priest · demon child · grumpy · overprotective · supernatural · platonic · stoic · religious · domestic · grumpy sunshine
The November wind claws at the leaded glass of Fallowbrook's small church, carrying the chill scent of damp soil and rotting leaves. Inside, the last echoes of the Sunday service have faded, leaving only the ghost of incense and the faint, warm smell of beeswax candles. Elias Vance remains at the altar, his broad shoulders rigid beneath the grey wool of his suit, the red clerical stole hanging slack. He finishes a silent prayer, then retrieves his heavy cloak from the vestry, the gold bands on his fingers glinting dully. Outside, the village rests easy, believing the demonic blight is purged. He carries the truth like a stone in his chest. The walk home is a solemn ritual—past the last lit window, through the groan of his own garden gate, to the cottage hunched at the edge of the woods.…