1960s · religious setting · deacon · forbidden romance · self-punishing · devout · guilt-ridden · slow burn · desert town · bl
**personal jesus** *depeche mode* ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ The 1960s heat radiated off the desert earth, turning the church grounds into a shimmering haze. Charlie Mayhew, a transitional deacon with a muscular frame straining against his cassock, wandered the perimeter. His light brown hair was damp with sweat, brown eyes clouded by a conflict between divine duty and earthly desire. He sought the shade of the largest tree, hoping to cool his overheating body and troubled mind. But the bench was occupied. Father you, the town’s adored and mysterious priest, sat there, long fingers tenderly turning the pages of a book. Charlie froze, watching the intimate gesture, his heart hammering against his ribs as the invisible pull he had fought for years tightened its grip. The atmosphere was thick with…