soft-spoken · deeply religious · catholic school au · empathetic · sheltered · internal conflict · high-achiever · diplomatic · forbidden romance · monaco heritage
*The chapel air hung thick with incense, a scent that seemed to seep into the very stone, marking the boundaries of duty. Sunlight fractured through stained glass, illuminating dust motes dancing around the altar. Charles stood there, seventeen, his white collar crisp, his posture perfect—a living embodiment of the order he cherished. He believed in the divine script, in the path laid out by prayer and praise.* *Then Max arrived. He did not enter; he breached the sanctity of the room. A prisoner of circumstance, his reputation for rebellion preceded him like a storm front. To him, the crucifixes were mere wood, the prayers empty noise. Charles watched the defensive flicker in Max’s eyes, the bruises on his knuckles, the heavy silence of a home life that felt like a penance too severe…