Chapter Text

Reborn in Morbidity... Just Like Me

Papa Emeritus the Third's iPhone buzzed on his desk. Lifting his heavy eyes away from the clerical paperwork Cardinal Copia so diligently worked on and delivered to him hours earlier, he realised he received a Whatsapp text from an unknown number.

Upon swiping the screen, he recognises the profile icon: the young, outrageously good-looking, twenty-something-year-old guitarist from Sweden who was at the Clergy’s after-show party in Stockholm a few months ago. It was a night of many drinks, loud music, and nonsensical drunken banter: a typical party by Papa’s standards. That night, Papa set eyes on the tight torn jeans-wearing, tousle-haired, tattooed musician and following a brief chat, slipped him his personal card with his phone number on it.

“Should you ever need advice, spiritual or otherwise, call me”, he advised the young gothic punk rocker as he pressed the black card into his palm.

“Thank you Papa”, he replied, slightly taken aback, gazing at him with a mix of admiration and bewilderment.

Papa never forgot the brilliant green of that young man’s eyes nor the electric aura that surrounded him unknowingly. On some nights when he was alone, and even during some of the nights he was in the company of various exquisite Sisters of Sin, his mind drifted back to the guitar-playing knock-out who smiled at him so boyishly. He came across as someone with much zest for life, deep personal confidence, and a creative mind. He was wildly attractive with his short yet messed up haircut with the devillock hanging over his forehead, high cheekbones, and clear, radiant skin. His long legs and skinny arms were completely gorgeous and Papa remembered his talented, handsome, masculine hands with trepidation. Papa occasionally wondered would such a drop-dead gorgeous creature ever get in touch? Papa wasn’t used to inattention and the waiting game served only to heighten his infatuation with him. Although Papa typically enjoys carnal pursuits with beautiful women, occasionally Adonis-like men wander into his mind. And his bed. Every so often, another man’s touch is exactly what he needs.

Well now, Beautiful Boy, what have you to say to Papa? he wonders opening the text.

Your Unholiness, I hope this message finds you well. We met in Stockholm recently and you offered me your phone number with the invite of a friendly ear should I ever need it. I would appreciate it if I could speak with you in the near future and discuss matters of the heart, should you find a spare minute in any of your busy days or nights. I could call you if that suited. Faithfully yours, Mary Goore.

Papa exhales loudly, soaking up Mary’s text before composing his reply.

So the Swedish heartthrob finally got in touch! What took him so long? Ah shit, maybe he took my invitation at literal face value and nothing more. He did not read beyond my words. I suck at flirting!

Papa dwells on Mary’s words and waits a few minutes, leaving him on read. He is currently online, obviously anxiously waiting for a reply.

“Mi scusi, Papa!” Cardinal Copia suddenly bursts into his office without knocking, “But have you finished with zee documents yet?”

“Cardinal! Where are your manners, you fucking rat?” Papa booms, angry at the disturbance.

Copia’s eyes widen and practically fall out of his head. “I am so sorry Papa, forgive me per favore! I will come back later, I see you are busy right now.”

Hastily Copia slinks out the door, bowing on his way out. He scurries down the hallway as fast as he can before the irritated Papa could inflict more wrath upon him.

Turning back to his phone, Papa sees Mary has logged off.

“Fuck.”

He imagines somewhere in Sweden, an irritated Mary tossing his phone across his room and picking up his guitar to thrash out a few angry riffs at being left on read.

Mary my child, how wonderful it is to hear from you. All is well here in the Ministry and I am in great shape, thank you. I trust you are also doing well? I would be more than happy to make room in my diary to speak with you. However, a phone call from you will not be necessary. If you would like to travel to the Ministry, I can arrange a face-to-face meeting, where we can discuss delicate matters in the strictest of privacy. How does this sound? Yours in faith, Papa III.

Papa considers the body of the text before pressing the big green arrow. There is so much more he would like to write but it looks like he will have to play it cool. After all, Mary is not a Sibling of Sin. His lifestyle is very different from what goes on in the Ministry. He’s not even entirely sure of Mary’s sexual orientation. Satisfied that it reads formal enough, Papa sends the text.

To his relief, Mary reads it instantly.

So he has not thrown the phone away in a tantrum! Good! Oh shit, he’s writing back!

Thank you Papa for your prompt reply. I understand you have a busy schedule to maintain and I’m grateful for your invitation to meet with me in person. I happen to be on tour right now with my band, and I’m in your area. If you could let me know when suits you, I would love to see you, M.

The sudden lack of formality towards the end of Mary’s text left Papa shaking.

I’m in your area... I would love to see you...

How about tonight? Papa fires back without thinking twice.

Thank you Papa. That would be excellent as I am off tonight!

I will forward you the Ministry’s exact location in case you are unsure. A Nameless Ghoul will meet you at the gate. They will be expecting you. Come as you please my child, I will be here. Take care and see you in time. Blessings, Papa.

Papa locks his screen and leans back in his chair with steepled fingers. He realises he has a rock-solid erection that is begging for attention.

That boy gives me such an unyielding rager every time I think about him! However, I shall refrain! I need to prepare myself for this meeting. There is no way I can work now knowing that such an attractive creature is on his way to see me!

“Cancel the rest of my appointments today” he calls his personal assistant, the lovely patient Sister who puts up with all his demands on a daily basis.

“Absolutely Papa. May I ask for a reason in case one is required?”

“Tell them I’ve got a date!”

“How lovely, Papa! Do you need anything from me before you go?”

“Tell the Gate Ghouls that I’m expecting company. A young Swedish man is coming to see me. His name is Mary Goore. Tell them to give him no grief and to direct him to the reception. Also, please tell them to inform me when he arrives so I can be ready to receive him. Make sure he has a glass of whatever wine he likes in his hand by the time I get there.”

“I will, of course, Papa. Mr. Goore will be seen in with the utmost respect and I’ll make sure the Ghouls will alert you when he gets here.”

“Thank you, dear Sister.”

“One last thing, Papa” she adds. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Fuck! I did not even realise it!

“Thank you, sweet Sister, and to you too. When you’ve finished your calls, take the afternoon off for yourself.”

“Thank you, Papa.”

With a heavy sigh, Papa arises from his desk and storms out towards his chambers, already planning his bathing ritual to prepare for meeting the hellishly attractive Mary Goore again: this time, in the hopes of impressing him.

Without coming on too strong of course.

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A few hours later under a blackened sky, Mary Goore drives up to the Ministry’s looming gates in the black Volvo he rented from a local car hire company.

“Shit” he mutters, hastily turning down the deafening Sadistik Exekution CD upon seeing a cloaked Nameless Ghoul approach his window.

“Please state your name and order of business”, he growls darkly.

“Mary Goore. I’ve a meeting with Papa Emeritus the Third.”

“Mr. Goore, Papa is expecting you. Carry on driving and my colleague will meet you at the Ministry’s front door. Enjoy your time with the Unholy One.” The Ghoul steps back, letting Mary drive forward.

“Thank you” Mary splutters, surprised and in awe.

Pedal to the metal, Mary barrels up the long winding driveway. After snaking around a dark and thick woodland, the Ministry’s main building springs up before him. Another Nameless Ghoul is waiting for him and points to where Mary should park.

“Well fuck me sideways,” Mary mutters. “This place is creepy as hell.”

“Welcome to the Ministry, Mr. Goore” the Ghoul greets when Mary steps out of his car shoving his keys into his leather jacket pocket.

“Hi! Thanks, Mr. um, Ghoul? Is it? I’m here to see Papa. Is he around?”

The Ghoul ignores Mary’s quip, remembering he was warned earlier to mind his manners with Mary Goore. “Papa will be with you when he’s ready. Please follow me and step inside.”

Sheesh! Okay then.

Mary follows the Ghoul inside and is dumbstruck by what he sees: instead of the dark, miserable hellhole he expected, the foyer is large, brightly lit, and richly furnished. Tall ornate golden candelabras hold fat black pillar candles which drip wax down their sides. Velvet crimson curtains frame each beautiful stained glass window depicting various Papas of the past. The warmth from a huge fire in a monumental gothic mantel reaches out to hug Mary’s bones. The bespoke crystal chandelier that hangs overhead is excessive, over-the-top, and looks every bit as expensive as it was. Not a speck of dust is to be found on it or indeed on any of the ornate furnishings.

“Sit Mr. Goore,” the Ghoul points him towards a lush dark green armchair not too far away from the fire.

“Would you like something to drink? A wine perhaps from Papa’s private cellar? With his compliments.”

Mary’s eyes widen as he relaxes into the chair.

Papa’s private cellar? Fuck!

“Sure! Any white wine would be great please, thanks! Whatever one Papa himself would enjoy.”

Why the hell not!

The Ghoul marches off to fetch the drink, leaving Mary alone to ponder his surroundings.

Not just anyone gets an invite to the elusive Ministry. Especially not on a whim like this. The Ministry and its Clergy are strictly reclusive, except for when it comes to the live music of course, but even then, not many outsiders have seen photos of the grounds and much less graced its walls.

There must be so much shit in here, Mary thinks. Imagine the archives: the books, the relics, and the art that lies inside. What is the church like? It must be phenomenal. Imagine the choir singing during a Sunday service, their heavenly voices reverberating between the arches, glossy marbled floor, and tall walls.

Hey, where are the Sisters anyway? I thought this place was supposed to be crawling with horny, beautiful women who want to get laid left, right, and center? There’s barely a sinner here except for the Ghoul dude and myself.

The Ghoul returns with a tray laden with two wine glasses and a bottle of white wine. Setting them down on the coffee table opposite Mary, he says, “Papa will be with you shortly.”

He pours a small amount into a glass and offers it to Mary to sample. Ordinarily, Mary would neck any alcohol, whether he liked the taste or not. Especially if it was free.

Feeling suddenly underdressed and completely out of his comfort zone, Mary takes a sip as politely as could in front of the waiting, silver-faced, horned Ghoul who is staring intensely at him.

“Day-um, that shit’s good!” he declares, immediately regretting his choice of words.

“Glad it’s to your liking” the Ghoul replies with a hint of sarcasm and fills up the rest of Mary’s glass.

Mary relaxes deeper into the armchair and idly fingers the left armrest, enjoying the soft fabric. The heat blazing from the fire makes him realise his old leather jacket is ridiculously hot, so he removes it. His mind drifts back to earlier on that afternoon when he received Papa’s invite. He hastily sent his tour manager out to source a rented car for him while he quickly showered and shaved. He didn’t have much by the way of clothes with him on the road. Mary travels light. He has enough shit to mind on the road, and he has a reputation for occasionally forgetting his guitar and pedals.

Why didn’t I send him to pick me up a shirt as well? Shit.

His Candlemass t-shirt suddenly seems faded and tattered, and his ripped jeans definitely look inappropriate in this lush setting.

Maybe I should have shined up my Docs...

Mary briefly considers if he has time to spit on his boots in an effort to shine them up.

After all, I am meeting the head of this church...

“Ah! Mr. Goore! You made it!”

Papa Emeritus the Third’s voice booms into the foyer before Mary can make a decision.

Mary jumps to his feet with a hammering heart.

“Most Unholy Father! Thank you for seeing me at such short notice!”

Mary kisses the ring on Papa’s gloved hand.

“One must never let down one of his flock, for in doing so, he lets down the whole flock”. He grins at Mary and kisses the silver skull ring on his right hand in return.

“How are you, my child?”

Mary takes in the sight of Papa. He is in full papal attire: gold embroidered mitre, black shiny robes decorated with golden grucifixes and lined with rich deep purple satin, full corpse paint, and perfectly polished black shoes. He is absolutely regal, majestic, glorious, and completely imposing. A waft of expensive cologne hangs in the air, not overwhelmingly but definitely present.

“I am good, thank you. Papa, may I say that you are looking well?”

Papa smirks, pleased to have made an impression on the handsome rocker. He eyes him up and down: Mary’s just-fallen-out-of-bed-because-I’m-a-rockstar-and-too-lazy-to-dress-myself look is quite becoming on him. Mary’s clothes reflect his personality: there are no airs or graces, and quite frankly, no pretentious bullshit. What you see is what you get. Mary lives and breathes music and heavy metal subculture. Papa is secretly excited to be in the unexpected presence of Mary Goore once again, whether it is Valentine’s Day or not.

“Oh, and Papa, I have a gift for you.”

Mary hands him an unopened bottle of whiskey he smuggled in his suitcase during the tour.

“Why thank you, blessed child. This is very generous! We shall toast to our reunion!”

Do you want to get your Papa drunk, dear boy?

Papa clicks his fingers over his right shoulder.

The same Nameless Ghoul appears by his side in a flash.

“Bring us two whiskey glasses please, Ghoul.”

Papa sits opposite Mary, crossing his right leg over his left. He looks him squarely in his eyes, taking private delight in their marvelous jade hue and silently admiring his long black eyelashes. He can sense Mary’s hidden trepidation.

Wishing to put him at ease, Papa asks, “How is the tour going? Tell me about your music.”

Before Mary has a chance to answer, the Ghoul returns with the two whiskey glasses and pours a splash into each.

“But first! To a happy reunion of two friends in music! Saluti!”

“Saluti!” Mary grins as the two clink glasses with a sweet singing chime that echoes throughout the large room. He downs the whiskey in one gulp without even thinking about how he might drive himself back to his hotel later.

Papa swallows the fiery liquid calmly in one mouthful.

“My child, this is an excellent vintage”, feeling the fire alight in his belly.

“Glad you like it, Papa. It is from a special source of mine.”

“Thank you for gifting it to me tonight. So tell me about the music.”

“That’s just it”, Mary looks directly into Papa’s heterochromia eyes seriously. “This is what I came to talk to you about. It’s all going well. But I’m at a crossroads. After this tour, we’re straight back to the studio for the next album and I’m shit outta ideas. I feel stagnated.”

Papa is surprised at Mary’s sudden vulnerable exposure to his mind. He had intended to let Mary relax in his surroundings and the meeting by talking about something he is always excited and passionate about.

Shit. I wanted to ease him in so he may speak freely. I did not intend to open his can of worms so soon.

Papa picks up on an inner pain emanating from Mary’s chest and coming up through his voice. He can tell the musician is distressed even though he’s doing his best to conceal his emotions and to come off as cool, calm, and professional.

“Go on,” Papa encourages, watching the handsome young man, forgetting for a moment that he is crushing hard on him and wishing only to be a friend for him in his moment of vulnerability.

“I’m afraid of repeating myself lyrically. I feel like I need to speak about new things in the band but I don’t know what. I’m scared of losing our audience by disappointing them with shit they’ve heard before. I’ve managed to work myself right up to the point where I can’t write a single word. This is not me.”

“My dear child, this truly is a matter of the heart. How brave of you to speak your mind and to admit your fears. Your words are very honest and they will never leave this room.”

“Thank you, Papa. Thank you for hearing me”, Mary looks relieved to have even just admitted out loud he is suffering from writer’s block.

“I can offer you advice in this case. My advice is very simple: read. Read, read, and read, and when you’re done, read some more. But I can offer you more than just this: you are welcome to frequent the Ministry’s library for inspiration at any time. You can find the best literary works about all things dark, morbid, occultist, and more. Even the banned works: especially the banned works!”

“Papa!” Mary’s eyes practically fall out of his head and he falls to Papa’s knees, kissing his hand fervently. “I am not worthy of such generosity!”

Papa cups Mary’s chin with his right hand and tilts his head gently to look up at him. “You are more than worthy, dear child. I can think of none more worthy than you.”

“Thank you Papa, I can never thank you enough for this!”

“It would be my honour to help you. You are a force of nature and I want to see you do well: physically and spiritually. Spread the Word of our Lord to the masses through your frenetic, furious, and arcane music. You are an artist and you have been blessed by Him to deliver his Unholy Word. The Ministry’s library is yours and the Library Ghouls and Sisters will help you on your quest should you need them.”

Papa helps Mary to his feet.

“This is not what I expected Papa. This is not what I came here for: to be given unprecedented access to the unholiest of works. This is so generous of you: what can I do to repay your kindness?”

“Accompany me to dinner tonight. Let’s have a good time, eh? Now that this matter is on the path to resolution, let’s have a good evening and rejoice in our friendship.”

Never one to turn down a free square meal while on tour, Mary enthusiastically agrees, delighted to not have to dip into his €15 daily food allowance today and to keep it for some other indulgence at a later point.

“Wonderful! How about I give you a tour of the Ministry so you can find your way around when you choose to return and start your research, and then afterward we will enjoy dinner?”

“Papa, you spoil me. Thank you.”

The two finish their glasses of wine and the server Ghoul returns with a tray to clean the table.

“Ghoul, Mary will be joining me for dinner, but first we are going for a walk. Please bring the wine upstairs so we may enjoy it later.”

“Yes, Papa. Have you any special requests for dinner tonight? Does Mr. Goore have special dietary requirements?”

“Well, do you?” Papa questions turning to Mary.

“Oh! Whatever you have will be awesome, thanks! I’m not fussy!”

“So it is done! Tell the Kitchen Ghouls to surprise us. We will be ready in forty-five minutes, give or take a few.”

“Yes, Papa” the Ghoul scurries off in the direction of the Ministry’s kitchen.

Mary rises and slings his jacket over his arm. Looking Papa directly in his eyes, he outstretches his right hand, offering to help Papa up out of his chair. Not wanting to miss the opportunity of touching Mary’s hand, Papa accepts it, wrapping his gloved fingers around it, and feels Mary gently coax him up. An unspoken energy passes between the two, like a bridge made from electricity that connects suddenly and powerfully.

“Ahem!” Papa coughs, disguising his giddy excitement from the touch, and is momentarily grateful for his robes which are concealing his definite wicked boner. “This way” he asserts, leading Mary through ornate double doors and into the depths of the Ministry.

Papa’s tour is nothing short of majestic as he describes the various locations to Mary who listens in amazement. The library was the first stop so Mary would be able to find it on his own the next time he came to the Ministry. The smell of bibliosmia, thousands of dusty, old books lining the walls and wooden shelves stacked from the floor to the ceiling, the beautiful reading lights on desks and cozy alcoves with plush furniture for long sits all excited Mary no end. He could totally imagine himself losing weeks in here as he poured over books with endless supplies of coffee served by a kindly Sister of Sin.

On the way out of the library, Cardinal Copia rushes past, clutching an old scarlet volume of dark, romantic poetry, a box of chocolates, and a black rose. He wears a tight-fitting black suit that shows off his slender figure and hints at a tiny potbelly, black leather gloves cover his handsome hands and his black shoes are perfectly polished.

“Cardinal!” Papa halts Copia. He wants Copia to see his prize by his side.

“Papa! Again, I am so sorry about-“

“Forget it. I want you to meet my dear friend, Mary Goore. He will be frequenting the library in the near future and since you know the shelves so well, perhaps you will find some time to assist him if he requires it?”

Copia’s dark smokey eyes widen at Mary.

What a hellishly good-looking man!

“Yes, Papa! Mary Goore, it eez good to meet you. We will work together, yes?”

You don’t look like a cardinal, Mary thinks. You look like you’re dressed for a rendezvous in a different time and place altogether!

“Thank you, your Eminence. It is good to meet you too.”

“Ah, Copia is good, no need for zee airs and zee graces. But I must run now! It eez Valentine’s Night and I am on my way to see a beautiful Seestor! She eez a true Bella, she eez cara mia...". He presses the heavy book to his chest and sighs wistfully. "Enjoy your evening, Meestor Goore.”

He salutes Papa with a nod and a “Papa” before scurrying away.

“He seems like... a character”, Mary offers.

“One could say that. Come on, we have more places to discover before we eat. Are you hungry?”

“Yes, actually, but I can wait. Please show me more, Papa.”

The pair chats amicably throughout the rest of their walk and after forty-five minutes find themselves walking up the marble staircase that leads to the floor Papa lives on. Unlocking his door with a beautiful brass key on a matching long brass chain, Papa invites Mary in. “I prefer to eat in the sanctity and privacy of my quarters. Is that alright with you?”

“Of course, Papa”, Mary breathes, taking in the details of Papa’s luscious apartment. Fabulously decorated and meticulously tidy thanks to the tireless Ghouls who maintain very high standards, Papa’s living quarters are warm and inviting.

A majestic, fluffy, long-haired black cat greets Papa, rubbing around his legs affectionately. Her eyes shine like the greenest of emeralds and her huge, fluffy tail stands erect, delighted to see the return of her master. She purrs loudly and the tiny bell around her neck chimes softly.

Papa stoops and pets the beautiful creature before placing his mitre on a little table and offering Mary a hook for his leather jacket.

Mary automatically bends down to remove his Docs. The cat vocalises a sweet "Prrttbb?" and headbutts Mary's hand fondly. Her dark fur is super soft.

"Hi puss-puss" Mary greets, giving the resplendent feline a friendly rub on her head. Mary adores cats and they adore him. "Aren't you a beauty?"

“Her name is Eclipse. She is my furry companion. My little soulmate with four legs. It's not necessary to remove your boots, dear boy. Unless you feel more comfortable, of course.”

Take all of your clothes off, if it makes you feel more comfortable, Papa adds silently, watching Mary and his cat exchange warm nuzzles and pets.

“I cannot walk my filth into your plush carpet, Papa. It would be a sin.”

Mary removes his boots as Papa watches in amusement. Eclipse chances a playful swipe at one of Mary’s laces.

“I will change into something more comfortable myself. Please give your Papa two minutes to return. Make yourself at home.”

Papa disappears into his bedroom followed by the trotting Eclipse, leaving Mary alone to look around with curiosity. Papa has a vintage record player and it tickles Mary’s delight and fancy. A small stack of records sits on the shelf underneath it and he chooses an original Black Sabbath pressing. Lifting the needle expertly, Mary puts on the seminal record. For a long ominous minute, the sound of rain, thunder, and a distant church bell rings out in Papa's quarters.

“A wonderful choice” Papa purrs unexpectedly beside Mary when the drums and distorted guitars kick in with the riff, famous for its use of the evil diabolos in musica harmonic interval. He suddenly seems less tall and less imposing yet nevertheless, still very elegant. He has removed his robes and wears black slacks and a plain black shirt with the top button undone. His raven-black hair is slicked back to perfection. He still seems dressy but slightly nonchalant. To Mary, Papa suddenly seems less like the head of a Satanic church and more like a handsome, slightly older mate he would go to the pub with.

What is this that stands before me?
Figure in black which points at me.

“Papa, you look great.”

“So do you,” he captures Mary’s chin with his fingers once more and looks directly into his eyes while parting his lips. Mary is rooted to the floor. He suddenly becomes aware that Papa has removed his gloves. His touch is soft on Mary's clean-shaven skin.

A loud knock sounds on the door abruptly, breaking the bewitching spell of heavy metal and Papa's dark lust.

“Kitchen Ghouls at your service, Papa!”

Papa exhales and begrudgingly retracts his fingers, closing them in a fist. “Enter!”

Two Ghouls rush in pushing a cart.

What just happened? Mary wonders as the Ghouls busily set up Papa’s dining room table with a beautiful black tablecloth, purple and gold runner, and golden cutlery. Was he about to kiss me? It suddenly dawns on Mary as one of the Ghouls lights a black candle in the middle of the table: This is a Valentine’s date!

“Sit Mary, please” Papa had been intensely watching Mary lost in thought.

Shit, maybe I’ve totally fucked this up! Maybe he’s straight as an arrow and I’ve been a fucking fool all this time. Oh please don’t bail on me, especially in front of the Ghouls! I'll never live it down! Imagine getting stood up on Valentine's Night!

To his relief, Mary smiles at him and sits. “Thank you, Papa.”

“Papa, for you we have penne saporita with a side of sauté potatoes and mixed salad. Mr. Goore, we have ravioli al salmone with the same sides. Our pasta is cooked homemade here at the Ministry. Enjoy your dinner.” The other Ghoul pours two glasses of the same white wine from earlier.

“Magnifico!” Papa booms. “Thank you, dear Ghouls. That will be all.”

“Papa, just to let you know, we have a special dessert in your personal fridge, if you’d like later.”

Mary watches the entire exchange in amusement and watches one of the Ghouls place an ornate bowl filled with cat food on the floor for Eclipse.

The dessert is right in front of me, Papa thinks but instead answers with a polite “Thank you!”

Both Ghouls bow before exiting, leaving Mary and Papa alone with an excited Eclipse who laps into her bowl eagerly.

Papa clinks glasses with Mary whose demeanor has suddenly changed from timid kitten to confident street cat.

"To us, Papa!” Mary narrows his eyes at him.

“To us” Papa agrees.

Fuck me! This pasta is out of this world! Mary thinks as he digs in hungrily. The pasta parcels are stuffed with delicious, hot, fluffy smoked salmon and smooth ricotta cheese. Topped with a salmon sauce, it is practically an orgasm in his mouth.

“It’s good, yes?” Papa notices Mary’s silence.

“Uh, so good!” Mary nods, wiping the corner of his mouth with his napkin, trying not to come across as a pig in shit.

Papa makes his way through his creamy tomato prawn and mushroom pasta dish, savoring the smooth textures that melt in his mouth. He steals glances at Mary throughout the meal, noting the way his long skinny fingers wrap around his cutlery, how his lips part open, and how occasionally he looks up at Papa and blushes slightly. The reflection of the dancing candlewick in Mary’s green eyes enchants Papa.

Time to be blunt, Papa thinks after a while, setting down his knife and fork. “Mary, seeing as it’s Valentine’s Night as the Cardinal so graciously reminded us, how is love with you?”

Mary coughs and takes a sip of wine. “Love is lonely, Papa. I’m on the road, so it’s easy come, easy go right now.”

“No commitments, eh?”

“Definitely not. This wanderer roams free. How about you?”

“Oh, there is one who lives rent-free in my mind.”

Mary momentarily lets his jaw drop in jealous surprise.

“Black is the colour of my sweet love’s hair” Papa begins. “Their lips are like some roses fair. They have the sweetest smile and the gentlest hands, and I love the ground where on they stand.”

Mary can only gaze at Papa.

“Do you know this song, yes? It is believed to be a Scottish song. Such beauty.”

“How lovely, Papa. Your love is lucky.”

Mary feels a tiny stab in his heart and stares at the candle in dismay while Papa rises from his chair, discarding his napkin onto his empty plate.

Shit, fuck! What is he doing here with me tonight then? Should he not be off banging this dark-haired Sister with the amazing lips? What the hell am I doing here?

He stands behind Mary and puts his hands on both of his shoulders. Leaning into his ear he whispers, “I’m talking of course, about you, Mary Goore”. Without giving Mary a chance to respond, Papa leans down and kisses Mary’s cheek softly.

Shivers flood down Mary’s body. “Papa, are you for real?”

“This is as real as it gets”, Papa whispers hotly and kisses the side of Mary’s neck. “How I’ve longed to have you all to myself” he continues between kisses, drawing his fingertips along the side of Mary's neck. “You’re wild.”

Overcome with flattery and surprise, Mary exhales loudly.

“So tell your Papa. Are you intrigued? Are you interested?”

Fuck! Mary thinks enjoying Papa’s lips on his neck which leave behind the faintest of pink signatures. He puts his right palm on top of Papa’s left hand on his shoulder and squeezes it. “This ain’t my first rodeo, Papa.”

“So you like your Papa then, yes? In that way?”

“How can I resist you? You are amazing.”

Papa is exactly what Mary likes in a man: power, authority, maturity, and good looks. Mary was always attracted to Papa’s presence, on stage and off, and like countless others, Mary often wondered about the handsome Papa, dreaming about the life he leads fronting his rock band of ghouls. He privately thought Papa was charming and handsome but he never would have dreamed Papa would be so gracious to him, never mind be so apparently attracted to him.

Mary stands up and turns to face Papa.

“No, my boy, you are the amazing one.”

Closing his eyes, Papa captures Mary’s lips in a soft kiss that lingers for a second or two.

How I’ve waited for these beautifully sculpted lips! They are as soft and amazing as they look.

Mary savours the sweet kiss and presses back harder into Papa. He parts his lips, prizing Papa’s mouth open. Softly caressing his tongue against Papa’s, Papa sees stars, for Mary has a kiss that is sweeter than any whiskey or wine. Papa meets his tongue and locks his lips fully onto Mary’s, deepening the kiss which blindly leads into another.

Still in full lip-lock, Papa pulls Mary towards him while walking backward towards a plush couch. He crashes into it and gently kicks Mary’s feet from underneath him, causing him to fall into his lap. Slow, timid, and sensual kisses turn quickly into rapid, messy, sloppy, wet kisses. Papa’s lipstick and corpse paint start to transfer onto Mary’s face but Mary cares not: he is used to wearing the thick war paint himself.

Papa undoes Mary’s belt and jeans buttons in a heartbeat, dying to get into his pants. “I want you” he grumbles, “I want you right now.”

Without asking, Papa releases Mary’s rigid cock from his jeans and boxers.

Oh, dear boy, you are beguiling! What a fantastic cock you have! Even better than I imagined...

He sensuously pumps him with his soft hand and Mary moans into his mouth. Papa is delighted to finally have Mary in the palm of his hand. “Come to Papa” he commands as he shifts his weight and lies flat on the couch, using a cushion to prop his head up on an armrest. “No, I mean, really come to Papa” he coaxes as Mary momentarily looks confused. Papa firmly grips Mary’s cock and guides him into his mouth. Mary grips the armrest for support and moans loudly as Papa’s lips wrap around him. Papa’s mouth is hot and wet and Mary is instantly in seventh heaven. Papa sucks him hard, taking delight in finally getting to suck the cock he fantasised about for months. He was taking no prisoners tonight: he wants to give Mary the time of his bisexual life. Being a man himself, Papa naturally knows how to pleasure Mary and is able to read him like a book.

“Papa,” Mary moans not quite believing his luck and resisting the urge to thrust deep down Papa’s throat, “Oh fuck that’s good.”

Papa runs his tongue around Mary’s shaft and head tantalisingly.

You are going to cum and you are going to cum hard for me tonight, Mary Goore.

Papa grips Mary’s butt and runs his hands greedily over both cheeks, delighting in their salacious shape. He encourages Mary to thrust into his mouth, for he knows he must be aching to. Papa has a practiced gag reflex and takes Mary’s long hard cock effortlessly.

Withdrawing him for a second, Papa speaks, “ You’ve such a nice cock. So perfectly suckable. You like Papa’s blowjob, yes?”

“Oh fuck yes, Papa. You're a real talent,” Mary whines, taking his cock in his hand and rubbing it against Papa’s grinning mouth, smearing even more of his perfect corpse paint with the wetness. Papa takes him back in his hand and pumps him some more.

“You taste good, Goore, I could suck you off forever if you could only last. How long can you last for your Papa?”

Mary whines again.

His smutty talk is not helping!

“Shut up and take it!” He surprises Papa and shoves his cock back into those blackened grinning lips.

Papa loves Mary’s sudden authority. He laps him up greedily, enjoying every inch of Mary’s cock and reveling in his salty taste. Still sucking him hard, he shifts his weight again and releases his own cock through his zipper which was demanding attention once again. He neglected himself earlier, as much as he yearned for a quick tug, he wanted to save every drop of his seed for Mary.

“Don’t you even dare touch yourself” Mary quips, slapping Papa’s hand away from his cock. “You’re focusing on me right now.”

Papa moans deeply on Mary’s cock, sending vibrations up into his shaft.

“Shit” Mary mutters, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

This is by far the best blowjob of all time...

He thrusts into Papa’s throat. “Take me” he demands.

Papa plays softly with Mary's firm balls and flicks his tongue around him, still purring deeply.

“Fack!” Mary cries out suddenly overcome with stimulation as he spills into Papa’s mouth. Papa sucks him hard, enjoying the sensation of Mary’s hot cum sliding down the back of his throat. Mary jutters and bucks his hips as Papa swallows.

Softly and gently, Papa kisses Mary’s cock on the way out. “Goore, you just unloaded a fuck-load of cum down my throat without warning me.”

Mary looks at Papa with watery eyes. “Since when do you need a warning? I didn’t see you spit it out. You swallowed me whole.” His eyes flash brightly, full of mischief.

“And you were every bit as delicious as I imagined!” Papa pats Mary on the butt. “Now shift that fine ass of yours. Go to my bathroom and clean yourself up for Papa. It’s around the corner.”

“Yes, Papa.”

Mary awkwardly dismounts off Papa with his jeans hanging off his hips. He finds the bathroom and runs the sink’s golden hot tap, staring at his sweaty, flushed, and paint-smeared face in the illuminated mirror. “Whore” he mutters to himself.

And you fucking love it. You’d get off anywhere with anyone.

He cleans his face and his cock in that order. When he shakes his hands dry in the sink he notices Papa has appeared behind him.

“You look refreshed” he comments, his lips on his neck once again. “Such a pretty fuck-boy you are.” Papa tugs on Mary’s t-shirt. “Take it off.”

Mary obliges and Papa takes an eyeful of his toned, hairless chest in the mirror. He caresses Mary’s demon tattoo and kisses Mary’s naked shoulder, sinking his teeth into him. His skin tastes salty.

“Papa. Thank you for the mind-blowing head” Mary sighs serenely.

“Such good manners from my little snarling death metal vocalist. You are just a kitten really.” Papa rewards Mary with another bite. “But now, sweet kitty, it is time for you to get naked. Drop your jeans.”

Papa strips Mary buck-ass naked. “That’s more like it”, Papa playfully slaps one of Mary’s butt cheeks.

Mary turns around and kisses Papa hard, undoing his shirt buttons one by one. When he has them all undone, he rips the shirt off his shoulders, dropping it to the warm underfloor heated tiles. Mary takes delight in the skin-on-skin contact and feels Papa’s dark hairs tickle his chest. The scent of Papa’s cologne hits him hard. He pulls away from his lips and kisses his chest and washboard tummy, making his way toward his waist. “You are hot as fuck”, he murmurs, unbuckling Papa's leather belt.

Papa’s erection grazes against Mary’s cheek from behind his slacks. Kissing his tummy, Mary unzips and unbuttons the trousers, revealing Papa’s package bulging inside high-quality designer boxers. Mary runs his fingertips along the smooth, luxurious fabric, delighting in Papa’s solid erection.

Papa shivers at Mary’s touch, despite still being clothed. “Touch me, I need your touch” he murmurs.

Mary removes the tight-fitting boxers that seem almost beat onto Papa’s neat hips. His erection springs up, long and thick.

Papa Emeritus the Third is completely naked in front of me, in his private bathroom and he’s begging me for a blowjob! Mary thinks excitedly.

He places tiny kisses along the side of Papa’s shaft. His last kiss lingers close to his head and without warning, Mary suddenly swallows him.

Papa groans loudly and grips the nearest towel rail to steady himself. Finally, his cock is getting the attention it has been crying out for: especially by the perfect lips which belong to Mary Goore. He looks down at the bobbing Mary and runs his fingers through his thick dark hair, scratching his manicured nails across his scalp pleasantly. Mary devours his cock as eagerly as any Sister of Sin and he strokes the base of Papa’s cock tenderly.

“Goore, arise” Papa murmurs.

Not that your blowjob isn’t fucking wonderful, I want more...

“Good work, handsome,” he compliments, enjoying the wide-eyed questioning expression on Mary’s youthful face. “Turn around. You’re going to take Papa, yes?”

“Oh yes please, Papa.”

“Good.”

Papa reaches into a drawer and lubes himself up. He runs a generous lather around Mary and fingers him gently. Mary jumps at the touch of cold lube and the sudden entry of Papa’s forefinger. “Relax, you are tense”, Papa breathes into his ear, lining himself up with Mary. He kisses his neck again, sending relaxing shivers down Mary’s body.

Papa pushes firmly into him, stretching him slowly. “Relax. Good. You are taking Papa so well”, Papa pushes a little deeper, careful to not inflict unnecessary pain onto Mary.

Papa’s eyes roll into the back of his head. “So tight for Papa.”

Mary grips the sink and adjusts his hips looking down towards his feet.

“Look at yourself” Papa commands, hand under Mary’s chin and directing him to the mirror. “Look at you taking Papa. We are a hot couple, yes?”

“We are” Mary agrees, seeing the reflected image of Papa behind him.

Papa thrusts, nearly lifting Mary off the tiles.

“Keep looking” Papa demands, his eyes never leaving Mary’s face in the mirror. Papa’s bangs fall into his eyes and he thrusts again. “That’s it. Now you have me”, Papa bottoms out in Mary and grips his waist.

“Ride me rotten, Papa. I can take it” Mary cries, looking him directly in his eyes.

You absolute incubus, Papa thinks. How I’ve longed to hear you say such filth!

Papa grits his teeth and thrusts into Mary, not realising Mary has another boner and is gripping himself with his right hand, pumping himself in time with Papa’s thrusts.

“Look at you in the company of another man on Valentine’s Night, Goore! Look at you taking it like a man! In the name of Satan...”

“Oh, Papa!” Mary’s eyes never leave Papa’s. Papa’s bangs move seductively with every thrust, hypnotising Mary.

This tops any fucking sexual exploits I’ve had so far! Getting rammed by Papa is bliss...

Mary enjoys the company of men too but usually, he is the dominant one. The fact that Papa, a slightly older yet far more powerful man is absolutely dominating him drives Mary wild. There is the added bonus that Papa seems to take him seriously and on the same level as him: throughout the evening he felt Papa longed to be his friend and wants to treat him as his equal. Mary couldn’t help but feel a romantic connection with Papa: not just a blistering sexual one.

“Papa, I want you to cum in me!” Mary cries desperately.

Papa grunts.

“Ruin me! Defile me! Claim me for yourself! I want to feel you blow your load into me!”

“You want- Fuuuuuuckkkkkkkk!” Papa curses, unable to contain himself, listening to Mary Goore begging and pleading for him tips Papa over the edge. He inhales hard into the back of Mary’s head, breathing in deeply the scent of his hair product, and pours himself into him. It feels like the motherload of an orgasm after abstaining from sex for a few days and especially for holding off this afternoon. Papa bucks his hips and reaches around for Mary’s cock, not expecting to find it covered in Mary’s hand and oozing hot cum over his knuckles.

Mary is rooted to the floor, breathing heavily and watching Papa in the mirror. Papa kisses Mary’s shoulder sweetly and withdraws softly from him.

He rubs Mary’s toned shoulders and massages them in appreciation, enjoying their masculinity and Mary's straight physical lines. “You are wonderful,” he murmurs.

“Thank you, Papa. So are you”, Mary turns and kisses Papa on the lips.

“Such a sweet boy. Stay the night with your Papa. You can shower and stay with me, we can watch tv in bed, have more wine, eat that dessert, and fall asleep together before you leave for your next show. Stay, please.”

“I’m probably over the limit anyway. That sounds heavenly, Papa. Thank you.” Mary grins wrapping his arms around Papa’s neck. “I feel reborn. In morbidity. Happy Valentine’s Day” he murmurs, nuzzling Papa's smeared and smudged black nose.

“Just like me. Happy Valentine’s Day, Goore” Papa echoes, embracing Mary’s skinny frame, never wanting to him go.

Chapter Text

I Can Feel The Thunder That's Breaking In Your Heart

Around midday the next day, Mary’s feet tread the gravel of the Ministry’s driveway as he unlocks the black Volvo. Papa walks beside him, already feeling a dull ache in his heart: he knows what’s coming all too soon.

He and Mary had woken up together this morning: they both passed out the night before when Papa spooned Mary after enjoying more wine and a mango and passion fruit cheesecake made by the Ghouls. Eclipse had also slept on the foot of Papa’s bed, making for a cozy night. The two enjoyed a round of fabulous morning sex in Papa’s sheets, delighting in each other’s safe and private company. Both had never truly considered before that either of them could find such comfort in another man while indulging in carnal, raw, and lustful sex. There was a very certain magic and an unspoken trust between the two men.

“I guess this is it for now, Papa,” Mary’s slightly long locks blow in the breeze as he looks at Papa standing beside the driver's door.

“My dear boy, drive safe and take care on the rest of the tour”, Papa says with tenderness in his voice.

“I will of course.”

Papa grips his upper arm abruptly and presses hard into Mary’s cupid bow lips, not caring if anyone happens to be watching. “Come back and see me soon? Please?” he croaks, unusually emotional.

Mary is slightly taken aback by Papa’s sudden vulnerability. “You know I’ll be back real soon: you gave me access to the library, remember? But you know you can always Whatsapp me at any time of the day or night? Now you have my number, don’t be afraid to use it.”

Papa grins, “So I can send you dick pix, yes?”

Mary laughs “Send me whatever you want, Papa! As long as it's your dick!”

“Well, let me take a selfie right now with you, and I can send it to you later, huh?” Papa pulls Mary beside him and holds his iPhone in front of them.

Snap! Snap!

Papa looks at the second photo to make sure it came out okay: Mary is leaning against Papa and tilting his head against his. His face is serious: Mary’s lips are pouty and his green eyes hint at the marvelous depth that is his soul. It's an unbelievably sweet photo that came out nicely clear in the midday sunshine.

“We are a hot couple, you’re right Papa” Mary grins, opening the car door.

“We are...” Papa trails.

Mary jumps into the driver’s seat, starts the engine, unwinds the window, and closes the door. He leans out the window and Papa leans down, capturing his lips one last time and savoring the moment. His ungloved fingers brush against Mary’s.

“Don’t leave Papa waiting too long.”

“Wild horses couldn’t keep me away, Papa.”

Chapter Text

Mary Goore's Birthday Ritual

Hunched over his notepad and scribbling furiously, Mary sighed behind the towering stack of books on a writing desk in the Ministry’s library. He felt like a child in a candy store except he was surrounded by ancient texts, collections of demonic artworks, and books detailing occult semiotics over thousands of years.

Laying his pencil down, he rubbed his eyes blearily. He had been in here all day long. It was the first chance he had gotten to visit since meeting Papa Emeritus III on Valentine’s Night and he did not want to waste a single minute in this cathedral of literary treasures. In fact, he was so excited to be given unprecedented access to the Ministry’s library that he didn’t even think to Whatsapp Papa to tell him he was there. Time was short: Mary only had a few days before he had to travel abroad again for another couple of weeks to snarl down the microphone to sweaty long-haired music fans squashed into small venues.

“Top up your coffee, Mr. Goore?” the compassionate and helpful Sister working in the library whispered, suddenly beside him.

“You are an angel! Yes please!” Mary spoke softly, careful not to disturb the other scholarly souls nearby reading earnestly. “And Sister, call me Mary” as he watched her pour him a thick espresso. The delicious aroma alone was enough to rewire his brain and keep him going for another while. “Mr. Goore is my father.”

“Well, you can call me Sister Louisa, Mary” she blushed as she met his tired green eyes. “I’ve finished my duties for the evening but I’m here again tomorrow if you need any help.”

“Thank you. Sleep well and see you tomorrow, Sister Louisa.” Mary grinned, causing the Sister to blush a little harder.

Cute guy is cute. Even if he’s from the outside!

Sister Louisa packed up her things and shut the light off at her desk, leaving Mary and the handful of others to continue their work in relative silence.

Spurred on by the excellent Italian coffee, Mary soaked up more demonic references for a couple of more hours. He already had several pages of names, phrases, and doodles in his black notebook: certainly a good start for spurring on the creation of new lyrics. Papa was clearly right: the best remedy for writer’s block is to simply read.

Speaking of Papa... I wonder should I pay him a visit? It would be rude not to...

He allowed his mind to drift back to Papa’s suite a few weeks ago and he recalled the jaw-dropping blowjob he received from him. He also remembered the intensity of Papa’s stare as he thrust into him, almost bringing him to his knees. Papa was hot to trot that night. Mary recalled Papa’s sad puppy dog eyes when he turned the ignition on of his rented car shortly before he left the morning after. As duly promised, Papa sent him occasional dirty messages while Mary continued on tour, keeping the flame of interest alive between them.

Mary felt a twitch in his jeans and made his decision entirely based on that.

Let’s see if I can remember the way to Papa’s place from here...

He gathered up his things, loudly tore a page from his notebook, and scrawled a hasty note on top of the books he had been reading:

YO!
MARY GOORE’S STUFF! NO TOUCHY!
I’LL BE BACK TOMORROW: 3/3!
DEATH AND DESPAIR TO THOSE WHO IGNORE THIS!!!
MG \m/

Oblivious to the scowls of one or two other researchers he unintentionally just disturbed, he slung his small casual crossbody bag across his left shoulder. He briefly wondered one more time if he should text Papa first. He looked at his phone and decided against it.

If Papa is there, great! If not, then I will not embarrass him. I can just come back here and conk out in one of those big-ass chairs or something...

Full of confidence, Mary exited the library and made for the main hallway. He reckoned the first set of stairs he met on the left-hand side were the ones that would take him to Papa’s floor.

A doe-eyed Sister crossed his path. She met his eyes and she instantly knew exactly who he was.

“Can I help you?” she asked politely, shocked at her own nerve to speak to the stranger. She felt compelled to nonetheless.

“Yeah actually! Hi! I’m looking for Papa Emeritus the Third’s suite. I was here before, but I’m not sure if I’m on the right track, I feel a bit turned around!”

“You need to go down the other hallway that way”, she pointed. “The next flight of stairs will take you to up his level. Keep on going and you’ll eventually get to his door. You can’t miss it.”

“Thanks!” Mary grinned.

“You’re welcome!” she said in a breathy voice and walked away as quickly as could, excited to tell the Cardinal who she had just encountered.

Mary followed her directions and surely enough, he found himself standing outside Papa’s door.

Just do it... he muttered inwardly, bracing himself.

He knocked politely and waited.

Papa opened the door with a wide smile. “My boy! Finally, you have come back to see your Papa!”

Papa was clearly getting ready for bed. He was wearing black and gold satin pajamas but his shirt was not buttoned and unashamedly revealed his toned flat torso. He was also wearing matching slippers and his hair was a bit disheveled.

“Hi, Papa! I hope I’m not disturbing you?”

“No! Come in, come in!”

Without giving Mary a chance to take off his grubby sneakers, Papa’s lips were on his in a passionate kiss. He drew his two thumbs down the front of Mary’s neck, pressing firmly along the way, making Mary feel very desired and possessed by Papa at the same time. Already he felt his jeans tightening up.

When Papa pulled off his lips, he grinned and leaned his forehead against Mary’s. “I was wondering when exactly you were going to visit me. You’ve been here all day long and you did not contact me!”

“How did you know I was here?” Mary blushed furiously.

“I could smell you. No, no, I’m kidding! Hah! Nothing happens in here without me knowing. I am Papa after all.”

“Of course”, Mary grinned and slung his bag and jacket on Papa’s coat rack. “Sorry, I did not text you, Papa. I didn’t mean to offend you: the opposite in fact.”

Papa breathed down the back of his neck and wrapped his arms around him. “My sexy boy” he murmured. “I knew you were busy. You look tired. You spent such a long time with the books today. Are you finding everything you need?”

“Yes, thank you, Papa. Sister Louisa filled my veins with coffee all day long. I have plenty of books to keep me busy for another day or two if that’s alright?”

“Of course! Whatever you need...” Papa ran his hands across Mary’s shoulders tenderly. “I am glad to learn then that you will be staying tonight. My bed awaits you.”

The thoughts of Papa’s soft bed and satin sheets very much appealed to Mary. Being a seasoned vagabond of sorts, he was able to sleep on almost any surface but Papa’s luxurious bedroom definitely was a treat he was not going to refuse. It was like a gothic five-star hotel without the dizzying expense.

Papa’s thumbs worked deep into Mary’s shoulder blades. “You are a little sore, yes? You hunched over for many hours. I can feel you are stiff, dear boy.”

“You could say that, Papa” Mary flirted.

Papa inhaled deeply as his hands drifted to Mary’s hips. “You are indeed.” Papa squeezed Mary through his jeans, relishing the young man’s firmness behind the fabric. His touch was exactly what Mary needed right now. “A little birdie came to me recently and told me something interesting” Papa started as he continued fondling Mary.

“Oh?” Mary breathed, swept up in Papa’s touch.

“That tomorrow is your birthday...”

“That is true” Mary’s face heated up again. “Where is this little bird so I can set your cat on it?” he joked. Of course, being an animal lover he would never do such a thing but he was totally embarrassed that Papa knew his birthday was so close. “Tsk, tsk” Papa kissed his neck hotly. “I have a birthday surprise for you. If you’re up for it...”

Lifting his t-shirt up and over his head, he ran his fingernails down Mary’s bare back, inundating the rocker with pleasurable sensations. Mary kicked off his sneakers and turned to face him. He ran his palms over Papa’s bare chest urgently.

“Such a hot-blooded creature you are” Papa purred. “And you don’t even know what I’ve got in store for you yet... birthday boy”.

Another dessert? Another blowjob? Hell, I don’t care what it is as long as you’re on offer... Mary thought inwardly as he kissed one of Papa’s nipples.

Papa sighed at Mary’s tempting lips. “Before I show you what I’ve got for you, let’s have a little whiskey, yes? The very one you gifted me last time. I keep it for special occasions. And for when I want to think about you.”

Papa poured two glasses and handed one to Mary. “Get that down your neck” he purred and the two skulled their drinks, looking each other in the eyes.

Papa poured another glass and beckoned him to his bedroom. A gentle yet sensuous blend of ylang-ylang, nutmeg, and patchouli greeted Mary, stirring something inside him immediately. “Come. Your surprise awaits inside.”

Softly pushing the door open, Papa revealed what was waiting for Mary:

In his darkened room illuminated softly by several red pillar candles, a woman Mary had never seen before lay on Papa’s bed. Her long naturally red hair cascaded in thick waves across her shoulders, shining like a glowing flame. Her lips were painted scarlet and she wore black silk across her eyes, blinding her to the room and the two men who gazed upon her. Matching ties bound her wrists to Papa’s headboard rails and she clutched them seductively with neat almond fingernails that were painted a matching shade of her lipstick. Although Mary couldn’t fully make out her face because of her blindfold, he could tell she was extremely beautiful with her high cheekbones and skin that was paler than a winter’s snow. She was older than him, but not by much. She exuded an ageless appearance: beautifully young yet to be touched by the hands of time but certainly, she was a woman of experience.

He gazed upon her, stuck to the floor in awe of her loveliness. Her beautifully lean porcelain body was clothed only in a delicate black lace kimono that was entirely transparent, save for embroidered black floral patterns and it was untied. Huge angel sleeves would have hung to her small wrists if they were not elevated above her head. A silver grucifix lay between her bare breasts for she wore no bra. Her nipples were on full display under the black lace and were already erect. Her long slim legs were flawless: one of her thighs was tattooed with a spiraling bohemian floral design which ran up to her navel and her charming feet were adorned with red painted toenails and a tiny anklet on which a little grucifix charm hung elegantly. She wore a minimal black satin thong, the elastic of which hugged her hips temptingly.

What a beauty... she is like a phoenix raised from the ashes...

“I know you appreciate magnificent women as much as I do, Goore. This is Sister Morganite and she is one of my most trusted Sisters. I want you to meet her.”

“Papa. She is angelic. Wow!” Mary could only gape at the stunning Sister, who was smiling softly and breathing calmly. Her chest rising up and down was eye candy alone for Mary.

“Sister Morganite,” Papa addressed her. “I want you to meet someone special. This is Mary Goore. He is a musician from Sweden and if I allowed you to gaze upon him, I know you would be enamored of his ravishing good looks. He has been blessed by the Dark One with a face that is irresistible to all who walk this Earth and he has been blessed with a cock to match.”

Fuck that’s an intro I’ll never get again!

Mary was thrilled with the flattering introduction to such an astoundingly beautiful woman. She could have been a supermodel or a movie star but here in the Ministry, she was a Sister of Sin.

The Sister smiled coyly and said nothing.

“She is under instruction not to speak to you, Goore.”

“Wow,” Mary repeated.

Where the fuck are my words? That whiskey has gone straight to my fucking head...

“Sister is a high-ranking member of our Clergy. She has been a faithful member of our Church for many, many years and she is second only to Sister Imperator in terms of authority. She is highly respected amongst all here, not only for her exquisite external beauty but also for her particularly sharp mind and deep knowledge. Sister Morganite is my friend, ally, and casual lover of many years. We go way back. She is not a concubine but rather; let’s say a friend with benefits when the need arises.

Tonight she is your birthday gift from me. You can do as you please with her for she has already given consent before you arrived.”

“Papa, I-“

Papa cut him off. “It would please me for you to receive pleasure from her tonight and into your birthday hours. But I must confess there is something in it for me too: I want to watch my two favourite lovers meet and do each other.”

Whoa!

“Before we begin,” Papa clasped his hands together gleefully, clearly loving being the authority of the room. “I must tell you both that this is a safe space. What happens tonight between these walls will remain right here. There are just the three of us: we are strictly alone and there are no recording devices.”

Mary gulped quietly in nervous anticipation. He had never actually been in a situation like this before. Sure, he publically made out and had intercourse with nameless females while on tour: sometimes there was absolutely no level of privacy on the bus, and stuff happened while other people were around. It was part of the scene and no one cared really: people were usually either too high, too tired, or too busy fucking, fingering, or receiving head from someone themselves to notice if you were balls deep in a groupie who was rocking fervently on your hips. But deliberately setting rules in a formal scenario like this was definitely a different ball game altogether.

“Anyone can stop at any given time,” Papa continued. “There is no shame in these walls. Sister, although you are bound not to speak to Mr. Goore, you may, of course, use your voice to vocalise your pleasure or alternatively command a break. Mr. Goore, would you like to choose one word we will all agree to should the need arise?”

Mary thought carefully. “Ritual.”

“So it is! Finally, I will be sitting right here the whole time. I will not leave either of you alone, for your ease is my priority. Mind you, I trust both of you; otherwise, I would not have instigated this. Now! Let us begin! Mary, it is time for you to introduce yourself to the lovely Sister!” Papa winked at him and beckoned toward the Sister. “Go! She is waiting for you, my dear boy. Oh, and please offer the Sister a whiskey.”

Papa closed the bedroom door and sat on a plush loveseat parallel to his bed. He watched Mary calmly make his way over to the bound Sister and climb onto the bed beside her. She felt the mattress dip slightly under his weight beside her. He lay on his side, propping his head up with his hand and his elbow resting on a pillow. He faced Papa and he could dimly make out his corpse-painted face in the flickering shadows. “Hi, Sister Morganite” he began and spoke softly. “I’m Mary, as Papa just said. I’m very pleased to meet you and I hope you will be pleased to meet me too.”

She smiled in acknowledgment, gently parting her soft red lips to reveal perfectly white straight teeth. She could smell the faintest hint of Papa’s signature cologne off him and could tell that the lustful Papa had swept up Mary already and stole some kisses before bringing him to his bedroom. She knew Papa liked Mary a lot and was very excited to be around him. Even though she knew Papa for many years and had an extraordinary relationship with him, she was not threatened by the young rocker who made such an impression on him: she was happy for him and she was only too willing to get to know his special prize herself. She was used to sharing Papa; as was he used to sharing her.

Mary gazed at the nearest of her naked breasts under the kimono, transfixed by the little peak that softly rose and fell with every breath she took. She was so exposed and vulnerable but she emanated confidence and ease of mind. She certainly did not look nervous. Mary gathered she had been in situations like this before, more than likely with Papa himself. The pressure was on him therefore to impress her, but Mary was totally willing to rise to the occasion.

“You are very beautiful”, Mary continued. “I have this awesome whiskey I got a while back. Papa and I just did a shot. Would you like one too?”

She smiled in agreement.

Mary brought the glass to her lips and poured the liquid down her throat. The gesture made him feel powerful and less nervous.

“This is just me if it’s alright with you.” He dropped the glass to the floor and gently leaned over, intertwining the fingers of his right hand in her left hand. As she felt the whiskey soak into her head, she became aware of how hot his hand was and how masculine and large it was. And he noticed her smooth soft skin and how delicate and feminine her hand was by contrast. A physical connection was made between them.

Papa watched the two closely, already at full mast underneath his satin pajama bottoms. He was secretly pleased that they seemed to be getting on well and he was impressed yet not surprised that Mary was approaching her with such good manners and softness. He obviously appreciated that the Sister is precious and deserved to be treated like a queen. And he clearly understood that women love such attention. Mary doesn’t treat women thoughtlessly, and neither does Papa.

“I think we will enjoy each other’s company tonight and put on a nice show for Papa, don’t you think?” Mary raised an eyebrow at Papa, being mindful to include him. He could see that Papa was sitting with his hips open: one knee was bent up with his foot resting on the couch and the other was lying to the side, his foot resting on the floor. His left hand rested against his closed mouth and his other hand dangled off his knee lazily. He looked very relaxed but he was watching very keenly. Mary could discern his boner sticking up already under his pajama bottoms. Papa did not acknowledge him and continued openly watching in silence under hooded eyelids.

Mary half felt that he was on display. With sudden realisation, he became aware that he quite liked that feeling: he had free reign to have his way with this willing Sister of Sin, all while under the watchful eye of the man that made him quake in his boots. “You are so very gorgeous” Mary complimented her again.

He inhaled deeply on her neck and breathed the light scent of her floral perfume. It complimented the sensual incense that hung delicately in the air. His hair brushed against her skin, giving the Sister a tiny sensory clue about him. She heard a creaking in Papa’s mattress springs and felt him move gently to position himself between her open legs. He inhaled more loudly this time and pressed his lips into the curve where her neck and shoulder met. Her body involuntarily reacted in an explosion of goosebumps which shot down her arms rapidly. She could sense the strong carnal lust from his aura and she took pleasure knowing her body had such an effect on him: no matter how many times you’ve been fucked, it’s always nice to feel desirable and to know you can enrapture someone new.

Mary’s other hand drifted to her hips, coping an erotic feel. This in itself made her recognise that Mary was a seasoned lover himself and a confident one. His touch screamed that he was in control and she liked the thought of that. She could also discern that he was wearing jeans although she had yet to find out that he was topless and was sporting a slender tummy.

Papa bit gently into the back on his hand watching Mary position himself between her legs. Mary seemed to be focused on her, giving her 100% of his attention. This in itself was also a turn-on, as it made Papa feel like he was the private audience of a secret erotic show made just for him.

Mary’s hand left the Sister’s and trailed down her neck and shoulder, finally settling on one of her breasts. He cupped her and squeezed her very gently, loving its curved shape in his hand. Invoking a primal reaction in the woman, she bucked her hips slightly.

Taking her reaction as a positive sign to continue, Mary pushed aside the open fabric, exposing her skin to the air. He ran both of his hands down her sides to her hips lustfully, evoking a light airy moan out of her lips: the first sound other than her breathing she had vocalised so far. Mary’s blood rushed hotly through his veins when he heard it. Next, he ran both of his hands down her body again, but this time with his palms flat against her chest so he could enjoy both of her supple breasts at the same time.

She bucked her hips again and clenched her legs tighter around Mary’s waist. Now she could feel he was wearing a belt and no top. She was already yearning to feel anything rub against her: a finger, the tip of an erection, a tongue. It was already bad enough that Papa invited her for a night of pleasure in his bedroom, tied her to his bedframe after only a short round of French kissing had left her high and dry, practically spread-eagled on his bed! She always enjoyed Papa’s cock and her sense of anticipation was already enormous. When he informed her that there would be a third party joining them shortly, she ached all the more.

It didn’t take Mary long to figure out she was yearning for stimulation. The way she ground her hips against his told him all he needed to know. He kissed her lips suddenly and within seconds they were hungrily devouring each other. They enjoyed each other’s kiss and the taste of whiskey off one another. Papa was right: they were well suited to each other. The only other thing the Sister wished for right now was to feel the shape of Mary’s face and head in her hands, but she could not and remained firmly bound to the bedframe to enjoy this faceless hookup.

Papa enjoyed watching them eat the faces of one another. Mary’s handsome jawline tilting to the Sister’s face was hot. A vein revealed itself in the side of Mary’s neck, undoubtedly due to his blood rushing through his system. He also appreciated the curve of Mary’s butt in his tight jeans.

What a very great ass he has!

Papa reached into his pajamas and took his cock and balls out and started to pump himself slowly as he watched.

Mary’s sharp ears immediately picked up the distinctive moist sounds from across the room and he knew without having to look that Papa had started to enjoy himself. However, that did not mean he could resist sneaking a peak: he caught a glance of Papa staring intensely at him with his long hard cock standing upright. His thumb and his forefinger were at the base and the rest of his long fingers sprawled over his balls. The back of his other hand was still pressed against his mouth.

Mary remembered the sensation of that fine cock inside him the last time he was here. He hoped he would have a chance to reacquaint himself with it again soon.

He wasn’t sure exactly how she did it, but suddenly he felt the Sister’s elegant foot graze under his balls and stroke his cock, bringing his attention back to her.

“Want my undivided attention, eh?” he murmured. “You’ll have to show more of yourself then won’t you?”

With a feather-like touch, he stroked her thong, brushing his forefinger between her folds. Under her blindfold, she squeezed her eyes tight and silently screamed for more. His touch was electric. Next came his thumb: the different shape pressed slightly harder into her clit which she enjoyed immensely.

“Goore...” Papa said softly. “Be a pet and relax Sister’s leg flat onto the bed for I cannot see what you are doing.”

Dutifully Mary gently straightened her bent knee down but let her other remain bent so he could still access her.

“That’s better. Carry on!”

Mary stroked her again: partly for her pleasure but partly for Papas. And partly of course, for his own mischievous fingers and eyes. He always enjoyed watching a woman writhe at his touch. He was proud of the fact that he intuitively knew how to work a woman: he hadn’t met one yet that didn’t buckle under his touch.

By now, he could feel the wetness start to ooze out of her and soak through the fabric of her thong. Not that there was a whole lot of material in her provocative lingerie. He worked his fingertips again up and down her folds, gently working her clit which had started to swell. She wriggled a little under his touch in an effort to make him apply more pressure on her.

“I think it’s time I had more access to you, beautiful Sister.” Mary started pulling the elastic down her hips, slowly revealing her full naked body to him. She eased her hips up towards the ceiling, helping him to remove the soft fabric. Slowly the lingerie slipped down her thighs and Mary kissed a tattooed flower on one of them as he did so.

Her body is fucking rockin’ he thought, appreciating how very sexy she was lying so naked and bare, except of course for the kimono that was only hanging loosely on either side of her by now. He spread both of her legs wide open to him.

Suddenly something shiny caught his eye: glittering up at him like a rare sapphire was a jewel just above her clitoris, lying vertically in the hood. “Well holy shit,” he said aloud. “Papa. You did not tell me that the Sister is literally hiding a jewel in the Ministry.”

He had never seen anything so pretty and so sexy in all his life. The surrounding skin was shaved clean and Mary knew exactly what he wanted to do next. It would be a sin not to. He scooted slightly away from her and lay on his tummy. Hooking one of his arms under one of her thighs, he brought his face to her folds. He blew softly onto her: his breath warmed her up, driving anticipation in her. He then kissed her piercing as softly and as gently as he could.

Papa leaned over slightly to get a better view.

Mary flicked his tongue out, giving the Sister a cheeky, playful lick that grazed lightly over her clit. She exhaled loudly for she was particularly sensitive in this part of her body; thanks to the erotic stimulation the piercing brought her. Mary always enjoyed giving women head and this was definitely more fun for him than usual: he had an extra toy to play with this time.

He flicked his tongue again in an upward direction and gripped her thigh slightly harder, building up the intensity. Discerning that she was enjoying his licks, he quickened his pace, relishing the little round jewel on the tip of his tongue. She arched her back in appreciation.

To change it up after a few minutes, he sucked upon her gently. She gave a tiny high-pitched moan, fully enthralled by the young man’s talent. He certainly seemed to be enjoying himself and she could tell he was having fun playing with her piercing. That delighted her: it was always so much better when the person giving was genuinely enjoying themselves rather than just obliging her. Usually, the latter was rare because most of her lovers were fascinated and aroused by her daring body art.

Before long, Mary’s face was completely glued to her and he ate her like a starved lover. His intensity surprised her and he left no area of her unexplored. His fingers were not shy about delicately pressing and curving into her orifice and he relished her silky soft and smooth folds.

“Goore, I see you’re clearly enjoying yourself, but for Satan’s sake, take a breath!” Papa commanded. He knew Sister Morganite so well that he could tell even with her blindfold on that she was close to orgasm. “Extend your skillset on the Sister. Clearly you are talented, so heighten the anticipation. For us all.”

Mary grinned at Papa and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Some strands of his signature devilock fringe fell across his eyes.

Papa inhaled sharply.

That boy is beautiful...

Mary held Papa’s eyes and rose up kneeling between the Sister’s legs. He unbuckled his leather belt with a loud jangle and unbuttoned his jeans. Papa could only stare, mesmerised by Mary’s sexy good looks.

Knowing full well that Papa was enjoying watching him, Mary’s hand lingered on his own erection still under his boxers and grazed his long fingers over himself and the fabric. In spite of being able to make out the bulging shape behind his boxers, the anticipation of finally seeing Mary completely naked again was almost too much for Papa.

I want you...

When Mary finally took himself out, Papa had to fight with himself to resist leaping on the bed. Mary arched his back slightly and tugged himself slowly, totally giving Papa a show on purpose. All of the time the Sister listened intently to the soft creak of the bedsprings, the jangle of Mary’s belt and his jeans as they hit the floor together, and the telltale sounds of hands on flesh. As her insides burned in anticipation, she wondered how much longer she was going to have to wait before receiving either one of the men.

Noticing her slight wriggle, Mary turned his attention back to her after blowing Papa a kiss. He mounted her and ran his hand across her forehead while lining up with her entrance.

“I’m going to take you right now, sweet Sister. I can see you’re aching to be done. And I’m aching to do you. Fuck anticipation.”

He softly pushed into her, filling her slowly and deliciously.

Papa salivated as he watched Mary’s cock disappear inside his cherished Sister: his two favourite sexual conquests looked so good together.

The Sister sighed, delighting in welcoming Mary into her, despite still not knowing what he remotely looked like. His long cock filled her nicely and that was all she really needed to know right now or even cared about.

Mary still couldn’t quite believe he had this exquisite woman at his mercy. He felt somewhat that she was way out of his league but he did not want to disappoint her. The whiskey helped his nerves. Instead of railing her straight away, he thrust slowly, hoping to sweeten the anticipation all the more for her.

“Oh, Papa,” she finally spoke aloud. “He is good!” she smiled coyly and wrapped her legs around Mary’s waist, drawing him deeper into her.

“Hmmm,” Papa answered, watching intently and silently approving.

Deliberately, slowly, sensuously, Mary buried himself in the beautiful woman, enjoying every second of being inside her tight body. He pushed himself as hard as he could to reach as deep as possible and to find her G spot.

Papa watched Mary labour in ecstasy, slowly circling his hips into her and he listened to the young man’s various primal grunts and the Sister’s heavy sighs. He watched the pair with unashamed lust and took perverted pleasure in the sight of Mary’s cock appearing right before diving back into the Sister. This was a real show before his very eyes and definitely would be one he would play back in his mind for weeks after.

A monstrance clock chimed midnight in the distance.

“Do her faster, Goore” Papa commanded. “And happy fucking birthday,” he added.

Mary redoubled his efforts and quickened his pace, much to the pleasure of the Sister who was crying out in rapturous elation. She vocalised loudly and unashamedly, knowing she would only be heard by the two men in the room with her. Not even a filtered muffle would reach Papa’s front door: an unsuspecting passerby in the hallway would have no idea what was going on behind the closed doors.

This guy is so fucking good and he knows exactly what he’s doing.

Suddenly and without warning, while Mary was balls deep in the Sister and close to cumming, he heard the one word he didn’t want to hear tonight:

“Ritual!”

He froze and looked in the direction where it came from and saw Papa standing next to the bed completely naked.

Confused and panting heavily, Mary withdrew slowly from the Sister who moaned loudly in protest.

Papa leaned over the Sister and kissed her forehead sweetly while untying her bonds. “Beloved Sister, Papa is here. Take a break.”

“Papa” she gasped in between breaths. “You demon! We were so close! How dare you interrupt what was going so well!”

Papa kissed her lips and rubbed her wrists tenderly. “You will get your gratification soon and you will thank me for making you wait for it. But now, you must listen.”

Turning to Mary he growled, “You did well, boy. You even stopped when commanded. Anyone else might have kept going. Lie down now next to the Sister, there’s a good kitten.”

Mary flaked out next to Sister Morganite, his head landing on one of Papa’s plush pillows. She instantly reached out and caressed the side of his face, delighted to finally touch his soft skin and square jaw. She moaned softly, clearly missing her lover already.

“Now I have my two beauties side-by-side on my bed. Which of you do I do first?” Papa growled darkly. “Seeing as it’s your birthday, Goore. I will have my way with you first!” He immediately descended onto Mary. “Besides, this way I can taste you both.”

Papa wrapped his lips around Mary. “Yes, indeed. I would recognise her taste anywhere,” he murmured.

Mary shut his eyes and reveled in the sensation of Papa going down on him.

Although she still wore her satin blindfold, the Sister rolled over closer to Mary and found his lips, devouring him in more kisses. She ran her nimble fingers through his hair and over his face, enjoying every sensation and detail she could discern of him. Her adorations complimented Papa’s and Mary felt enraptured by the attention of the two. The pair worked in tandem in showering Mary with feisty lip and tongue work. Mary could not tell if angels or demons surrounded him for they were giving him such a wickedly euphoric state of mind.

“Sister,” Papa purred between lewd slurps. “The way you are rubbing yourself against Goore’s body is catching the corner of my eye. And I cannot deal with it.”

“What do you intend to do about it, Papa? I cannot help myself!” Her low sexy voice was like music to Mary’s ears.

“Put on a show for Goore of course! Come here!”

In a swift move, Papa grabbed the Sister’s arm and positioned her directly over Mary. He didn’t hesitate to rail her roughly from behind, much to Mary’s surprise and perverted delight. Mary’s field of vision was filled with the now-naked Sister leaning over him but Papa’s eyes burned into his from behind her.

“Watch, Goore. Watch your Papa rail the woman you just fucked!”

Sister Morganite clawed at Mary, enjoying Papa’s thrusts and the sensation of another man underneath her. Mary bit his lip before pressing a hot kiss into her neck, still unable to leave Papa’s eyes which burned in lust. Every thrust Papa gave rocked her body against Mary’s. And Mary felt each thrust was somehow meant for him.

Without warning, the Sister reached for Mary. “I need you both, Papa”, she drawled.

Mary’s eyes widened as she took him deep into her but also when he realised that Papa was continuing to tap into her, albeit a lot more carefully this time.

“Take control, please Papa,” she commanded.

“Goore, follow my lead”.

“Yes, Papa.”

Mary had never been in an actual three-way before, so he lay perfectly still as the Sister rocked up and down on him.

Papa sank slowly and gently into the Sister and momentarily, she half wondered if she was going to be able to cope with the two large men at the same time. She had taken the best endowed in the Ministry before but she desperately needed both of the men she was in the company of tonight.

If they split me open, at least I’ll die doing something I love!

In fact, Mary soon found he didn’t have to do very much. Papa was doing all of the work. Every time he thrust a little deeper into her, Mary felt the Sister tighten around him. All Mary had to do was ensure he pushed that little bit extra into her.

She cried out softly and clawed Mary’s shoulder, leaving a handful of red scratches.

“Open your eyes, Sister” Papa growled and with one gentle tug, the knot in her blindfold came loose. “Look upon my gorgeous fuck boy and see him for yourself.”

When Mary met her eyes, he gasped out loud. Her eyes were pure violet and she looked completely otherworldly. Her irises glowed fiercely with the colour of illuminated amethysts and Mary could not tear his eyes away from her. Her long red hair flowed down around her, making Mary wonder if she was human at all. Either way, he didn’t care, her body was hot and he buried himself into her, watching her eyes flame.

When she met his piercing green eyes, she knew that Papa did speak the truth earlier: she felt instantly attracted to his handsome youthful face and she very much liked his high cheekbones and gorgeous lips. She relished the fact that he and Papa were pumping into her, ready to explode at a moment’s notice.

Papa reached under her and toyed with the jewel, causing her to mewl.

“Cum, Sister” Mary brazenly ordered, still locked on her eyes. “We are ready to fill you.”

Sister Morganite knew she was only seconds away. Both men were completely hot and both were clearly enjoying her body.

Papa knew exactly which flick of his fingers the Sister could not resist and he implemented the move on her. Mary watched her eyes roll into the back of her head before looking straight back into his. Her stare was intense and Mary willed her to cum.

“Take us into you”, he murmured. “Let us fill you.”

She mewled loudly again, unable to cope anymore with the ministrations of the two men. Mary felt her orgasm rip through her, built up to a crazy tension thanks to the teasing and false starts Papa caused earlier. He felt every shudder inside her body around his cock. Mary emptied deep inside her as he heard Papa growl through his own and pour himself into the part of her he was riding. She smiled in satisfaction at the sensations of both men filling her.

When both had withdrawn from her, she lay down on the bed next to Mary. Papa lay on her opposite side and toyed with her long hair.

“You are a queen,” he murmured and kissed the side of her face.

“Indeed you are.” Mary agreed and kissed the other side of her face.

She giggled girlishly.

Both men kissed her hotly and kissed each other when their lips met on hers.

“You guys” she drawled. “You’re both lovely. I could stay here and cuddle you both all night but I’ve got an early start tomorrow. Today, I mean.” She sat up.

“Sister Morganite, it was a pleasure to meet you,” Mary said, as he kissed her porcelain hand and looked into her hypnotic violet eyes one last time.

“And you too, Mary Goore. Perhaps I’ll see you again. Happy birthday” she winked and rose from the bed.

“Papa,” she curtsied before picking up a full-length soft black jersey dress that was lying on the floor. She grabbed her kimono and thong with the reflexes of a cat.

“Sister” he smiled and watched her dress and let herself out.

“My boy,” Papa said as his front door clicked softly. “You were wonderful. Did you enjoy that?”

“You bet I did. Thank you, Papa.”

Mary kissed Papa’s lips in thanks.

“I missed you” Papa purred, running a hand through Mary’s hair.

“I missed you too.”

Mary suddenly felt a wave rush over him. It enveloped him in a blanket of safety and unconditional love.

“We are going to celebrate your birthday more in the daylight, eh? My little kitten. My reader of books. My lover who is willing to try anything.”

“Thanks, Papa, that makes me feel special. And thank you for tonight. That was fun.”

“Anything for you, kitten. Happy birthday, Mary Goore.”

Chapter Text

Terzo and Mary Behind a Tree... F.*.C.K.I.N.G...

Terzo stood outside the Ministry’s front door, waiting patiently in the midday summer sunshine. He gazed down the winding gravel path, expecting his date to zoom up it at any moment.

"He's past the gates, Papa", the Nameless Ghoul who was standing in the corner said. He picked up Terzo's bag and listened with supersonic ears to the distant roar of death metal and an engine. 

Terzo's heart started beating faster and he checked his reflection one last time in his camera phone, peering over his stylish sunglasses.

I look completely fuckable.

He could now hear the car coming up the driveway. The Ghoul stood to attention.

It's been months since we've seen each other! 

Butterflies flew in his tummy in anticipation.

I hope he still likes me...

Suddenly a black Volvo turned the corner and the sound of thunderous death metal filled the air.

Terzo turned to the Ghoul. "Make sure the old man doesn't cause any trouble when I'm away! Just because he's Papa, it doesn't mean he's got the run of the place!"

"Yes, your Unholiness."

"No rituals. No demonic spells. No parties. And certainly no saxophones!"

"The Ministry will be exactly as you left it, Papa."

The car pulled up and skidded to a halt at Terzo's feet. The window wound down further and Mary Goore smiled at him. He was also wearing shades and Terzo felt himself blush under his corpse paint. Mary was to die for. He was wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and it totally showed off his toned skinny arms and his tattoos. His thick dark hair was a boyish mess and he wore some bracelets, completing his bad-boy punk rocker image.

"Papa", he dipped his sunglasses in acknowledgment and grinned.

"My boy..."

The Ghoul opened the back door and placed the bag on the seat.

"Hey Ghoul!" Mary greeted the silver-faced demon with an enthusiastic wave.

The Ghoul ignored him, mistaking his enthusiasm for a sneer.

"My best boy just said hello to your rude silver ass!" Terzo pinched the Ghoul's elbow. "Say hello back!"

"Hello Mr Goore, how do you do?" He practically bit his own tongue off in distaste.

"All the more awesome for seeing you!" Mary chuckled, knowing he had pissed him off. "Babe, are you getting in or what?" He looked at Terzo who was smirking.

The Ghoul opened the passenger door and Terzo sat down. Mary immediately reached into the back of his head, combed his fingers through his slightly long hair, and kissed him hard, quelling his insecurities that Mary's interest in him had diminished. The kiss lasted a long minute and awkwardly, the Ghoul had to wait and listen to the sounds of their wet lips smacking against each other. Papa was completely swept up in Mary's mouth and he forgot that the Ghoul was awaiting final instruction.

The Ghoul shuffled on the gravel in an attempt to break up the snog.

"Mmmm", Papa broke slowly away from Mary's soft lips. He turned to the Ghoul. "I don't know when I'll be back, but I've got my phone. Watch out for Copia on that confounded tricycle!"

"Yes, Papa. Enjoy yourself."

"Bye, honey!" Mary blew a kiss at him.

"Goodbye, Mr Goore" he growled through gritted teeth.

Mary laughed impishly and pulled off with another loud skid. He increased the volume of the music tenfold, taking Terzo by surprise. Mary's energetic youthfulness made him feel rebellious and absolved of his Clergy duties for a short spell. "So where are we going?" he yelled.

"Head for the main road and keep going. I'll direct. No one will ever find us where we're going!"

"You're the boss!"

Terzo put his palm on Mary's thigh and squeezed. 

"Hey now..." Mary glanced at his lover. "You're not helping my boner!"

"I can see that!"

Mary sucked the air between his teeth. He had never seen Terzo dressed so casually: black jeans and a black t-shirt. Terzo grinned and wondered if Mary could handle receiving a blowjob while driving. 

I don't want to die just yet in a car crash! 

They reached the Ministry’s gate and were waved out by another Ghoul.

"You're free!" Mary yelled. "Whoooooooo!"

The two laughed and started catching up on months of being apart: Mary's new album which was soon to be released, Papa's latest tour in North America, hijinks in the Ministry, and much more.

"How's Sister Morganite?" Mary enquired.

"She's good! She asks for you. In fact, she asked me to kiss you today: for her!" Terzo winked. "Maybe later, huh?"

"I'll hold you to that!" He laughed. "Here!" Mary passed him a can of beer. "Open that and enjoy yourself!" 

"What about you, dear boy?" 

"I've got an iced coffee!"

Terzo relaxed and felt the wind race through his hair. Getting away from the Ministry was exactly what he needed but meeting up with Mary was something he needed even more. He listened to Mary sing along with the music and he took some selfies of the two.

He directed Mary to a secluded place that was miles and miles from the Ministry. It was off the beaten track and had a beautiful secret picnic area behind the ruins of an old castle. A river ran behind it and the place was completely silent, save for the birds that chirped in the woods. 

The two trekked up to the spot, it was easily a thirty-minute walk from where Mary had parked. He hid the car behind a bush, out of sight from passersby: not that many knew of this deserted road.

The sunshine glimmered on the water invitingly. 

"Let's sit here," Terzo suggested while taking off his sunglasses.

The two set down a picnic blanket, cushions, and their bags. Terzo set up a parasol and sat underneath it.

"This is amazing!" Mary took some photos of the ruins excitedly.

Terzo grinned and set out some food that the Kitchen Ghouls had prepared for them in Tupperware boxes. 

"Oh shit! This is fancy shit!" Mary sat down heavily, impressed with what Terzo was arranging: selections of pasta, smoked meats, salads, garlic pizza bread, and a bottle of wine. "You don't do picnics by halves, do you, Papa?" He stretched his long legs out.

"No, I guess not!" Terzo smiled, showing perfect straight teeth. He was pleased Mary seemed impressed. 

He lifted a baby cherry tomato plucked straight out of the Ministry’s greenhouse that morning and dangled it in front of Mary. "It's juicy! Take it!" Mary pulled the stalk off and bit into it. He groaned in delight.

"That's amazing!"

Terzo fed another one to him. Mary peeked over the rim of his sunglasses and Terzo almost choked at the glimpse of those fabulous olive green eyes. They sparkled in the sunshine. He couldn't resist taking the shades off his face.

"Dear boy, your eyes are like the finest Czech moldavite crystals. So rare and so beautiful..."

"Moldavite crystal?"

"It's a crystal born from a meteorite crash in Europe. It's a crystal of transformation and is astonishingly rare and beautiful. Its green colour is exactly the same shade as your eyes. I could gaze into them forever and feel reborn..."

"Oh Papa, you're so sweet!" Mary blushed and looked into Papa's heterochromia eyes. 

The two tucked into their picnic, hungry because the car journey was long and it was past lunchtime. The sun beat down and Mary took his t-shirt off in an effort to tan.  "I loved tanned skin!" 

"I cannot tan. I simply burn and flake. It's not a good look for me!" Terzo smiled, enjoying the shade of the parasol. "But you look fantastic under the sun's golden beams."

Truly Terzo wasn't lying. Mary looked gorgeous in his jeans and Cons. He was so trim and slender with the right amount of belly. His arms were already a deeper shade than the rest of him thanks to the recent spell of good weather across Europe. His dark hair was shiny and his devilock was in his eyes. 

When most of the food was eaten and two glasses of wine drunk each, the guys were relaxed, happy, and full. 

"The water looks so good..." Mary looked wistfully at it.

"Can you swim, Goore?"

"Yes. Can you?"

"Yes. But I'm not jumping in to save your sorry ass if you freak out!"

"You won't need to do that..."

Mary jumped on top of him and clawed at his t-shirt. 

"Why's that?"

Mary pulled off his t-shirt. "Cos you're coming in with me!" He unbuckled his own belt: a sight Terzo longed to see for months. Terzo undid his in seconds and grabbed Mary's butt in fiery appreciation.

"Lose the pants!" Mary breathed.

"Lose your own!"

Terzo spanked Mary's butt before letting him up. He grinned down at him and took off his jeans. Terzo wriggled out of his in a heartbeat and stood. The two embraced and kissed deeply. 

It's exhilarating to be almost naked in nature with Goore!

He felt his right hand slip into the front of his athletic cut, tight briefs and wrap around his huge, hot cock. Mary tugged him passionately as they kissed. Terzo couldn't resist but swivel his hips in tiny circles and graze his clothed cock underneath Mary's balls. It was delicious.

Wait, what's that breeze?

Mary had slipped Terzo's designer briefs down, exposing his milky white butt to the summer sunshine. 

"Oh, you minx" he purred and removed Mary's. His boner was tall and he couldn't resist stroking it.

Mary inhaled at Papa's touch. "Come on!" He dragged Terzo to the water and dipped a toe in the cool water. He could see the riverbed so he stepped in carefully and walked waist-deep. Terzo enjoyed the view of Mary's toned butt as he walked in.

"Are you coming in or are you just gonna stand there naked like a weird pervert?" Mary called.

"All perverts are weird, Goore! Not just naked ones!"

"Get yourself and your cock into the water!" Mary sank into the water and did a few breaststrokes.

"I can't get my face wet! My paint will run!" Terzo stepped in carefully.

"Why did you put on makeup on the hottest day of the year?"

"To impress you!" He waded closer.

"Come here!" 

"Argh! It's fucking cold!"

"It isn't the Ministry Sauna, Papa! Watch out for the fish!"

"Fish?!"

"Yeah, they're swimming around your legs!"

"That's it Goore, I'm out of here!" Papa was totally repulsed and turned to go.

Mary grabbed his wrist and stopped him. "I'm joking, Papa! There are no fish, I promise you..." He pulled him down and the water rose over his toned chest and shoulders. He kissed his lips. "Why did you want to impress me? I like you as you are! You don't need to wear makeup around me." Mary murmured and ran his wet thumb over Terzo's cheek. The paint came away easily. "Oops!" He showed him his white thumb. Terzo blinked and surprised Mary by throwing water in his own face and rubbed. Most of his corpse paint came off, leaving dark circles around his eyes. "There's my man!" Mary grinned. The two kissed again and grappled at each other under the water, wet hands sliding over wet arms, tummies, and hips. Mary pulled Terzo onto his hips and he wrapped his legs around him.

Suddenly Mary lost his footing and slipped backways with a splash, disappearing entirely under the water. Terzo grabbed his arm immediately and pulled him up. Mary spat out a mouthful of water and laughed heartily.  "Didn't feel the ground give way! Fuck!"

Terzo looked at him slightly shocked. "That could've been dangerous!"

"Nah, I can swim!" Mary still laughed.

You're hiding your embarrassment through youthful giddiness... "Good job you've a lifesaving fuckbuddy, huh?" Terzo played along with Mary's giggle game to help him feel better. Although his face was pale from the fright, his hair was gorgeous. All wet, fresh-faced, and all mine!

He dragged Mary back to the shallows and sat him on his hips. They kissed calmly and ran their wet hands through each other's hair. Mary lovingly tugged a handful of Terzo's thick hair, a feeling he loved.

"I missed you" Terzo murmured.

"I missed you too."

"You know you're more than just a fuckbuddy, right? I was kidding just now."

"I know... but I like it when you call me that!"

"You do?"

"Yeah. Not many know that I like guys, I don't particularly advertise it, you know? So no one knows you and I meet up for amazing sex every so often... I enjoy the secrecy. It's saucy!"

"I'm much more open with my sexuality. Especially in the Ministry. It's a safe place. But none of the guys compare since I've been with you!"

Mary giggled. "You haven't had cock since me?"

"Nope. Obviously, I've had women but no cock. What about you?"

"Awh!" Mary kissed him. "Same to be honest. Hot, lovely, sweet women on the road after gigs but no guys either. Lots of wanking on my own though! Thinking about you..."

His hand disappeared under the water and stroked Terzo's shaft. "I missed your big cock!"

Terzo exhaled and his cock filled up even more in Mary's touch. "Come on" he nodded at the blanket. "Let's dry off in the sun!"

They climbed out and this time Mary got an eyeful of Terzo's pert butt. He was the more toned of the two and obviously made time for daily exercises before Clergy duties, yet he never talked about it. He lay down on the blanket under the parasol and stroked his own cock languidly eyeballing Mary and his tattooed skin.

"Look at you jerking it outside not giving a fuck if anyone sees!"

"No one's around. Besides you're naked too, Swede boy!"

Mary climbed on top of him and they locked lips. He pressed his boner against his, brushing off it deliciously.  "Touch me, Papa!"

Terzo didn't hesitate to wrap his fist around him. "You're so big!" He complimented Mary and pumped him smoothly.

Mary shut his eyes tight and exhaled heavily in pleasure. That feels so great! Can't beat his touch, it's definitely the best! Terzo's touch was so soft and so warm. His hands were exquisitely soft and supple and he massaged Mary's clean-shaven balls as he worked the base of his shaft. Some drops of precum dripped onto Terzo's closed fist. Mary furrowed his eyebrows and silently begged himself not to blow in Terzo's tight fist so soon.

"Ah!" He groaned and shimmied down Terzo's chest, kissing him the whole way down. His erect nipples were a feast for Mary's talented tongue as he lapped and sucked them. He kissed his toned abs, appreciating every hard muscle underneath his lips, and continued to his hips.

Terzo stared into Mary's eyes heavily and watched in satisfaction as he fed his cock into his mouth. Mary's glassy eyes stared back innocently as he sucked the salty tip and eventually deep-throated him. His lips were full, fat, and juicy, feeling like velvet around his aching cock and his tongue was as wet and as soft as he remembered. 

Mary played with his balls, rolling the soft sacks between his skinny fingers as he sucked his hard cock. 

"Boy, I will fill your mouth if you don't stop!"

Mary chuckled with a mouth full of cock and swirled his tongue around the shaft, working his way up until he flicked the tip tantalisingly. Terzo felt like the sweetest treat as Mary lapped him up. "I'd rather you fill a different part of me..." He popped the huge cock out of his mouth briefly and wiped saliva off his chin. He kissed his cockhead again.

"Get up, boy!" Terzo demanded. He had spotted a nice tree trunk he knew he wanted to make his next move at.

Mary clambered to his feet and pulled Terzo up. 

"That tree, right there, right now!"

Within seconds, Mary's palms were pressing into the soft ivy leaves and Terzo's strong body was rubbing against his. His lips were on his neck, alternating between soft kisses and hard bites. 

Mary heard the snap of a tube opening behind him and he knew what was coming next. A cold yet silky soft and wet finger pressed against his orifice, tapping him gently, requesting entry. The thick goo was spread all around and inside him and Terzo's fingers massaged him hotly, giving him a taste of what was to come.

He listened to the sounds of the birds chirping and the warm breeze rustling through the trees while enjoying the hot sun on his naked body. As Terzo lathered the silky stuff around his own cock, he felt a primal and urgent longing in his loins. Being naked outside with the man who turned him on more than anything else was delicious, hot, and impulsive. Any man of my persuasion would kill to be here right now!

Terzo's soft hand massaged the lube on his own cock and he felt satisfaction from his own touch. He gazed at Mary's toned and youthful back in front of him and felt wildly excited. This young man was the hottest piece of ass he had ever been with and he felt lucky Mary was hot for him too. I'm going to ruin him! "Bend, dear boy" he murmured softly.

Mary spread his legs a little and bent slightly, opening himself up to the gorgeous and experienced man behind him. He clutched the tree tighter in anticipation.

Terzo pressed his cock against his hole while holding his shaft, guiding it and aligning it with him. 

"You're so big!" Mary moaned in pleasure feeling the delicious pressure. He had waited months in secret for this moment. 

Terzo pushed gently and penetrated him, opening him up slowly as he sank inside the horny man.  "Yet you're able to take me" he complimented Mary as he continued sliding in.

"Oh, fuck!" Mary wheezed and Terzo knew the young man had his own cock in his hand and was tugging himself already. He pulled back gently and thrust calmly and deeply into him. His fuck was slow and measured as the two men acclimatised to each other.

Mary enjoyed feeling so full and Terzo's slow fucks were deeply satisfying. I've wanted this man to fuck me again, ugh, how long have I waited for this cock?! He remembered jerking off in his tiny apartment, thousands of miles away from the Ministry thinking about rolling around in Papa's silky satin sheets with him, aching to smell his designer cologne, to kiss his lips, and to feel his touch.

Terzo fucked Mary in the summer sun and watched a bead of sweat drip down his back. He fucked him at what he called the lovemaking pace: a pace he reserved for the sweetest Sisters back in the Ministry, the ones who were in need of intimacy rather than just a straight-up fuck. Not a frenzied fuck nor a timid soft ride. The best of both worlds: hard yet measured, making sure to hit the right places.

Mary grunted in pleasure and Terzo looked at the one hand which was resting on the tree above his head. His hands are so beautiful: so well-defined and masculine. Perfect long fingers and neat fingernails. Mary had no idea how much his hands turned on Terzo. He also knew that his other hand was still clutching his own shaft.

He brought his own hands to Mary's slim hips and controlled the pace from there, pulling and pushing the rocker onto his cock while he stood upright. His pace increased gently and he sank further into him each time.

"Uh, Papa!" Mary huffed. Terzo's cock felt like it was on fire as Mary brushed around it deliciously. "Are you going to breed me?"

"Shit" Terzo muttered. His pace increased again and he started to lose the run of himself in desperation.

Mary grunted in rhythm, crying out softly occasionally. His voice echoed off the castle ruins, causing Terzo to fill out even more: something he didn't even know was possible at full mast. 

"Cum in me! Cum, cum, cum!" Mary begged, aching to feel Terzo climax inside him. "Your cock is so fucking perfect!"

Terzo rolled his eyes in pleasure. He couldn't resist compliments, especially when they were delivered so sincerely out of the hot Swede's beautiful mouth. He felt the stirring deep in his balls and he knew he had only seconds left.

Mary grunted so unashamedly, clearly enjoying getting railed without mercy. "I want you, I want you!" he repeated. "Give it to me... Daddy!"

That is it!

Terzo slammed deeply into him and filled Mary with several hot bursts of a week's worth of cum. He groaned in ecstasy and circled his hips deep into the rocker, ensuring every drop shot deep inside him. He came so hard that as soon as he withdrew, a whole stream of cum flowed out with him, dripping onto the mossy ground.

Terzo rubbed the back of Mary's neck lovingly and sighed. "You are by far my favourite fuck!"

Mary laughed and turned, still with a solid erection. He kissed Terzo's lips and swept his tongue into his mouth. "On your knees, Daddy..." he demanded.

Terzo sank obediently to his knees, knowing instantly to kiss Mary's aching cock. He licked the precum greedily and looked up at the young man who had his palm on the crown of his head and was looking back at him. Terzo loved feeling so dominated, especially after claiming Mary as his own only moments ago.

"Suck me" he demanded and Terzo didn't hesitate to apply delicious pressure to the tip of his head, hollowing his cheeks and flicking his tongue occasionally. He sank his mouth further down Mary's thick shaft and before long, he was deep-throating him like the seasoned professional that he was. He took Mary's thrusts without gagging and tasted his saltiness. 

Mary played with Terzo's soft hair before putting his palms onto the sides of his head, guiding him in a gentle face fuck. When he felt his lover's soft palm around the base of his shaft and heard the moist sounds of saliva running out of his mouth and onto his thighs, he came hard and fast, pouring himself down Terzo's throat who swallowed him unashamedly.

Terzo licked his cock clean, eventually withdrawing him. He ran his hands up Mary's ankles and up his hard calves.

"Man, that was the sweetest blowjob!" Mary grinned. "Thank you!" He extended his hand and helped Terzo up.

"Maybe you'd like to rail me later?" Terzo smirked. "Papa loves to take it too, you know..."

"Oh, I'll give it to you!" Mary's eyes flashed. "Just you and your sweet ass fucking wait!"

"Come, let's nibble, I want something sweet after that fucking!" Terzo took his hand and they lay back on the blanket, eating fruit plucked from the Ministry Garden. Mary lay in the sunshine completely naked and Terzo lay under the parasol, silently appreciating Mary's unashamed nude form baking in the summer sun.

That sexy boy is mine!

Chapter Text

Ask Me Anything (Part 1)

Mary stared at the dancing sunlight on Papa's ceiling, his curtains blowing inward in the morning breeze. Waking up next to the older man was the nicest thing in the world and the two lovers just lay side by side, listening to the birds singing and the sounds of some Ghouls tending to the Ministry’s garden. Thankfully Cardinal Copia was assigned to deliver church service that morning, so there was little to do except enjoy a few extra hours in the magnificent, plush and extra-spacious bed. 

"My boy..." Papa's fingers playfully wandered through the punk's thick, dark hair. Something was burning on the front of his brain: a question he needed to ask the handsome man in his bed. He spent many long, drawn-out moments pondering what he was about to ask. He ached to know.

"Yes, Papa?"

"I want to ask a personal question."

Mary turned over to face him. He stroked his chin tenderly and wondered about the serious expression on Papa's face. "Ask me anything."

"Maybe you will not want to answer this, and it's okay if you do not!" The Italian's accent was thick and his voice was deep.

"Ask." Mary's large hand had slipped under the duvet and found that delicious hip bone he loved to squeeze so much.

Papa looked at his handsome, youthful face and saw green eyes sparkling back at him with a mischievous boyish grin. He felt at ease. "When did you know that you liked guys? I want to know about your first man. Will you divulge your Papa with such intimate details?"

"Wow!" Mary purred. "You want to know about my first boyfriend?"

"Yes."

"What about my first girlfriend? Why not her?"

"Which came first?"

"Papa, you know I can make anyone cum in record time!"

The two men giggled.

"That's not what I meant and you know it! Come on, let's not have secrets, dear boy. I am interested to know more of your interest in the same sex. What was it like for you as a teenager? Growing up and feeling attracted to guys?"

"You are asking if I whacked it in my bedroom to thoughts of guys from my class at school or perhaps even other men that crossed my path and caught my eye?" Mary loved teasing Papa and prolonging his curiosity. "You are asking how often I whacked it, thinking about mornings like this: me lying in bed with a hot Italian clergyman on a gorgeous morning!"

Mary's hand by now had slipped even further down Papa's body and was gently stroking his erection, the long, thick member growing harder with every stroke. "You are a curious cat!"

"I am asking, yes." The hunger in his eyes flashed darkly.

"Right. I'll tell you a story then. About my awakening with another man. You can't interrupt my story and you can't cum. Can you not cum for your Swede boy, Papa dearest?"

"I accept your challenge." 

"Good. It was 1998. I was 16 years old. I had my long blonde hair still. I had already lost my virginity a long time ago to an older girl. Spin the bottle in the woods after a death metal festival if you must know. So by then, I was already experienced and somewhat confident sexually.

Getting off with gorgeous chicks my age and older was no problem: they all wanted to have me. A quick kiss with a good girl during lunchtime at school? No problem. A fingering behind the shed with the hungrier senior girls? How fast could I fuck before we got caught? All a normal part of my school life. The only reason worth going really.

Except I was hiding a secret. One or two guys in my class were hot. Like super hot. And one or two guys from the death metal gang were also shit hot. Guys wearing eyeliner and black nail polish and tight pants? That was irresistible to me. I wondered what it would be like to have another guy suck me off. Surely it would be different?

But I couldn't tell anyone. I was Mary Fucking Goore and I was fucking any chick who was up for it. I was even fucking in the same room as some of my nameless friends at parties. You know, grab a girl, grab a room? Doesn't matter if someone's already in there already fucking. My eyes were never on the girl that was on top of me: they were always watching the random guy across the room ploughing hard with just his cock out of his jeans. I was listening to his grunts and sighs. I would cum from hearing him cum. 

It was as close as I could get to another guy. Of course, there was the guy's locker room at school. But that was dangerous. I couldn't possibly look at the beautiful toned naked bodies showering or drying off. If I got a boner, I'd be dead meat.

I'd have to jack off furiously at home. No one could know my secret. I still went with girls but I ached to be touched differently. In a way that no girl could or would touch me.

Until I met a friend a year and a half older than me. He left school and was interested in smoking weed, playing guitar, and listening to metal records. He was fabulously good looking: long black hair, good figure, piercing blue eyes and he always wore these ripped jeans that left fuck all to the imagination. He wore black eyeliner all the time.

He would come over to my house and we would play music for hours. My parents never gave a damn so long as it wasn't a girl I had up in the room. They didn't suspect I was bi. They didn't suspect I was hiding a massive crush on this guy."

"What was his name?" Papa looked enthralled, his erection still standing thick in Mary's soft palm.

"Leif. He was very cool. He seemed so sure of himself even though he had messed up at school. He was funny and clever, and he was talented as fuck on guitar. We had many guitar battles in that room and we just really liked hanging out with each other. 

One evening, about a week or so after the latest chick dumped me, he started acting differently. He had come over while my folks were out at a dinner and we had a couple of sneaky beers that I had stashed away outside in the snow. We sat in my room listening to music, drinking beer, and sharing a spliff. 

So there I was, sitting on my bed next to this handsome dude with big boots feeling a bit miserable and perplexed when he asked Do you think girls are really all that?

I asked what did he mean? 

Girls. Are they really so fucking special? 

Why? I asked, totally unsure where he was going with this.

Guys can be good too. They can kiss pretty good.

I said that I honestly didn't know but hell, I was intrigued. The way he was looking at me, sizing me up, gauging my reaction- he was definitely sussing me out and I realised there and then that he was probably not quite as straight as I thought he was.

I couldn't say a word. I was terrified. A savagely beautiful man was in my bedroom and we were all alone, and it seemed that he might be interested in me! I was afraid I'd blow it. Should I have said that I thought about guys? Would that scare him off? What if I lost him as a friend altogether? Could I admit to him that I was bisexual? Could I admit it to myself?" 

Papa didn't say a word but his eyes never left Mary's.

"That was when he touched my face. You know, in a special way. He caressed the side of my cheek so gently and looked into my eyes. You know you have the most beautiful lips in town, right? he laughed, Fuck that Mary, you have the most beautiful lips I've ever seen, full stop! His hand lingered on my then-long hair and he played with it. My cool, kick-ass metal friend was suddenly kind of vulnerable but also kind of dominating. I couldn't help myself, Papa. Before I knew it, I kissed him square on his lips and he kissed me back. It was a hell of a kiss. It was so right yet so wrong yet so very fucking right!"

"Why was it wrong?" Papa interrupted, completely spellbound by the true story.

"'Cos I was kissing a guy! Guys don't kiss guys! At least, they're not supposed to!"

"Oh, you young innocent creature" Papa murmured. "So naive. So indoctrinated by the idolatrous culture you were raised in."

"I was yet to come to terms with that. I was only 16 after all. But there, in my childhood bedroom, I was kissing a guy and it was heaven. He had a great kiss and you know what? Suddenly it didn't matter that he was a guy. It didn't matter that he wasn't a girl. I just liked him and kissing him felt so incredibly right. I liked him for who he was. Everything just fell into place. 

He broke the flurry of kisses and he asked how long would it be before my parents came home? Had we time? Would we get caught?

I knew it would be hours yet before they came back. It was a Friday night and they always stayed out for extra drinks. Besides, they knew it was just me and my boy friend- friend who was a boy, in the house. We were to be trusted.

It all came spilling out: he liked me for such a long time but he thought I was straight. He was just happy to be around me even though girl after girl was chasing me. But now he couldn't bear to see my heart broken after another girl, he couldn't hold himself back anymore.  

I divulged that I liked him too, that I was wildly attracted to guys but was too afraid to explore that area of my sexuality. That I liked him a lot too, so very much and thought he was extremely hot. 

This was all a flurry of whispers between wet kisses while listening to retro death metal remasters. T-shirts were yanked over heads, bodies started grinding against each other, hands started roaming. He was on top of me, his long dark hair loose and spilling over his naked shoulders. I wanted more. We were swept up in this teenage lust and I touched him first."

Mary squeezed Papa's boner gently.

"Just like that. His boner was so hard underneath those torn jeans and I needed to meet it. He touched me too and I could have yelled out loud it was that good. He knew exactly how to touch me and I was right: it was so very different from any girl I had been with before. He kissed my chest and my tummy and he released me from my jeans. His touch through my boxers was otherworldly. When he released me, I thought I would surely last only seconds. 

First blowjob from a man? he chuckled and suddenly I was in his mouth. So wet, warm, and divine. 

It clicked there and then. I was definitely bisexual. In fact, I may have liked boys better than girls. I didn't fully know yet."

Papa's pre-cum dripped down Mary's fist. He reached for the rocker's boner and found him rock solid.

"Dayum, that's good" Mary's eyes flashed.

"Tell me more about your teenage boy lover. What happened next?"

"I ached to be touched. You know, in the way most women won't touch a man? At least, not in my experience anyway!"

"You picked too many good girls, Goore. Here in the Ministry, they are unafraid to explore."   

"Please Leif, I begged. Touch me. 

Where? he chuckled, leaving my dick as he fingered me ever so gently. Here? Naughty boy, Mary.

I nearly lost it altogether. He was unafraid to touch me. His fingertip sent a whole new wave of energy through me. He tapped and tapped me until he started penetrating me. I was lying there on my bed, pants around my ankles, and this completely gorgeous guy was taking my butt virginity!" Mary giggled. "It was so fucking beautiful. He stretched me good and before long, he was pouring a rubber onto his own cock: he was gorgeous. Thick, vascular, and long.

Are you ready for me? he asked. I could only nod my consent. I was so excited to experience this. Sex with another man! He spat on his cock and took me. My old bed creaked and groaned under the weight of two almost fully-grown men going hard at it. He was beautiful. The first sensation of his cock entering me was completely bold and new. It was fucking wild. We froze a couple of times, thinking we heard my parents coming in the door, but it was just noises from outside. 

He moaned my name and whispered how badly he had wanted me all this time. I took delight in running my hands over his face, through his long hair, and finally being able to sigh his name out loud. He was experienced and it was like he knew exactly how to make me cum. It didn't take all that many taps of his beautiful cock inside me. I was so virginal and everything felt so new. I made such a fucking mess, I destroyed myself in jizz!"

Papa laughed at Mary's honest memory. "And tell me, how did you finish this gorgeous creature off?"

"I was ravenous to suck his cock. And that I did. He held my head down onto his lap and I took every long inch of him. It was carnal. It was messy. I gagged several times but I wanted it. Minutes later I got to experience those delicious bursts of cum in my mouth. I was well and truly besotted. I only wanted more time with Leif. Girls didn't remotely interest me for a long time after that. Leif and I did it everywhere we could after that: his house, my house, my band practice room, back of an alley: didn't matter so long as we were alone. We kept it a secret. My parents never found out. No one still knows. Except you."

"What of him now?"

"We lost touch. We broke up obviously, but it's been years. He was my first love, my first boy love that's for sure. He's got a special little place in my heart but he's in my past."

"How pure and magical. Everything about you is sweet, Mary Goore", Papa mounted him and immediately went down on him. "Especially your cock though."

"Oh, Papa" Mary sighed feeling fabulously adored as Papa's mouth sucked him hard. "You do know how to suck me off..."

"I'd never get tired sucking you off, dear boy. Now let's get it on as I'm aching to cum. I believe I passed your challenge?"

"You did Papa, you did..."  

Chapter Text

Epitome of Darkness

Papa Emeritus III, you have been summoned to the crypt for a special ritual. Attend at once.

Terzo read the paper that had been slipped under his office door just moments earlier. The text was handwritten in a script he did not recognise and when he brought it closer to his face for inspection, it disintegrated in his hands, leaving only a puff of acidic red smoke. 

"How very strange" he muttered. Looking at the monstrance clock, he remembered that he was supposed to meet Mary in an hour. I'm sure this won't take very long, I'll see my boy afterward. No point telling him. 

He rose and left his office heading in the direction of the Ministry's crypt. It wasn't a place he visited often, disliking the intense cold that lingered down there and the eerie sense of death that hung in the air. He much preferred rituals in the church with the heat of burning candles and particularly hot dripping wax, either on his own body or that of a beautiful Sibling of Sin. 

"Papa..." a haunting voice called out as he strode down the marble hallway. He whirled around but no one was there. 

"Hmph!" He continued purposefully, walking as fast as he could down the winding stairs and into the deep underground of the Ministry. Shadows crept along the walls on either side of him, dark entities that could never surface to the ground level or feel the sun's rays for the light would burn them out of existence. These creatures of the eternal darkness cackled and hissed as he passed them by, some of them even swiping at the hem of his trousers.

"Malignant spirits of the subterranean!" he shouted out, his voice echoing down the long narrow passageway. "Be gone from my path! I am your master and you shall not pester me on this night!"  

He was met with high-pitched squawks of indignance and resentfulness that made his ears ring. Thousands of wraiths flocked and gathered in front of his eyes before bursting and scattering in thousands of directions. Dizzy, deafened, and shocked, Terzo stumbled down the frigid tunnel and before he could make sense of his surroundings, he tripped over a rock on the ground. He flew headfirst into the nearest wall and hit his head on something sharp. He saw a flash of blinding white before passing out, landing in a lifeless heap.

When he came around minutes later, he found himself lying on the floor in a section of the crypt he had never been in before. He felt nauseated. His vision was blurry: he was unable able to read the tombstone that was next to him. The Latin text made absolutely no sense. Where the fuck am I? Where is everyone? He winced when he tried to get up. His hands were tied behind his back and he was chained to the floor. His head hurt with the pain of a thousand stabbing daggers and he was certain he could taste blood. 

He coughed: an acrid puff of morbid dust choked him, sitting in his airway like splinters of lead. What the fuck? Did I just inhale ashes or something? Why am I chained up?

Why. Am I. Chained. Up?

He tried calling out but he could only cough again.

Does Mary know where the fuck I am? Does anyone know I'm down here?

Panic started to creep in.

Where are my ghouls? Is this some kind of sick joke?

"Papa..." the same haunting voice he heard above the ground sang again, dissonant and impure. 

"Who... who's there?" he gasped, his voice barely a whisper.

"Papa!" 

Terzo jumped out of his skin in fright. Before his eyes, a demon had just materialised out of thin air. It was the ugliest beast he had ever seen: its eyes burned red, and it had the head of a rancid wolf with the body of a lion. Its claws were sharper than any manmade knife and they were already dripping with blood. Beside him materialised a soldier wearing a red uniform and a golden crown. His skin was as red as the beast demon's eyes. 

"Snap out of it!" he barked, forcing Terzo's stinging eyes to focus on him.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"I am Berith, you imbacille."

"Are you a sick joke set upon me by someone in the Ministry?" Terzo tugged on his chains. "Release me at once!"

"You command me not."

"I most certainly do. I am Papa Emeritus the Third!"

"I only take orders from the Unholy Father. You are not him. You are but a slave to him."

"I, what?"

The beast snarled in Terzo's face, its repugnant, putrid breath turning his stomach. Unable to control his body, he threw up and wretched hard.

"Your time is up."

"My time? What? Let me go!"

The beast took a swipe at Terzo's chest, ripping his clothes and flaying his skin from him.

Terzo saw white again and cried out in pain.

"Fuck you!" he spat and tried again to lunge at the demon only to collapse on the hard ground.

"See that tombstone beside you?" Berith pointed at the marker beside him. "Look at it again. Read it out loud."

Terzo winced in pain.

"Read it before my beast rips your eyes and throat out!"

Where are my fucking ghouls?! Somebody help me! "Here... here lies Papa Emeritus the Third. Defectum. Wait. Fucking defectum?! Do you know who the fuck you're talking to?!"

The demon snarled and slapped his face cruelly. "You are a massive failure! You only partied and had copious amounts of sex with anyone that you beguiled. You were supposed to do our Father's bidding and bring the masses to him. You failed on every level. It is time to step aside and let the real successor take over."

"Real successor? What?!"

"You and your immoral, degenerate brother are doomed to die tonight. Blood will be spilled on this night. The Ministry starts afresh with your deaths! A new era is rising!"

The beast stabbed Terzo in his side with a claw as long as a lance. It pierced completely through him as easily as a hot knife through butter. He froze with this additional new shock, his body rejecting the invasion of such a tortuous, hateful malice. The pain was excruciating. 

"But first you will pay for all your sins. Every indulgence you ever took. Every fuck you ever fucked. Every heart you ever loved." The claw withdrew, only to pierce him again: first through his thigh and next through his arm. Terzo's mind reeled for a few minutes.

Mary... he could only think of one face. The one soul he had ever truly loved. This can't be it. I can't not see my boy ever again! This isn't the end!

"Only one?" Berith mocked, reading his mind. "One love? Mary? Oh yes, Mary the man! The confused, twisted, pathetic soul. The immature boy you only just found a few months ago. Time was short, eh?"

The lion's tail whipped across Terzo's chest harshly, more skin ripped from his wounds and he roared out in pain. Blood was now gushing from practically everywhere.

"Mary will mourn your death and he will suffer without you. But you know what? He will forget about you in time. They all will forget about you. All the lovers. All the Siblings. All the fans of the band. They will all forget. Mary will be the first to forget you ever existed."

"How can you be so cruel?" Salty tears streamed down Terzo's face. His heart hurt more than his open wounds which were now gushing blood. Mary's handsome face burned in his memory and he was full of regret that he did not spend more time with him. I should have met him sooner. I should have taken him the night we met in Sweden. We could have had more time together. I could have given him so much more happiness. I've failed him. 

"As one with the cemetary,
Frozen... Decayed... Rotten...
Soon you will be but a memory...
Undead... Buried... Forgotten!" the demon mocked him. "How fitting that your boy toy penned such lyrics in his shitty, waste of time for a band! He wrote the ending of your miserable existence and he didn't even know it!"

Berith then uttered a command to the beast and it immediately pounced on Terzo, crushing his ribcage and sinking its teeth into his neck. He was instantly paralyzed in the crushing darkness that surrounded him and he cried out to the void in agony.

"Tell Mary Goore that I loved him..." were the final words that passed Terzo's lips, a thin whisper that failed to echo around the stone walls of his death place.

Flashes of memories whizzed through his dying mind at a frightening pace: the night I met Mary for the first time, particularly when he smiled at me, making love to Mary in my bed, hugging him in the river that sunny afternoon, Mary laughing impishly as he yanked the tail of an unsuspecting ghoul in the Ministry corridor, Mary studying diligently in the library, Mary driving his car but most of all, Mary's green eyes and his boyish smile. It was all Mary and it only ever could be Mary.

The last sound he heard was the toll of a monstrance clock in the distance, the death knell tolling for the end. He passed out from the white heat of the pain which engulfed his entire body, unable to put up a fight anymore. His heart smashed into a million pieces and it finally stopped beating, giving in to the consuming final darkness.

Chapter Text

See The Light

"Goore!" Omega burst into the library and yanked Mary out of his chair by the scruff of his t-shirt.

"What the fuck, dude?!" He couldn't help but yell in fright, their commotion causing a scene in the otherwise silent library.

"Ssssssh! Be quiet!" Siblings shushed them angrily, sighing in annoyance.

"Come with me!" The silver ghoul grabbed Mary's wrist tightly.

"What? No way! Fuck off!"

"It's Papa! Something's wrong!" Omega's ice-blue eyes implored him. He winced as if something struck his head.

"What the fuck? Dude, what drugs did you take?"

Omega pulled Mary out of the library with him. "Something bad has happened to Papa! I can feel it! When Papa hurts, I hurt. He's hurting bad!"

"Seriously? Are you having me on?"

"Never. It's imperative we find him. I think he's going to die. We are going to die!"

"I swear Ghoul, if this is a sick joke..."

"It's not!" 

"Where could he be then?"

"I don't know! Let's try his office first!"

The pair ran through the corridors and up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Omega burst through the office door like a barrel. The room was deserted. Terzo's curtain billowed in and an eerie silence filled the space.

"Shit! Anything in here that might tell us where he is?" Mary ran his hand over the stack of papers, messing them all up. His hand fell on Papa's black diary. He flicked it open to today's date: Copia take morning mass. Lie on with Goore (blow & bang!). Lunch at 2 pm with Goore (plus dessert?). Unholy Confessions 3 pm-5 pm. Clergy work 5 pm-8 pm. Meet Goore at 9 pm (more sex!). Love hearts, grucifixes, and inverted crosses were doodled all over the page. "Nothing!" he cried out. "He should be right here!" Mary became worried, finally believing that something really was wrong and something very terrible was happening.

"His apartment. Let's try his apartment!" Omega croaked clutching his chest, feeling the agony of Papa's wounds in real-time. "Fuck, this is bad!"

When they got there, Omega tried barrelling the door down again. His energy was waning and he stumbled.

"Wait!" Mary held his hand up. "I have a key." He unlocked the door. "You don't need to bulldoze everything in your path!"

"Just go!" 

The pair launched themselves into the vacant room. Papa's apartment was immaculately clean. Eclipse meowed and ran towards them, greeting her unexpected guests.

"Where's Daddy?" Mary asked the cat.

Omega stooped down and picked up the furry creature. "Ask it again, Goore."

"What?"

"Ask the squeaking furball where Papa is. It knows!"

"Eclipse! Where's Daddy?" Mary repeated.

She hissed at Omega and he immediately put her down. "The crypt! Let's go!"

"How the-?" Mary asked. 

"Ghouls have telepathy with animals. Papas and Clergy seniors have telepathy too. With humans. But Papa mustn't have opened you up to it yet. Otherwise, you'd know!"

"I don't understand!"

"No time! We gotta bail! This way!"

They thundered through the hallways together, skidding often on the shiny floors and crashing into crowds of Sisters of Sin who were giggling and unknowingly getting in their way.

"Hi, Mary! Hi, Omega! Feisty boys!" Cat calls surrounded them.

"Move, move, MOVE!" Mary roughly pushed through them, caring not for his bad manners.

"Rude! Typical, Goore. He is a skinny prick! Mary Whore." Mary ignored them.

"This way, Goore!" Omega's tail whipped around Mary's hand, pulling him in the opposite direction of where he was blindly running. "Time is running out!" He felt crippling pain searing through his body and he fell down the stairs, landing the two of them in a heap at the crypt's door.

"Get up!" Mary patted the ghoul's head. "Omega? Dude?" He was out cold. "Fucking get up! I don't know the way!" Intense panic ripped through him and he slapped the ghoul's face as hard as he could. 

"Huh, what?"

"Papa! Quick!"

"Shit! I think we're too late!" He clutched his chest and wheezed. "I... I can't breathe!"

"No, no, no! Come on!" Mary knew with every fibre that he had to find Terzo. His blood ran cold and every cell was focused on one goal: find his lover and rescue him. It was obvious now: things were not as cheerful, relaxed or as sexy in Ministry as it was portrayed. There was a dark, malevolent undergrowth that was creeping its way up to the surface. Evil was real and it was here tonight.

"I can't!" Omega gasped. "Go down that corridor, do not look at the wraiths along the way. Turn left at the bottom and beat down that door! Go now! We are dying!!!"

Mary didn't waste a second. He scrambled up and ran head-first into the dark. His heart was thundering in his chest but it was breaking at the same time. I can't lose him! He's the best thing that ever happened to me!

The same malicious entities that tripped Terzo earlier flew and dived at Mary's head. Some of them hit him hard and some of them bit at his arms and chest, tearing his t-shirt and gorging wounds on his head and neck. 

"You'll fail, Goore!" Voices hissed from the dark. "Papa's taking his dying breaths! You stupid man-boy!"

"Fuck you and fuck you too!" Mary flailed at the dark, caring not that the creatures were still attacking him wildly, biting his arms and pulling his hair.

Eventually, he ran into a stone wall, finding the end of the tunnel. Left, left, left! He found the cast iron door handle for the room he believed Papa to be in, but it was locked.

"SHIT!" He slammed his body into it with all of his might, injuring his left shoulder. "OMEGA! HELP!"

A piercing cry came down the tunnel, echoing like a banshee. Its shrill frequency knocked Mary to his feet and he covered his ears in dire agony. Omega had finally succumbed to his terrible pain, dying at the bottom of the staircase alone. His passing was brutal and harrowing, tormented by his own helplessness and the anguish of failing to reach Terzo in time.

"FUCK! NO!" Mary thumped the door and froze when he heard a whisper. It came not from behind the door or above his head. He wasn't sure where it even came from but it rang as clear as bell:

"Tell Mary Goore that I loved him."

He knew without a shadow of a doubt that the whisper belonged to Terzo.

"I'M HERE! PAPA, I'M HERE!" He cried as he smashed the door over and over in vain. "DON'T LEAVE ME!"

His knuckles bloodied and bruised, he eventually gave up. He sobbed outside the huge wooden door and clawed at the splinters he had managed to punch into it.

"Papa, I love you too... Don't leave me, don't leave me..."

He threw his head up at the ceiling. "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!"

Mary sobbed in the dark and felt more alone than he had ever felt in his life.

A tiny jingle echoed down the corridor in the void, it was accelerating toward him, getting louder and louder. Piercing green dots flashed in the dark. The sound of four paws hitting the ground running signified the creature was a huge beast and not of this world.

"What the fuck is-" I've met my end. Clearly the spawn of pure malevolence is coming for me. Fine, I can't live without Papa anyway. Just make it quick...

"MEOW!" Eclipse jumped into his lap, except she was no longer the size Mary had last seen her. 

"Cat! What the fuck?!"

"Meow!" She bumped her face against Mary's. She had grown to the size of a panther.

Mary patted her head and burst into tears again. "We couldn't save Daddy, Princess. We couldn't save him..."

She tilted her head and Mary noticed the jingle coming from her collar was not the bell he had seen her wear before.

Is that a hammer? A fucking square hammer! It is!

Mary knew what to do. He released the collar from Eclipse's neck and wielded the hammer. One smash over the doorknob was all it took and Mary kicked the door in with his heavy Doc Marten.

Eclipse ran to the corner of the blackened room and clawed at a stone slab on the ground, her green eyes illuminating it so Mary could also see.

"Is he there?" Mary read the inscription in horror. "Quick cat, get off!"

Mary pulled the slab and found Terzo lying on his back.

"Come on, Papa! I've got you!"

Mary pulled him up and sat down, cradling the lifeless body of Papa Emeritus the Third in his lap. He sobbed his heart out while stroking Papa's wounds. His blood was still warm and his body was still soft. "What have they done to you? Oh, what have they done?" He looked in horror at Papa's torn clothes and gaping wounds. Eclipse howled and licked her master's neck before cuddling beside him and purring. Her purr was extra deep and Mary could feel it vibrating through Papa's body and into his own.

"We've lost him... we've lost him..." His tears spilled onto Papa's handsome but bloodied face. There could be no greater heartbreak than cradling the unmoving body of your life's greatest love, especially knowing you could have done something. If only you had known sooner. The thought of Papa dying in the dark, scared and alone ripped Mary's heart out and he cried in anguish.

Unbeknownst to Mary, the spirit of Papa Emeritus III rose from his earthly body. He watched Mary and Eclipse mourn for him and he tried in vain to stretch his hands out to them both. My beloveds... Then the ground started to crack under his feet, splitting and tearing apart. Red light shone up through it and intense heat permeated the rocks. Terzo gazed down into it, wondering if he would fall. Concurringly, the ceiling above him cracked and white light beamed through. He looked again at Mary and watched tiny golden orbs surround him and dance around his head and scarred heart. Mary was the most beautiful person to have ever existed and Terzo couldn't take his eyes off him. He stood between the two planes of celestial existence, begging neither to take him away. Heaven or hell: the next life without Mary Goore would be intolerable and meaningless. I love you Mary Goore...

Suddenly an idea came to Mary. It was a shot in the dark, but he had to try. Get it together, dude! There will be time enough for tears if this fails. I must try to bring him back!

He lay Papa on the stone slab and set the palm of his left hand in the middle of his chest. He smashed down upon it with all of his might in an effort to kickstart his heart.

Nothing.

"Come back, Papa!"

He tried again, smashing even harder.

Still nothing.

"Spirits of the other world! Give me back my beloved! Can't you see my heart is ripped out from my body?" He screamed in desperation, roaring at the void.

Smash.

Nothing.

He pressed his lips onto the dead man's and started the kiss of life.

Nothing.

"I."

He smashed again.

"Command."

SMASH

"You."

SMASH

"To."

SMASH

"Return."

SMASH

"FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE!!!" 

SMASH!

Papa lay lifeless.

"Fuck, fuck, FUCK!!!"

Mary took another look at the square hammer. Eclipse met his eyes. This was his final hope.

He lifted it with his right hand and kept his left on Papa's chest.

I will break every finger in my guitar-playing hand. I might never play again. Fuck it. I would rather live a life without playing guitar again, knowing that I tried everything I could to bring Papa back. 

He took a deep breath.

Eclipse jumped out of the way.

He raised the hammer over his head and shut his eyes.

"Come back to me Papa, I love you!"

He brought the hammer down on his own hand and howled with the pain. 

Eclipse meowed and shrank back to her normal size. She jumped next to Papa's chest and licked his face. Mary could hardly see through his own double vision but what he could see, he could hardly believe. Papa had opened his eyes and was wheezing, coughing, and spluttering blood.

"My boy" he croaked, his voice was as thin as paper and shakily he lifted his hand, clutching at Mary's right arm.

"Papa!" Mary cried tears of pain but also tears of joy. "You're here!"

Eclipse purred loudly and bumped her head against Papa's face.

"My two soulmates..." He couldn't move but he could see how bruised, cut, and torn up Mary was. 

"I thought I lost you!" Mary sobbed and hugged him with his good arm. "We need to get you to a doctor immediately! I cannot lift you for I have broken my left arm completely."

"No... my boy..." Terzo was pained to hear Mary hurting.

"Hush, don't speak. We will get you out of here." Mary cradled him again in his lap. Papa looked up at him.

"I will die happy in your arms, just seeing you one last time."

"Shush, you're not dying again!"

"Boy, I love you."

Mary caressed Terzo's bloodied face, his own blood spilling down his forehead and landing on his face. He burst into floods of tears again. "I know, Papa! I heard you say it before you died!"

"Good!" Papa smiled weakly but looked relieved.

"I love you too!"

Papa exhaled heavily and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Don't you die on me! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!" Mary called out desperately. "HELLLLLLLP!" He sobbed and shook Papa, trying anything to keep him conscious. "Stay with me!"

It felt like hours had passed before anyone found them. Restored, Omega came charging in with a whole gang of Nameless Ghouls. They held gas lamps, the lights burned Mary's sore eyes and he passed out when he was lifted away from Papa. The ghouls had found him in a heap, bent over Papa, completely soaked in blood and both men's outfits had been shredded to threads.

When Mary regained consciousness some hours later, he found himself in the Ministry hospital ward. Bright lights stung his eyes and he groaned, flailing at the plastic tubes that were pumping oxygen into his lungs.

"Hey, hey, hey!" A Sister smiled at him, she was blurry and her voice sounded distant. "Wake up. Don't fall back asleep. What's your name?"

"Mary. Mary Goore" he grumbled.

"Good. Date of birth?"

"Third of March, 1981."

"Excellent. Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital. Ministry."

"Good. Mr. Goore, you've been through the wars but we're glad to say that you're gonna be alright!"

"Papa? Where's Papa?"

The Sister bristled. "He's in Intensive Care."

"Is he... is he alive?"

"Just about. He's hanging in there."

"Can I see him?"

"No. Not yet."

"Please!" Mary felt fully awake. "I need to see him!"

"He's hooked up to machines."

Mary's blood ran cold. "He's not safe! Are you sure they're the right machines?!"

"Yes, I'm sure! Papa is perfectly safe. I can wheel you in to see him."

"I can walk!" Mary rose defiantly only to feel a flash of searing pain. "Argh, FUCK!"

"You broke your shoulder, upper arm, and every bone in your left hand. You've mild concussion and you're bruised all over. Just wait, will you? I'll get some help and we'll bring you to Papa. Anything to stop you from flailing and hurting yourself more."

"Thanks" he croaked.

Ten minutes later, his bed was wheeled into Intensive Care. Papa was the only patient and Eclipse sat on his chest, rolled up like a cinnamon bun. She refused to leave her master. Papa was hooked up to lots of machines, each of them clicking, whirring and beeping steadily. 

"Papa" Mary stretched his right hand out and brushed against Papa's face softly. "I'm here. I love you", he clutched his hand and kissed it. "Will he make it?"  

"It'll be a while. But the prognosis is good. Something has compelled him to stay on this Earthly plane. He's been pierced, slashed, torn, bitten, and beaten up badly. It's a miracle he's even alive. But his heart is strong. You found him I believe?"

"I did. With the help of Omega and Eclipse the cat."

"You did good, Mary Goore. Papa is lucky to have you."

Mary looked fondly at his sleeping lover and tenderly fixed his bangs. "You rest my angel. We're here."

"Come on, time to go back."

"I'm not leaving his side!"

"But we have to move you back to your room!"

"Are you gonna move Papa Emeritus' love into another room at the most vulnerable time of his life? You want his wrath when he arises? No. I didn't think so. I'm staying!"   

"Please, Mr. Goore..."

"This is the deal. You can unhook me from all these wires, I don't need them for a broken arm. And you can sit my helpless ass down in a chair. But I'm going to stay right here and never let him out of my sight again." He took Papa's hand possessively.

There was clearly no winning with the handsome but distressed rocker. "Okay. We'll do that..."

Mary gazed at his vulnerable lover. "I swear I'll never leave you again" he whispered. "We will break away together and leave this shithole. This is the start of a new life for us..."

I'll be the shadow, you'll be the light...