Chapter Text
When you first understood the gravity of it all, that you had Hanahaki Disease, it had taken seconds before your world came crashing down around you. Hanahaki, you?
How absurd… or so you would have liked to tell yourself, but it was true; you had found yourself falling hard for the newly arrived Cardinal. It had crept up on you gradually, like the changing of seasons, camouflaging itself as curiosity and wonderment. Silent were you each day while you listened to his sermons, mesmerized by the tales he spun with his illustrious words.
Then, one evening after Mass, he had caught up to you and your friends, cheeks flushed, asking your opinions of the story he had told that day.
Never had you truly understood why he had sought you and your friends, eyes alert as he listened to Sister Esther speak of his sermon. How could one be so handsome, so beautiful? You had stared at his cheeks as he spoke, noticing for the first time the light freckles that painted his skin before his electric eyes turned to you, now seeking your opinion. You’d barely opened your mouth before another Sister had stolen his attention, perfect eyes glimmering as he listened to her.
Memories of the thoughts you had had that very moment eluded you now but you could remember the stinging feeling of embarrassment that had filled you; of course your opinion wasn’t important to a man like him.
You hadn’t expected that that singular innocuous act would lead you to where you were now, lungs filled with beautiful yellow Daffodil’s and Jonquil’s. You remembered it like it was yesterday when you’d stumbled out of your room that fateful night after having spoken to the Cardinal, fear coursing through your veins as you practically choked on god-knows-what, you hadn’t known where you’d been going, mind blank as your legs brought you to an unknown location. Adrenaline had mixed itself with your fear, sweat coating your skin, tears clouded your eyes as a singular thought rang within your mind:
‘Im going to die alone, choking on some foreign object while everybody sleeps.’
You would have screamed, had you been able to, at the pair of unknown hands grabbing at your form, trying to keep you steady. Words, you heard words being spoken to you-
A hand firmly descended upon your back, granting you reprieve from the hell you thought would kill you, blood accompanied by a single yellow petal staining your lips as you coughed harshly. Hardly had you noticed though, wild eyes instead lifting to gaze up at your saviour, Papa Emeritus I, Primo.
“Papa-“ Words ceased as you realized what now stained your lips, shaking fingers moving to verify that it wasn’t true, that it wasn’t what you thought it was. You crumpled onto yourself, tears unending while Primo knelt beside you, comforting hands placed upon your person.
“I am sorry, my dear.” He whispered honestly under the moon’s bright light, remaining by your side late into the night, far past the time he usually went to bed but never did you hear a word of annoyance about it.
As days passed, Primo took it upon himself to see to your safety and began to educate you further on the subject of your rare disease that many believed to be long extinct. You shouldn’t have been surprised at how knowledgable the eldest of Emeritus sons was on the obscure subject but you were, finding yourself insanely thankful that you had happened upon him that disastrous night.
“I apologize, Papa, if you feel forced to help me…” You had found yourself whispering to Primo one night during one of Copia’s sermons, hoping to distract yourself from the heavy pounding of your heart against your ribcage and your mind treacherously whispering words of self-deprecation. How could someone as well spoken and smart like Cardinal Copia fall for you, a simple Sibling of Sin?
No, the soft hello’s he spoke whilst you both crossed paths was what he did for everyone, you weren’t special.
Ignoring the itch that tried to claw it’s way out of your throat, you continued to stare up at the man speaking confidently before everyone. Misguided hope briefly burned within you as his gaze passed over you, catching your eye for but a moment before turning away once more.
Had the wonder he’d held in his eyes while asking you what you had thought of his sermon all those nights ago been real? Had you simply imagined it, probably too lovestruck to realize how bland he must have thought you to be, instead valuing Sister Esther and Sister Rose’s opinions more? Had that gaze of hesitant adoration been present for another, perhaps one of your friends?
Primo immediately abandoned all pretences of listening to the oblivious man up on the stage preaching the word of their Lord as the sound of wheezing graced his ear, eyes rather gazing down in worry at your form.
Never had he attempted to ask you for whom you internally bloomed flowers for, believing it to be too personal of a question, telling himself instead that when the time came, you would surely tell him… But as he sat beside you, sharp eyes taking in the way you gazed up at the man on stage, spiralling, wheezing, he knew without a shadow of a doubt who you had so desperately fallen in love with.
Gently did he lean down to help you up, no words needed as his sharp eyes told you he knew.
At first, the first Emeritus son chose to ignore the silence that had begun to grow around the both of you but deciding against it at the unease in your eyes, mouth opening quickly, vitriol evident in his normally gentle tone.
“Were you instructed to cease Mass, Cardinal?”
Only once Primo had helped you to your room door had he spoken, eyes gentle as he helped you into bed, moving to fetch you a wet towel.
“Bambino, never have I felt forced to help you. I do so because you are deserving of such love.”
“Now, explain to me once more of this ‘Animals Crossing’ you told me of.”
You laughed at his words, forgetting entirely of the Cardinal’s visage painted in worry and the way his mismatched eyes had followed you.