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copias-juicebox · 7 months

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It's a Sin Chapter 4

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5 Pairing: Cardinal Copia x fem! Reader Words: 8941 Genre: romance, angst, smut, fluff, hurt/comfort, SLOWBURN Warnings: in this chap: angst and spice lol Notes: oki guys it has come now. my first lil venture into some spice. i'm feeling shy posting this lol. please let me know if you liked it and if it was ok? and feedback is always appreciated. love y'all. also the biggest fucking shoutout to @fishwithtitz. without your help i would not be able to get any words down.

The sun was shining brightly outside, contrasting the darkness that still lingered in the halls of the ministry. You spent most of the past night inside the infirmary, overlooking the Cardinal. Sister Ana and you both decided it‘d be best to supervise him because of his workaholic tendencies. And it did not even take half an hour after sundown that he proved you in your assumptions correct. He was barely awake and up, trying to get back to his stacks of papers atop his desk as if his grandma was held at gunpoint if he didnt get back to work as soon as possible. This man was really just ridiculous you thought. You encountered many passionate people in your life, especially in the church of your parents. This man though. He appeared to be just built different. Never once had you met someone that invested in his job or hobby.

On one side you were utterly taken with his love for his job and that alone earned him the utmost respect. But on the other side you could not shake the feeling that there was more to his workaholic attitude than just his own love and passion for the job. From what you had gathered so far he was the errand boy. He was sent around the ministry doing work for everyone at all times, doing people a favor when his own desk already overflowed with paperwork. It concerned you especially now that you have seen what a toll it took on him. The whole situation gave you the ick, just how everyone saw how this man worked himself to death and yet nobody decided to help him out. It was one thing you noted and you would make sure to offer your help should you ever have the opportunity to do so.

This morning you woke up early. Thankfully the backroom of the Infirmary offered a nice bed for the nurses on duty for cases like this. However you could not sleep for very long since a great amount of time you spent in the infirmary overlooking the Cardinal’s almost toddler-like sleep. He looked adorable. Realizing you found this odd looking man adorable alone made you shake your head and giggle internally. He was a grown man. In fact a middle aged man about twice your age. But you found his silly antics and awkward behavior lovely. It warmed your heart in an odd way you could not describe. There was not an ounce of displeasure in his presence, rather a feeling of calm and peace. Especially as he lay there in the bed, face finally relaxed. The crinkles on his forehead and around his eyes were less visible like this and he looked younger than you knew he was.

As much as you hated it, you decided it was time to wake him up. Opening up the curtains you turned around, watching him stir a little, the frown back on his face but his eyes still closed.

„Good morning Cardinal. It is time to wake up.“ you informed him, warmly.

„Just 5 more minutes…“ he mumbled barely audible, eliciting a chuckle from you. The sound escaping your mouth made him realize where he was and who was there. His eyes shot open, making him groan in regret as the bright light hurt his eyes and he hid his face in his hands to shield off the sunlight pouring inside.

„S..Sorella I.. good morning Sorella.“ he greeted you, eyes slowly adjusting to the light. His mismatched eyes found yours and he felt the butterflies in his stomach go wild again. There you stood, gracefully in front of the vast window. Golden rays of sunlight pouring in, casting a warm, ethereal glow that enveloped your form. Your silhouette radiant, like an angel descended from the heavens, with the light accentuating the delicate contours of your face and the flowing elegance you carried yourself with. As the Cardinal gazed back at you he sat there in awe, captivated by your otherworldly beauty and the celestial aura that seems to embrace you. Time stood still for a moment, the Cardinal caught in a moment of pure, luminous enchantment. After a moment that felt like an eternity he realized he must have hit his head pretty hard yesterday. What was it about you that made him feel that way? He was attracted to you. He knew that but why was it so strong? He could not pin it down. Was it just your beauty? But there were so many beautiful Sisters in the Ministry, none quite as pretty as you of course but still.

„So Cardinal, how are you feeling today?“ you interrupted his thoughts.

„Mi sento bene, Sorella. Yes I am alright.“ he replied absentmindedly.

„So no pain anywhere?“ You asked him as you started to feel his temperature again.

„N.. No, Sister I feel quite alright I promise.“ the Cardinal smiled sheepishly back at you, his cheeks turning a slight shade of pink.

„If that is the truth I am going to talk to Papa Nihil then. In the meantime I will ask for someone to bring you breakfast and I would highly recommend you to stay here and eat. I will be back in a few minutes.“ you ordered.

The Cardinal's eyes widened in surprise. „Ah no need Sister, don't bother Papa Nihil with little casualties like this.“ he tried to downplay his healthstatus.

„I have to Cardinal. He would expect you to go back to work and that would only be counterproductive Cardinal.“

„Ah then.. just tell him I am having a bad headache yeah? And I will be back at work tomorrow.“

You knew better than to discuss with him now and so you decided to not tell him what you were going to tell Papa. „Alright Cardinal. I will be back in a few.“

You left the infirmary, walking down the corridor towards the office Wing of the Ministry. Luckily you remembered most of the layout of this place from your tour with Hannah. Walking down the hallway you checked the Name Tags next to the doors as you passed Cardinals, Terzos, Secondos and Primos offices. The last one was Papa Nihils Office. You just hoped he would be there and knocked on the door three times. A voice from inside called you in. You opened the door, stepped inside and closed it. Inside Papa Nihil sat in his chair while Terzo and Sister Imperator stood next to him.

„Excuse me Papa Nihil. I hope I am not interrupting anything? I can come back later.“ When he saw who entered his office his face lit up. You did not know why but he genuinely liked you even though he knew nothing about you.

„Ah no no of course not.“ he tried to get up from his chair but his old legs refused him so he sat back down. Sister Imperator helped him and he invited you inside with a wave of his hand. You took a few steps inside coming to a halt next to Terzo who fixed you with a curious gaze.

„Now what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?“ Papa Nihil asked, gleefulness in his tone.

„Well unfortunately I am here because of my duty. As you know the Cardinal came into the Infirmary yesterday.“

„Yes yes the Cardinal right. Is he feeling better, yes? Can he resume his work now?“ Nihil asked impatiently

„Unfortunately not. His condition has become better, yes, but he needs more rest I am afraid.“

„More rest? No, we can't afford him to rest now. He needs to get back behind his desk now.“ Nihil nearly barked, absolutely not sympathetic in the slightest. „..The Cardinal wants more time off now?“ he turned to you with a frown.

„No actually I highly recommend a week off for him. He is in a critical condition right now and if he doesn‘t rest up properly he might fall sick for an extended amount of time.“

Nihil seemed to not hear a word you had said, rambling about how dare the cardinal wants time off now until Terzo decided to step in.

„Papa the cardinale is working very hard. You should allow him to rest a bit. Consider it a.. a small holiday yes?“ Terzos deep voice rang in the room.

That successfully just put more gas into the fire. „A Holiday you say? We don‘t do holidays here. Satan doesn‘t take holidays and neither will the Cardinal!“ Nihil fumed.

You were about to speak when surprisingly Sister Imperator stepped in.

„Papa, Terzo is right. He has done a lot lately. He should be granted a gift don‘t you think? He is the most important Cardinal Papa, don‘t forget that.“ Nihil just grumbled in response.

You decided to try your luck and risk it. You knew he liked you but what you were about to do was risky as shit. It might actually have the exact opposite effect on him. You had to try though. „I am sorry Papa. I didn't mean to offend you in any way.“ you tried your doe eyes on him. „I was just thinking that you might need to know how bad it is with him.“ you added a sweet, charming smile to the mix. He looked at you and you swore you saw a slight change in his hard expression. Now or never you thought. „I am begging you as a nurse who swore to do anything to help those in need, to give him a week. I will personally take care of him if you want me to and make sure he gets back as soon as possible.“ At this point you didn‘t know what shit cake you were trying to bake here but to your surprise it seemed to work as Nihils glare seemed to fade and his features softened.

You missed the smirk and raised eyebrow your little act had earned you from Terzo.

„Well if that is so he might get his week then. If that means he will be able to get back and work as he used to that is.“

You smiled and clapped your hands together. „Thank you Papa, thank you so much you are the best. I will go then.“

„Yes yes thank you bella, You go and take care of the cardinal yes. I have other matters to attend to now.“ Nihil said and turned back to Terzo, who still watched the whole scenario unfold in front of him.

You nearly ran the way back to the infirmary, skipping a step just being happy about your successful bewitching of Papa Nihil.

When you entered the Infirmary Sister Ana was doing paperwork on the desk and the Cardinal just finished his breakfast.

„There you are. Are you alright dear? …oh you seem to be in an oddly good mood for someone who just told Papa Nihil that his most hardworking part of the clergy needs a timeout. Does that mean you actually managed to get him a day or two?“

„Well yeah. More than that even. I managed to actually get him a week.“ you smiled proudly

„A WHAT?“ Ana stood up abruptly, bumping into the table and knocking half of the items on top off of it. „How in the name of sweet Satan did you do that? Did you suck his cock or what?“

„ANA!!“ you yelled. „No ew I would never oh my god. I just figured out he has a soft spot for me. And well I used it against him. I know I am a terrible person but it was worth it.“

„Oh you are a clever child. Honestly you shouldn‘t feel bad in the slightest. He tends to be very harsh to the Cardinal. And the Cardinal never owns up to him. You did the right thing child. He could use the time out.“ Ana stated, looking to the door that connected the Backroom with the Infirmary. „Now I just want to give you advice and keep to your word ok? Take care of Cardinal Copia. He will be over the moon to spend so much time in the presence of such a beautiful Sister that is for sure.“ she laughed and shooed you out of the room towards the Cardinal.

„Ah Sorella, excuse me but why exactly are you escorting me back to my Chambers personally? I told you it‘s not necessary I am fine now.“ he kept stealing glances at you from the corner of his eyes.

„You see Cardinal, I spoke to Papa Nihil and he was not exactly.. happy to give you time off. So I had to convince him, yeah?“ You grinned sheepishly, looking down, matching his steps.

Copia stopped dead in his tracks. You walked two more steps and turned around to see why he had stopped. „What is it, Cardinal? Are you not feeling well again? Do you need me to bring you back?“ you asked, taking a step closer to him, worry written all over your face, a hand came to rest on his arm should he need support. The Cardinals cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink. „No no Sorella uh… It‘s just I errm.. You didn‘t do anything to uh…. gain Papas favor did you?“ the man, wearing his black cassock asked. You frowned. „Cardinal I am sorry but I don‘t understand.“ you shook your head. „Sorella.. I..“ he seemed to be thinking hard. He was going to open his mouth again when in the last second he decided against it. „Ah nevermind Sorella. Please ignore an old mans rambling.“ he waved you off as if he just said the most ridiculous thing and wanted you to forget about it.

He began to walk again and you followed him, still thinking about what he could have meant. After a few minutes walk in silence you reached a dark door at the end of the hallway where the higher ranking members of the clergy resided. „We are here Sorella. Thank you for walking with me. I will be fine from now on.“ he turned and opened his door, dismissing you but you were pushing yourself in behind him and he felt the front of your body press into his back. Copia froze before he turned around just in time to see you close the door behind you. His eyes went wide and when you closed the distance between you he started to get nervous. He fidgeted around where he stood. „Ah w..what are you doing..?“ he fidgeted with his fingers out of sheer stress. His mind was trying to comprehend why you were here now as his stomach felt like it was jumping around. „..dinal? Cardinal are you there?? Earth to Cardinal Copia..“ You snipped your fingers in front of his face. His vision cleared again and he got pulled out of his momentary stupor.

„Okay I have had enough of this now. You!“ You pointed your finger at him. „You! Bed! Now!“ you commanded. Copia was speechless. He didn‘t understand what was going on. Why were you here and commanding him to his bed? His bed of all places? You couldn‘t possibly mean to… no. He had to stop himself. He would not let his mind wander there. You were far too good to him, he couldn‘t sully your pretty soul like that. His thoughts were interrupted as your hand found his and you pulled him into the room more. „So where?“ you stared at him as you were walking backwards into his living room. The cardinal's eyes were as big as saucers, staring back at you. „Ah.. Haha uh.. Sorella.. what do you mean where??“ he questioned, nervousness evident in his voice.

„Well the bedroom, silly?“ At this point he was thinking he might go insane. Was this real? The most beautiful Sorella in the whole ministry wanted to bring them to his bedroom. „The d..door to your r..right, there.“ he finally managed to stutter and look behind you. You glanced over your shoulder and gently pulled him towards the big dark door. As you opened it the first thing you noticed was the smell of fresh bedding and the beautiful dark decor of the room. The walls were black as were the silk sheets on top of the Cardinals queen sized bed. You couldn‘t take a much better look because the cardinal's well being was still present in your mind. You wanted to get him to lie down as soon as possible. He was behaving oddly even though he claimed to feel fine.

„Alright then nearly there. Please now lay down. And get some rest.“ at this point you actually had to push him down gently since he was rigidly standing there not moving. When he finally lay on his bed he kept staring at you like you were a ghost. „Cardinal are you sure you‘re alright?“

„I.. I don‘t know.“ he responded and you sighed. „Alright Cardinal just to make it clear to you I am going to be your personal nurse for the week ok? I promised Papa Nihil to take care of you and make sure you are back to work by next monday. So you need to promise me to be honest ok? Whenever something is not right you tell me.“ You sat down next to him on his bed, the mattress giving way to your weight as you sat.

Copia exhaled deeply as you told him the reason behind all this. How pathetic of him to read anything into your actions. Of course you would never show any interest in him of all people. He was relieved of the tension he felt rising between you but he was equally hurt by it. He would never show it of course but deep down he hoped you might like him a little. Just a little would be enough for him.

„Ah uhm if that‘s the case then I think I just need to rest a little more. Sí just a little more rest.“ he told you.

„Alright. Good I‘ll leave you to it then. I will come back soon and bring you lunch, Cardinal.“ you said and got up, walking towards the door.

As the door clicked shut the Cardinal was doing anything but rest. He lay there yes but his mind was racing wildly. He reproduced this morning's events many times in his head. Every time his heartbeat picked up when your hand had taken his. Your fingers were cold and in stark contrast to his own warm hands. He didn‘t understand this infatuation he had. Could he actually have a crush on you? He didn‘t know you one bit, it surely was just his far too long touch-starved body and your beautiful smile that had him worked up like that. He could only dream of someone like you. Oh what he would give to have you. You had said you were his nurse. His. In his delusional mind he created a bunch of scenarios which really didn't help his already misplaced feelings towards you. He wanted to make you his for real. In any way possible. He would give you everything you ever desired. He would offer all of him and more just for you to let him worship you as you deserved.

A few hours later you walked along the corridor, carrying a tray with the Cardinals lunch and fresh juice. As you walked up the stairs you met some Sisters and Brothers, all happily greeting you on the way. You rounded the corner and there you saw Sister Hannah and her group of friends. „Look who is here. If that isn‘t Cardi's personal nurse.“ one of the Sisters teased and winked at you. The group giggled and some of them looked at you with pity. You were slightly appalled at their reactions. „Mhm yes. Is there any problem with that?“ you asked and they answered „Ah no you see it‘s just I am sorry for you. He is so pathetic and you have to spend so much time with him now.“ You looked at Hannah, silently asking her if they were serious. She understood the look you gave her and intervened, trying to defuse the situation.

„Come one girls, don‘t be mean to our new nurse now. And also the Cardinal deserves the best treatment. He is basically running the whole ministry at this point.“ She stated. „Yeah Hannah we know you have a soft spot for the rat man. But really I hope he isn‘t gonna be weird to new sis.“ Sister Moira said, inspecting her fingernails.

„Well I am not worried he would do anything weird as you said. So far he‘s been super welcoming.“ you smiled. „Ugh yeah I‘m just saying sis..“ Sister Moira rolled her eyes. That was when Brother Damien, a tall, dark haired Brother jumped in. „What she is trying to say is that the Cardinal is a little funny, yeah?“ he tried to explain. Unfortunately you failed to understand. „Funny? What do you mean by that?“ you replied „Ugh Sis he is a creep fucking hell. And I bet he is a pervert as well.“ Sister Moira interjected, obviously getting irritated at the conversation.

Your mouth hung open and you were trying to process what you had just heard. „Are you trying to tell me he has..“

„Nonsense Sis. He never did anything like that.“ Hannah interrupted you. „Don‘t even listen to her. The Cardinal is a good and decent man. The one you should watch out for is Terzo.“ Sister Hannah informed you.

„Oh my god are you saying he..“ „No no no don‘t worry. Nothing like that. Satanas, you must be getting all the wrong impressions right now.“ Hannah grabbed your arm, leading you away from the group. „Don‘t worry no one here has done anything to anyone. At least not as long as they didn‘t want to. What I was trying to say is Terzo has a certain way with people. Especially with the Sisters. That is all.“

You sighed, your shoulders slumped as you exhaled. „Okay good. You had me worried for a second. But I meant it so far the Cardinal has been nothing but kind. And I don‘t find him creepy.“

„Correct you are. He is a sweet man. Just very awkward. Many people find that odd. Well he is odd but it‘s endearing really. Don‘t listen to what anyone says here really. Make your own experience with people and don‘t judge a book by its cover because that is what most of them do.“ she motioned back to the group.

„Alright yes. Thank you Hannah.“ you hugged her real quick from the side, balancing the tray in your hands and told her you had to go now otherwise the Cardinals food would get cold. As you turned on your heel Hannah called you one more time. „Hey are you free tonight? We wanted to go out for a drink after dinner. Wanna join?“ You contemplated and agreed. You wanted to belong and fit in and you were going to take any chance to get to know more Sisters and Brothers.

When you knocked and opened the door to the Cardinals room you heard some rustling, quick steps and a thump and a following string of curses. „Cazzo.“ When you entered his bedroom he was lying in his bed, a blanket lazily thrown over him. Unfortunately his feet were not covered and revealed the slippers he wore. One glance at the desk in the corner of the room was enough to confirm your suspicions. Papers thrown all over the desk, the lamp lying dangling off the cable on one side of his working space. You sighed „Cardinal!?“ His eyes went wide at your commanding tone. „Ah sí sorella?“ he grinned sheepishly back at you. You shook your head suppressing a smile. This man was unbelievable yet adorable. „Have you been working?“ „No no no Sorella. I was uh in my bed this whole time, yes.“ he fumbled with the rim of his blanket. „And you always keep your slippers on in bed?“ you inquired. „Oh.. uh.. that is for when I…have to hurry to get to the bathroom, yes the bathroom.“ Copia wanted to punch himself. How would that sound to her? Like he was an old incontinent man that would piss in his pants sometimes. His cheeks grew a dark shade of red when he heard your chuckle. Satanas, you were laughing about him. His head whipped up searching your face. Your eyes were locked to the ground beneath you, smiling a dashing smile. Oh how beautiful you looked like that. „You are unbelievable, Cardinal and you‘re a liar, a bad one at that.“ when your eyes found his he was surprised to find no sign of pity or remorse. Instead your eyes sparked and conveyed nothing but warmness. He was relieved to see that expression on you unlike what he had expected to see.

„Cardinal it is very obvious, don‘t you think?“ You looked around the room. „Anyway I am not here to reprimand you. I have brought you your lunch. And since you‘ve been up anyway you might eat it on the big table as well.“ you walked back out of his bedroom and put the tray on the big table that stood in the little kitchenette he had. A few moments later he followed you. This was the first time you saw him in casual clothing. He wore a wine red hoodie with a fitting pair of pants. Underneath he wore a simple black shirt and under his slippers a pair of black socks. It was a little odd to see such a high ranking member of the clergy wearing such casual clothes but it just helped you relax around him a little more. Not that the Cardinal made it hard for you to do so. His clumsiness and awkward little smiles gave you a sense of security. Like you were not the only one not knowing what to do every now and then. You were still adjusting to this new life you were having here.

Satan and his worshippers surely were going to be the biggest test the lord above had for you so far. You were going to prove to him you were standing strong in your faith and that you could show mercy and help even the misled souls.

„Thank you Sorella. Uh what about yourself?“ he questioned, brow furrowed. „Oh I already had a little snack when I visited the kitchen.“ you brushed him off. „Oh we can share then Sorella it‘s no problem.“ Copia answered already on his way to the kitchenette, opening a cabinet and pulling out a plate and cutlery for you. „It‘s not necessary, Cardinal really.“ „No it is Sorella. You need to eat.“ He patted the chair next to him and you sat down next to him. He then put half of his food on the other plate and handed it over to you. You were a little speechless. „But it is not that much you don‘t have to share with me. I can always get some more later.“

„It is enough. And I am happy to share my food with you Sorella. Please accept this?“ Copias eyes found yours, a hint of worry hidden behind his pleading eyes. It was definitely not enough for the both of you to get full but there was no way on earth you could reject him now. You sat next to each other as you both ate. You were not going to admit it but you were more hungry than you knew yourself, nearly wolfing down your food. The Cardinal stole glances at you from the corner of his eyes and tried to hide his chuckles. „So Cardinal, can I ask you a question?“

„Ah sí sí, what exactly do you want to know?“

„Mh how did you end up here?“

„Cosa intendi? Like how did I end up devoting my life to Satan?“

„Yes. What made you want to become a Cardinal or choose a clerical life anyway?“

„Well.. It uh.. it was a long time ago. You must know Sorella, I was an orphan. I have never known my parents and when I was young I didn‘t have many friends or family.“

„Oh I am sorry to hear..“ you replied, a hand resting on his arm in an attempt to provide some form of comfort.

„Don’t be Sorella. It was a long time ago. And it was the church that I found solace in. Belief carried me through my childhood. I have seen the good and the bad of it.“ the Cardinal spoke, somberness behind his words as his gaze seemed to drift off.

His words struck you and you suddenly became more interested. „H-How exactly?“ Your voice was barely above a whisper. He couldn‘t have experienced something similar as you could he?

„You see I was not a satanic Cardinal from the beginning. In fact I started studying theology and became a young servant of the catholic church. But as time went by I saw the misuse of trust, power and the truly harmful ways of the catholic church so I decided to leave this rotten institution behind.“

„And what did you do after that?“

„I survived doing smaller Jobs here and there until I came across this ministry and the wonderful message they carry out into the world.“

You wanted to know more. But at the same time you were scared to show how little you knew about it all.

„And then you asked Papa if you could stay?“

„Well not exactly. The clergy wanted me to stay here. It is… in a way this place has become my home. The first place that I feel like I am accepted just the way I am.“

You didn‘t know why but it hurt you hearing him say such a thing. He must have spent many years of his life, trying to find acceptance and through many years he seemed to have finally found it. If this place provided that for him it might not be as bad as you were taught it would be.

„I am glad you found that place. The place you can call home.“ you smiled at him and both continued to eat.

It somewhat eased the tension in the room and after you finished the Cardinal got up and took your plates off the table, rinsing them in the sink. „Cardinal.. errm thank you.“ you told him earnestly. „Prego Sorella. I have to thank you. For taking care of me so wonderfully. It is the least I could do. Maybe for dinner you could bring two plates, yes? One for you and one for me?“

„Yes I will do that.“ you two fell into silence again. Him standing in front of his kitchenette and you sitting on the chair across the room. This time it was more comfortable. He seemed less tense and so did you.

„So Cardinal back to business. I have to ask you to refrain from working. That is the whole reason why you are here now. So from now on I forbid you to work one more minute until next week.“ You instructed. His face fell as the last words fell from your lips. He couldn‘t possibly stop working. He never once took a vacation from his work. It was all that he‘d ever known. Bound to his desk, several nights back to back and making sure everything in the ministry ran smoothly.

„Ah Sorella.. I have to intervene.. I couldn‘t stop working all together.. there uh is quite a lot of responsibility that comes with..“

„Nonsense Cardinal.“ you raised your voice above his. „If I remember correctly you are not Papa. You are simply a Cardinal right?“

„Y..Yes Sorella.“ his voice was small now as he looked down to the ground.

„And as Cardinal you are not the one responsible for the ministry. Papa should be. And he will be making sure you get some rest. He even approved to my request and was the first to speak up to Papa Nihil. He has your back Cardinal. You should not worry about it even though I admire that.“

The Cardinals cheeks turned a deep crimson color, as his brain stopped thinking about any other pathetic excuse and he took mental notes that you liked if he took responsibility.

Later that evening you met Hannah and her group of friends outside to go to the local bar and enjoy your time here. To your surprise they seemed to be more friendly and nice than you expected them to be, especially after this morning's encounter with Moira. The Cardinal was not the most popular among some of them and they seemed to know you disagreed which they accepted. They even refrained from making any further inappropriate comments about him for the remainder of your night out. After a few drinks they decided each of them was going to pay you one shot of Tequila as a little welcome celebration. It had been a while since you last had that much fun and you grew closer to the other Sisters and Brothers which was a huge relief. By the end of the day you stumbled half drunkenly into your room and into your bed with a smile on your face.

The next days went by relatively fast. You would check in on the Cardinal every now and then, you would bring him breakfast, lunch and dinner and eat it together over some light conversation. The both of you warmed up more with each day and you could feel yourself relax more around him. While you found some sort of rhythm with each other, him always trying to sneak out to do some work (of course he couldn‘t go without work) and you alway finding him either asleep with his head on his desk or scrambling around his room as soon as he heard you approach, you decided to help whenever you could. Running small errands for him to lift some of the weight he carried on his shoulders. You would stop him whenever he was taking on too much and you made sure he took a good long break every now and then. Copia was immensely happy about that. One of his biggest flaws was that he never truly knew when it was becoming too much, luckily that beautiful Sorella must have been sent by Lucifer himself to help him, saw right through it, always there to remind him to take a break or bring him food when he had neglected his well being for too long.

As you carried on your days like that you got to know each other better in between. The light conversation sometimes, turning into deeper topics that both of you were interested in. He was surprisingly attentive to you and you greatly appreciated that he truly listened to you. He never once judged you for an opinion you had and so it was just natural for you to form a bond with him that relied on trust. It was even comfortable enough for you to reveal your concern working in the ministry. You made sure to choose your words wisely around him so as to not tell him you were not a believer at least not in the same Lord he believed in. You didn‘t even know why but he was easy to open up to and so one day while you helped him sort some papers on his desk you came to talk about your reasons to take the Job in the ministry. The Cardinal had his suspicions that you were not in fact a Sister of Sin. You didn‘t share the opinions most Sisters did but he wanted to know for sure.

„One of the main reasons why I accepted this Job was because of this town.“ you revealed. „This town? How so?“ the Cardinal asked, genuinely interested, head cocked to the side. „It‘s my hometown. I grew up here. Our house was not even too far away from here.“ you reminisced. „Well that was until I went to the boarding school my parents sent me to.“

That piqued the Cardinals interest as he raised one eyebrow in confusion. „Forgive me Sorella but might I ask why they would send you away? You don‘t come across to be the rule-breaking type..“ he asked, trying not to offend you.

„Well honestly I don‘t remember exactly. I was very little back then. But…“ you tried to think hard about how to describe the night and the things that had happened without telling him about your catholic family or the traumatic events of that night.

„It was in the summer. A few weeks into the holidays. I was a child back then and I.. Well, I was a very curious child. And I questioned many things when I grew up. Many things I didn‘t understand. But my parents never liked me to ask too much. And as I grew older I think they grew tired of me and my never stopping mouth.“ you sighed, remembering the angry face of your father as he slapped you hard across your face that night. „My parents were very strict, you know. They were not open for someone to question their way of life. So yeah I overstepped and they finally had enough of me.“ you swallowed the lump in your throat.

The Cardinal beside you grew stiff. He remembered something. A specific night. A night of heavy thunder and rain. A night almost 20 years ago now. It couldn‘t be, could it?

„Cardinal? Are you ok? Do you need to lie down?“ you inquired. „Ah no I am fine Sorella, thank you. Uh may I ask you how old you are Sister?“ Copia was trying to gather as much information as he could.

„I will turn 26 in November.“ you said with a smile. „How about you? How old are you?“

„Oh uh I am an old man..“ He started to stare at his fingers silently counting. „ I am 53.. yes 53.“

„Did you really just count with your fingers?“ you snickered and he just awkwardly shrugged „Eh, I was never good at math.“

„But it is your own age how could you not know“ you still chuckled at his silly antics.

„I never celebrated my birthday so I never counted the years.“ he declared and you saw a sudden sadness flash in his eyes. Memories of his childhood came rushing back to him. He wanted to be like the other kids, celebrating their birthdays with their friends. He never had any friends to celebrate with. On his sixths birthday, the first one he would be allowed to celebrate, he planned a party with food and cake even, sending invitations to everyone he knew. The pain he felt when no one, not a single soul showed up was too much to bear and he swore never to celebrate his birthday again.

Your gorgeous face appeared before his eyes and suddenly he realized he‘d missed whatever you said to him.

„Okay Cardinal, enough of this you‘re going back into your bed now.“ you took his elbow and gently guided him to his bed. He didn‘t protest and followed your lead.

„I will finish this for you.“ you explained as you went back to the desk to sort out the last few papers and envelopes that started to stack on the dark mahogany platform.

„Sorella you don‘t have to. Please. It is not your job to do my Job.“ Copia inferred. „No it is not, I am well aware. But what kind of a nurse would I be if I watched you work yourself to death, mh? A shitty one, yes exactly. And I know once I leave for tonight, you will be up here anyway and work endlessly so I am going to take that off your shoulders.“

The Cardinal smiled at you. You knew him too well already. But what was he supposed to do anyway? You‘d been occupying his mind too much these past few days. The only way he knew to silence his restless brain was to bury himself with work. This way he forced himself to think about something else. Something that grounded him. He needed the distraction or else he would go insane. Plus he needed to actually get some of the workload off or he surely would drown once he was officially back next week. As you told him goodbye for the evening he was glad for your help. He did exactly what you had predicted and was up on his feet as soon as the door clicked shut. He was just going to oversee the finances for the past month and then he would go back to bed and sleep. At least that was his plan. Satan seemed to have other plans for him since his head was swarming with thoughts about you and the child he found all those years ago when he was a Bishop. He nearly had forgotten that encounter but now that you were here it seemed to be coming back to him. The similarities between you and the girl were just too remarkable to be purely coincidental.

Cardinal Copia could not find sleep that night. He was rolling around, restless mind running a million miles. His brain recalled the thunderstorm some 18 years ago. Your name, your hair and even your aura was so familiar. The little girl he found in the woods that night. It was you. He was sure that you were the old Pastor's daughter. His thoughts kept swirling around you and your life up to this point. He knew you were raised catholic and that made him wonder even more how exactly you ended up in a satanic church. Did your parents know about it? Did you fall from your catholic beliefs and joined Satan? He wanted to know you. To know everything about you and help you find your way in this world. Was that why you felt so familiar to him? Was it purely his protectiveness that intrigued him in? He hated the next thought that came to mind. He was attracted to you, he would be lying to himself if he denied that. It troubled him, knowing you were such a young woman and he was such an old man. He was a pervert thinking about you in a less appropriate manner but he was also just a man. Oh Satan what did he do to deserve this? Copia was not even sure if it was a curse or a blessing of the dark one. It confused him deeply why he had placed you back into his way. Was he trying to test his loyalty? He tried to reason his desires with being touch starved for too long. Your breathtaking smile flashed before his eyes and he knew he was not going to get you out of his head anytime soon.

The next morning rolled around and once again you were on your way to the Cardinals room, tray with breakfast and fresh Orange juice in hand. You figured out that was the one he liked best. The birds outside chirped happily as the first sun rays shone through the beautiful coloured windows of the ministry, filling you with excitement and happiness. You always loved to see a beautiful sunrise with blue skies. It was the best way to start a day.

As you knocked on the Cardinals door you didn‘t hear anything and after that you slowly opened the door calling into the room. „Good morning Cardinal. It is me. I brought breakfast.“ you still hear no movement at all. Worried you set the tray down on the table and walked up to his bedroom. You knocked gently on the door. „Cardinal? Are you up yet?“

You decided to peek inside and you saw the Cardinal sleeping in his bed, arms wrapped around a pillow. As you stepped closer you saw he was covered in sweat and you sat down on the bedside next to him and gently shook his arm.

„Cardinal. You need to wake up, Cardinal. It‘s time.“ you whispered gently, leaning closer to him. He stirred slightly, lazily opening his eyes. When is duo chromatic eyes adjusted to the light in the room the first thing they landed on was your frame sitting on his bedside. His mind slowly registered your proximity and he woke up with a little jump. „Cardinal you‘re all sweaty. Did you have a bad dream or..?“

The Cardinal sat up slightly watching you lean in closer to study his moist face „Uh.. oh I don‘t know I don‘t remember.“ he said honestly. You moved your hand up to his forehead to feel for his temperature. At this point you lay halfway on his bed since he had moved away from you as he realized how close you were. He didn‘t know why but close proximity to you made him feel lightheaded. He argued it was just his attraction to you that made him feel that way. When you felt for his temperature, a crease forming between your brows and a look of concentration taking over your features he couldn‘t help but find that adorable. As he turned to look away his eyes found your body, that was presented in front of him, your breasts not exactly visible but enough for his eyes to linger, holding yourself up on one arm, hands gripping his black satin sheets.

He knew he shouldn‘t but he couldn‘t help himself. He pictured you in his bed. Naked body, writhing around in his sheets, head falling back, presenting your delicate neck, moaning and screaming his name as your hands formed fists full of the black fabric as you came down on him hard. It was overwhelming. His pupils dilated at the image in his head and his cock twitched, awakening and growing stiff.

His eyes widened as he realized it. No no no no no no. Not now, not here. Panic flooded him as he gripped the sheets tighter to cover his now painfully hard erection. „Okay you have no fever at least. I guess it was just a bad dream then.“ you summarized as you pulled back. He stared at you, not moving. „Are you sure you‘re alright Cardinal?“ „I.. I am fine, yes.. no. I mean yes… fine.“ You studied his face trying to find any indicator he was lying. „Well then I have breakfast in the other room Cardinal. Maybe I should have brought coffee this morning though. Since you clearly are not awake yet.“ „Breakfast huh? Yeah uh just give me a moment Sorella sí?“ „Of course. I‘ll change your sheets then. Please get up and out of bed Cardinal.“ you started to pull on the sheets.

His eyes grew as big as saucers. „Ahhh.. Sorella uh.. yes.“ he turned around facing away from you and got up, nearly running towards the bathroom with an awkward step. „Are you sure you‘re ok?“ you questioned. „Sí sí. I am just going to take a shower, yes.“ came his response. You simply shook your head and heard the water from the other side of the door run.

The Cardinal stood under the hot water now, closing his eyes as the droplets rippled down his bare chest. He let his head hung and when he opened his eyes his hard erection was staring back at him. He needed that to go away as soon as possible. He couldn‘t spend too long here it or it would be suspicious. But as he saw his boner his mind wandered back to what had caused that reaction. You. And just the mere thought of your face made his cock twitch in anticipation.

He groaned. This way his erection would never go away. No he had no other choice, he reasoned as he began to grab his dick and give it a few soft strokes. His non dominant hand came to rest on the tiled wall as his other hand gently yet precisely moved up and down on his length. His eyes closed and he imagined it was your feather light touch that made him shiver. You‘d kneel in front of him, staring up at him innocently while curiously stroking him, asking if it was feeling good. And how good it felt. If only it really was your soft, small hands and not his own big ones. He picked up the pace and the pressure he had on his rock hard cock as he imagined what it must be like to have your pretty lips sucking is dick like a lolli. He had to readjust his legs as he suppressed moans and whimpers. His cock throbbed in his hands and your watery eyes flashed in his mind. Another whimper.

He needed to get his shit together or else he ran the danger of your hearing him. But here was another huge turn on for him. You were right next door. Hopefully oblivious to what was going on here. His imagination changed and he pictured you back in his bed. What a sight it would be. He wondered what it must be like to fill you up. To fill you with every inch he could offer until you became one. At this point, his other hand came to rest on his cock as well. Using both of his hands now to slide up and down as his head rolled back. Another groan.

Pictures of your face hair sticking to your forehead all sweaty as he thrusted into you. Gently at first and then at full speed with a near supernatural force. You‘d be whining, screaming and moaning for the rest of the night. He would make sure you came at least two times before he would let himself reach that sweet release. You deserved that. He could feel himself getting close, his hips thrusting into his hands, eagerly, aggressively. Again he groaned and whimpered, this time louder.

„Cardinal?“ came your voice from the other side of the door.

Hearing your sweet beautiful voice was all he needed. He bit his hand to stop himself from making too many sounds as your name fell from his lips over and over again. His hips rutted into his hands erratically and he came hard, his cum spilling everywhere over the tiles as he fell to the wet floor, knees giving away under his intense orgasm. Maybe it was just too long since the last time he orgasmed but it felt like nothing he had ever experienced and it took him a few seconds to respond to your pleading calls outside.

„I… I am alright Sorella, I just bumped my head.. and stubbed my toe. I'm still a bit tired I guess.“ he tried to cover up his pathetic actions by a series of equally pathetic lies. He sighed. It made him angry. He didn‘t want to use you like that. He didn‘t want to sully you like that. You deserved better than that. He cleaned up after himself and got out of the shower, plagued by guilt and regret.

He hated himself at that moment. He hated what he did. He was nothing but a pathetic, old pervert, taking advantage of the beautiful young Sorella, who has been nothing but sweet and caring towards him.

When he opened the door, wrapped up in a white bathrobe his face fixed the floor under his feet. His expression was unreadable to you but he seemed to be in pain? Or something else so you decided to ask him. He walked past you into the room.

„Cardinal are you ok? You had me worried there.“ As he walked past you he avoided eye contact and when he heard your worry for him he felt even worse for what he had done not even 5 mins ago. You cared for him and he tainted you like that. He pressed his eyes shut and a painful expression appeared on his still damp face.

„Ah no Sorella I am alright. Now if you could excuse me now I‘d like to dress now and go to sleep. I won‘t be needing you to bring me food for today. I can always call for a Ghoul.“

You were taken aback. He was being so cold to you and you didn‘t understand.

„O-Only after I know you are feeling ok.“ you stubbornly replied with a shaky voice.

The Cardinal turned around, forcing himself to look at you. It broke his heart to hear your voice like that. And he hated himself even more for being responsible. Now he didn‘t only ruin your innocence, no he even managed to make you feel like shit for it too.

„I am okay Sorella. I swear on the dark one.“ he smiled the saddest attempt you had ever seen on him. „Now please…“ his voice broke and you knew you had to give him some privacy. You didn‘t understand what was happening and why his mood had deteriorated in the time span of a few minutes but you didn‘t want to pry. Maybe you had done something to upset him? Or even said something wrong? Offended him? Did you forget something important maybe?

„Alright. But if there is anything please call for me?“ you whispered, fearing if you put more force into your voice it might break.

With that you left the Cardinals chambers and returned to the infirmary.

Taglist:

@hauntedlover03 @adinferix @ghostfangirlsweden @fishwithtitz @pinksweetsxtan @portaltothevoid @bbykens

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copias-juicebox · 8 months

Text

It's a Sin Chapter 3

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

Pairing: Cardinal Copia x fem! Reader Words: 5050 Genre: romance, angst, smut, fluff, hurt/comfort, SLOWBURN Warnings: in this chap: very sad and pathetic cardi, implied bullying whole fic: explicit languge, violence, abuse, age gap, smut (in the upcoming chapters blabla) Notes: we once again hit the 5000 words guys. I am kinda happy with this chapter I can feel myself improve with every sentence. Leave a heart in the comments to give Cardi a very needed hug to comfort the poor old man. And as always interactions are appreciated.

As the sun's first rays shone through your window, you slowly stirred awake. Sleepily you turned around in your soft bed until you realized where you were and you opened your eyes, your heart rate increasing with each passing second. You checked your phone on the bedside table for the time and instantly relaxed when you saw it was about 5:30 in the morning. You still had about 2 and a half hours before you were required in the infirmary to get introduced to your workplace in the ministry.

You fell back down into your pillows and took a deep breath. Today would be the first day that you were officially starting your job. It was all still quite outlandish to you. Your mind was racing once again, the same thoughts and doubts dashing through your head as last night when you desperately lied awake in your bed for countless hours before sleep finally took pity on you and took you in.

You had tried to not think about the day too much, but with yesterday's events and the information of your new boss being something like a “satanic pope” made you feel uneasy, and you were unsure what to make of it all. After all, you were going to spend the night under the devil's roof, and you hoped and prayed to God that he would protect you. The question lingered: would he actually do so? Would he not punish you for turning your back on him like this? Would he forgive you for your sins and connections to the devil? These worries plagued you all night, and unfortunately resulted in only 4 hours of sleep.

On the other hand, you felt unusually well?

You decided to leave the warmth of your covers and start your day with a refreshing shower. Once you stepped under the hot stream of water you felt your muscles relax. Up until now you had not realized how tense you were and how good the warm water running down your spine was. You washed your hair and body, contemplating your encounter with Papa and the Cardinal on the top of the stairs yesterday. Papa was so intriguing. He had a very intense energy that was surprisingly not off putting in any way. But you were going to tread lightly around him. Hannah had warned you about him, and you wondered if he was committed to the devil, if he had granted him clandestine powers. That would explain his extraordinary aura. Nonetheless, you could not deny deep down inside of you he was fascinating. You were sure it was not an attraction, no. You could never feel attraction towards a Satan -worshiping man. You could not allow yourself to be misguided by his sinful demeanor. And then there was the other man. He appeared to be a bit more approachable to you — clumsy even. Not nearly as intimidating as Papa was to you. Thinking about the strange man with his pencil mustache and sideburns led your thoughts to wander again. The man with his black biretta and nervous smile seemed to be the opposite of Papa. He could barely look at you when he shook your hand. Maybe he had been in a serious conversation with Papa that you two interrupted and he was intimidated by his presence. You could not tell.

When you stepped out of the shower and wrapped yourself up in a blanket, your mind was back to the day ahead. The weight of responsibility made you nervous. You wanted to prove yourself. You wanted to show them you were capable of doing your job.

You should not have been surprised, but when you opened the door to get dressed, the scrubs were not white as you were used to but pitch black.

You took them out and put them on, smoothing out the fabric as you stood in front of the mirror now. They looked good on you, too, and you decided to go with some makeup to look a little less tired. Just a bit of foundation and eyeliner with mascara. Finally, you finished your look for the day by tying up your hair in a high ponytail.

One last look into the mirror and you tried to convince yourself you were ready for the day. “You got this, don’t worry. Everything will be fine” you murmured to yourself

A knock at the door indicated that Hannah was waiting for you outside and you knew that the time had come for you to leave the safety of your room and get started on your first day now.

You walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Hannah dressed in her habit looking at you with a big smile and warm eyes. “Good morning, sunshine. You look gorgeous, sis. How are you? You must be thrilled, right?”

“Good morning, Hannah. You look gorgeous yourself. You pointed to her. “I don’t know if thrilled would be the right word for how I am feeling right now. More like hysterical, maybe.” You half joked.

“Ah, nonsense you are going to be fine, girl, I know that.” She said, wrapping her arm around your shoulder and walking down the corridor. “Let’s go get some breakfast, and after that I will bring you to the infirmary to Sister Jane. She will explain everything to you and you can get used to the outline of our hospital wing.”

Arriving down in the dining hall, Sister Hannah led you straight to a group of brothers and sisters. Watching everyone gather in the dining hall dressed in their black robes and satanic accessories was somehow less intimidating than you would have expected. It made you nervous nevertheless to meet other satanic believers. Were they all going to be as easy going as Hannah had proved to be?

“Morning, everyone. This is our beloved new nurse. Say hello,” She turned to you. The group greeted you in unison and you said your morning greetings back, introducing yourself. As you sat down, one of the Brothers asked if you wanted some coffee. You nodded your head and he asked the next table if they could hand over their carafe.

When he poured the warm, steaming liquid into your cup, you stopped him halfway. “Oh not too much please, I like to fill half of it with milk actually.” You told him, extending a hand.

“So you mean you like to drink milk with a shot of coffee?” He joked and you laughed.

“Yes I can‘t deny that. But it is the way I like my coffee best, so what can I say?” You shrugged.

As breakfast went on you got to know everyone out of the small group a little better. There were 3 other sisters besides Hannah and two brothers. They all seemed to get along well and you found them to be quite ok too. All you needed was to be accepted and respected (and not chosen to be sacrificed should they decide you were not good enough.)

You brushed those thoughts away for now and tried to just socialize with everyone normally.

Around 30 minutes later, everyone was leaving for their work and jobs in the ministry and that was your cue to grab Hannah and ask her to show you the way to the infirmary.

“Alright, alright, love, no need to rush. It’s not far away really.” She assured you, walking you down the corridor and then to the left. A huge door came into view and you were walking straight to the heavily decorated threshold and pushed it open.

As you entered the dimly lit infirmary you noted the high ceilings and ornate embellished walls. Flickering candlelight casted eerie shadows on the walls and accentuated the tapestries depicting occult symbols alongside shelves laden with ancient medical tomes and arcane ingredients. The beds stood in rows on each of the long sides of the rectangular room with crimson bedding and black curtains to ensure privacy if needed. Despite the unsettling atmosphere, an aura of quiet comfort envelops the space.

As you were too absorbed with the room’s ambiance, you didn’t notice an older Sister coming your way, halting and asking if she could help you.

“Sister Ana, this is our new support on the medical team.” Hannah said as she introduced you to the senior nurse.

“Oh thank Satanas, finally. I am so happy you are here to help.” Sister Ana cheered, embracing you in a warm hug. You hugged her back politely and she released you beaming at you.

“Sister Ana is our only nurse here since Sister Elizabeth retired last year.” Sister Hannah informed.

“Ah, I see. You must have been super stressed then, Sister Ana.” You replied, understanding Ana’s great delight of your presence.

“Come on Sister, I will show you where everything is and introduce you to the Ghouls.” Sister Ana ushered you further into the room, eager to have you on her team now.

The older nurse spent the morning introducing you to the hospital wing of the ministry. She explained to you where to find all the necessary items, ranging from basic items to treat a patient with a simple cold, to more specialized equipment for more severe cases, from severe burns or cuts that might even require some operations to contagious diseases and other serious illness.

At one point, an older man wearing slightly worn off Papal makeup and an older woman stood in the door of the infirmary, and Sister Ana asked you to go to the back room and get her a basket she had prepared for Papa Nihil. The makeup on that man's face was indicating him to be of high status within the ministry, and you tried not to let him wait for too long. When you came back with the basket, the old man looked you up and down with curious eyes.

“My my, who is that young lady, Sister?” He asked Ana, to which she proudly answered:

“This is the newest member of my team.” She introduced you to Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator.

“What a pleasure to see our community growing, and with capable people, too.” He smiled, not even hiding his apparent liking towards you.

You were not sure, but he appeared to like you, and you were very pleased to see that a high-ranking member of the ministry seemed to be happy with you (even though you did not do anything to prove you were capable so far). You literally just carried a basket from one room to the next!

The woman next to the man appeared not as friendly as the old guy. She wore a stern expression the whole time and did not even introduce herself to you. You brushed it off for now since you did not want to judge a book by its cover, but you were feeling that she was not as gleeful to your presence as Papa Nihil was. You were glad the two left after that.

As time went on and the day was nearing noon, it got impossibly hot outside. The sun shone mercilessly and the summer heat was palpable. On one hand, you were very lucky that the infirmary was on the backside of the ministry facing away from the sun and kept the whole room at a decent temperature, but on the other hand, you were getting overrun by Sisters and Brothers suffering from dehydration and sunstrokes. By 4 pm, the infirmary was packed and all beds were occupied. Sweat was running down your forehead and Sister Ana was as equally stressed as you.

About an hour later, Ana told you to take a break and you finally had time to breathe for a few minutes as many of the Brothers and Sisters seemed to feel well enough to retire to their rooms and sleep off the rest of their exhaustion.

You decided you would walk one of the Sisters you’ve met earlier at breakfast to her room since she was still swaying from left to right when she got up and then quickly grab something to eat for you and Ana from the kitchen (as none of you had time to go to eat lunch earlier).

The Cardinal was running around the ministry from left to right for 5 hours now, pulling at the collar of his robes to let some air meet his chest. He was supposed to check in with the Ghouls this morning, making sure they were doing their soundchecks properly. When a problem with the electricity turned up, it was also his job to get it fixed somehow. The scorching heat was wearing him down as the clock struck 2 and he was still far from finishing his duties today. Terzo asked for Copia’s help in translating another Latin text for the next Sunday mass and Papa Nihil was requesting his presence in his office— the latter scaring him as Papa Nihil was relentless when it came to Copia. Whatever the Cardinal did never seemed pleasing to Nihil, making him put in more effort the next time. He felt his head pound, running his tongue over his dry lips as he walked down the corridor to Papa Nihil's Office. Once he was done with whatever Papa had planned for him, he would get a momentary break and maybe he could figure out what that new nurse was up to in her free time.

After you successfully escorted Sister Rose to her chambers, you quickly made your way to the kitchen to ask for some leftovers from lunch. You were just on your way back to the infirmary rounding the corner as you nearly bumped into another individual crossing your path. You both managed to react in time to not actually knock each other off the ground but the other person stumbled over his own feet, his cheeks turning a slight shade of pink that contrasted his pale complexion. He caught himself and reluctantly looked at you, sweat apparent on his face.

“Oh Sorella I.. I am sorry I was not looking..” The Cardinal stammered, gaze falling back to his feet as if it was too much for him to actually look at you for a second too long.

“No worries, Cardinal. I was not paying attention either.” You prompted, trying to ease his obviously anxious mind.

He hurriedly tried to move past you but you both tried to get out of the way of one another and shuffled from left to right at the same time, making the situation somewhat awkward and comical until you both stopped.

You started laughing heartily and he glanced up at your bashful smile as he joined in with a shy chuckle of his own.

“Corner-collisions happen to the best of us,” you exclaimed and the still-flustered Cardinal managed a small smile of gratitude.

Your easy going demeanor put the Cardinal at ease a little as you grabbed him by the shoulders carefully and moved his body past yours as you rotated on the spot.

“There we go, Cardinal.” You flashed him a warm smile and he started to shift on the spot seemingly not knowing what to say he mumbled another barely audible apology. His face was even redder now, making you worry.

“Cardinal, forgive me if I am being nosy, but have you been drinking enough today? You look a little pale, and I am sure you have already heard, but today seems to have taken a toll on the members of the ministry. I would hate for you to suffer from dehydration as so many others have,” you pleaded with him, worry lacing your voice.

“Y..Yes Sister yes.. I have. I. I.. uh.. I just have to be in Papa Nihils office as soon as possible, yes..” he muttered, earning a raised eyebrow from you.

“You should also not overwork yourself, Cardinal. Please make sure to take a break every now and then.” You warned him, pressing the back of your hand to his forehead to feel his temperature.

“Oh dear, you are hot.” You exclaimed shocked, resulting in Copia’s face to heat up even more hearing those words said to his face by such a beautiful human being. Copia knew you were talking about his temperature, but he could not help himself as the butterflies in his stomach seemed to rampage.

The Cardinal was not used to being treated so kindly and with so much care. All his life he had been used or made fun of. So, he put all his energy into his career and his job since he was a boy. He was a very hard working man. That was what grounded him in this harsh world.

“Uh, I am sorry… I mean you are burning up.” You interrupted his thoughts and let your hands fall back to your sides. “You should probably follow me to the infirmary so I can check on you properly, Cardinal.”

He shook his head. “No no no sorella, I cannot. Papa awaits me in h..his office, yes.” He gestured to the other end of the corridor. “I am fine Sister, do not worry, no.. no I am fine, yes.” He objected, turning around but you grabbed his arm effectively turning him back to face you.

“Cardinal please. I worry for you.” You countered.

Copia blushed immensely and for the first time he stared back into your eyes. Was this real? Or was he imagining things? That beautiful thing in front of him just told him she worried for him. He was fully aware she was likely just doing her job, but it made him squeal inside. “I..I am terribly sorry, sister. I will come to the infirmary after I have spoken to Papa, sí?” With these words he turned around once more and left you staring after him with concern. You hoped he was right. That he was feeling better than he let on.

Cardinal Copia’s mind was reeling. Right now he was only acting on instinct and that meant he ran. Not physically but metaphorically he ran. He needed to breathe. The new Nurse had an effect on him he could not explain, nor understand. He was sweating and that was not just the heat outside catching up to him. He had never been the most extroverted person, that was common knowledge, but whenever he was around you he was just utterly lost and nervousness ate away at him to the point that he felt stupid. And yet he still yearned for your presence. To be as close as possible to the almost painful heat that burned inside of him in your company. It confused the Cardinal immensely until the moment he stood before Papa Nihil's office and knocked on the door twice.

Sister Ana still had not stopped praising you since you had returned to her with some lunch leftovers from the kitchen, claiming that you were the biggest blessing the ministry ever received. The slightly older woman had such a warm energy radiating off of her that you felt extremely comfortable and her kind words never failed to make you blush. The two of you sat in the backroom, now finishing up your meal and laughing as Ana divulged some gossip that had you cover your mouth with your hand.

“I tell you, sister, the other day Papa Nihil actually shit his pants during black mass.” She whispered over to you. “I sat behind him and he farted loud enough for everyone sitting around him to hear it. You could really see him shift around and hurry off with Sister Imperator behind him leaving for the restrooms.” Ana snorted, the rest of the sentence barely audible between her giggles.

Your laughing fit was interrupted when the heavy door to the infirmary was forcefully bashed open by one of the Ghouls. The loud bang resonated in the room and the two of you jumped out of your seats rushing to the main entrance of the infirmary. That’s when you spotted a Ghoul and a Sister, the Sister rushing forward to you. “Aether, put him on one of the beds. Sister Ana, please, the Cardinal needs help.” Only then did you understand the Ghoul was carrying a man. He was carrying the Cardinal in his arms. Before anyone could move, you were by the Cardinal’s side checking his temperature and preparing a bowl with fresh, cold water.

“The Cardinal was in Papa Nihil's office when he suddenly collapsed. Luckily Aether was there.” The sister explained.

“Okay, okay, calm down Sister Morgana.” Ana said, soothing the Sister’s nerves, glancing over to you as you swiftly worked around the Cardinal’s bed. She decided to step closer and have a look at the Cardinal herself.

“He likely collapsed due to exhaustion and the heat, Sister. I was afraid that was gonna happen.” You told her, the last part mostly mumbling to yourself. You knelt next to his bed and drenched a clean cloth in the bowl with cold water and started wiping it softly across his sweaty and pale face.

“I met him in the hallway on my way here and he looked sick. I felt his temperature and he was practically burning up. I asked him to follow me to the infirmary, but he refused saying he needed to speak with Papa Nihil. He showed signs of dehydration and exhaustion but he was adamant to visit Papa Nihil first.” You explained to her, your voice lightly going up as the thought of him placing his duties before his health angered you.

Sister Ana watched carefully as you gently took care of the Cardinal. “I think the Cardinal is in good hands, Morgana. You should go back to report to Papa Nihil. The Cardinal should be fine. We will find out more once he wakes up.” The older nurse pointed out, bringing the now relieved sister back to the entrance door of the infirmary.

It took about an hour for the Cardinal to regain consciousness, a sense of disorientation settling in. The first thing he noticed was the sterile smell. Fatigue weighed heavily on his body, every movement an effort. It felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach and he weakly tried to sit up on the bed. With a dry throat and parched lips, he pieced together that he must have pushed himself too far this time. His body refused him and must have collapsed. His foggy mind struggled to untangle the events that had led him here. He should have listened to you. He should have listened to his body instead of ignoring all the warning signs. Tentative thoughts of missed tasks and nearring deadlines clouded his mind. He could not afford to pass out like that. The ministry and Papa relied on him. His thoughts ate away at him and Copia tried to push himself off the bed just to stumble and sway on the spot. His hands shot up to his head as a piercing pain shot through his skull.

It took you barely three seconds to cross the room and catch the Cardinal before he could fall. Your hands wrapped around his lanky frame, securing him in place and giving him more stability while he stood.

„Cardinal, please. What are you doing? You need to sit down!“ you ordered, gently pushing him back down on the bed.

„O.. Oh Sorella.. wh.. what is all this fuss about? I‘m fine,“ he says with a wince, clutching his head.

„Oh, you are not. You can barely stand with my help.“ you scolded him.

Copia glanced at you with a sharp look of bitterness and sorrow in his eyes. He hated to be seen as weak, even though he was. When he didn‘t answer, your eyes found his and the frown on your face was replaced by a look of worry and pity. He looked so fragile as if he was about to cry. All you wanted was to hold him and tell him it was going to be alright.

„Do you remember what happened after we met in the corridor and you went to Papa Nihil's office?“ you prompted softly, not trying to sound angry and starting to feel his temperature again.

Copia struggled in thought, the events after his near crash with you in the corridor hazy and blurred. „I uh… I remember a meeting.. a meeting with Papa Nihil.. yes. After that I don‘t know. What happened, sorella?“ he asked, afraid to hear something embarrassing.

You retrieved the thermometer from him, noting that his temperature seemed to be nearly back to normal, just slightly higher than it‘s supposed to be. „Well, I am not too sure. I wasn‘t there, but you collapsed in Papa Nihil's office, apparently.“ you shrugged, gaze softening when he averted his eyes staring at his feet, looking crushed. Taking in his defeated form, you sighed.

„You know I was not kidding when I saw you in the hallway, Cardinal. You looked.. how do I say this..?“ You tried to find the right words to not sound bitter and mean. Copia‘s eyes found yours again, afraid to hear the poisonous words you surely were going to spit into his face. How he looked like an ugly rat that was about to die soon and that it would have probably been for the best if he‘d just perish. But by now he was used to this. It hurt. It really fucking hurt each time, and it should not affect him anymore, but hearing these things from you would probably blow him off completely. You were the last person in the ministry he wanted to appear weak to. Life for sure was never going to get easier.

„Argh, you know I was so worried for you. You looked so pale that for a moment I was sure you were a ghost.“ you chuckled at the ridiculousness of your own words. „I am amazed you even made it to Nihil‘s office at all.“ you told him honestly.

Your words had an impact on him that he didn‘t expect. They were not harsh and neither were they laced with bitterness or hate. Two feelings people around him never ceased to show him throughout his entire, miserable life.

You grabbed his gloved hand into your own and held it, softly brushing your thumb over it. „You must promise me one thing, Cardinal. Please take care of yourself.“ The Cardinal was momentarily struck by lightning. At least to him it felt like that. He was completely and extremely overwhelmed by your words and actions. You held his hand, brushing his with your thumb. Oh how he wished he was not wearing his gloves today. He imagined how it felt to have your soft, delicate fingers on his own hands. Skin on skin. Your touch had his brain short circuiting. And when your words had made it into his brain, he was sure he must be levitating. You cared for his well being. The thought alone nearly made him tear up. He blinked away the wetness in his eyes so you wouldn‘t notice and cleared his throat.

The moment your hand made contact with his gloved hand you saw something. A picture of a black leather glove, wet but warm to the touch flashed through your eyes. But as fast as it had come it went and you froze for a moment.

„Sí sí, sorella, I will from now on. Thank you for your care. Can I go now? Secondo was going to send someone with a few papers to my office. I‘d like to see if they arrived, yes?“ Copia was eager to get up. His mind rushed back to the things he was supposed to finish today.

A hand on his chest pushed him back down. „You are going nowhere for now. Have you not been hearing what I just said Cardinal?“ you questioned, impatience in your voice.

„N..No I mean yes, sí sorella, I did, but I am feeling much better already, you see.“ He grabbed your hand and put it on his forehead. „No more fever, yes?“

His silly actions made you laugh out loud. This man could not be serious right now.

„You are staying here. No going anywhere, you hear me?! Nurses orders!“ you commanded with authority in your voice, successfully rendering Copia speechless.

Sister Ana called you to assist her in the backroom and you turned your back towards the Cardinal, heading to the door that connected the two rooms. As soon as the Cardinal was left alone he tried to get up and sneak his way out of the infirmary without getting caught. He nearly made it but unfortunately the heavy metal doors squeaked when he tried to push them open and you were standing behind him in an instant with a stern expression. After he‘d been brought back to his bed, you informed him that he was going to have to stay the night in the infirmary to make sure he was not suffering from any late consequences of him collapsing. He did hit his head on the floor after all, and you and Sister Ana both agreed to keep him here for the night under supervision.

As the sun set, the halls of the ministry grew increasingly quieter. Everyone was retiring to their respective quarters and the Cardinal felt he was sleepy. It took him a few minutes to fall into a deep slumber.

When he awoke again, it was in the middle of the night. The room was dark, just a candle flickered in the far end of the room. Now was his chance. He just had to be quiet and remember that the left door squeaked so he needed to open the right side.

Before he could completely sit up on the mattress, your voice startled him and he jumped up, turning around.

„Lay down!“ you insisted. „Don‘t even think about it.“ You sat coolly in a chair, flipping through an old book of ritualistic healing, from one of the shelves, not even bothering to look up at him. As fast as he sat up, he was lying down again, staring up at the ceiling, mind swirling around you and your gratefulness until eventually sleep claimed him again.

Taglist:

@hauntedlover03 @adinferix @ghostfangirlsweden @fishwithtitz @pinksweetsxtan

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