Chapter Text
“Amore, I am warning you, get away from me. There is no way I am doing that!” Terzo’s nose wrinkled in disgust, his hands up defensively as Omega held the screaming ghoul kit out, trying to hand the infant off. The young cardinal was backed into a corner with nowhere to go in the small bedroom but up onto the lumpy twin-size mattress.
Terzo nearly tripped as his feet tangled in the soft fabric of the eggplant-purple comforter, something Terzo had purchased specifically for his frequent nights spent in Omega’s quarters. Omega laughed, prepared to chase after his husband with the unhappy kit. It hadn’t taken the pair long to figure out the source of the child’s discomfort, the smell hitting their noses seconds before he started crying.
“Nuh uh, you’re not getting out of this one so easily,” Omega said with an evil chuckle. “What, has the little prince really never changed a diaper before?” Terzo’s venomous glare had no effect on either of the ghouls. “Why did you even agree to help me babysit if you weren’t prepared for the baby part?” Omega inched forward, about to put his foot on the bed in pursuit, but then he stopped and turned his attention to the kit. “What do you think, River? Shouldn’t mean old Mr. Terzo help his poor, overworked husband out?” he cooed at the child in obnoxiously saccharine baby-talk.
“I don’t know, I think he’s afraid to get his hands dirty,” Omega then mocked in an offensively high-pitched tone while maneuvering the baby like a puppet. Whether in amusement, confusion, or shock, the kit finally quieted, his blue irises flaming brighter against his pitch-black sclera as he stared up at Omega. “I mean, just look at that manicure! I bet he spends hours on those nails.”
He could see Terzo biting back a laugh despite himself, his facade of indignant outrage cracking. But when the poor baby’s cries resumed, tugging at Omega’s heartstrings as they grew more insistent, he gave up and changed little River himself. He felt immensely guilty when he noticed how tightly River’s tail was coiled around his chubby leg in an effort to self-soothe. Dammit. He shouldn’t have let it get this far, especially not just to tease his partner.
Terzo stayed as far away as he could, crossing to the opposite side of the room and dramatically pinching his nose shut. Unlike Terzo, Omega had some experience with small children; he’d watched a kit here and there for his friends throughout his millennia of existence, and he never minded. It was fun, really, and it gave him a reason to be less… serious, for a change. Omega honestly didn’t even mind being on diaper duty. Messing with Terzo was just an excuse to draw his husband out of his comfort zone. Terzo had been so tense all evening, tiptoeing around River as though he were afraid the eight-month-old would go off like a hand grenade if he so much as breathed too hard.
“Tesoro mio, you’re gonna hurt his feelings,” Omega joked, looking over at where Terzo stood against the wall, holding his nose closed. Unsurprisingly, Terzo merely raised the middle finger of his free hand, unapologetically flipping Omega off. Omega grinned before blowing him a kiss in return, or as close an approximation as he could with both hands occupied.
When he finished changing River and the little guy quieted down, Omega made for the door with the diaper in hand. Before he could even make contact with the doorknob, he heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him.
“Omega?” Terzo asked with trepidation. When Omega turned to face him questioningly, there was genuine anxiety etched across his beloved human’s handsome features. The corners of Terzo’s full lips were pulled down in a frown, his dark eyebrows furrowed. Mismatched eyes shone with fear, green and white staring back at Omega questioningly as a hand fidgeted with one of his black diamond earrings. “W-where are you going?” Omega swallowed hard; why was Terzo still so nervous about this? They’d already been babysitting together for over two hours at this point. “You cannot just leave me here with him by myself, I—”
“Mia luce, I’m just going to throw this away and wash my hands,” Omega interrupted softly as he tried to soothe the most important person in his world, needing to mitigate Terzo’s stress and tense nerves. His instincts were screaming at him to go to his mate and comfort him, but he couldn’t. Not until his hands were clean and safe to touch with. “Dolcezza, just stay with him until I get back, it’ll only be a couple of minutes. You’ll do great, I promise!” He gestured for Terzo to sit on the bed next to River, and thankfully, Terzo did.
He still looked nervous as Omega took a final glance over his shoulder, but Terzo’s attention was on River. Good, that was a start.
As he hurried down the long hallway that led from the dorms to the rowdy common area, Omega couldn’t fight a goofy smile. This was certainly the closest to “domestic” that the couple had ever gotten, and Omega could still hear Terzo’s words from when they first met echoing in his head.
“There will be no cuddling, no sharing the same bed after we are finished, and certainly no sleepovers. I will not be playing house with you, Omega ghoul,” Terzo had warned him half a dozen times when they first began hooking up, before they’d formally entered into a relationship. That first wall had quickly come crumbling down, and although it had taken eight years to come to fruition, the last wall looked like it would soon be nothing but rubble; they were well and truly playing house now, finally. He chuckled to himself as he washed his hands, wondering how he managed to get so damn lucky; he marveled at having not only found a love like this, but at having the opportunity to build a life with the man he wanted to spend eternity with. He could’ve skipped down the hall back to his room, had he less dignity and self-respect.
Knocking softly first rather than barging in and startling his room’s precious occupants, Omega peeked through the partially open door. He froze in his tracks as his brain processed what his eyes were seeing: Terzo had River cradled close to his body, lightly tickling the boy’s ribs and pudgy belly with his free hand. River squealed, his grey-blue complexion flushed dark with laughter. Terzo was laughing too, and it made Omega’s knees weak; Terzo’s laughter was Omega’s favorite sound in the universe, one that he didn’t get to hear nearly often enough.
When he noticed Omega’s presence and their eyes met, Terzo gave him a sheepish smile, the lingering joy on his face making him look even more radiant than usual. Even sitting cross-legged and barefoot, dressed in ratty plaid pajama pants and one of Omega’s t-shirts that was large enough to swallow him, Terzo was breathtaking. Omega would rather be stripped of his immortality than ever tire of Terzo’s beauty.
“Feeling more comfortable?” Omega asked warmly, his heart full to bursting and his mouth twitching as he fought back a grin. In that moment, he felt so much pride, so much adoration for his husband that he didn’t know what to do with himself. He desperately wanted to embrace his mate, but he didn’t want to make Terzo put River down, especially not when they were bonding. Hesitantly, Terzo nodded, looking down at the ground and biting his lip.
“Sì,” Terzo replied softly, as though it were a confession. But then his tone shifted. “Babysitting is not so bad, I suppose. He is quite entertaining,” he hedged, trying to appear detached and nonchalant. Omega wasn’t buying it; Terzo was without a doubt warming up to the young ghoul.
Kneeling on the floor in front of where his partner sat on the bed and gazing at him as though he held the entire world in his hands, Omega grabbed Terzo’s chin and gave him a delicate kiss, carefully leaning over the infant babbling in Terzo’s arms. When he pulled back, Terzo’s face was flushed an enticing shade of pink, his eyes still closed. Even after eight years together, every kiss and touch and whisper was still electrifying, and Omega couldn’t bear the thought of that changing. He could no longer imagine a life without Terzo’s light, without being surrounded by Terzo’s love. Terzo could never fully understand just how strongly his love was reciprocated.
They spent the rest of the evening playing with River, winding down at bedtime with the book his parents packed for him as Terzo rocked him gently. The kit was fast asleep in no time, and they carefully placed him on the side of the bed that backed up against the wall. Soon, Terzo was yawning too, and Omega knew he was ready to go to bed; it had been a long day for both of them, and he could tell Terzo was worn out from the stress of doing something so new to him. Aside from occasionally leading the youth mass held for the handful of human children who lived on the compound, Terzo had never spent any significant amount of time around kids. Omega thought Terzo had done a fantastic job of babysitting, all things considered.
Between that and the long nights they regularly spent awake together as they tried to make up for lost time, forced to sneak around under cover of darkness just to be able to touch… Terzo was always at least a little fatigued, perpetual dark circles hidden under the black eye makeup he was forced to wear. Omega felt guilty for ruining his mate’s sleep schedule, but Terzo insisted he didn’t care, saying he would much rather be together than be well rested.
“Ugh, I am so fucking ready to go to sleep. Wave and Ice better get their asses back here soon before I drag them back myself,” Terzo whined as he stretched and rubbed his eyes. Omega knew that Terzo always swore more when he was over-tired, but acutely aware of the age of their guest, Omega went pale as his stomach dropped.
“Language!” Omega scolded perhaps a little too harshly as he instinctively covered River’s pointed ears. It wasn’t like it mattered; River was fast asleep, oblivious to the world around him. Terzo blushed in embarrassment and frustration, and for a moment he looked like he was about to argue, but he said nothing.
Immediately feeling remorse for chastising his better half, Omega pulled the smaller man into his lap and kissed the crown of his head in apology. Terzo grumbled, but still nuzzled his face in Omega’s broad, muscular chest. They sat in silence for so long that Omega wondered if Terzo had fallen asleep, but then he heard Terzo’s voice, low and muffled against the shirt that Terzo had intentionally bought for his partner in a size too small.
“You are very good with children, you know,” Terzo told him, as though Omega wasn’t aware of his own experience level. Omega laughed in surprise. Terzo ignored the interruption. “You still find ways to impress me more every day, mia ombra.” Although he knew Terzo was trying to be sweet, Omega couldn’t fight his smug smile.
“You do remember how old I am, right? What are the odds that I’ve never cared for a child in all that time?” Omega teased. Sometimes he worried he was far too old for Terzo, but when you live for thousands of years, your dating pool becomes quite small if you only partner with people your age. As long as Terzo was an adult, did age really matter in the instance of a human and a demon, a monster, falling in love? Surely there were bigger ethical quandaries with their relationship, quandaries that were drowned out by Omega’s hopeless devotion to this enchanting little man who’d agreed to be his.
“I was trying to compliment you, you jerk,” Terzo said with an exasperated huff, looking up to stick his tongue out at Omega. Omega leaned down and stole a kiss, effectively quieting Terzo’s protests. Too soon, Terzo pulled back, hesitating for a moment before asking an unexpected question, one that stopped Omega’s heart cold. “You… do not have any children, do you? I mean, being as old as you are and all of that…” Terzo finished with an awkward laugh as he nervously twisted the bottom of his borrowed t-shirt. It didn’t help dispel the tension—Omega’s eyes were bulging, jaw hanging slack.
“Mia luce,” Omega rasped in disbelief once he’d recovered enough to speak. His face was hot as he flushed all the way up to the tips of his ears, beyond caught off guard. “Don’t you think I’d tell you of all people if I were a father? You’re my husband.” Terzo glanced up at him but couldn’t maintain eye contact. “Tesoro mio, do you think I’ve hidden former relationships from you? I don’t understand, I’ve always been very transparent about my past… Where is this coming from?” Omega had to work hard to keep the alarm out of his voice, but he didn’t think it was working very well. Terzo said nothing.
“What kind of dad would never see or even talk about his kids? What sort of person do you think I am?” Omega continued to prod, his confusion and hurt evident. A heavy silence hung between them and went on for longer than Omega could bear.
“Don’t you trust me?” His voice cracked on the last word, so he cleared his throat. Evidently, leading this conversation was going to fall on Omega’s shoulders, despite not being the one to start it. “No, Terzo… I do not have any children,” his voice was quiet now, and he couldn’t help sounding wounded at the implicit accusation. They sat in uncomfortable silence until there was a knock at the door, making them both jump. Omega had never been so relieved to be interrupted.
After River’s parents left with their kit, trying hard not to wake him, Terzo declared he was spending the night at Omega’s quarters, acting as though nothing had happened. Omega didn’t protest; Terzo had a rough day, and Omega knew his husband needed him. And after their little exchange left him reeling, Omega needed comfort, too. Earlier confusion and upset aside, Omega didn’t want to spend the night apart. He never did; not a day, not an hour, went by that Omega didn’t crave Terzo’s company. But he wasn’t ready to confront Terzo about what he’d said, so he decided to let it go. For now.
Terzo was always prepared to sleep over; he hid clean cassocks in the closet, along with a bag of toiletries to take to the communal bathroom the ghouls were forced to share. Every ghoul in the ministry was aware of their relationship, and no one cared; they all knew about their entanglement right from the start, could smell the pair on one another. But no one among their ranks would rat them out to their captors, not even batting an eye when the couple would brazenly bathe together in the same shower stall. The ghoul wing was a safe haven for them, usually free from hostile human intruders. It was the only place other than Terzo’s chambers where they could be affectionate, could act like the lovers they were. If Terzo could move in, Omega knew he would in a heartbeat, even though Omega’s meager quarters lacked the luxuries of Terzo’s suite.
The only hiccup was that tomorrow was Sunday, the longest workday for the cardinal, and therefore the loneliest day of the week for Omega. That loneliness was compounded by the fact that ghouls had Sundays off, meaning Omega didn’t have any work to distract him from how badly he missed his mate. They both knew Terzo would have to leave even earlier than usual to avoid those preparing for mass, sneaking back to his chambers during the pre-dawn hours of the morning. The starless, iron-grey sky was a portent of that dreaded daybreak, the rising sun poised to tear the lovers asunder yet again. Terzo said he didn’t care about being up that early, and if Terzo didn’t care, then Omega didn’t either.
Although Omega’s bed was small, made smaller by the ghoul’s considerable size, the press of their bodies was comfortable. Comforting. As natural to Omega as breathing, as though Terzo was and always had been a part of him. He would never dare deny how closely bonded he was to this human he called his own, couldn’t overlook how lucky he was that Terzo felt the same way about him. A ghoul, an undeserving, ungodly beast, loved by such an unspeakably precious being. Omega never would’ve believed it if he didn’t feel his partner’s devotion firsthand every time their minds connected with quintessence.
To Omega’s delight, Terzo was feeling extra cuddly and affectionate, which was saying a lot, considering how tightly they usually clung to one another. Deciding they weren’t close enough, Terzo pulled off the oversized t-shirt he’d borrowed from his much larger husband and snuggled further into Omega’s hold, now comfortably resting skin to skin. Not wanting his partner to overheat in the muggy August air as their limbs tangled, what with Omega’s body running hotter than Terzo’s, Omega insisted that they sleep under just the top sheet. Terzo whined, liking the weight of the comforter, but listened anyway.
“Mm, did you end up having a better time with River than you thought you would, tesoro?” Omega asked softly once they were settled, his lips pressed to Terzo’s silky raven hair. Terzo nodded, sighing contentedly.
“Sì,” Terzo answered, voice hushed. “He is… quite fun,” Terzo hedged, his tone shifting. Omega rolled his eyes, unseen in the darkness.
“Mhm. And that’s why you decided all on your own to take over so much of his care? Because it was fun?” Omega teased. Terzo truly stepped up to the plate that evening in ways Omega never expected, especially not after the diaper fiasco.
“I am not doing this with you tonight, mia ombra. Leave me alone,” Terzo grumbled, but instead of pulling away, he burrowed deeper into Omega’s embrace. Omega chuckled. He wanted to push the subject, but he was unwilling to break the intimate atmosphere of tranquility that surrounded them. They fell asleep trading unhurried touches and hushed, tender utterances of adoration.
When Omega woke up in the middle of the night, as he often did, the first thing he saw was Terzo’s peaceful face inches from his own. His husband’s beautiful visage was ethereal, illuminated by a beam of pale moonlight pouring in through a long, thin window sitting high on the wall. One wouldn’t be wrong to compare the window to that of a prison cell, but Omega was grateful for it; he was one of only a handful of ghouls who had a room with an exterior wall. One of the only ghouls who could see the stars. He was lucky to have the window, and so much luckier to have Terzo. Omega kissed his mate’s forehead, pulling him snugly back into his arms before closing his eyes.
But before either was ready, it was time for Terzo to leave. As much as it pained Omega to disturb him, he made sure to wake his partner up on time, even if Terzo didn’t want to go.
“Nn, amore, leave me alone!” Terzo groaned as he stirred, swatting Omega’s hand away from his shoulder. “Let me sleep, I want to stay with you…” he pouted.
This happened periodically, but it had been a while since he’d heard Terzo sound this whiny. Omega tried his best to look stern, but the corners of his mouth were twitching in a barely repressed smile; he cherished even the smallest reminders of Terzo’s love. If he could, Omega would live in these moments forever.
“You know you have to leave, cuore mio. There will be unholy hell to pay if they catch you in my bed.” Omega knew Terzo was painfully aware of this. The consequences of their secret union loomed precariously over their heads like the sword of Damocles, and the very real danger they were in threatened to sully the precious moments they had together.
“I do not care! Let them try to punish me, I dare them.” Terzo sounded confident in his challenge, and Omega knew he was. That fearless streak of defiance was precisely why Omega needed to protect Terzo, not just from the ministry, but from himself. Omega cherished his mate’s rebellious, stubborn nature, but he also knew how much danger it put Terzo in. As an Emeritus, if Terzo wasn’t their obedient little pet, then he was a problem to be dealt with. They didn’t see him as an individual, a precious life that deserved room to flourish. He hoped to be able to make enough space and provide the right care to let Terzo blossom into the man Omega knew him to be, fully realized and, to the core, fulfilled.
“You know it’s not that simple,” Omega gently chided. He didn’t have the heart to remind Terzo of the trouble that he, as a ghoul, would be in should their quiet, gentle, forbidden love be discovered by a human other than Terzo’s brothers. Truthfully, rumors and whispers had been circulating for quite some time, but they couldn’t provide their persecutors with proof. Terzo was quiet for a long moment, weighing his options before letting out a pained sigh.
“I hate this fucking place so much,” he bemoaned. Omega hummed in agreement. Terzo’s eyes were mournful as he turned to face Omega and said, “I don’t care about any of this! About the ministry, about the mission… These bastards deserve to rot for what they’ve done to all of you,” Terzo spat bitterly. Talking about their circumstances always stirred up Terzo’s rage, and Omega thought the young man had every right to resent the glorified cult he’d been born into. But then Terzo’s face softened, his eyes closing as his brows knit together in visible distress. Omega didn’t need his quintessence to understand the anguish Terzo was experiencing. Although his own servitude wasn’t complicated by things like bloodlines or impossible expectations, Omega felt that same pain.
“Omega… I just want to be with you,” Terzo sniffled, his voice now subdued, almost meek. Omega’s heart ached at those words, at all the hundreds of times he’d heard them but been helpless to change things. Denying Terzo something so fundamental never got any easier. Omega wanted it, too. Of course he did… He yearned for a life of comfort and peace with his lover, a life where they could stand together hand in hand in the sunlight. A life where they spent lazy mornings together in bed rather than fleeing back to their own assigned chambers at unreasonable hours.
“Some day we’ll get our eternity.” Omega broke the heavy silence that had fallen between them with a slow kiss to Terzo’s plump, supple lips, a feeling he longed to drown in.“I promise you… Sei l’amore della mia vita,” he reminded his mate, as he often did, and wanted to keep doing in perpetuity. A faint flush bloomed across Terzo’s cheeks, tears welling in his eyes. Omega cupped Terzo’s face in both hands, pressing their foreheads together. “They could never keep us apart forever.”