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"I dont think he's coming."
The rumble of Primo's voice snapped you out of your trance. You'd been staring at the door to the office, hand clasped tightly around your cup while your high heeled foot tapped on the Persian rug beneath your chair.
"You don't think who's coming?" You ask with faux innocence that would have fooled precisely no-one. Primo rolls his eyes with a sigh before draining the last of his own cup and makes a high pitched whistle with his pursed lips. You grimmace at the sharp sound before one of his nameless ghouls arrives in a puff of black sulfur smoke. He mutters something in Italian, and the ghoul nods once, disappearing just as fast in the same cloud. You frown, sitting down your cup with a loud clink.
"Papa, what are you doing? Should I be nervous?"
He smiles coyly, pours herself more tea and begins looking through some of the papers you had brought with you.
"You might be my boss but you're also an asshole right now."
"Lucifer works in mysterious ways," Primo says without so much as looking up at you, still with an annoying coy smile.
Time seems to tick by slowly as you wait for the older Papa to finish reading over everything, foot continuing its impatient tapping. After what felt like hours (but in reality was only about 20 minutes) you hear shuffling outside the office door which eventually swings open, revealing a flustered Cardinal Copia and the same nameless ghoul as before.
"Come in Copia, take a seat." Primo's eyes glint with mischief as he waves the Cardinal in, finally sitting down the papers. Copia looks tense and anxious as he stiffly nods, taking a seat next to you.
"What can I assist you with Papa?" The Cardinal asks, hands clasped tightly in front of him, shoulders rigid and square. Primo rises with a quiet groan, knee's cracking after sitting for so long.
"I believe my caro assistente invited you to afternoon tea with us a few days ago and has been più impaziente ever since for you to arrive."
Your whole body freezes, breath caught in your throat as your cheeks flush flame red.
"P-Primo!" You squeak out, nails digging into the leather chair with a death grip.
"Don't act surprised sorella, you've been staring at that door this whole time like it owes you money."
You lean on the desk with your head in your hands, you didn't think it'd be possible for you to anymore embarrassed than you already were.
"Well I believe I've said enough, I'll leave you to it."
You hear him walk out the room, door closing with a quiet click. You half expected Primo to lock it behind him, that would just be the cherry on top of the mortified cake.
Copia sits in silence as you take a second or two to compose yourself, if you didn't know he was next to you, you'd think you were alone.
"I'm sorry you got dragged here Cardinal, I can assure you that wasn't my intention for today."
You sit up at last, stealing a glance at him as you begin fidgeting with your sleeves. A nervous habit you'd picked up years ago and never quite managed to shake. Copia's mismatched eyes briefly meet yours, a little shiver runs down your spine as you quickly look away.
"Eheh, it's quite alright sorella...you are, that is, your company is più preferibile to paperwork. I-I apologise if I kept you waiting." His gloved hand awkwardly hovers over yours as if he can't quite decide whether to touch you or not. After a little while he withdraws his hand, placing it back in his own lap instead.
"Would you like some tea?" You ask a little shyly.
"Ah, si. T-that would be piacevole." His lips twitch into a nervous smile as you rise from your seat and fetch something from Primo's desk drawer before taking your seat next to him again.
"I...I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of getting you your own cup and saucer. See, Papa Primo's has pentagrams because he's Papa, it make sense to show his connection to the Dark One. Mine has bats because I think they're cute and well, I used to have a fascination with vampires." You sheepishly admit with a little blush. "But this...this is the one I got for you." You hold it out with a shy look, secretly craving his approval. It was a bone white fine china cup and saucer like the other two, except his was decorated with different coloured rats.
"I heard you had a few pet rats and Sister Magda, who works in the kitchens, told me she saw you rescuing one from the kitchen traps. I um, I hope you like it."
There's a moment of silence as Copia just examines the cup delicately, turning it carefully in his long dexterous fingers.
"You...you really got this for me, sorella?" He asks quietly, almost with a tinge of awe in his voice.
"Mmhmm," you smile softly. "Primo and I have our own cups, it only seemed fair."
The Cardinal nods thoughtfully before sitting the cup down in its own saucer with his own soft smile.
"Thank you, cara mia. I don't believe anyone's ever done anything so thoughtful for me before." He's still looking at the cup with an almost quiet reverence, you can't deny the little flutter in your chest it causes.
"Here," you say softly, filling the cup with tea. "Try it out."
"Ah, si. Grazie." Copia adds a little sugar to the cup before carefully sipping on some of the hot liquid. "Perfetta."
His mismatched eyes meet yours, warm and dare you say affectionate? You hold his gaze for a second or two getting lost in the mismatched depths before you look away again. Oh Lucifer, why did he have to be so beautiful??
"No-one's ever craved my company so much they've sent a ghoul after me before." His voice is quiet, almost like he's talking to himself more than anything but you can see the hint of a teasing smile at the corner of his lips.
"Oh hush, that was Primo. Not me," you chuckle. He hums in agreement, carefully sipping at the tea before he looks at you again.
"You know, sorella. You never did tell me the tale of the china safe. Seeing as I have my own cup now, perhaps it is time. Si?"
"I suppose you're right, Cardinal. It is a rather long story however, are you sure you have the time?" You ask, praying to any and all hellish deities that he'd say yes.
"For you, cara mia, I shall make the time