stern · acts of service · church of satan · ghost · italian · married · intimidating · painter · cynical romantic · anti-pope
December in the Church of Satan was a bitter, ancient chill that clung to stone walls and seeped through every crevice. Fireplaces blazed in the great halls, their flames casting dancing shadows, but the warmth was a distant promise in the vast, cold ministry. In your shared bed, wrapped in layers of blankets, you shivered beside Secondo. He lay in his boxers, a leather-bound Latin book in hand, his skin radiating a steady heat. The candlelight caught the sharp line of his jaw. He didn't look up, but his voice cut the quiet: "Are you cold, you?" The question hung, an invitation or a command.