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Longest Night

Young Cardinal Copia X Nonbinary OC

Summary: A young Cardinal Copia finds an outsider, a foreigner to the seminary he’s lived in.

He finds himself falling for said foreigner, but how is he going to keep this relationship secret from everyone?

Words: 3.7k

Warnings(?): Fluff, Rats, Religious Themes, Young Adult Love

A/N: Don’t know if I’ll do a full fic since I’m lazy and school starts soon but enjoy these two awkward young adults

For people who wanna read it on A03:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/69179061

Chapter 1: The Foreigner in the Foliage

Copia was currently speed-walking through the halls of the ministry, staring at the small rat as he followed it. People giving him impartial glances or stares. But he was on a mission; Get The Rat.

Earlier, Copia was playing with his rats with his scheduled break when a Brother of Sin came in and told him he needed to help Sister Imperator with some errands. Though he was displeased, that's what his job was, doing twice the work of a Papa.

He had quickly checked where all his rats were, planning to put them back in their cage. As he placed Bonnie back, he noticed... where was Salem???

He scanned the room, just in time to see the small rat squeeze himself under the door.

Goddamn, not the fast and annoying one!

He quickly got up and out the door, closing it behind him before any more of his pets decided to play Pac-Man in the halls with Salem.

Salem was keeping a good distance away from Copia in which he groaned and kept running after him. How was he so fast for something so small??? If only the rat would just stop running, he could just grab him by the scruff of his neck.

He looked around, hoping no one would see him running about, chasing a rat. In which he was met with stares, like usual. Copia just disturbing the peace again with rats that no one liked or wanted to keep, just him.

—

Copia was getting tired, but that didn't stop him from continuing to chase the little rat.

"Salem!! God-dammit, stop!" Copia cried, trying to lower his voice to not get more attention. He started panting softly as he ran.

Salem ran up to an open window, jumping out and into the garden outside.

Copia didn't realize where he ended up until he looked where he was last.

Primo's garden... Great.

"Salem, there's no more treats in this garden, you'll dig a hole for nothing!" Copia called out, panting heavily. Immediately dropping out of the window and onto the grass ground.

Copia was getting quite frustrated, and tired.

"Please, Salem! It's not even feeding time yet, you don't need to be playing with plants or dirt or something!" He cried once more, before continuing to try and find the little rodent.

Then, he found someone. A bulky, loose clothing wearing person lying on a stone bench, sleeping. Who Salem had climbed up the bench and trying to get into that person's jacket pocket.

Copia stared in disbelief as he saw where Salem had ended up. No, no, no!!

He quickly walked over to the bench and noticed the person lying there. How was he gonna get the rat out of the person's pocket without waking them up?

He quickly knelt on the ground and leaned over to the bench's level. Slowly, he cautiously picked up the top part of the person's pocket, gently sticking two fingers in to grab the little rat that was trying to stuff himself into it.

Please, don't wake up, please don't wake up.

But then a hand from the person grabbed his wrist quickly, followed by them sitting up. Long, greasy brown hair falling down onto them.

Damn it.

Copia tensed as he felt a hand on his wrist, before the person sat up, and he froze. He slowly looked up at the person, biting on his bottom lip.

"What do you think you're doing?" They questioned, having a defensive expression.

Copia was slightly taken back by the person's response and their expression.

He tried to quickly think. Why did they look so defensive, all he was doing was trying to grab the damn rat. But he guessed no one would want to wake up to a hand in their pocket.

"I- uh- I was- trying to get the rat in your pocket? He's- he's my pet, you see." He explained, trying his best to not stutter so much, but probably failing.

"Rat?" They use their other hand to reach into their pockets, pulling out a little Salem eating a piece of a cheese-it.

Copia watched as they pulled out what little Salem was eating, slightly amused at this point.

"Yep, that's my rat. He- he slipped out of my room while I was getting ready to go do errands. Been trying to chase him since." He said, looking at the little rat in their hand.

They hummed, glancing at the rat. "He's cute."

"Yeah, he's a little pain in the a- uhm-butt, to put it lightly." Copia replied, chuckling softly.

I think this person looks a bit cute… He thought.

Copia shook the thought away, as the person was still holding the rat, but he decided to introduce himself to not be creepy and just staring.

"I'm Copia, by the way, cardinal of the clergy. And you are..?" He said, tilting his head.

"Oh, uhhhhh-Vick, call me Vick." They blurted out.

Vick...

Copia repeated the name internally, it was definitely an interesting name. He was kind of wondering if it was short for a longer name, but he refrained from asking.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Vick." He said, a polite smile gracing his expression.

Copia still knelt on the ground next to where Vick was sitting, and he noticed that they still held Salem. He stared at the rat and smiled a little more, before looking back at Vick.

"Do you mind if I, uh- grab him?" He asked, gently gesturing towards the little rodent.

"Of course not. He's yours after all." They place him in his hands, a slight smile on their lips.

"Muchas danke." Copia said as he gently held the rat in his hands. He smiled when he felt the little guy, glad to finally have him back.

"I promise, he's not usually this much of a pain in the ass. The little guy's just a tad mischievous at times." Copia said, lightly scratching the top of the rat's head.

Copia then stood up, looking at Vick. Vick looked and noticed they were taking the space, quickly moving to be sitting. In which Copia sat on the bench next to Vick, gently placing the little rodent in his lap.

He was now able to get a better look at Vick, and his eyes widened slightly. They were... cute, in a way. Such they looked like they crawled out of a dumpster but they smelled nice and didn’t get disgusted at the sight of a rat.

Copia quickly averted his gaze away, not wanting to be caught staring. He glanced over to see Salem in his lap now, sitting on his thigh. He lightly pet the rodent yet again.

"So... what were you up to? Or were you just taking a nap here?" He asked.

"Just a nap." They tugged on their tank top’s neckline. "It's nice out here."

Copia nodded in understanding, he looked around the garden once more.

"Yeah, it is... It's definitely peaceful here. I like to come out here to clear my head sometimes." He replied, shifting his gaze back to Vick.

He noticed that they were fidgeting with their tank top, he was a little curious why they would do that. Was it a habit of theirs? Copia just sat comfortably on the bench, gently petting the little rat in his lap.

"Do you come here often?" He asked casually.

They froze, mouth open agape for a few seconds before words spilled out. "Not really."

Copia tilted his head slightly.

"What do you mean by not really? Do you not like gardens?" He asked.

"No, it is nice here. I just... it's my first time here." Vick gave a nervous chuckle.

Now Copia was starting to get a bit suspicious.

First, Vick was being a bit defensive, then they were fidgeting uncomfortably with their tank top, now this?

"Your first time here?" He repeated, still puzzled but now slightly intrigued.

"Yep." They looked away and coughed. "I think it's time to go. It was really nice meeting you-" Sitting up faster than a bullet.

Copia noticed the cough and was about to ask if they were okay, but was interrupted by their movement.

"Wait-" He began, reaching out to gently grab hold of their arm.

He was confused as to why Vick suddenly wanted to leave, and why they were coughing. He had a hunch that they were hiding something.

"Wait, um- before you go. Are you... alright?" He asked, his grip on their arm remained light.

"I-I'm fine, thanks for asking." In that, Copia felt their body tense.

Copia was having a hard time believing that they fine. They were fidgeting with their top, got defensive, coughed, and now were trying to leave all of a sudden.

"You know, you don't have to lie." Copia said bluntly, tilting his head slightly.

He stared at Vick, waiting for a reply. They seemed like they were trying to avoid something, and it was starting to become a bit obvious.

"I won't judge, you know. Just tell me why you're trying to leave so suddenly." He said, his tone was genuine.

"I..." They pause, looking at him, their gaze soft before looking away and asking a question. "You won't force me to leave the grounds like the last place did, right?"

Copia's eyes widen slightly. That was definitely not what he expected.

"Force? Why would I force you to leave the grounds?" He asked, genuinely confused. He let go of Vick's arm, his expression becoming soft.

"I'm-I'm not one of you. I don't live here, or whatever." Vick spit out, crossing their arms.

Copia was starting to understand a bit more of the situation now. Vick doesn't live at the ministry, they had come to the gardens for a reason. But it was understandable as to why they thought he would force them to leave, Copia knew people here could be quite rude to... outsiders.

"Ah, I see... I see why you would think that, but, I wouldn't force you to leave the grounds." He said, shaking his head.

"Really? Bu-But I'm basically an intruder. I was sleeping on your property." Vick retorted.

Copia let out a soft sigh. They weren't an intruder, but unfortunately, some people here would see it differently. Copia didn't think Vick was an intruder, they just seemed to be seeking some peace and solitude.

"You're not an intruder, don't say that. You're just... seeking a bit of peace and quiet, and this is your idea of that. You're not bothering anyone, are you?" Copia said.

"No, I'm not. But I-"

Copia interrupted them, not wanting them to continue to call themself an 'intruder'.

"Shhh, don't even try to argue. You're not bothering anyone, okay? No one has even noticed you here. Just... Just take a deep breath and relax." He said, his gaze and expression kept its softness and his voice was gentle.

Copia looked at Vick, noticing that their body tension was still very much present. So, he gently placed a hand on their shoulders.

"Seriously, relax. You're alright, no one is gonna force you to leave. Just focus on your breathing, in and out." He instructed.

"Okay." They took a few breaths in and out, sitting back down with him as their body began to relaxing.

Copia smiled gently, noticing that Vick's body tension was slowly starting to loosen up. He didn't remove his hand from their shoulder, rubbing small circles with his thumb.

"There you go, just focus on your breathing. You're completely safe here, l promise." He spoke in a soft and soothing tone, trying to reassure them.

He looked down at the little rat in his lap, who was just calmly sitting and staring.

Copia couldn't help but chuckle.

"See? Salem's completely calm and at ease, and he was just running from me earlier." He said, gently petting the rodent with his other hand.

"Wait, you named a rat Salem? Like after the witch trials?"

Copia was interrupted by Vick's question, and he looked up at them, nodding.

"Yeah, I named it Salem. What about it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow innocently.

"I’m just saying, if I...” They raised their hands in a defensive manner. “If I had a rat, I don't think that's I would name mine.” They put down their hands, turning to scratching their cheek, darting their eyes away. “Not that it's bad, just... unconventional."

They stop, looking down at the rat, before slowly moving their hand to Salem. "But I like unconventional, kinda."

Copia chuckled softly at Vick's response, finding it kind of cute.

"You like unconventional, huh? Well, then I guess you're in the right place, the clergy is definitely not very... typical." He said, smiling.

He shifted in his seat as he watched Vick now gently pet Salem.

"He's not gonna bite me, is he?"

Copia chuckled and shook his head.

"No, he won't bite. He really isn't the aggressive type, more of the skittish type. But another of mine I would say so.” He chuckles at the thought. “But, see, Salem is already comfortable with you petting him." Copia states, gesturing to Salem who was still sitting nicely in his lap.

Their eyes stayed on Salem, a look of mesmerization on their face.

Copia couldn't help but notice the look of amazement on Vick's face as they stared at Salem. He smiled, finding their fascination with the little rat endearing.

"You seem to like him a lot, huh?" He asked, gently scratching behind the rat's ears.

Vick was slipped out of their daze by Copia, smiling awkwardly. "I-I do." They sigh. "I've just never been able to have my own. I don't have those kinds of resources for them on hand exactly."

Copia's expression turned empathetic as he listened to Vick's confession.

"Ah, I see..." He said softly, nodding in understanding. He understood all too well how difficult it could be to care for a pet, especially if you don't have the resources or means.

"It can be challenging, taking care of a pet. They need food, bedding, toys... all sorts of things."

Copia paused for a moment before continuing, a small idea entering his mind.

"You know... I wouldn't mind if you hung out here in the gardens sometimes. You seem to have taken a liking to Salem, after all. You’ll probably like my other rats too." He insisted, looking up at Vick, hoping they understood what he was implying.

"You want me to come back?"

Copia nodded, his smile growing slightly.

"Yeah, I do. I think... I think you being around could be good for Salem. He seems to like you too. And, I wouldn't mind the company either. It can get pretty lonely here sometimes." He confessed, his voice soft and earnest.

"Well, what people are in there?" Vick pointed at the ministry. Copia glanced towards the building.

"Oh, just various brothers and sisters of the clergy. Different ghouls too, although most of them are on tour with the band, but also heard them might be coming back soon." He replied, shifting his gaze back to Vick, who looked with confusion.

"Ghouls?"

Copia chuckled softly at the question.

"Yeah, ghouls. Theyre kinda like a cross between a demon and a human, if you will. There's a few different kinds. Fire ghouls, air ghouls, water ghouls, aether/quintessence ghouls. And all of them have a specific instrument they play in the band based on that type." He explained, who stopped petting Salem in which the rodent was annoyed. “Fire ghouls play the lead guitar, Water ghouls play bass, and Earth plays-“ He stopped as he noticed their expression.

Vick kept the confused look on their face, which turned more genuine. He kinda forgot they aren't apart of the clergy, of course they don't know what a ghoul is. That's half the reason they don't like outsiders, they faint at the sight of those guys without a mask. Too much explanation and then too much information to let them go.

Copia let out a soft sigh and shook his head.

"Ah, sorry. That probably sounded pretty crazy to you, didn't it?" He asked, a slight sheepish tone in his voice.

"Yeah but,” Vick shrugs. “I'll trust you. I don't think you'd lie to me with so much detail."

Copia felt a bit relieved that Vick was willing to trust him, given the context of the situation, for somewhat unexplained trust. He nodded in agreement.

"No, I wouldn't lie. I have no reason to." He said, his expression remaining genuine, and a small smile crept onto his face.

They smiled back. Their teeth have a crookedness to them.

Copia couldn't help but notice Vick's crooked teeth as they smiled back. Instead of finding it unattractive, he actually found it sort of charming.

"Y'know, your smile is really sweet." A soft chuckle escaping his lips.

They sigh, twirling a piece of their hair. "Yeah, I know. I never got braces."

Copia tilted his head slightly, a bit puzzled.

"Braces? You mean those things humans get to try and make their teeth straighter?" He questioned, genuinely curious.

"You don't know what braces are?" Vick’s eyes squinted at him.

Copia shook his head, a small laugh escaping his lips.

"No, not really. The only kind of braces I know are like supports, y'know, for stuff. But in the context of the mouth, I haven't seen anything like it."

He was a bit puzzled by the whole concept. Why would one need to change the way their teeth looked?

Vick stayed silent for a moment “... How much do you know? About the world I mean.”

Copia shrugged, a sheepish expression on his face.

"Not much, I suppose. I've been cloistered here in the ministry for most of my life. I don't get out much, don't have many opportunities." He confessed, a bit of uncertainty lingering in his voice.

"But, haven't you tried to escape, even just for a night? They can't keep you locked up."

Copia let out a small sigh, his expression somewhat solemn.

"Escape...? I've thought about it before, yeah. But l... I didn't have a good reason to, really. I have everything I need here, and, being a cardinal, I have a duty. Escaping that duty isn't exactly easy or encouraged."

"Aren't Cardinals supposed to be old?” They scratched their head. “Like the ones with the Pope."

Copia couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at Vick's question. He shook his head, his smile remaining on his face.

"No, no, no. You're thinking of the wrong kind of cardinal. There's the Cardinals of the Catholic Church, like the ones attached to the Vatican and the Pope. And then there are the Cardinals within the Church of Satan. I'm part of that."

"Satan?!"

Copia chuckled again at Vick's reaction.

"Yes, Satan. Don't panic, we're not going to be sacrificing any goats anytime soon." He said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Well, I hoped so." They teased.

Copia couldn't help but notice the slight tension in Vick's body language, and he decided to lighten the mood.

"Relax, we're not gonna kidnap you and turn you into some sort of sacrifice, either." He joked, giving them a playful smirk.

"Oh, thank god. I was worried you were being nice for a reason."

Copia chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"No, no, I'm just being nice because I want to be. I don't have some dark ulterior motive behind it." He reassured, his expression remaining warm. "Seriously, we're not a bunch of Satan worshiping psychos. Sure, we worship the Dark Lord, but we're not... evil. Just different. But, I know it can be hard to understand for outsiders." Copia explained, still trying to put Vick at ease.

"I see... I'll trust you again that it's normal."

Copia nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, just like how I'm trusting you not to run off screaming or something." He said, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

They chuckle back. “Like, “Call the guards, there are crazy people!””

Copia was glad that Vick was starting to relax a bit, the tension in their body now completely fading away. He looked down at Salem, who looked expectantly as him. Copia then continued to pet him.

—

A comfortable silence settled between the two for a moment, before it broken by Copia's voice.

"You know, I'm glad you decided to hang out in the gardens today. It's nice not being alone for once." He said, a tinge of loneliness in his voice.

"Are you often alone?" Their eyes stayed on him.

Copia nodded, a slight frown appearing on his face.

"Yeah, I am. Being a cardinal means having a lot of responsibilities. I have to do a lot of work, a lot of paperwork, and stuff like that. And as much as I love my brothers, they have their own things to take care of. So, a lot of the time, I'm all on my own." He said, his voice quiet.

"Well," They put a hand on his shoulder. "you've got me now." Vick flashed a tooth grin.

Copia felt a slight warmth in his chest at Vick's words, and he smiled softly at them.

"I suppose I do." He said, gently placing a hand on top of Vick's.

—

Copia's eyes widened in realization, and he suddenly remembered the errands he and Sister Imperator were supposed to do earlier.

"Oh, crap..." He muttered under his breath, starting to stand up from the bench.

"What's up?"

Copia let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his temple.

"I completely forgot about an errand I was supposed to run for Sister Imperator.”

“She'll kill me if I don't get it done soon." He panicked, shaking his head in disappointment in himself.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" Vick asked, keeping a calm tone.

Copia nodded, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah, definitely." He said, gently placing his hand on Vick's head for a second. He then gave them an awkward wave goodbye before quickly turning on his heel and hurrying towards the ministry.

— — — — — — — —

As Copia walked away from Vick, he couldn't help but curse himself for forgetting about the errand. He knew Sister Imperator would be very displeased with him for being so careless. But, there was something else lingering in his mind...

He couldn't help but think about Vick.

Their shy mannerisms, their calm yet sweet voice, their crooked teeth. Copia couldn't seem to get them out of his mind. It was odd, he wasn't used to such feelings...

— — — —

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For yall :D

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