Just A Little Thing - A Copia/You Ficlet
I'm enjoying these Copia and you fics. Here's a fluffy wuffy one talking about how you and Copia came to be more than friends...or the stirrings of it. I promise part two of The Birthday Gift is on its way as are the others I'm working on. But this little idea came to me and I had to write it.
You can read here or also at AO3
You had to buy it for him. It was just too perfect. Drat Vader, a little plastic doodad of a rat in a Darth Vader helmet. It was even flocked. He was holding a tiny light saber in one hand and a piece of Swiss in the other. It screamed loudly Copia in every language known to man.
You hadn’t seen him in a few weeks as he was on tour. It was the big one, the one ending in LA for a two-night stay. You’d finally got the time to come to a stop and so you were going to see him and the gang in Vegas. Sin City may not be ready for a group of rowdy ghouls and a Papa like Copia, but it promised to be an insane time.
Copia had pulled rank and said they all deserved a rest after this show. They’d been going nonstop for a few months. So after the ritual it was a play day for everyone. When you arrived it was nearly the end of the performance sadly thanks to a flight delay. But it didn’t matter, you watched the man who had become your best friend give it his all to the crowd.
Ashley saw you and came bounding over giving you a hug. “Thank god you are here. He’s been even moodier than usual.” She said, exasperation evident in her voice.
You squeezed her and after the hug you asked her. “What’s been going on?”
“He’s the same Copia but when you aren’t around, he’s just…more broody. Also he’s been on edge lately. Just…I’m happy you are here.” Ashley gave you a smile and headed off to check the next wardrobe change.
You looked worriedly out to the stage where Copia was making the asses wobble with Kiss The Goat. Ashley’s words echoed in your head. You worried about your friend. Copia was always walking a fine line in his own head. Sometimes the anxiety would win. And those times you were glad you could help him take his mind off things or listen while he vented what was wrong. Hopefully your presence wouldn’t make things worse but better like Ashely had said. Whatever you could do and maybe Drat Vader would make him laugh.
You watched and listened as Dance Macabre started. It was your favorite, and you knew Copia would kill as he always did with it. It was amazing as expected, and Copia was a blur of sky-blue sequins on the stage from where you could see. He always gave everything on that stage. You’d seen the proof before. He’d be exhausted and drained and you’d try your best to get him back to normal. Sometimes it was more difficult than others.
When the song started coming to an end you knew that the encore was over. You quickly moved to a corner out of the way as the applause and cheers echoed from the venue like thunder.
The Ghouls came in first heading to their area to collapse and recover from the show. They were chattering away, and you grinned as you watched them, hearing them talk about hitting the casinos hard tonight and the challenge of an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Some poor Chinese restaurant was going to be put out of business this evening you had a feeling.
You heard Copia before you saw him. He came into the backstage area, and you saw Ashley quickly move to help take his Encore Jacket off to store it safely for cleaning. “Good show yeah? You think? It felt like a good show.” He was saying to her.
“Very good show.” Ashley replied, shaking her head at how someone who just got a massive standing ovation could still doubt their performance the way Copia could.
The Papa turned and sat down heavily at the dressing vanity, staring into his own mismatched eyes. The face paint was starting to get a little faded. Out of habit he added a bit more powder to the white while noticing another bit of grey at his temples. His lips thinned at the sight.
“Maybe I should follow at least one example Terzito set, eh? Dye the hair and flip off time.” He muttered to his reflection. He was feeling every one of those grey hairs this night. He was glad he had decided to give a rest day to everyone, including himself. He loved being Papa, he loved the stage which is why he gave it his all every night. But when you feel like there is nothing left of yourself for yourself…it was time to take back some of it.
Copia’s thoughts wandered, of course going to you. He missed you. The tour would be far easier if you were around to keep him grounded, which seemed to be more your job than assisting with the publicity team. If you were here, he could take you to Madame Tussaud’s and together you could pose suggestively with the statues or get ridiculous with them. Go to Circus Circus and watch the acts. A voice in his head said very quietly “Get married by an Elvis Presley lookalike and spend the honeymoon night in a suite with a heart shaped hot tub.”
Copia’s eyes widened at that thought as it scurried away into the recesses of his brain. Where had that even come from? Dark Lord…that was…not appropriate. Nor was the fluttering in his chest at the imagined picture of you wearing a black bridal veil looking stunning in a lacey black dress while he slipped a band on your finger while the ghouls all cheered as they witnessed it. The fluttering spread to every part of his body…and apparently the blood flow also followed it as the image of pulling you into his arms and kissing you filled his vision. Bending you backwards and cradling you in his embrace, officially his…propriety be damned. You’d taste like cherries and sugar…
The Papa shook his head vigorously. This was how tired he was…thoughts like this had been bothering him so often of late. You were his bellissimo amico. Not his paramour, not his amante. You were his friend, and he had no right to think of you in that way and Satanus knew how you’d react if you found out he was even having these…daydreams? Thoughts? He’d lose you no doubt…you’d run away with every right to, and he’d lose one of the best, most precious friends he’d ever had. That he could not bear. Copia closed his eyes, head falling forward and sighed heavily.
Ashley sat his silver cup next to him, causing him to look up. This time he could smell the bit of whiskey mixed in with the tea and lemon. “Satan bless you.” He said as she patted his shoulder.
“I think you might want to turn around.” She said grinning and then headed off to double check the packing of the gear.
Copia glanced in her direction, perplexed and then turned around in his chair.
When his eyes met yours, you waved. “Hey, uh..surprise!” As you watched Copia’s gaze widened in a mix of disbelief and shock.
Copia stood, uncertain if he was dreaming. “Cara?? You…you’re here??” he quickly put his cup down on the vanity and practically skipped over to you, no longer as sore from the concert. He threw his arms around you, nearly spinning you in a circle.
“Aaaa!!” You let out a happy shriek as he squeezed your ribs into pieces. “Yes! Yes I’m here you lunatic.” You laughed.
Copia stopped dancing you in a circle but didn’t let go. He was grinning from ear to ear. “Si, you do drive me crazy dolcezza but in a good way.” His eyes, though still tired, were sparkling with more life than before. “You surprise me when I most need it, Grazie.”
You searched his face, seeing the exhaustion that was creeping in. You reached up and touched his painted cheek lightly. “You look tired Papa.”
Copia grabbed your hand, holding it in his gloved one. “I’ve told you before cara, when it is you and I, I’m simply Copia.” He placed a quick kiss to your knuckles, and then sighed, keeping hold of your hand and leading you both to the velvet covered couch in the corner.
You both sat down, Copia grabbing his silver cup of more whiskey than tea. Ashley was serious about him resting or simply collapsing based on the mix. “Si, I am tired. This has been a long tour and…it feels as though…well…” He took a drink, letting the burn flow down his throat into his chest.
“What’s on your mind Copia?” You asked him, watching as he stared into nothingness for a moment.
He looked over at you, your eyes so open, so kind. You’d come all this way just for him. Those thoughts from before came unbidden again and his gloved fingers flexed where they rested on the black velvet cushion. He sighed heavily. “It feels like…something…big…is coming. I don’t know cara…I just have a sense of something on the horizon.”
You’re brows narrowed in concern. You touched his black sleeved arm. “Something good or something bad? You’ve always been a little psychic Copi.” You asked him.
Copia felt the warmth of your touch through the soft fabric of his shirt. It helped to settle him a bit. “I don’t know tesoro. Eh, I’m not that good of a psychic.” He laughed softly. “If I was, we are in the right town si?”
You shook your head. He was trying to get you to not worry but it was too late for that. “Copi…wait…is that like 100 percent whiskey your drinking?” You asked, the scent hitting you suddenly.
Copia glanced down and gave a slight chuckle. “I think Ashley got a little bit too excited about the…is this, Jack Daniels?”
You took the cup from him and took a sip, eyes bugging out of your head. “cough…Yeah…that’s…cough….Jack Daniels. I think she gave you most of a bottle.”
The Papa chuckled. “I think she’s trying to help me sleep. I…I’ve not been able to rest well for…well…the last few weeks.” His voice grew softer as he spoke, the exhaustion leeching into the words.
You winced at the sound, a sharp little pain hitting your heart. “Well tonight you’ll get some sleep, or be in an alcoholic coma if Ashley has any say apparently.” You put your arm around his shoulders and gave him a brief squeeze.
Copia sighed, letting the scent of your perfume fill his lungs, the warmth of your embrace settle into his bones. Just this and he could feel the anxiety running away along with the worries of the last few weeks. He wanted to rest his head against your shoulder, pull you into his arms and lay back on the couch for a long nap. But that was another of those daydreams and he would not lose you to his own flights of fancy.
You remembered your gift suddenly. “Oh I almost forgot!” You said and stood, moving to where you had left you backpack.
Copia nearly fell over onto the couch he’d been leaning so close to you. He caught himself before he could become a complete embarrassment. He missed your warmth immediately. “What…what did you forget?” He managed to ask, taking another drink of Ashley’s concoction.
“I got you a gift. I think it might make you feel better about things….or at least laugh.” You pulled the small gift bag out of your backpack and headed back over to the couch.
“You already make me feel better cara.” He said watching you settle back next to him, his eyes glinting with the sheen of exhaustion mixed with affection and a little whiskey. “You’re the only gift I need il mio bel regalo.”
“Whatever you said, just hush and open it. I hope you like it.” You handed him the little gift bag, the same color as his favorite concert jacket, a dazzling blue.
Copia smiled, setting his drink on the table. He carefully pulled out the tissue paper and unwrapped the little lumpy figure inside. When he saw the little Dark Side rat his heart felt as if it had grown too big for his chest. “Dolcezza…he’s…he’s…”
“He’s a buddy for the road…he’ll watch out for you when I’m not around with his special Sith Cheese powers. Drat Vader will take on all comers.” You told him, watching his face as he studied the little rodent.
Copia felt tears pricking his eyes. Of course she would pick something this perfect…would know him this well. “Sith…Cheese.” He repeated smiling.
You bit your lower lip, still unsure. “I know it’s just a little thing…but he seemed like he needed a home…I hope you like him.”
The Papa turned to look at you a grin on his painted lips. His expression was wistful and almost disbelieving. “Like him? I love him tesoro. He’s perfect, just like you.”
You blushed, not able to stop it. The way he was looking at you and the compliments…it made a little shiver in your chest. You needed to be careful. You’d really missed Copia in the days he’d been gone. You were realizing just how much you’d come to rely on him to not feel alone, to talk to. He was everyone’s Papa in the ministry and while you weren’t a church member…you knew what that meant. He was shared to all who needed him…you weren’t special.
One time you’d said this to him when you’d had a particularly bad day regarding your crazy family. A phone call had set you off and you’d called out sick for the rest of the day, heading back to your quarters and curling up in a ball. Sometimes it could get a little much.
As was his special super power, Copia somehow knew you were MIA. Phil must have told him you’d left because an hour or so into your crying jag there was a gentle knock at your door followed by a softly accented voice asking “Cara, it is me…can I come in?”
He’d have stood out there all day if you hadn’t let him in. You knew Copia…he was stubborn. When you opened the door, he was standing there in a blue velvet tracksuit with a probably vintage Black Sabbath shirt, sans his papal paints. His darkly circled eyes found yours, red and puffy from crying. His face immediately looked stricken. “Oh…tesoro…I am too late to stop the tears.” He swept you into his arms, hugging you tightly. “I am here now though…no going anywhere cara.”
Still holding you he pulled away to tilt your chin up to meet his eyes. “I have ice cream, Ben and Jerry’s and Chopping Mall on DVD. You are going to have chocolate and schlocky goodness with me, si?”
You’d shaken your head. “I’ll…I’ll be okay.” He didn’t need to drop everything for you like this. You’d sniffled, hating how it could hit you so hard after so long. “You’re Papa and you have a whole flock of people that you have to take care of.”
He’d given you the strangest look then, grasping your chin once more. “I told you before cara…for you I’m Copia, always. And you are il mio adorabile amico. And I take care of my friends because…well…they are rare gifts the dark lord has bestowed on me. And you are one of the most treasured I have. If I neglected you cara, Lucifer would kick my balls…he’s got hoofs…it would hurt. And he’d be right to do so.”
You laughed, not able to help it. He already could do that with just a stupid joke and a hug. He’d caught your eye again, smiling. “Eh! I heard a laugh. See…you can’t send me away now. It’s the rules…I get you to laugh you have to watch a movie where robots murder teenagers in a mall.”
“That’s a very specific rule Papa.” You’d replied.
“Bah, I told you…Copia for you…you have special…access.” He’d tried to figure a word for it, but access actually sounded sort of…dirty now that he thought of it.
“Oh, special access? What does that entail?” You’d asked him batting your eyes playfully.
Copia had to pause a moment at that. Oh…that…that was not an appropriate response, and he would not voice what had gone through his head. “Eh, don’t you worry about it…just…know you got it.”
For a moment you paused and then nearly toppled him with a hug. You couldn’t help it; he was just so Copia. Sweet, caring, fiercely protective and right then he smelled really good and was cuddly as hell in the tracksuit. He was like your own sky-blue satanic teddy bear.
“What is all this…eh?” Copia managed to stutter out, surprised by the hug but it was not unwelcome. He wrapped his arms around you and squeezed.
“Thank you for my special access.” You muttered against his shoulder. “You’re…you’re my best friend…just thank you.”
You couldn’t see it at the time, but Copia’s eyes had grown watery, tears swimming in the green and white of his gaze. No one had ever said what you had to him just then. Never best friend, maybe rarely friend. But never this. He closed his eyes, one single tear breaking free from beneath his black painted lid. It smeared his cardinal paints slightly, just the slightest trail. He quickly wiped it away with a gloved finger, not wanting you to see what a silly old fool he was.
“Prego cara mia.” He said softly, almost a whisper because he didn’t trust his voice not to break just a little. “E mio onore.”
The memory was bittersweet. The time spent with Copia, stuffing yourselves with New York Super Fudge and watching the 80s literally play out on screen was so sweet. You felt like a teenager again. But the bitter was there. The screaming of your sister over the phone about how you were going to burn in hell…you could nearly smell the beer on her breath through the receiver.
You wouldn’t think about that now though. Copia was here in the present. He and the ghouls and Phil were your little tribe now. “I’m far from perfect Copia, but Drat Vader is.” You told him grinning.
Copia shook his head. “Bah, you are perfecto. You know me too well cara. I am glad you are here and now I have a little buddy for the bus to keep me company…it will make the time away from the bambinos easier.”
“Oh the babies say hello by the way.” You told him, having been checking on them while he was gone. You pulled out your phone and quickly pulled up the couple of pictures you took before leaving. “Phil promised to take care of them.”
Copia smiled at his little babies. Rigatoni was shoving his furry face into the camera. He glanced over at you, seeing your eyes reflect just as much love for the little rascals as he felt. It made a sweet little pain hit his chest. He sighed. “They look as mischievous as ever.”
“Oh they are…you never told me how much an escape artist Rigatoni is. I had to add a lock to the door.” You put your phone away, shaking your head.
“That’s on me…” Copia said nodding. “He’s my Houdini. He’ll hate the lock…eh, he’ll probably have it figured out in a day.” The Papa already felt better than before…and also maybe a little drunk since he hadn’t eaten prior to the show and had been drinking down the whiskey laced with tea for a few minutes. He glanced over at you and smiled loopily. “I’m glad you are here dolcezza. Grazie for this.”
“Grazie for what?” You asked smiling, eyes meeting his heterochromatic stare. He looked sleepy and a little plastered. You didn’t know if you’d ever seen Copia drunk before…that would be an adventure.
He waved one gloved hand around in a shaky circle. “This…all of this. You coming to see me. Il mio piccolo Sith Lord. Just…you. Grazie.” Copia’s voice light and the words only a little slurred.
He then leaned over to kiss your cheek, but you didn’t know he was going to and when his lips connected it wasn’t with your cheek but the corner of your mouth. You stilled, a shock of heat going up your spine as his warm, sweet whiskey scented kiss pressed against you. You froze, a little squeak of surprise in your throat.
Copia pulled away almost immediately, the flush of his blushing visible even through the face paint and definitely on the slightly pointed tips of his ears. “Mi dispaci…I…my aim…it was…off.” He stuttered, trying to forget quickly how soft your lips were and how they’d felt even for that brief moment. The booze was affecting him…that’s what it was…not the fact he’d just kissed you…a real kiss…and it had made his heart stop for that moment.
You hoped your face wasn’t on fire…oh god…please don’t make me look like a strawberry. “No…no worries…it’s okay.” You laughed nervously, trying to forget that spark of heat that had flooded your entire body.
Copia felt like a louse. This was exactly what he shouldn’t be doing. He would scare you off…you who had been this kind to him…and he was being un fottuto idiota. He glanced to you once more and noticed he’d left a black mark behind from his ill aimed kiss.
“Perdonami,” he said softly and reached over with his gloved thumb and very gently wiped away the evidence of his lips on yours. His gaze was caught in yours as he did, trapped and he found happily so. Oh…this was…not…appropriate.
“Okay Papa, time to change.” Ashley bounded back just in time. “I need these ready for cleaning. Your clothes are laid out behind the curtain.
Copia quickly turned at her arrival. You felt like you were just shaken from a dream, what was going on? Why were you leaning towards him like that? Why was he leaning towards you like that? Oh…not…not appropriate.
“Ah, grazie Ashley.” Copia managed to say, sitting up quickly. He turned back to you. “A few minutes cara, then we go and get something to eat, si?”
You nodded still dazed a bit.
Copia headed behind the dressing area’s divider and took a breath. Ashley had lain out his red track suit this time and a Scorpion’s t-shirt with his dress shoes. Good choices. He found himself leaning heavily against the black wall, his head falling back and gazing up at the cavernous ceiling of the venue.
What was happening? He couldn’t…he couldn’t be…this was…you would never… He thunked the back of head against the wall a half-hearted attempt to knock the thoughts away he was having. Instead he just hurt himself and winced, “Eehhh…” he muttered, rubbing his now sore head.
Without thinking Copia brought his gloved thumb to his lips, licking away the mix of his paints and your lipstick. He closed his eyes and sighed at the taste combined on his tongue, sweeter than any whiskey or honey. “Amore…” He whispered softly to himself, realizing there was no fighting this any longer. “Please…please don’t run away.”