The Rise of a King - Copia x Reader

XX

Of course you had to run into someone when you're being this clumsy and nervous!
You rubbed your slightly aching head which had crushed with the other person's and looked up, just to see the person you had so recklessly run into was none other than the man you had so helplessly fallen in love with. With a rather inelegantly movement, he picked up the Biretta you seemed to have accidentally knocked off his head.
"I'm terribly sorry-", he began but stopped as he put the Biretta back on and saw whom he was facing here. His eyes lit up and a huge smile graced his lips.
Your eyes widened and you suddenly felt even more sorry for not having paid more attention to where you were running.
"Oh C, I'm so sorry! I was in a hurry and didn't pay attention to where I was going-"
"No no no, I am the one who needs to apologise! I should've seen you coming!"
"Out of question, I was running and just knocked your Biretta off so recklessly. I'm really sorry".
After realising there was no point in arguing with you that he'd think it was his own fault, he just chuckled and gently took one of the strands that wildly hung in your face and tucked it behind your ear.
"It's alright, darling", he spoke warmly and your heart dropped, did he really just-
Within an instant, you felt a funny tingle in your stomach spreading overwhelming excitement, though you just stood there totally perplexed, probably looking like a malfunctioning robot. To Copia on the other side, it had only now dawned to him how meaningful this moment was and his face ran red within an instant. He's often imagined calling you the sweetest nicknames and surely made up a few but never dared using them directly with you.
"I'm sorry if I caught you off guard! I've just always wanted to give you cute nicknames but if it's too soon-"
Before any more worries could fill his mind, you shut all of them down by getting on your tippy toes and placing a soft kiss on his lips. As you were about to pull back a moment later, you felt his hand by the back of your neck, pulling you back to him as he now moved his lips against yours.
You smiled into the kiss, it worked.
A moment later, as both of you broke the kiss for air, you gave him a smile as you told him "I love it, honey".
You added a wink and could tell he was over the moon which caused you to giggle amazed.
"You're so amazing", he smiled and rested his hands on your hips by which he pulled you a little closer to himself. You then wrapped your arms around him and looked up at his handsome face.
The eye contact remained like this, no force in the world could ever have removed your gaze from his.
"Hey..", he eventually broke the silence and his smile turned a little sheepish.
A little confused by the sudden mood change, you raised your eyebrows a little and looked at him patiently.
"You know next week's the ministry's welcome party for you after your evaluation", he began and tilted his head a little while his gaze slowly shifted from yours, like he was too shy to continue. You slowly grew nervous at the thought of the higher up rating your skills as sister of sin and truly hoped what Copia was going to ask you would get your thoughts to something more pleasant.
You could feel him taking a deep breath in before his eyes moved back and rested on yours before he asked "and I was wondering whether you will do me the honour of going there with me? As in together with me?"
You felt your lips instantly form a big smile, you've never been asked out to be someone's date at a party before and felt really excited about Copia being the first one to ever ask.
"I'd love nothing more", you eventually voiced your overwhelming emotions and felt his tensed chest relax underneath your hands. 'He'll always be nervous asking me out to anything, right?', you thought to yourself and giggled a little at how adorable his shy behaviour actually was.

You raised your head to say something but suddenly felt your heart skip a beat as you remembered you actually had somewhere to be.
"Shit", you whispered and Copia's look grew worried.
"What's wrong? You're not already going with someone else, are you?"
You looked at him a little confused before you let our a chuckle and gently punched his arm.
"Who'd I rather be going with than you, silly?", you laughed and he once again let out a relieved sigh.
"Thank Satan! So what is it then?"
"I need to go! Sister wants me to lead the sisters of sin for tonight's ritual and there's so much to prepare!"
You loosened your grip around him and immediately missed his warmth.
"So she considered my recommendation", Copia suddenly rather spoke to himself with a big smile and your eyes shot open.
"Wait, you recommended me as the lead sister?"
He nodded heavily.
"I did, I knew there's no sister as capable and dedicated as you and that's what I told her"
You just looked at him blankly as thoughts flew by your mind, it was thanks to Copia that Sister changed her opinion on you and gave you a chance to prove yourself.
While already making you way across the hallway, you gave him the most adoring puppy eyes while feeling your heart tingle a little. 'This man is too good to be true'.
He waved as he watched you leave and felt a wave of sadness wash over him as he felt the lack of your presence. With a sigh he turned around and made him way to where he actually was heading before you had accidentally run him over. Or if you asked him, he ran into you but of course he'd never admit it to you because he loved the look on your face when you won an argument. With an enthusiastic whistle on the lips, he strolled down the stairs to the office wing while picturing you and him dancing at the party next week. Oh he could hug the world remembering the sparkle in your eyes when you said yes to his invitation.
"Are you on the square, are you on the-", he mumbled to himself but silenced  abruptly as he heard someone yell a few rooms away. Another voice yelled something back, it seemed familiar but Copia couldn't really make it out yet. He quietly snook over to where the voices were coming from and held his ears close to the door where he heard the following conversation almost perfectly. He really wasn't the type to eavesdrop, yet his heart dropped as he recognised the two voices speaking and he knew he couldn't leave now, even if he wanted to.

"Seestor, please! You have to believe me that I'm truly sorry!"
"Sorry?! You're sorry?!"
"It- it was a mistake! I was just feeling so lonely and seestor Marlene was there to comfort me and-"
"Don't even go there, I don't wanna hear anything of that!"
Copia's blood froze and he stood like paralysed on the hallway. 'Again?', he asked himself and remembered all the past times he'd overhear this type of conversation between his parents as a kid.
"Seestor, it was a mistake but I can make up for it! I can change!"
"You haven't changed the last eight times I gave you the chance to. Enough is enough!"
"You can't punish me for this one accident!"
Silence followed.
"If only it had been just one incident, Nihil. I'm sick of it, you don't even count your missteps anymore. But do you know who does? Me!"
Copia's heart weighed heavy in his chest, he knew if he stayed longer, he'd probably fall apart hearing them go through it all over again.
With shaky breathing he slowly stepped away and rather stumbled over to his office, he just needed to get away from here. It was now that he noticed his legs were trembling and his thoughts still racing. How could Nihil do this to his mother? She has done so much for that half dead sack in the past and yet he showed no sign of gratitude or even affection. Anger rose inside the Cardinal at the thought of Nihil only regarding Seestor as his 'bit on the side'. As he suddenly heard his mother's voice yell 'Just get out!' across the whole corridor, he banged his fist again the doorframe of his office and used all his strength to keep himself from storming into that office and kick that horrible man out the window.

A moment later, he heard a door being thrown shut and heard the old guy stomped down the hallway while pulling his oxygen tank besides him. Copia quickly entered the office and let himself fall onto his small leather sofa by the right corner. He sighed out of exhaustion and longed for nothing more than being with you, his precious Y/n who always managed to cheer him up or at least knew what to do in tough situations like this. But for this, he was on his own as he didn't want to involve you in his family drama, you already had enough stress. And besides, you didn't even know Seestor was his mother and he wanted nicer circumstances to tell you than during a family crisis. But what should he do now? Before his mind could circle more around that question, he heard a knock on his door.
After having returned to reality a moment later, he opened and was surprised to see his mother with a tired smile standing in front of him.
"Seestor-", he stammered and tried gathering his thoughts.
"It's uh.. good to see you! How can I help you?"
"Oh I just came by to check on my little C and remind you that the ride to the ritual leaves in about an hour".
He nodded, still a little agitated but trying to hide it as good as possible.
"Yes, thank you! So, I will see you then", he said and quickly closed the door shut before leaning tight against it like he wouldn't make it to the sofa safe.
His mind started to wander again, she seemed so happy and untouched by the situation, that he started to wonder:
'For how long has she been hiding her pain from me?'