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You should have known better than to mention “maybe matching costumes” with Terzo for the ministry Halloween party.
As soon as the words left your mouth he became possessed and refused to let the idea go. “Finalmente! Someone who understands! No boring masks, or heartless ideas. We will go all in Tesoro. Si?! You and I will be stars!”
That was how you ended up with a witch/devil pairing- your idea of cute and flirty with his idea of dramatic. Although the costumes had been stored carefully up until this point, that did not stop Terzo from slipping peaks and whistling to himself about how stunning you would look together every chance he got.
And then the night arrived.
By the time you are pulling all of the garments out of the clothing bags, Terzo has now sat perching forward on the edge of the mattress in his room, legs crossed with his devil horns in his lap. Tossing them onto his head like a crown (or his mitre) he winks at you in the reflection of his vanity mirror.
“Handsome, no? Tell me I am not the MOST handsome devil you have ever seen.”
“Well, maybe the most dramatic devil, that’s for sure.” You giggle, teasing him.
“Dramatic, charming…these mean the same exact thing amore, no?” Leaning forward eagerly, he points at the vanity chair and he insists “ come, sit, let me help you with the makeup. You do know I am an artist, eh?”
Lovingly, you quip back at him “You’re a menace with a paintbrush.” You giggle and smirk at him.
“Shh. Shh. Sit.” He chuckles and waves his hand towards the chair, then walks forward patting the vanity seat.
You agree, but almost immediately regret it. In true Terzo fashion he works dramatically with sighs, flourishes of his hands and fingers and he uses absolutely no moderation- especially when it comes to the glittery highlighter he cakes your face in.
“Close your eyes, amore! You cannot peek!”
You do as you are told, shutting your eyes tightly.
Eventually when he leans in to do your eyeliner, the theatrics momentarily fade while he concentrates on lining your lids perfectly. A hand grips your chin gently to hold you in place while the other paints your eyelids. The close proximity, his touch and natural scent make it so you almost forget how to breathe.
“Perfetta!” he murmurs softly after he pulls back and wipes a smudge of eyeliner from the corner of your eye. His gaze lingers on you for just a moment, reverently before the spell breaks and he draws a quick Roman numeral III on your temple.
“Terzo!”
“My signature touch, cuore mio. Everyone must know you are all mine.” Pressing a kiss to your glittery forehead, he pulls away to start the process of getting dressed.
That of course goes as well as is to be expected with Terzo. He has insisted on tying the strings of your cape and then has to be rescued when his glove gets tied up in it and stuck. When you try to help him with his devil cape, you accidentally break the fastener which leads to you both running around last minute to locate a safety pin.
Turning to grab your hat, you find it missing until you look across the room where Terzo is already wearing it, strutting around like he is a runway model.
“Look at me! Papa Strega!” He twirls around nearly knocking the hat from his head and making you giggle. “Just admit it! I am STUNNING!”
“You’re insufferable!” You spurt out in the middle of a giggle fit.
When the outfits are all on and finally in place, he pulls you close, his horns crooked…he looks ridiculous and breathtaking all at once.
“We will enchant them all, together.”
Kissing your cheek softly, he takes you by the hand and leads you from his room through the ministry corridors. The ministry hall itself has been transformed into a magnificent Halloween wonderland: carved pumpkins, orange and purple lights, cobwebs, over the top decor, and refreshments that seemingly go on for miles.
Terzo is thriving in the chaos of the party, parading you around like a literal treasure on his arm. Every ghoul, sibling of sin and sibling of his own hear his bragging.
“Look at this Strega! Mozzafiato! And look at my work? Perfetta cloak…The eyeliner is flawless, si?!” Everyone laughs and rolls their eyes but none dare to argue otherwise. Terzo is too busy anyways spinning you around the dance floor. Horns glinting under the lights as he pulls you close. The cape on his shoulders swishing with each dance step he makes.
After a while, he takes you by the hand, leading you down a quieter corridor that is lined with lit pumpkins. Energy now softening he whispers “You see? Even in the middle of chaos, you and I- we make the perfect duo.”
His grin is very cheeky but the kiss he places on your lips is slow, sweet and tender. Enough to make you both forget the chaos of the party down the hall.