands clenched into fists at your side.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m taking my wife’s advice.” You sputtered at him, trying and failing to find the words to accurately describe how you were feeling. “Didn’t you tell me to take a bath?”

Your eyes wandered over him and when you realized what you were close to looking at you quickly brought them back up to his face. It didn’t matter, the bastard caught you looking. His smirk grew by the second and you had to look away because the urge to claw his eyes out was growing.

“Yes, but this is my bath.”

“I think as husband and wife our belongings are shared, si?” He leaned his head back against the edge and gave a contented groan. “So technically this is our bath. You can go next.”

“I’m not getting in there after you!”

“You’re just as filthy as I am, Principessa.”

“I most certainly am not.”

Copia gave an aggravated sigh and sat up to look at you. The sunlight shining in through the window made the freckles on his cheeks and shoulders stand out.

“How about you join me then?”

“Excuse me?”

Copia chuckled and you briefly debated shoving his head under the water.

“Si, you can always join me.” He grinned and reached out a hand towards you. “I’ll wash your back, you can wash my front…”

“Wash your fr–you insufferable idiot!”

He only chuckled, grabbing a rag hanging off the edge and laying it across his face. Your eyes skittered around the room as you tried to think of something to say, but when they landed on one of the extra buckets of water you froze.

“You should give it a try, I’ve been told I’m very good with my ha–.” His comment was cut off as you dropped the bucket of water over his head, pushing it down so the top hit his shoulders.

You had a brief moment of regret before you started laughing. Copia was sputtering and coughing while he reached up and yanked the bucket off his head. He turned in the tub, the water splashing over the edge and you froze when his eyes met yours. You bit your lip, trying to keep from laughing any more, but his glare was just not very effective with his hair sopping wet. Copia glared even harder when you snorted and doubled over to clutch your stomach.

“Principessa, come here.”

You ignored his outstretched hand and reached behind you to grasp the doorknob.

“No thank you, darling.” Trying and failing to stifle your giggles you turned the knob, stepping into the open doorway. “Enjoy your bath.”

With that you quickly moved into the hall and shut the door behind you, quickly making your way down the hall. Ethel smiled at you when you came up to her, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. You were about to scold her for letting Copia in your bath when the sound of splashing and swearing drifted into the hallway. When Ethel grasped your hand you looked back at her, smiling at the wink she gave you.

“Better make a run for it dear.”

You grabbed your skirt and took off towards the door. Copia must have made it out into the hall because you heard him calling your name behind you, but you ignored it and quickly made your way through the door. When your feet hit the porch steps Ethel’s voice rang out behind you as well as she scolded Copia.

“Mr. Emeritus put a shirt on!”

Copia’s voice barely reached you as you ran down the steps and paused for a moment to look around. You could see the Ghouls working on the fence out in front of the house so you didn’t want to go that way. The last thing you needed was to give them more fuel to tease you. You turned back towards the house and debated running around the back, but Sunshine and Dew were probably still back there. With one final, frantic look around your eyes landed on the barn and you took off as fast as you could.

As you passed the house the front door slammed open and you stopped to look behind you. Copia was stalking across the porch, buttoning his shirt up and glaring your way. You could see the fabric darkening as the water dripped from his hair and you unsuccessfully tried to stifle your laughter. When he reached the end of the porch he placed his hands on the railing and glared down at you.

“I wouldn’t move any further if I were you.”

“Or what?” You snorted and took a few steps back. “Are you going to shake your wet hair at me like a dog?”

With a growl Copia lifted himself up and easily vaulted over the railing. You were turned around and running before his feet hit the ground, but you heard his pounding footsteps as he followed you. The barn door was open and just as you got into the middle of the large building Copia’s arms wrapped around you from behind and you found yourself falling and landing in a pile of hay.

Copia pushed himself up on his knees and easily turned you so you were on your back beneath him. He lowered his head and shook it just like you dared him to, the water from his sopping wet hair now dripping onto your face. You yelped and tried to move away but his legs on either side of your waist made it impossible. With a huff you stopped struggling and tried to glare up at him, but it was hard when you saw the grin on his face. Sunshine’s words from earlier drifted into your head again and you relaxed a bit more beneath him.

It wasn’t going to stop you from giving him a hard time though.

“You ruined my bath.” Copia snorted and moved to fall down next to you in the hay. “And yours too if you keep rolling around in here.”

“There will be other baths, don’t you worry. Maybe next time you’ll join me.”

He was waggling his eyebrows when you looked over at him and you rolled your eyes. Right as you were about to respond Sunshine and Dewdrop’s voice drifted in from the open door. Copia quickly looked towards the door and then turned back towards you before quickly jumping to his feet. He reached out and helped you up, keeping your hand in his while he moved further into the barn. Brizio stuck his head out of his stall as you walked past, but Copia didn’t even spare him a glance. He grabbed a saddle blanket hanging nearby and then stopped at the ladder leading up into the hayloft.

“Up you go.”

You both turned back towards the door when the voices of his Ghouls got closer. A quick slap on your ass had you spinning around to glare at him but he was already climbing up. With a sigh you started up after him, struggling to keep your skirt out of the way of your feet on the rungs. Copia disappeared above you momentarily and you jerked your head back towards the barn door when you saw Sunshine and Dew walk inside.

Above you Copia clicked his tongue and you looked up at him. His hand was stretching out towards yours and you quickly took it to let him help you up. With muttered curses from both of you he pulled you up into the loft where landed on top of him. Both of you stayed silent for a moment, listening for any signs that the two Ghouls had seen or heard you, but all you could hear were their muffled arguments.

With a grunt Copia got up bringing the blanket with him as he wandered over towards the large open front of the loft. There wasn’t a lot of hay around, but he kicked some around before he was happy enough to lay the blanket down over it. He turned around and came back over to help you up again, it felt strangely intimate to be up here with him. Especially with how his clothes were still clinging to his damp skin. You couldn’t help but reach up and brush some of his hair out of his face, the ends curling as they dried.

You didn’t protest when he pulled you closer or when he leaned in to kiss you gently on the lips. Your mouth obediently open under his and you let yourself become lost in his kisses. It occurred to you then that besides a quick kiss that morning you hadn’t seen each other all day. You couldn’t help but laugh at the thought, thinking about how long you went without knowing him at all to now counting the hours since you had last seen him. Copia pulled away and raised an eyebrow as he looked at you.

“Something funny, Principessa?”

“Just thinking about you with that bucket on your head.”

With a growl Copia leaned in and kissed you again, his mouth demanding this time. You grabbed onto his shirt and whimpered, opening your mouth under his. His tongue tangled with yours and you did your best to keep up. While you clung to his front Copia’s hands seemed to be everywhere at once. One drifted up into your hair and tilted your head just enough to give him better access. The other slowly moved down your back until his fingers dug into your ass and pulled you tightly against him. He was already hard, you could feel it pressing against you through both of your clothes.

With a whimper you broke the kiss and stood there gasping against him trying to catch your breath. You couldn’t help but grind your hips against him a bit and the low rumble in his chest let you know how much he enjoyed the movement. Copia moved the hand in your hair to your chin and tilted your face up so your eyes met his.

“Can I touch you? Is this ok?”

When you nodded, unable to speak, he pressed another hot kiss against your lips and then motioned for you to lay down. You slowly lowered yourself onto the blanket, your eyes never leaving his. His pupils were blown as he watched you and your nerves took over for a minute, wondering what he planned on doing. You expected him to stretch out next to you but instead he lowered himself to his knees by your feet and reached out to pick up the bottom of your skirt. His eyes followed the long line of buttons that ran from the hem up to your waist and he sighed.

“Tsk, so many buttons. I’m not sure I like this skirt.”

You were about to laugh but when he started to unbutton them you let out a shaky breath. His movements were slow and steady, his deft fingers easily undoing each one. When he got past your knees he spread the skirt out to expose the bottom of your legs. His hands rested at the bottom of your thighs for a moment before slowly running down to your ankles. He took off your shoes and set them to the side before moving close again to continue working on the buttons.

Your legs were trembling and it became worse when he touched the insides of your thighs to spread them wider. The calluses on his fingers felt so good against your skin, you couldn’t help but gasp as they got closer to the tops of your thighs. When Copia seemed satisfied that your legs were in the position he wanted he leaned down to mouth at the inside of your knee while one of his hands drifted slid further down.

“Do you remember what I said, Principessa? The first night you let me touch you?” You shook your head, digging your teeth into your bottom lip as his hand got closer to your sex. “I said, ‘I want to use my mouth on you’. Would you like that?”

As Copia began to leave open mouthed kisses down the inside of your thigh you let your head fall back into the hay. You did remember that and at first you weren’t exactly sure what he had meant, but since then you had seen him lick his fingers after touching you. Slow and sensual movements as he made sure there were no remnants of you left on his skin. As his mouth got closer and closer to the apex of your thighs you realized what he had truly meant.

His hot breath against the sensitive flesh made you tremble. You were already wet, something you probably should have been embarrassed about but the way Copia was looking at you and licking his lips made you feel otherwise. It made you feel powerful in a way; that your body could command him so. His own hands trembled a bit as he moved your thighs further apart so he could settle more comfortably between them. When he seemed satisfied he slowly dragged his eyes up your body until your gazes locked.

“What do you say, hmm?” He slid his arms under your thighs and wrapped them around the top to hold you still. “Can I taste you?”

All you could manage was a nod, but a gentle nip from his teeth on the inside of your thigh made you hiss.

“Yes! Yes, Copia.”

With a deep groan he lowered his head immediately, his tongue poking out to lap at your skin. Copia was like a man starved, his tongue pushing in between the lips of your sex and running from your entrance to your clit. He repeated the movement over and over again, moaning at each swipe. You tried to cover your own moans with a hand over your mouth but even then you could still hear them echoing around you. Hopefully no one would come looking for either one of you because you did not want Copia to stop.

You felt delirious with pleasure. It was hard to think, it was hard to breathe. All you could think about was the feeling of Copia’s mouth on you. He began to focus on your entrance, his tongue swirling around it while his nose brushed repeatedly against your clit. Your head fell back with a gasp when his tongue pushed inside of you and you arched your hips up to demand more. He chuckled darkly against you as his hand pressed firmly down on your stomach to keep you still. Your breathing was becoming more ragged and you tilted your head up to look down at him.

“Ah! C-Copia, oh! I can’t…I can’t oh, please.”

He met your gaze as his face remained buried between your thighs. You couldn’t look away as he continued to mouth at you, but your breathing became increasingly more labored. Another rumbling groan vibrated against your sex and you reached out to grip his hair. You had no idea what you were doing, but when he groaned again you tentatively slid your fingers further into his hair and tightened your grip.

His movements became more frenzied then, his tongue swiping at you roughly. The hand on your stomach slowly moved down and he brought it to the inside of your thigh, squeezing your flesh briefly before he pulled his mouth away to replace his tongue with his fingers. He slid two of them into you easily and that was enough to have you right at the edge of your orgasm.

Copia pressed a few kisses to the inside of your thighs and you mewled as you felt the wetness from between your legs being spread onto your skin. His fingers were pumping in and out of you, crooking at the perfect point to rub that spot inside of you. You gasped out his name, desperate for one final push to send you over the edge. With a growl he finally lowered his head again and closed his lips around your clit. All it took was a few seconds of pressure and a flick of his tongue and you were lost, tumbling into your orgasm with a moan that you had no chance of stopping.

Copia gave you one final lick and then you felt him pull away. You heard fabric rustling but all you could do was lay there and try to catch her breath. It felt like little aftershocks of pleasure kept rumbling through your body. Everything you and Copia had done together had felt good, but this felt so much more intimate than anything else.

A muttered word in Italian finally spurred you to open your eyes and sit up. Copia was kneeling at your feet, still looking at you hungrily. He had opened his pants enough to pull his cock out and was pleasuring himself much like he had been doing the last few days. It was clear he still didn’t plan on taking you but you wanted to help, you wanted to learn what would make him cum. You needed to feel him as much as you could.

“Copia, can I…” You pushed yourself up on your elbows first and with a soft grunt moved to sit up. “I want to help you. Can I?”

With a somewhat delirious laugh Copia sat back and stretched his legs out. After a moment he held out a hand for you and you wasted no time taking it. With a gentle tug he pulled you up and into his lap, encouraging you to wrap your legs around his waist. You pushed your skirt out of the way, your trembling starting anew when you realized how close he was. Copia had to be thinking the same thing because he leaned forward and took your mouth in a rough kiss.

It was strange tasting yourself on his lips but it didn’t stop you from throwing an arm around his neck to try to get closer. The knuckles of the hand he still had wrapped around his cock brushed against your still wet flesh and you broke away to look down at it. His cock was hard, the tip red and glistening with fluid. You tentatively brought a finger up to touch the tip, getting a small amount of the fluid on your finger before his cock twitched at the contact.

“Cazzo, Principessa.”

“What can I…Copia what should I do?”

“Just touch me, it won’t take much.” He wrapped his hand around yours and brought it back to his cock. “Follow my lead, eh?”

You nodded, letting him drag your hand up and down his shaft. Near the tip he tightened his fingers around yours briefly and you began to rub your thumb harder against the underside of his cock. Copia began to pant as your movements became more sure, his hand falling away from yours to rest clench in the blanket under you both. His other hand stayed at the bottom of his cock, meeting yours at each downstroke of yours.

His panting became louder and his thighs began to flex under yours. Subtle movements up into your hand and you found yourself moaning at the power in his legs. You almost laughed when you suddenly felt regret that you hadn’t joined him in the bath. Instead you moaned when his other hand came back and he covered yours again. With a few hard strokes his cock kicked in your hand as he came. He kept your hand going until his cock stilled, his cum now sticky between your fingers.

With a final groan he pulled both of his hands away so he could lean back. You stayed frozen in his lap, no longer gripping him in your hand. Instead you held your hand out in the air and watched as he collected himself. When his breathing calmed he finally met your eyes and gave you that smug smile you were having a harder and harder time being annoyed with. With a grunt Copia sat up and gently took hold of your wrist so he could bring the corner of the blanket up and wipe your hand off. When you made a face at the stickiness he leaned in and kissed your nose. He hummed softly to himself until he was satisfied that you were clean and then wrapped his arms around your waist to pull you close.

“How about we stay here a little bit longer, huh? Take a nap?”

All you could do was nod, suddenly more tired than you could ever remember being. As he helped you off of his lap and eased you onto your back you realized it was more than that though. It wasn’t just feeling tired from all the traveling and the stress. Or even being tired from what you had just done with him. You felt safe with Copia, content and happy in a way you never had before. When he stretched out next to you and collected you in his arms you let your head rest on his chest and immediately felt your body grow heavy with sleep.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

You could get used to waking up to Copia’s kisses.

This time he was holding your hand and placing a kiss on each fingertip then trailing his mouth to your palm before pressing his lips to your wrist. He kept his mouth there against your pulse for a short time before going back and starting the process all over again. HIs fingers were rough against your own, but the sensation felt good. Your skin still tingled where he had touched you earlier, where his mouth had touched you earlier. At the thought of what you and he had done not too long ago you sighed and wiggled closer against his side, burying your face into his neck.

“Finally awake, eh?” Copia twitched and hissed when you lightly nipped the skin under his jaw. “Ok, ok fine. You’re developing some bad habits, Principessa.”

“I wonder why that is?” You pressed a kiss against the tiny mark your teeth had left before laying your head down on his shoulder. “There must be a bad influence around me.”

“Si, Ethel.” Another light nip from your teeth made him growl and move so that you were on your back with him looming over you. The sunlight was fading, but as it shone into the hayloft and danced across his face. You lifted a hand up to brush lightly across a cheek, admiring the freckles you had been taking more and more notice of. “We’ll be leaving in the morning.”

Immediately you froze and dropped your hand down. Your chest already clenching with the anxiety of leaving this place, a place that you had felt wanted and at home for the first time in many years. Copia picked up on your mood change and leaned down to place a kiss on your forehead. He brought his own hand up to brush some of your hair out of your face.

“Do we have to?” You immediately felt like a fool asking because of course you had to leave. There was still so much to do, so much to deal with and staying here wasn’t an option. “I’m sorry, I know we have to. I just…”

“Hey, it’ll be ok Principessa. Didn’t I promise to protect you?” You nodded but couldn’t bring yourself to look him in the eyes. “What are you so worried about?”

You let out an exasperated sigh and covered your face with your hands for a moment. Was he being serious? How could he not understand that despite his presence, despite his reassurances, that of course you’d be scared!

“Copia there’s still so much to do! We have to go to your brother’s, who by all accounts isn’t happy with what’s going on.” When Copia didn’t deny it you shook your head quickly, desperately trying to stop tears from forming. “What about Saltarian and the wedding? Has anything changed with your plans?”

He dropped his head for a moment, still hovering over you. With a sigh he moved away to sit at your side. He ran his fingers through his hair and seemed to be nervous about his answer.

“Right now not much has changed. When we get to The Ministry I’ll talk with Secondo and find out exactly what’s going on.” Copia reached out both of his hands and you obediently took them, letting him pull you up to sit in front of him. He reached up and brushed some more of your hair away. You could feel him picking out some hay and flicking it to the side. “Do you remember what I promised you?”

“Of course I do.”

“Bene. I keep my promises, Principessa.” His voice was so steady and sure you couldn’t do anything else but believe him. “Now, do you remember the promise you made to me?”

You froze, thinking back to that day at the creek. It felt like it was a lot longer ago than it actually was.

“I don’t want to run away. I want to stay with you.” His mouth pulled up in a smirk and you rolled your eyes. “Where would I even go anyway?”

He gave a disbelieving laugh and reached out to grab you around your waist. With a quick tug he pulled you over into his lap, settling you against him and hooking his chin over your shoulder.

“This farm would be the first place I’d look.” You turned your head to look at his profile. The green of his right eye sparkled brightly even in the low light. “I’d have to be careful though, when I came to get you.”

“Why’s that?”

Copia turned and pressed a brief kiss into your lips. He then moved to give you one on each cheek before leaning his forehead against yours.

“Ethel would kill me if I hurt you.”

You both laughed, only stopping when he kissed you again. Neither one of you pulled away until you heard the voices of the Ghouls below you. When you blinked your eyes open it was to see Copia’s face illuminated by moonlight, the sun long having set. He urged you up and you quickly stood in front of him, reaching out to give him a hand. You frowned when he ignored it and instead reached out towards your skirt.

“Copia…”

“I don’t think Ethel would approve of you walking back to the house like this.”

Your cheeks flamed when you realized your skirt was still unbuttoned, your legs completely visible. He slowly worked his way down and made sure it was done up before grunting and standing up in front of you. With a few quick movements he plucked some hay out of your hair before cupping your cheeks and kissing the tip of your nose.

“Did you get it all? I don’t want her thinking we spent the whole afternoon being lazy.”

“You look fine.” He took your hand and pressed a quick kiss onto the back of it. “Bellissima.”

Copia moved towards the ladder, tugging you along by your hand. You weren’t sure if you trusted him so you quickly reached up and tried to brush any other pieces away. Ethel probably wouldn’t care but you didn’t want to give Copia the satisfaction of flustering you. As you both made your way back down the ladder and into the barn you were met with knowing looks from Aether and Rain. You couldn’t help but blush and after stopping to rub Brizio’s neck you walked past Copia and the two Ghouls to make your way out of the barn.

As soon as you got outside you noticed a large fire going in the field in front of the house. The rest of the Ghouls were moving around next to it and you could see Harold with them as you got closer. Copia came up behind you then and wrapped an arm around your waist to keep you on the path to the house.

“What’s going on?”

“Ethel and Harold wanted to give us a nice sending off as a thank you for all the help.” You looked back over to the fire when you heard the strumming of a guitar. “Some good food and some music will be nice, don’t you think?”

“Music?”

“Si, sounds like Dewdrop is tuning Harold’s guitar. If we ply Sunshine with enough whiskey, maybe she’ll sing for us.”

You reached the stairs of the porch but before starting up them you turned and placed your hands on his chest.

“What about you?”

“Hmm?”

“What would it take for you to sing?”

Copia gave you a lazy smile and pulled you closer, leaning forward so his lips were right at your ear.

“I’m sure we could think of something.”

Before you could respond the door to the house opened and you laughed lightly when Copia groaned quietly.

“All right you two, help me carry some things out there.” When Copia wouldn’t let you go, Ethel cleared her throat. “Now, Mr. Emeritus.”

With a sigh Copia let you slip out of his grasp, you glared at him briefly before turning and heading up the stairs. Ethel greeted you with her usual warm smile. She reached forward to smooth out your blouse before glancing up at your hair. With a sigh she raised her hand and you felt her run her fingers over your hair. As she lowered it you narrowed your eyes at some hay Copia had missed.

“Polpettina, what have you been doing all afternoon?”

You growled and pulled away when Copia came up behind you. Ethel laughed at you both before motioning behind her towards the door.

“Mr. Emeritus, stop teasing your wife.” You smirked at Copia’s mumbled apology while you opened the door to head inside. “Now, let’s grab the food and the whiskey and have ourselves a bonfire.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The air was cool, but you were staying warm by the bonfire.

Ethel had insisted you take at least a few sips of whiskey, saying it would help warm you up. After you got past the awful taste you did feel a bit better. Copia keeping you close against his side certainly helped too. After everyone had finished eating the group had settled a bit to enjoy the night. Dewdrop was lazily playing a few tunes on Harold’s guitar and you couldn’t help but let your eyes drift closed. Ethel and Harold had made their way back inside, but not before she gave Copia stern instructions not to keep you up too late.

Copia had been relatively quiet most of the night, content to just keep you close and let the others talk. While you watched them it was easy to see that they had known each other for a long time. The camaraderie between them all was strong, even when they were picking on each other.

“Dew either tune that guitar or give it to Aether.”

“How about you shut up and sing us something?”

Sunshine snorted and kicked at the Ghoul’s feet.

“I haven’t had enough whiskey for that and I’d rather harass you.”

“Yeah because harassing us always works out in the end, doesn’t it?”

The Ghoulette turned towards Swiss and by the look on her face she was about five seconds from throwing the whiskey bottle in her hand at him.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Oh come on, it’s the same shit every job! You always gotta stir things up with your little schemes.” Swiss yelped when the whiskey bottle hit him in the chest, groaning as some of the liquid soaked his shirt. He managed to grab it before it dropped to the ground and spilled anymore, taking a healthy swig before pointing at Sunshine. “Take Denver for example.”

Pretty much all of the Ghouls groaned at the mention of Denver. You heard Mountain mutter ‘here we go’ under his breath from his spot nearby.

“What about Denver?”

“Everything was going fine until you had to get involved.”

“‘Fine’? Everything was ‘going fine’?” Sunshine snorted and shook her head. “If by fine you mean that nothing was working and I needed to intervene then sure, yeah. Things were fine.”

“Copia was handling it!”

“No he fucking wasn’t!”

Copia cleared his throat and looked pointedly at both of the Ghouls. With a huff Sunshine crossed her arms and slumped back against the log she had been leaning against. Swiss gave her a smug look, but quickly dropped it when he noticed Copia glaring at him. Everyone was quiet again and you smiled when Mountain handed the whiskey bottle over to you. As you took a quick drink you couldn’t help but think about all the little tidbits you had heard about Denver. You leaned over Copia to hand the bottle to Rain and then settled back against him with as innocent a smile as you could muster.

“What happened in Denver?”

Rain choked mid-drink and Dewdrop’s gentle strumming abruptly stopped. You could see Aether hang his head out of the corner of your eye while Swiss and Sunshine grinned at each other. Copia cleared his throat and rubbed a hand up and down your arm.

“Nothing, Principessa. Just something that happened a long time ago.”

“I don’t know Copia, three years isn’t that long of a time.” Swiss was still grinning as he turned your way to catch your eye. “Seems like almost yesterday really.”

“Well it wasn’t fucking yesterday, stronzo, and we’re not talking about it.”

You lightly shoved Copia’s shoulder, not wanting to let the topic go.

“No, come on, I want to know what happened! You guys talk about it all the time!”

Copia sighed and leaned close to murmur into your ear.

“It’s not a story for your innocent ears, trust me.”

Innocent?! You growled and clumsily tried to push away from him. The last drink of whiskey might not have been the best idea, but you weren’t going to let this go.

“That’s funny, the other night you said I was anything but innoc–mmph!”

You glared at him when he placed his hand over your mouth, reaching up to pull at his wrist without any luck.

“Come on Copia, I think she deserves to know. I mean, she’s practically one of the gang now, right?” Sunshine had an easy grin on her face, the whiskey bottle back in her hand. “Obviously I need to tell the story though because you dicks will mess it up.”

“No way, you were only there for part of it!”

Swiss’s grin was gone, replaced by an irritated look as he looked over at the Ghoulette.

“Well, I was there for the important part which was watching Copia and then you fuck everything up.”

Sunshine laughed when Swiss shot up and stalked over to her.

“I only got involved because you made me! It’s because of you that we got arrested and nearly hanged!”

“Oh no, you were the one that couldn’t keep it in his pants!” Sunshine got up as well and easily shoved Swiss away. With a grunt he landed on his ass, quickly slapping Rain’s hands away when he tried to help him up. “Besides I’m not the reason we can’t go back there, right Dew?”

The smaller man froze and looked everywhere but at Sunshine.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh so you don’t remember blowing up the jail?”

Dew shoved the guitar into Aether’s hands and then crossed his arms.

“Nope. Doesn’t sound like something I’d do.”

You were getting dizzy watching them all go back and forth. With Sunshine’s comment about being part of the gang running through your head you turned to give Copia a hopeful look. His gaze was steady on yours, the others having quieted down a bit to watch. Copia ran a hand over his face with a groan and waved over at Sunshine.

“Fine. You can tell her.”

You squealed and kissed Copia on the cheek, blushing a bit when you realized you’d done that in front of the others. Well, it’s not like they didn’t know what had been going on between you two anyway. No point feeling embarrassed about it. Copia didn’t seem to mind at all. He gave you a soft smile and tugged you even closer against his side. When Sunshine cleared her throat you looked back over at her, the triumphant grin on her face making you laugh.

“Alright kid, we’re going to start at the very beginning.” When Swiss groaned she delivered a swift kick to his leg and then settled her gaze back on you. “The first thing you need to know about Denver is that it’s more than just a story about a heist gone wrong. Like most things that involve your precious Cardinal it always starts with one common theme.”

Copia’s chest vibrated with his own groan and when he dropped his head down onto your shoulder, you turned back and gave Sunshine a confused look.

“What’s that?”

Sunshine grinned again as she pointed at you and clicked her tongue.

“It starts with a girl.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Next on The Cardinal's Bride...we finally find out what happened in Denver!

If you missed it I wrote a story for Terzo in this universe called The Morningstar. It takes place before the events in The Cardinal's Bride happen.

You can also check out my other stories here:

my masterlist

my ao3

If you want to be added to the tag list please leave a comment on this post! (you can also leave a comment if you want to be removed from the tag list too 💙).

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fluffysourpatch · 2 years ago

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!! flashing lights

PHANTOMMMMMMM 🦇

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fluffysourpatch · 2 years ago

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The Manager (Ghost Fic) Chapter 13

Summary: After the curveball Ari's ex threw at her it threatened to tear everything she worked for apart and she's left picking up the pieces while fending in the dark for more than just her honor.

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Workshop

Chapter 12

Rain stayed silent as he watched Dewdrop fiddle with his guitar. His fingers were shaky and uncoordinated unlike his usual composed self. Playing his guitar always seemed to calm the Fire ghoul when he got upset but in this instance, it was not helping in the slightest causing his pack mate to worry more and the fire ghoul to get even more agitated as he couldn't get anything right - he was seconds from just throwing his guitar across the room. Rain hadn't seen Dewdrop so frazzled before. The disarray of his room still lay untouched on the floor by their feet but Dewdrop didn't pay any mind to the destruction he'd caused. Rain wanted to start cleaning up but he was too afraid to move from his spot on the bed by the jittery Fire Ghoul. He could practically feel the vibrations of his anger and rage that boiled just below the surface just simmering.

"Dew…" Rain's voice spoke through the agitating noise coming from Dew's guitar that he was having a hard time playing.The fact that he was messing up chords was starting to irritate the fire ghoul all over again.

"Don't." the other snapped much too harshly causing Rain to grit his teeth; he'd been trying for the past few hours to try and talk his friend down from his frenzy.

The news and inclination that Ari may be pregnant still not lost on the Water Ghoul and he worried for her stability. Not just that but for the struggle that she and Dew have to face now. What if she was actually pregnant? What would Dewdrop do when he was told the truth? What would Ari do? He didn't want to lose a friend and he knew if the truth was that their manager was pregnant by another man it would crush Dewdrop. So much that Rain couldn't be so confident that he'd return from his spiral.

"No, I won't stop talking about it Dew. You have to tell me-" Rain tried again a little more firmly.

"Tell you what Rain?" Dewdrop's head snapped up pinning his friend under a fiery gaze. "That the woman I love is pregnant by another man? That she lied about it? That she used me like a pawn?"

"Dewdrop stop it!" Rain's voice rose sharply; a contrast to his usual calm and quiet demeanor. "You listen to me spitfire." the water ghoul leaned forward and gripped the back of his friend's neck to force him from looking away from him.

"Ari isn't a fucking liar. She's not the type to lie about anything, least of all this if she had known. I know you know that deep inside. If she says she isn't pregnant and this is just a scheme then I fucking believe her because she's never let us down before or given us a reason not to trust her word." his blue eyes searched his friends.

"And I know you know this too. The least you can do is give her the benefit of not doubting her." his grip gentled as his voice softened. "I know you love her firebug. I've never seen you so crazy about anyone else before; that says something about the bond you two share. She's perfect for you and I know how fucking miserable you were when you thought she'd rejected you. You trusted her back then though; all we are asking is you to trust her still. Don't jump to conclusions until we know the facts. You've never been one for rational thinking my friend…but this time, it's important that you have an open mind." Rain pressed as he studied his friend's face.

"But the proof was evident Rain. You saw the test. You saw the pictures…" Dewdrop muttered shaking his friend's hand off of him as he leaned away.

"That doesn't mean anything. They could be fake. Do you honestly think she'd ever sleep with the man that made her miserable?" Rain sighed giving his friend a sympathetic look. "Our Ari isn't the woman you think she is. She's special…she's a breath of fresh air and she makes you so happy…Don't let this ruin the chance of finding your mate."

"She's not my mate." Dewdrop hissed

"But she is Dew. Sometimes, mates don't find each other with a zing of electricity no matter what people say…Sometimes, mates are found through the turmoil that surround them that brings them together." he sighed rising to his feet. "Just…hear her out and please…don't turn her back on her because of this." he said softly.

Rain headed for the door and opened it but he stopped cocking his head when he heard the sounds of sobbing coming down the hall and his tail stiffened as he gazed down the corridor. He could sense Dewdrop's attention zeroing in on it too as his smaller friend came to stand at his side. A movement at the other end of the corridor caused the pair to look over at Mountain who held an envelope in his hands. The gentle giant gazed at them and raised the slip of paper.

"Her results came in. She took the test at the nurse's office." he informed but from the looks of the envelope it hadn't been opened yet.

Mountain walked down to the end of the hall and knocked softly on the door. "Blossom. The results came in." he said through the door causing the crying within to dwindle into sniffled until at last the door opened to reveal Aurora standing there.

She gave a small smile to the giant before nodding and turning to the others within the bathroom. "Honey, you ready?" she asked softly.

Ari wiped at her face and nodded as she rose. Cumulus grabbed the test and the others left the bathroom heading down the hall but Ari stood a few steps within catching sight of Dewdrop standing with Rain in his bedroom door frame. Her lip wobbled but she didn't say a word as she tucked her head down and walked past following the trail of her friends to the common room. Copia, Swiss, and Phantom were still sitting there waiting as they talked in hushed whispers as the rest of them waited for the others to arrive.

Ari took her seat beside Phantom who grabbed her hand; giving her a few pulses of his quintessence to help calm her as her tired body leaned against his for support. Rain and Dewdrop were the last to enter; sitting across the room with tense apprehension as Mountain handed the paper over to their manager but she shook her head and handed it to Copia who sat on her other side.

"I can't read it." she mumbled

Copia took the papers from her. "Are you sure mi caro?" he asked softly and at her tired nod he sighed and tore open the envelope to fish out the papers within.

"Alright let's see…" Copia scanned the information slowly and then again to double check.

Ari's face scrunched up in a wince as she waited for the verdict; praying to whatever god or devil that the results would favor her. She didn't trust the pregnancy tests; not 100% so she waited for bated breath. A tenetive glance over across the room at Dewdrop revealed him leaning forward eyes glued to her as Rain held his hand. His stare was heavy and he didn't look away when she met his gaze.

"-pregnant."

Ari blinked when Copia's voice finally registered in her ears causing her to look over at him. "W-what?" she asked confused and dazed.

"You are pregnant, tesero." he repeated slowly while handing over the papers to her.

Ari could hardly breathe as she snatched the paper from him and read the results. Her breath came out on a shaky exhale that was near panicked as her hands trembled with nerves and she felt her eyes sting again with more tears as she stared at the bold words of results right under her nose.

"I'm…pregnant?" she repeated softly before a laugh escaped her. "It's impossible. Fuck I know I didn't sleep with him! I know I didn't I swear on my life I didn't!" she panicked as she stared at the paper; the room was so silent a pin dropping could have been heard and she slumped against Phantom with uncontrollable trembling as she covered her mouth with her hand stifling another sob that wanted to rip from her throat. "The test was wrong…It has to be.."

"You took two tests, Ari…just to be sure. What did the other one say?" Rain asked softly from across the room as his hand gripped Dewdrop's shoulder - he could feel his muscles quiver, whether from rage he didn't know but he kept his grip strong in case the other decided to fly off.

"It was positive…" Cumulus said softly as she extended her hand towards the Water Ghoul with the test in her hand showing him the two pink lines clearly visible against the white backdrop.

Ari shook her head "No…no…NO!" her voice came out as a despite scream as she threw the paper to the ground and gripped her head. "I know what I did…but I didn't sleep with him…I know I wouldn't do that…I wouldn't…" she babbled.

Warm hands suddenly gripped her knees and Ari turned her red tear-soaked face to look down at Dewdrop crouching in front of her. His eyes were searching hers; guarded and unsure as he watched her face. She stared back down at him and her lips parted to say something but instead, nothing came out. Instead of screaming at her or telling her 'I told you so' Dewdrop reached out and she flinched back a bit thinking perhaps he'd hit her but instead of a harsh blow to her face, his palm rested warm and almost comforting against her cheek as he cradled it and the gentle gesture cracked her heart even more; he shouldn't be looking at her like that. He shouldn't be so kind to her at this moment. He had a right to be angry - hell she was angry at herself and at the situation but his eyes held no anger in them.

"Dew…" her voice came out cracked as another tear rolled down her flushed cheek.

"I believe you." his voice was soft as he gauged her reaction. The orange glow of his irises scanned her features. "If you say you didn't sleep with him of your own volition, then I believe you, firecracker." he said solemnly and Ari closed her eyes as if wanting to hide from his words as if she was trying to hide from him - from the truth of the situation. He shouldn't be accepting of this; she sure as hell wasn't. She didn't understand how this could have happened.

A gentle nudge to her chin made her open her teary eyes to look at him again and his face was so serious as he stared at her. "I. Believe. You." he repeated slowly as if making sure that she understood him; that she'd believe his words. "But those results have to question…if you didn't know…if you didn't sleep with him knowingly then how are you pregnant?"

The question filled the silence of the room and Ari didn't have an answer for him but her tears had stopped falling as her mind slowly caught up with the conversation and the gears in her head were turning as she mulled it over. He made a good point. If she hadn't slept with Braydon…then how?

"We need answers to this…" Copia muttered bending down to grab the pregnancy results and staring down at the papers. "We'll need to see how far along you are, tesero. That means we need to make an appointment and go from there."

"I don't want this baby." Ari didn't break her gaze away from Dewdrop; her words meant not only for him but for the rest of them. "I want nothing to do with that man."

"Okay, then there's only one option honey. Are you okay with that decision?" Phantom asked softly from beside her.

Ari worried her lip between her teeth. Getting an abortion never sat right with her but she couldn't possibly raise this baby in a Satanic church. Not alone and certainly not with the knowledge of who their father was. She shrugged limply and shook her head.

"I don't know…" she confessed; the conflict in her voice was evident as she closed her eyes and slumped forward, resting her forehead against Dewdrop's shoulder as his arms snaked around her to hold her close.

"Let me call my friend. Let me see what we can do." Copia offered as he headed for the door and exited with a nod to the others.

Ari took a breath and clung to Dewdrop's neck. "I'm sorry…" she whispered closing her eyes tightly. "I'm sorry…this is all my fault…"

"You didn't know baby. You thought you knew the situation because you'd never do anything like this…but that doesn't mean it's your fault." Dewdrop soothed stroking her hair. "We'll figure it out." he added quietly as he pressed a kiss to her head. "We'll figure it out…"

Ari shook her head and pulled away; wiping angrily at her face. "You have the right to be mad at me Dew-"

The fire ghoul shook his head slowly and cupped her face as he forced her eyes back to him. "A friend of mine made something very clear earlier. At the end of the day it shouldn't matter…I love you." he said softly brushing her cheeks. "After everything that we've been through…it shouldn't matter if this baby's mine or not. I should have trusted you and had faith in your honor because I know what kind of person you are, firecracker. I love you so much and I'm not afraid to say it aloud." he said firmly.

her lip quivered as she nodded and rested her forehead against his. "I love you too…" she whispered.

A throat cleared causing the pair to break apart and look over towards Mountain who was standing by one of the couches. A look of unease on his face as he glanced around at everyone. He had something to say; it was clear by the look on his face but whatever it was was something he didn't even want to utter. Ari tilted her head and studied his face before she spoke up - her voice soft and coaxing.

"What is it Mountain? What's on your mind?" she asked.

Everyone's eyes were on the Earth Ghoul now who was beginning to fidget; shifting his weight between his legs as if uncomfortable to stand but when he didn't say anything at first; Aurora's small frame came to stand beside him and grabbed his larger hand in hers - looking up at him imploringly.

"What is it big guy?" she asked.

The giant cleared his throat again as if something was stuck there before his rumbling voice spoke up hesitantly. "I've been thinking Ari…about the situation and…" he trailed off looking away from the woman's inquisitive stare.

"And what?" she pressed as a frown tugged at her mouth as she searched his face.

"You said that you wouldn't sleep with him willingly…."

"Yeah…" she trailed off pointedly. "What are you trying to say Mount?"

"W-well…If it wasn't willingly and he claims you were drunk and you don't remember it…." his eyes finally turned towards her. with a pointed stare as if his gaze alone transferred his thoughts to her.

Ari stared across the room at him with a blank face as she tried to understand what he was trying to say; her slow mind caught up too slowly as the others seemed to be getting what the tall ghoul was trying to imply without actually saying it out loud. Dewdrop rose to his feet sharply; his eyes glowing with rage once more but this time wasn't directed towards Ari.

"I'm going to kill him." he snarled.

Phantom grabbed his packmate's arm quickly and rose to stop him. "Easy, fireball." he warned. "We don't know if that's true."

"What's not true? Guys, what the hell are you trying to say?" Ari demanded looking up between them as she sat rigid on the edge of the couch.

"Ari…if you didn't sleep with him and don't remember that night…" Rain picked up on Mountain's thoughts. "Then that leaves only one plausible conclusion," he said gripping his hands together in front of him as he stared at the floor at his feet. "You were drugged at that party and taken advantage of by your ex-husband."

Ari stared at him with mouth agape in disbelief. "No…Braydon is one thing but he…he wouldn't do that!" she tried to defend.

"Wouldn't he?" Swiss added lowly as he crossed his arms thoughtfully. "It would make sense, don't you think? He must have known one way or another you'd find out about him cheating. But he didn't want to lose the money you were bringing in. For whatever reason he wanted you under his thumb, honey." Swiss raised his gaze to the shell-shocked woman across the room.

"He's many things but I wouldn't ever imagine him doing something like that…What reason would he want to drug me and knock me up? It couldn't be just for the money! That wouldn't make sense Swiss! At the time those pictures were taken I wasn't working with you guys. That was months before I ever found out about the job! I was still working at the attorney's office." Ari stated shaking her head.

"Wouldn't it make more sense for him to divorce me and then go be with whatever woman he's been fucking?" she added looking around the room.

"Maybe he wanted to ruin your reputation. Break you down until you had to rely on him." Swiss offered.

"He hadn't thought that you'd get a new job though…And by the time you did and were making more money than him maybe he thought that he would be entitled to that because you were married. Perhaps that is why he was fighting back about the divorce?" Cumulus offered up her own thoughts.

"Oh, my god…" Ari shook her head slowly. "It does make sense…oh my god…we have to tell Copia!" she rose sharply from the couch but Dewdrop grabbed her arm.

"No, we will handle this." he stated sharply.

"No! This isn't just about fighting for my honor anymore Dew. This man fucked me over both figuratively and physically. He can't get away with that!" she stated harshly tugging her arm from his grasp. "We have to tell Copia and get his friend to dig deeper. I won't be made a fool and give my ex the satisfaction of getting any part of me!" she snapped.

The fire ghoul looked at her a long time until she swore he wouldn't say anything and she turned to leave but his grip remained on her arm as he tugged her back and cupped her face. "Okay baby." he searched her face. "We'll fight back, together. But promise me you won't do anything reckless, got it?"

Ari gave a grim smile and nodded. "He won't screw us over. Not again." she confirmed before Dew pressed a firm kiss to her lips.

"Atta girl."

Chapter 14 coming soon!

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