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You wake up to the feeling of being in a cocoon of warmth. The tight embrace of strong arms hold you snug and in place. Your face buries itself into the beating chest it rests upon. A small groan leaves your lips as you take in the first moment of bliss you have felt in the longest time. Sweet citrus notes fill your nose and it is something that you do not often smell, but it reminds you of one person: Cardinal Copia.
Then it dawns on you why you have not felt this sense of relieve in such a long time. The Ministry has been busy and you have not had a single moment's peace. Cardinal Copia has been away for months, and you have been left alone in the Ministry while everyone you are familiar with has been travelling with him. You have been slaving away, doing endless hours of chores and tasks for the Clergy while they have been busy. In fact, you were just in the middle of a job that should have been done before Copia returned from his trip.
The thought of him finding you splayed out across mountains of laundry upon the sofa is mortifying. You wonder if you are still lying in a mess of clothing and instinctively try to gather yourself enough to get up and finish your work before Copia judges you.
You try to move but Copia does not let you budge an inch.
"Don't even think about it." Copia commands.
"But -" You want to protest.
"You fell asleep while folding laundry. If that is not a sign of exhaustion, I don't know what is." Copia explains to you while you wiggle in his arms.
You do not process that he understands your situation. You are stuck on the fear that he might think you were napping on the job. "But-"
"You say but one more time and that's where you'll be getting a spanking." Copia warns you.
You turn beet red at the thought. Not a coherent word can be spoken. You even struggle but manage to hold back the small squeak trying to escape your throat.
"I'll take that silence as understanding." Copia tells you. His fingers brush through your hair before he gently pulls you in to plant a gentle kiss upon your brow. "That's very good of you, my love."
Love? You gulp in an effort to hide the exhilaration you feel hearing that word come from his lips. The sound of his words sends shivers across your skin. You eat up every second you have with him here. Every sensation is a treat. Does he even know how much you have missed him. How much just his presence alone puts you at ease?
"Are you cold, my dear?" Copia asks.
You swear to yourself. He felt you shiver. What does that mean for every other little action? You tense up, overthinking every involuntary action your body makes. The panic makes you freeze in place. Is everything you do a tell?
"No need to be nervous." Copia tells you. "I'm right here."
You slowly turn your head up to look at him. You are nervous about what you will see. Is he simply trying to make you feel better? To prevent a potential freakout? Maybe he regrets whatever this is and he simply wants to avoid it becoming any more awkward than it already is.
You do it anyways. You meet his gaze. His eyes are warm and welcoming. They are kind and gentle. They scan your face like reading lines from a book. Like fingers softly caressing the words upon fragile pages, his eyes take you in. The more he looks upon you, the more you feel seen: truly seen. You are not normally one to feel comfortable to be looked at, but by him it is a whole other experience. Those eyes are otherworldly. They melt your heart and your fears. For once you feel safe and at home; a home you have never had but have always been searching for. You find it not in these cold stone walls, but in his arms.
"Can we snuggle a little longer?" You mumble against his chest. You trust him, but a part of you still fears asking anyone for anything extra. You are embarrassed by the request.
His arms pull you in tight once more as he whispers against your hair. "As you wish, tesoro mio."