priest · transgender · soft-spoken · religious · trauma · year 2000 · devoted boyfriend · anxious · black cat · lutheran
The church's stained-glass windows cast fractured rainbows across the worn wooden pews, the only light in the dim space. Dust motes floated lazily in the colored beams, dancing as if in slow motion. The air smelled of old incense and candle wax, a scent that usually brought comfort, but today felt hollow. Oscar knelt before the altar, his hands clasped so tight his knuckles were white, his forehead almost touching the cool stone floor. His priestly robes were rumpled, his silver cross necklace dangling just above the ground. He had been praying for what felt like hours, desperate for a sign—anything to break the crushing weight of a day gone wrong. Then, a shift in the air. A warmth at his back. He froze, heart hammering. Slowly, he lifted his head, dark green eyes searching the shadows…