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It's a warm summer night, and the church was quiet. The day is ending, and everyone is either settling in for the night to prepare for tomorrow's day, or some are up late working on other things.
Terzo was one of those up late. He was busy all day preparing for Secondo and the ghouls to arrive back from their tour, and then even more busy when they arrived, not even a couple hours ago. The cardinal was mostly excited to see Omega, as he and the quintessence ghoul had just barely talked about the quite obvious chemistry and feelings they had for each other before the band had to get shuttled away to tour. They kept in touch the whole time, of course, with their words and texts nothing more than the casual flirting they were already doing. But Omega said off-handedly the night before that he would like to try and actually give whatever they had a chance, and perhaps even go on a date. Terzo adamantly agreed, already having a few plans in mind the moment he texted back.
So currently, Terzo was waiting patiently for the sweet, tall, and handsome ghoul in his chambers and occupying his time by going over his personal notebook that he had filled to the brim with songs. Lyrics, chords, melodies, even doodles for album art in between when his brain was overrun with too much music theory. Hey, the man is smart, but the burnout is brutal.
He flips through a couple of loose music sheets, frowning with the tip of his pencil between his teeth as he looks over one song, humming the melody under his breath with ease. Terzo is so focused that he doesn't even hear Omega quietly enter his room through the half open door and lean in next to his ear with a smirk and low voice.
“Whatcha lookin’ at, cardinal?”
Terzo jumps in his chair with a small yelp, his pencil dropping from his mouth and slamming his notebook shut.
“Omega! Ah, I was, just journaling! Yes, that's it. Writing down my thoughts because I have so many! Ah, especially about you, mio caro ,” Terzo replies hastily, donning a flirty grin and standing up, sliding his notebook further down his desk.
Omega raises an eyebrow when Terzo stands, giving him a flirty grin back and tilting his head with a flick of his ear. “Oh, about lil’ ol’ me? Shucks,” he replies. “Can I see?”
Terzo's eyes widen and chuckles nervously with a shake of his head.
“Nonono, my dear. That's for my eyes only, you know.” He winks at Omega, still continuing his flirtatious act. “Anyways, now that we're all alone, what should we do?” Terzo leans on his hands against his desk, blocking Omega's view of his notebook and attempting to put on a more sultry demeanor.
Omega hums thoughtfully, then steps forward closer with his lips curled in an equally sultry grin. “Hmm, I think, my dear Terzo…” He closes the distance, his larger form pressing almost flush with Terzo's, backing him against the desk and placing his hands on the surface, framing the cardinal`s body.
Terzo's breath hitches with Omega's sudden close proximity, his heart beating fast in his chest. He swallows, keeping his confident demeanor as he replies. “You think… what?” Omega leans in closer, those blue eyes half lidded and looking into the cardinal's as his gaze flicks down to his lips for a split second, their legs touching as Terzo is now practically sitting halfway on his desk. Omega chuckles lowly, his breath ghosting over Terzo's face as he leans in even further.
“I think that you should, sit on the bed obediently…” Terzo's eyes grow even wider, his breathing halted as he listens to Omega.
“Oh? And then?”
“And while you sit there, I…”
Terzo just nods numbly, his hands reaching up to grip Omega's forearms on either side of him, feeling the thin, soft fur and muscles underneath his hands. Omega leans in more, his nose a mere inch away from Terzo's, and while he has the cardinal captivated, he slowly slides one hand further up the table towards the notebook resting behind Terzo.
Terzo lets out a short breath, his eyes fluttering as he slowly leans in to close the distance between their lips, his hands keeping their tight hold on the ghoul's arms. Omega holds himself up with the hand slowly sliding on the desk while his other hand travels gently up Terzo's back to hold him closer. Terzo's body curves into Omega's at the ghouls touch, his lips brushing against the other's as he whispers breathlessly. “You'll do what, my darling?”
Omega stops, his hooded eyes locked on Terzo's eager and pliant face. He lets out a breathy chuckle, his hand finally making its way to the notebook. “I. Am going to read this.”
With one quick action, he swipes the notebook, turning from Terzo and stepping away. Terzo opens his eyes with a gasp as Omega twists away from him, his eyes wide with panic when he sees his notebook in the ghoul’s hand.
“Wha-? Hey!” He slides off the desk and jumps up to Omega to grab the book, but Omega holds it high above his head, far out of reach from the shorter man. He turns his body away from Terzo with a shit-eating grin.
“I'm really curious to see what tasty and, possibly erotic, things you've been writing about me?” Terzo growls in frustration, jumping up to try and grab his notebook back from the tall ghoul, but to no avail as Omega keeps twisting his body away from the cardinal with a laugh. Terzo lets out an annoyed huff, then an idea enters his mind. He clambers onto his bed, standing on top and then leaps onto Omega's back, his arms wrapping around his neck, and his legs around his waist as he reaches one hand out pathetically to try and grab his notebook again.
“Give it back, you prick!”
Omega gets thrown off balance for a moment from the surprise attack, but he steadies himself as he laughs and keeps holding the notebook out of Terzo's reach. “Hey, it's okay, Terz. I'm sure I've seen worse. Unless you're more freaky than I think, but I still won't judge. A man has to have hobbies, I get it,” he replies with a grin, spinning in place as his free hand reaches to keep a hold on Terzo's leg around him.
Terzo lets out a whine as he waves his hand weakly, his forehead falling against the ghouls neck. “Meeegss, please! Just please give it back!”
Omega purses his lips as his other hand leaves Terzo's leg to reach out and holds the notebook now with both hands. “Mm, gimme a second, I want to peruse these forbidden pages.”
Terzo groans, his voice muffled and pleading against the ghoul's neck, kicking his feet against his sides. “Omega…”
Omega chuckles as he opens the notebook, and a couple of music sheets fall out. “Oh, shit. Sorry, Terz.”
Terzo immediately slides off the ghoul, crouches down to swipe the papers, holding them close to his chest and stepping away, throwing a slight glare to Omega. He adjusts and smooths out the pages while Omega watches him, the ghoul`s playful grin fading.
“Terz, I'm sorry, I was just teasing ya,” he says. He steps forward and holds out the notebook, which Terzo snatches back.
“You seduce me, and then steal something that I just told you to not look at. Nice. Thanks. Prick.” Terzo grumbles under his breath as he returns the music sheets to its proper places in between the pages. Omega's ears droop slightly, approaching Terzo slowly with an apologetic expression.
“Ah, Terzo, I really am sorry, you're right. That was a dick move,” he responds. “You don't have to actually show me anything. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”
Terzo finishes organizing his notebook and takes a moment to consolidate himself. He runs his hand over his face with a sigh, thinking, while Omega just stands patiently. After a moment, Terzo sighs again, his demeanor more calm as he responds.
“I accept your apology, but if you really must know, there's no erotica or anything in here,” he says.
“Oh?” Omega responds, his head tilted.
Terzo shakes his head, glancing back at the notebook, and walks over to his bed and takes a seat. He looks up at Omega and, with a small smile, pats the spot next to him. Omega hesitates for a moment and then goes to sit next to the cardinal, a bit stiff at the edge of the mattress as Terzo sits back and crosses his legs to get more comfortable.
“No need for the stiffness, my dear. You can relax, I'm not mad at you. Well, not as much as before,” he chuckles. Omega nods, and he scoots back, crossing his legs as well, his tail curling up around his legs.
“Well, that's good, I guess. I really did feel like a dick, I'm sorry,” he says.
Terzo waves him off as he sets the notebook on his lap and opens it. “I forgive you, don't beat yourself up over it. But I am willing to show you what's in here,” he replies. “Only because I trust you.”
Omega blinks, and he lets out a short chuckle with a sheepish grin. “Really? Well, I feel honored then. Whatcha got?” Terzo's grin grows, getting more excited as he moves the open notebook to lay in between them on their legs.
“This here, my darling ghoul, is a good few years of music theory and listening to hours and hours of music, to create my future songs when I soon become Papa.” Omega's eyes widen as Terzo flips through the first few pages, filled with hastily scribbled lyrics and notes, some crossed out or erased completely. Omega's eyes rove across the pages swiftly, landing on the title of the song at the top of the page.
“ ‘Spirit?’ ”
Terzo nods passionately, his smile growing ever bigger. “I`ve always been fascinated by an apocalyptic, futuristic theme, and I think for my debut album, I want to try and embody some of that. So ‘Spirit’ is about a hallucinogenic trip with absinthe to like, hell or the seventh gate or something like that.” He explains, running his finger through the written words. Omega nods attentively, genuinely interested.
“That's an interesting way to go about it,” he responds, looking over the lyrics. “Is this what you want to be the first song on the album?”
“Maybe. I'll have to see how the rest of the songs will play out and sound like,” Terzo answers. “ ‘Spirit’ is decently short and has a slower pace with some instrument breaks. I`ve been studying and listening to how my brothers create their songs, and from that, I figured out how I wanted my own to sound like. I think I want a lot of like, choir moments, and more guitars, like some really good guitar melodies, you know?” He glances at Omega, who nods again in response with a grin.
“That could be cool. I have the utmost confidence you can pull it off, though. You clearly have a lot of passion for music, and honestly, I`m looking forward to creating these songs with you in the future.” Omega looks up to meet Terzo`s eyes with sincerity. The cardinal reciprocates with a smile, touched by the ghoul`s genuine words.
“I appreciate that, Omega, truly. I just…” he glances away for a moment, his expression pensive as he continues. “I just want to make something that I will not only be satisfied and happy with, but enough for the masses to enjoy too.” He looks back at Omega with a determined tone. “I want to make my time memorable. To make this church know that I'm giving my all to our cause.”
Omega can only nod once more, his eyes full of admiration for the cardinal. “I get it. With the resurgence of the Ghost Project, our reach to the world increases every day, and I have no doubts that you will take that reach to the pinnacle.”
Terzo smiles fondly with a chuckle. “Funny you should say ‘pinnacle’, because I think you`ll like this next song.” He flips a couple more pages to one that reads “From the Pinnacle to the Pit”.
Omega lets out a short laugh when he reads the title. “Oh, okay. So I`m gonna take a stab here. I'm assuming this is about our dear Lucifer falling from heaven to hell, yea?”
Terzo responds with a laugh and nod. “I mean, yeah, basically. But, the guitar riffs I have in mind? Oh, my dear Omega… I think you and the others will enjoy it.”
“Yea? Do you perhaps have the notes for that?” Omega looks over, reading the lyrics as Terzo grabs some music sheets from under the page and hands it to the ghoul.
“I think some of it may change when I hear it with real guitars, but I've run them through a simulator, and what was produced sounded really good to me, at least.” Terzo watches Omega read through the crumpled sheets, a sudden wave of nervousness washing over him. He fidgets with a string on his blanket as he keeps his eyes on the ghoul, who takes his time perusing and occasionally humming a tune under his breath. After a moment, Omega finally nods with a hum of approval, looking back at Terzo.
“These do look fun to incorporate, I think it`ll be quite a new and interesting sound,” he comments. Terzo can feel his tense muscles relax with Omega`s praise and lets out a breath.
“Thank you,” he replies. “It kind of has the vibe of Led Zeppelin, where it's a riff a crowd could clap along with, you know? I want to create songs that the fans can really sing along with, too. Don't get me wrong, my brothers have created some pretty good crowd participation songs, but I think we could do with a few more, hm?” Terzo tilts his head with a raised brow and grin, which Omega nods back to in response.
“Oh, absolutely. I think if you really want to connect with the masses, you have to give them not only your time to entertain them, but to show that you want them there and you appreciate them taking time to see you. You don't have to be, like, super personal, but just enough to a degree that the people will feel at ease and safe with others around them who also enjoy the music,” Omega explains. Terzo nods slowly, registering Omega`s insightful words.
“I agree. And that's exactly what I want to do when my time arrives. I want to appeal to the masses and show that the band is not as stiff or… no-nonsense as it appears to be. I can have fun and still bring more people unto Satana. And I`m not gonna take shit from anyone either, alright?” Terzo`s tone becomes more firm, his heterochromatic eyes flashing with determination. “I don't care if any of my creative liberties don't coincide with whatever the Clergy wants, I`m doing this my way. I want my reign to change the way we do things with the band. The church may be growing, but so are the times, and we have to learn to adapt to it.”
Omega stares in awe at Terzo`s declaration, amazed at how intense and committed he is, ears perked up with elation. “Wow, Terzo, that's inspiring, really.”
Terzo realizes his sudden intensity, blinking with a chuckle. “Ah, sorry, I just get really passionate about these things.”
“Don`t be sorry, it's a good thing to be passionate. It shows you care a lot,” Omega responds, placing a hand on the cardinal`s knee with a soft smile. “It's something I really admire you for, too.”
It's such a simple gesture, but it makes Terzo`s heart skip a beat, and his breathing stops for a second. He looks into Omega`s eyes, something he hopes he`ll never get tired of, and after a moment, he speaks up with an inquisitive tone. “Omega? If you weren't trying to just tease me to get my notebook, would you really have kissed me?”
Omega is slightly thrown off by the question, glancing away for a moment before he looks back, a flash of playfulness in his blue eyes. “I dunno. You wanna try again and see?”
Terzo raises a brow, shaking his head with a scoff and trying to hide a grin. “You`re a little shit, you know.”
Omega shrugs with a smirk, suddenly leaning in close to whisper a hair lengths away from Terzo`s lips. “Yeah. But I'm your little shit, right?”
The cardinal`s breath hitches with the close proximity, his eyes fluttering down to glance at the ghouls soft lips before flicking back to his eyes again. He leans in closer as well, placing his hand on the bed behind Omega and holding his weight as he whispers back. “If that's what you want, tesoro …”
Omega raises his hand to tenderly cup Terzo`s jaw and brings his lips to meet Terzo`s, his eyes closing at the faint touch. Terzo lets out a quiet sigh against the ghoul`s mouth, his own eyes shut as he pushes gently against Omega`s lips. The ghoul takes the reaction as permission to deepen the delicate kiss, his other hand reaching around Terzo`s waist to pull him closer. Terzo is sure the quintessence can hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest with that stupidly sensitive hearing, but he lets the ghoul pull him closer, closing the notebook and setting it aside, unraveling his crossed legs to rest on his knees in front of Omega instead. Omega breaks the kiss with a quiet breath, his eyes half open as he sees Terzo change position. Terzo freezes halfway, his eyes wide.
“I-I`m sorry, Megs, I was trying to- I don't even know, I`m trying to not go too fast, I swear,” he rambles, his face heating up and turning red. Omega shakes his head with an affectionate smile, running his padded thumb over the cardinal`s cheek to calm him.
“No, it's okay, you`re okay. I don't want to go too fast either, but what we`re doing right now is perfect. Don't stress about it. You have enough of that going on,” Omega chuckles warmly. Terzo sits back on his knees as he lets out a shaky breath, resting his equally shaky hands on the ghoul's shins.
“O-okay. I- we don't need to do anything more, but…” he trails off, eyes darting around before landing back on Omega. “I want to keep kissing you.”
Omega smiles with fond amusement at the nervous cardinal. It was intriguing to see the normally composed man reduced to a shy, flustered state. He uncrosses his legs to rest them on either side of Terzo and scoots closer, grabbing his trembling hands. “Well that's good, cuz I wanna keep kissing you too.”
Terzo gasps sharply, and as soon as Omega is closer, he surges forward, his lips crashing into Omega`s. The ghoul lets out a muffled noise of surprise but smiles into the kiss as his eyes close, returning a hand to Terzo`s face. Terzo shuts his eyes as he leans forward, and his hands go to grip Omega`s shirt collar. The kiss itself is tender and slow, neither one of them wanting to start something they're not ready for yet, but for Terzo, it just feels right. To finally be close to this sweet and remarkable ghoul after so long, and the unbelievable notion that Omega actually reciprocates, is a feeling Terzo never wants to forget.
Omega puts his free hand around the back of Terzo`s neck tenderly to deepen the kiss just a little more, threading his clawed fingers through the fine hairs. Terzo lets out a quiet, involuntary moan against the ghoul`s lips as he pushes against Omega eagerly, causing them both to tip over on the bed. Their kiss is broken for a moment when Terzo falls on top of Omega, still holding onto his shirt as he stares into Omega`s eyes. Omega is a little taken aback as well, but he smiles softly up the cardinal, caressing his face and neck. “What's wrong? You`re doing just fine, T.”
“You sure? I didn't mean to get too eager,” Terzo responds quietly, biting his lip. “You- this just- am I crazy in thinking that this whole thing feels right?” Terzo puts his arms on either side of Omega to hold himself up, his face grimacing with uncertainty. Omega trails his hands down to rest on Terzo`s shoulders, squeezing them as he chuckles.
“Terzo, can we just live in this moment and like kiss and stuff?”
“Yes we will, I promise, you impatient creature, but…” Terzo sighs, dipping his head. After a moment, he inhales and nods firmly. “No, you're right. Let's just enjoy this moment.” He looks back down at Omega, giving him a small grin.
“Okay. See? It's fine. We're fine. And can I just say you look even more handsome when you're not wearing a damn robe?” Omega wiggles his eyebrows flirtatiously, earning him a huffed laugh from Terzo.
“You flatter me, darling. But you, on the other hand, are beautiful, truly. I mean…” he breathes out, sitting back on his knees and looking the ghoul up and down with awe, resting his hands on his chest. “I`ve never seen, well, any demon at all really until these past few years, but learning more about the quintessence element has been fascinating! You are one fine specimen.”
Omega sits up on his elbows with a sheepish shake of his head. “Ah, I`m nothing special, really. I'm not even in the top 10 of most impressive demons down there. There are a lot more powerful and well feared guys than me.”
“I don't care about the power or how impressive others are, Omega. I`m focusing on you, and to me, you are breathtakingly gorgeous,” Terzo huffs. “Your entire being is magnificent, and I feel almost unworthy to even be talking to you sometimes. You have the ability to control matter at will and even harness the other elements, and yet you`re here. On Earth. Playing guitar in a band!” Terzo looks at Omega in disbelief while the ghoul shrugs with a tilted smirk.
“I'm a demon of many talents,” he responds. “Now, are we gonna like, keep kissing or whatever? Cuz I'm still down for that if you are.”
“Are you sure you`re also not part incubus? You seem very insistent on kissing me, piccolo diavolo . What's your motive here?” Terzo teases with a grin. He's then suddenly thrown onto his back with a surprised gasp as Omega pushes him down on the mattress, with his hands on either side of the cardinal's head.
Omega revels in the sight of Terzo`s shock for a moment before he leans in with a whisper. “You talk too much, cardinal.”
Terzo`s eyes are wide, a state which they seem to resort to a lot these past few minutes. Terzo isn't complaining, but it is making him more flustered than he's probably ever been, even more so now that Omega is above and framing him with his annoyingly soft, muscly body. The cardinal can feel the ghoul`s tail brush against his own legs in an eager motion. He looks up into those beautiful blue eyes, full of anticipation, but not initiating anything until Terzo is ready. He runs his hands up Omega`s arms before resting them on his shoulders with a soft voice. “I`m sorry.”
Omega lets out a huff, shaking his head and grinning before he leans down and presses his lips to Terzo`s. The cardinal happily returns the kiss, his eyes closing and trailing his hands up into Omega`s hair, feeling the silver locks through his fingers. Omega`s eyes flutter shut with a small noise, his hands traveling down to wrap around Terzo`s back and hold him closer as the kiss deepens. Terzo moans softly at the sensation of being brought closer to the ghoul`s body, and their kiss intensifies as Terzo opens his mouth slightly to get more of Omega. The ghoul lets out a short, breathless laugh as he whispers against Terzo`s lips.
“Getting a bit excited there, cardinal?”
Terzo growls, half opening his eyes for a moment to pout. “Shut up, I haven't had any action in quite some time, so forgive me for being a bit needy. And it doesn't help that your stupidly hot body is on top of me!”
Omega laughs heartily, his whole chest rumbling against Terzo`s as he presses a couple of kisses to his cheeks. “I see, I see. You`re right, my bad. Just thought it was cute, that's all.”
“Just shut the fuck up and kiss me, damnit!” Terzo grumbles, his face heating up at the chaste kisses and compliment as he pulls Omega down once again to lock lips. Omega is still chuckling when they rejoin, and he holds Terzo closer as the kiss deepens, their mouths opening to let their tongues tentatively meet in the middle.
The room is quiet except for the sounds of the occasional muffled moan as the pair is now basically making out on the bed like a couple of teenagers, hands in hair and sliding under shirts as they lose themselves in this new moment of connection. Omega`s lips eventually part from Terzo`s as he starts pressing kisses to the man`s jaw and trails down his throat, a faint protesting whine emitting from Terzo who can't help but tilt his head up and let the ghoul`s lips continue their path.
“Omega…” he breathes out, his hands gripping Omega`s hair a bit tighter at the feeling of warm lips against his sensitive skin. Omega hums in response quietly while he keeps pressing tender pecks to the cardinal's throat, the actions tender and caring as his fingers lightly trace random patterns on Terzo's sides under his shirt.
“Yes?” He pauses to glance up with a warm gaze. Terzo opens his eyes halfway to meet Omega's, his chest rising up and down heavily as he responds.
“I just don't want you to get too carried away, that's all,” Terzo mumbles. Omega nods and gives him a reassuring grin, pressing another small kiss to the underside of his jaw.
“I know. I'm being mindful, I promise. You have permission to stop me if I overstep anything, okay?”
Terzo can only nod in response. “Okay. Thank you, darling.”
“Of course,” Omega replies with a warm tone. “I don't want to ever make you feel uncomfortable with me, so just say something if you need to.”
Terzo nods again, his fingers loosening Omega's hair to hold and caress the ghoul's face with a fond smile. “You`re too kind for me, my sweet.” He runs his thumbs over Omega`s cheeks, smoothing out the soft fur there. The ghoul's eyes flutter closed as he leans into Terzo`s touch, his tail wagging back and forth excitedly across the sheets. Terzo chuckles softly as he moves his hands to massage behind Omega`s ears, a small happy groan slipping out of the ghoul as he practically melts in the cardinal's hands and lays his head on Terzo`s chest. “Oh, you like that then, huh?” Terzo teases, feeling Omega nod slowly.
“Fuck yes, oh my gods…” the ghoul mumbles, wrapping his arms tighter around Terzo, and fully resting his body on top of the other`s. “You're so gentle.” Terzo continues rubbing and massaging around Omega`s ears and even down to the nape of his neck and shoulders, his fingers working out the tense knots formed there. The ghoul is like putty in his hands, and he just lies there, occasionally letting out a noise of contentment. His tail is more relaxed now, swaying in a lazy motion and brushing across Terzo`s legs every so often. After a brief moment of comfortable silence, Terzo feels a small vibration coming from Omega`s chest and pauses midway to glance down.
“Are you purring?” Terzo can feel the faint rumbling stop as Omega looks up at him, resting his chin on his chest and giving him a small pout.
“I was until you stopped,” he answers defensively. “It just happens when I'm relaxing, I can't help it!”
“No need to get all huffy, caro , I think it's adorable!” Terzo laughs. “I've never heard this from you before.”
“Well that's because you've never gotten this close to me,” Omega responds. “I actually do this often, and unconsciously. Apparently I even do it in my sleep, according to Alpha. He keeps calling me ‘kitty’ because of it.” Omega finishes his explanation with another small pout.
Terzo's laughter turns to uncontrollable giggling. “Oh my gods, that's cute! You big, strong quintessence, turning into a soft, pliant cat under my fingers. I will totally not use this to my advantage in the future.”
Omega buries his face in Terzo's chest with a muffled groan. “Shut up…”
Terzo holds the ghoul's face in his hands and carefully urges him to look at him, trying to control his laughter. “Don't hide from me, I want to see your cute face, darling!” He leans in and starts peppering Omega with kisses all over his face, trying to get that purring noise out of him again. Omega grimaces with mock disgust as he tries to wrench his face away.
“I see what you're trying to do, and I'm not gonna give in,” he grumbles.
“Mhm, well, your tail begs to differ, dear,” Terzo smugly grins, feeling the ghoul's tail twitch around happily against his feet.
Omega glares back at his tail behind him with a sharp whisper. “Traitor.”
Terzo bursts out in laughter again, wrapping his arms around Omega's neck and holding him close, pressing a kiss to a horn. “Betrayed by your own appendages, how cruel! Maybe you should just stay the night then so I have a chance to hear those cute purring sounds from you.”
Omega jerks his head to look back at Terzo with wide eyes. “Uh, I don't-I don't know if that's a good idea. I don't want to get you in trouble if you're seen with me.” He furrows his brow with a slight concern.
Terzo shrugs with a grin. “I don't really care about that. It's not like we'll do anything else, just normal sleeping. Besides, no one else really comes over to this side of the abbey, so you would be able to sneak back in the morning if you so desired.”
Omega grips Terzo's shirt tight anxiously, looking off to the side as his face is scrunched up in thought. Terzo runs a hand through his silver hair with a gentle tone. “You don't have to, of course. But just understand that you are always welcome to stay with me whenever you feel like it. This thing that we're exploring, I want to be as open and available for you as I can. Because I want whatever this is to work out.”
Omega looks at Terzo, his anxiety somewhat fading at the cardinal's words, and nods with an exhale. “I hear you. And I do understand, I want whatever this is too. But…” He trails off, biting his lip as tries to think of what he's trying to say. Terzo waits patiently, keeping his fingers running through the ghoul's hair tenderly.
“I just worry that you may get in trouble if someone finds out you're, let's just say, involved, with a ghoul,” Omega admits. Terzo pauses running his hand through the ghoul's hair, then shakes his head with a faint grin.
“Omega, I hear your worries, I do. But if we want this to work out, you have to trust me. Leave the secrecy to me, I'll make sure you never get in trouble for this.” Terzo presses another soft kiss to the ghoul's forehead, gazing into his eyes sincerely. “Will you do that? Trust me?”
Omega looks back into the cardinal's eyes, sensing how determined and unwavering Terzo is, and nods. “Okay. I trust you. I really like you, and I do want this to work out.” He gives Terzo a fond grin, his thumbs absentmindedly rubbing the man's sides.
“Well, good. I kind of like you too, so I'm glad we both have that established first,” Terzo teases, pressing his forehead against Omega’s. The ghoul laughs, his eyes never leaving Terzo's.
“Yeah, otherwise it would've been awkward after we just made out for a minute.” They both laugh, holding each other and just gazing into each other's eyes for a moment more until it's broken by Omega turning away to yawn widely. “Shit, it's late. I really am exhausted. Forgot that I literally just came back from traveling, and air fatigue is a bitch.”
Terzo smiles, letting out a yawn of his own and stretching his limbs under the ghoul. “I agree, darling. I had a pretty hectic day as well. Let me just do my nighttime routine, and we can head right to bed, capisce ?”
Omega nods, his grin turning sleepy as he rolls off of Terzo, stretching out on the bed with another yawn. “Mkay, you do that. I guess I`ll be here. Waiting.”
Terzo turns on his side, looking down at the ghoul with a soft smile, and leans down to give him a tender kiss on his forehead. “You get comfy, alright? I also have more blankets and pillows too, if you'd like. Just let me know.” He scoots off the bed, walking to his drawers and grabbing some pajamas before heading to the small attached bathroom.
Terzo enters his bathroom and steps up to his sink, placing his PJ`s to the side and leaning his hands on the edge with a heavy exhale. He still can't believe Omega is here, just spending time with him. Willing to give this thing a chance. This ghoul. This sweet, kind, funny, disgustingly sexy ghoul has been so patient and understanding with him. And perhaps it is a bit unheard of for a literal demon from hell to be involved with a mortal, but sometimes things just happen.
Terzo lets out a slower breath, shaking his head and looking himself in the mirror. He grimaces, seeing the dark circles under his eyes that have surely only appeared since he started looking after the ghouls these past few years. Definitely a few new wrinkles too. But other than that-
“Still look good, eh?” Terzo gives himself a little smirk, running a hand through his hair. He then shakes his head with another grimace. “No, that's douchey, what am I doing?” Rolling his eyes at himself, he starts his quick night routine; brushing teeth, quick wash of his face, then into his pajamas, a dark purple silk monogrammed set gifted from Primo in a rare act of brotherly kindness years ago. Supposedly Secondo has a set too, but Terzo has never bothered to confirm that. Honestly, he doesn't wear it that often, it's too nice and looks expensive. But tonight, he figures he may as well try to look like his normal nightly attire isn't just a ratty band shirt and underwear.
After carefully slipping on the pajamas and making sure he looks presentable enough, he takes one last look in the mirror with a deep breath, and opens the door to exit with a confident grin.
“Okie dokie, mio caro , I'm all ready to-” he cuts off his own words as he pauses in the doorway, eyes falling on his bed. His grin turns more soft as he sees Omega already curled up under his covers, with the occasional faint twitch of his tail being the only movement. The ghoul had also politely taken up one, albeit a bit smaller, side of the bed, leaving as much for Terzo as possible. It looked comical really, seeing a big demon snuggled under the comforter and almost falling off the edge. Terzo leans against the door frame, just observing how peaceful and, yes even cute, Omega looks. He keeps looking for a moment more before crossing the room to turn off the room's light, and then silently steps to the free side of the bed, sliding under the covers.
He lays on his side facing Omega, looking over the snoozing ghoul's face with a mix of adoration and amusement. Omega had half of his face buried under the blanket and his ear twitches as he softly snores. Terzo wants to get closer, but he also understands that Omega purposely positioned himself a safe distance to not crowd too much.
“Oh, tesoro ,” Terzo whispers, and reaches out to pull the covers up a bit on Omega, who stirs and then settles. The cardinal retracts his hand with a sigh, turning over onto his back and resting his clasped hands on his stomach over the blanket. He stares at the ceiling for who knows how long, his eyes darting occasionally over to Omega, who continues to sleep on. Terzo didn't exactly plan on how the rest of the night would actually go if Omega did stay. He guesses that he just automatically assumed they might simply cuddle or something, but hearing Omega's concerns about them being together, it's completely understandable that the ghoul would be wary. Terzo groans quietly and turns over on his side, this time facing away from the sleeping quintessence and pulling his blanket over his head, so he can actually try and sleep.
He is just barely falling into sleep when he not only hears, but feels a faint rumbling behind his back. His eyes flutter open as he pokes his head out from the blanket, adjusting to his semi-dark, bathed in moonlight room. He rolls over to the other side with a sleepy groan, now facing Omega, and he adjusts to settle back into sleep by closing his eyes. Then he hears the low rumbling noise again, and his eyes shoot open, the sound now closer. A beat of silence, then it happens again. Terzo`s brow furrows, and he dares to get a little closer to Omega, assuming it's possibly the ghoul. Omega doesn't move as Terzo scoots over, and when he takes another breath, the noise emits from deep in his chest. The cardinal`s eyes widen as he realizes what the noise is, and his lips form a very excited and mischievous grin.
Omega was really purring in his sleep. And oh, that delighted Terzo more than it should.
Terzo covers his mouth to stifle the laugh that threatened to escape, and instead he stretches around to grab his phone on his nightstand. He quietly opens it and goes to his camera app, scooting even closer to the purring ghoul who is unaware of the cardinal's shenanigan. Terzo makes sure the ghoul is still deep in sleep before pressing record and holding the phone close to the ghoul, hoping to record the noise as best as possible.
The purring is ongoing, but it rises with every exhale Omega makes and it entertains Terzo immensely. It's half amusing and endearing, and Terzo prays to Lucifer that he has more opportunities to experience this in the future. He records for about a minute before he decides it's enough, rolling onto his back and making sure the video is saved before turning the phone off and setting it back on the nightstand. Content with his successful mission, he rolls back to rest on his side facing Omega and freezes when he sees the ghoul's feline, vivid, glowing blue eyes open and looking at him.
Terzo and Omega have a short staring contest until the ghoul breaks it with his sleep raspy voice.
“Why are you still up? Can't sleep?”
Terzo blinks, then responds coolly. “I could ask you the same thing, you were passed the fuck out mere seconds ago.”
Omega lets out a yawn with a groan as he stretches out and pulls the blanket up more. “Yea, I was. Until someone shoved a phone in my face.” He gives Terzo a smirk as the cardinal`s eyes widen.
“Oh.”
Omega chuckles softly as he shrugs and softens his grin. “I don't care, honestly. I`m too tired right now, and I don't blame you for seizing the opportunity.”
Terzo relaxes with a short huff as he halfheartedly shoves the ghoul`s shoulder. “Don`t freak me out like that, I really thought I invaded your privacy or something.”
“Well, you kinda did, technically. But you get a pass cuz you`re cute.” Omega`s glowing eyes give the cardinal a wink and Terzo rolls his own, hiding a flustered grin.
“Shut up.”
Omega`s smile widens even more, fully loving how he can make the oh-so dignified Terzo crumble with a simple compliment. He lets out a soft exhale as his eyes dart around before stopping at Terzo`s, his demeanor suddenly timid. “Um, hey, so…”
Terzo immediately catches on to the ghoul`s new behavior, shifting on his side to better give Omega his attention with a soft voice. “What`s up, darling?”
Omega hesitates for a moment, ears twitching nervously under the blanket before continuing. “Is it okay if we, uh, cuddle?” The ghoul seems to grimace, as if asking the question is stupid.
Terzo eyes widen yet again, but his lips form an eager grin as he nods too quickly. “Yes. Absolutely we can, my dear. Please.”
Omega relaxes, and he grins back as he shuffles closer to the cardinal and opens his arms to wrap around his back and pull him closer to his person. Terzo happily obliges, his own arms going around Omega`s waist and he nuzzles his face into his broad chest. He can feel Omega`s legs intertwine with his, along with the ghoul`s tail. Omega buries his face into the cardinal`s hair, closing his eyes as he inhales the scent that can only belong to Terzo. A muffled chuckle emits from Terzo as he looks up at the ghoul.
“Are you sniffing my hair, you weirdo?”
“Shut up, you smell good.”
Terzo chuckles one more time before settling in Omega`s arms, inhaling the ghoul`s scent as well before closing his eyes, warm and safe in the embrace. He can tell Omega is already falling back asleep, and he can hear and feel the low purring already rising in the ghoul's chest. Grinning lazily to himself, he presses a faint kiss to where he hears Omega`s heartbeat and mumbles with a drowsy tone.
“Sleep well, my darling Omega.”