Work Text:
The words swam around the page in a dizzying parade past her eyes. An exhausting blur of Latin and ritual sigils. Refusing to let the book close to rub her eyes, she settled for harshly rubbing against her arm. Succeeding only in making her eyes water. Blinking back tears that freely flowed down her cheeks. Frustrating. Now reading was even more challenging. She was not feeling sad in any form, it was simply a biological response of her tired eyes. But she refused to rest now.
One again she was tempted to flick on a light to remove some of the strain on her squinting attempts to read. Having avoided it so that no one would know she was still awake and report on her to Papa. The hypocritical workaholic who was still not in their shared bed, had protested to her not getting enough sleep the past week. Studiously staying up to further her studies instead. It should have been seen as a good thing. Yet he had ordered his ghouls to help him set a bedtime for her like a child!
Silently she could admit to herself that it was kinda cute to have Secondo carry her to bed. Holding her close in a princess carry at first. Before her struggles had forced him to sling her over his shoulder. Of course that meant a hand resting firmly on her ass. For stability, he had claimed.
Helping her prepare for bed by brushing her hair. Bundling her under the covers once she had taken care of her needs in the bathroom. His prayers and wishes for sweet dreams sealed with kisses to her forehead and lips…
It had made her feel guilty for a moment for sneaking out of bed to fetch her book from the desk the moment the door closed.
Only a moment.
It would be worth it to be top of her class and make the Clergy proud he was dating her. It wasn't only for the praise of the Clergy that she wanted to study. Most of the time- when they were not wearing her down with talk of a Novice being unworthy of a Papa, even a retired one- she couldn't care less about what they thought of her. Mainly she wanted to do well for her own pride. To inspire envy in all the others by being at the top of the score list.
Being able to possibly skip some of the time required before moving past being a Novice was also a part of the appeal.
Frowning at her racing thoughts she forced her attention back to the candle lit pages. The creak of the door not enough warning for her to pretend to have been sleeping.
"Now, why are you still awake?"
"Couldn't sleep," rushed out before she could think of a better lie.
Claiming she wanted just one more chapter and lost track of time would have been a believable one.
"Couldn't cara mia, or wouldn't?"
Slipping into the bed beside her, Secondo reached across her to try and take the book from her hands. Tightening her grip she refused to relinquish it to him.
Soon a bookmark was slipped into the open book. Firm fingers pulling her own off of the book. Forcing her grip to go slack. Ignoring her whines of protest.
The bed shifted as his comforting weight left her side. Crossing the room away from her. The distance felt insurpassable.
"You need sleep," he affirmed once the book was returned to the desk.
"I get enough sleep."
Bundling her into his arms with ease as he lounged once again by her side. It soothed the deepest part of her that feared he would decide she was too much, too stubborn.
"That's an ever worse lie than the first," pressing a playful kiss to her lying lips.
"You don't go to sleep before the witching hour," she protested, turning away from him and halfheartedly wiggling out of his arms.
Yanking her back into his chest with desperate hands as he partially conceded her point.
"Ah, but unlike you I have long since proven my devotion to the Dark One and am not required by the Clergy to wake early for morning chores anymore."
Accepting her fate, she buried her face in his chest. Nosing her way past the gaps between buttons to nuzzle into his curly chest hair. Tickling her nose with the soft sensation and smell of incense that faintly clung to him.
"No one would even notice if I was late anyway, no upper clergy even watches us," she grumbled into his warm chest.
Already he was soothing her to sleep with gentle touches. Eroding her will power to continue to argue for her book back.
"Primo would. I still don't think the man ever sleeps."
"He wouldn't say anything so long as my work improved."
"Cara, he inforced a bedtime on me until I was sixteen," he laughed. "Once he even pulled me out of a Sister of Sin because it was a minute past ten o'clock. Literally pulled me out of her."
Strangled giggles consumed her as she pictured Secondo's face at having his cock forcibly removed from a woman.
"That poor woman," she cackled.
"She ended up with a crush on Primo, wouldn't give me the time of day afterwards. Not that Primo had eyes for her. I believe she ended up becoming a sugar baby once she was eighteen in search of a nice older sugar daddy she could enjoy."
Fingers gently played with the hair at the nape of her neck as she let the silence linger between them.
"So Primo would notice. I'll just have to get him some rare plant and he will pretend not to notice."
Her words were starting to slur with the effort they took to form.
"Ah, but he would take the bribe and still tell on you. He's dishonorable in all the best ways, and I'm not against bribing him to help keep an eye on you."
Scowling at her half formed plan being thwarted already. She could never afford something that would surpass Secondo's bribes.
"Can't even employ simple bribery nowadays, what has this Ministry come to."
"How horrible I know, not a single honorably corrupt person among us."
"Yes, how dare you all make me practice self care. And not even the fun type-"
"Oh if you needed me to tire you out all you had to do was say so. Enough orgasms to leave you in tears should tire you out enough to sleep. Alas, with it being almost two in the morning we simply don't have time."
Snorting before considering it. The idea sounded fun… and it would mean she would be able to relax her mind from its consuming thoughts. Not going to bed alone would also be nice.
"Could we, tomorrow?"
He hummed in affirmation to her scarcely spoken request.
"Now close those pretty eyes. I much prefer the dark circles under them to be make up than genuine."
Shifting around to get comfortable bought her a few minutes. Face pressed further against his skin to smell his musky scent hiding under the incense's scent. Too soothing a scent, his musk. It was already compelling her to relax further. Arms tangled around him to prevent his escape back to his work. If she would he forced to sleep, so would he.
"Okay."
A quick nap wouldn't hurt too much anyway.