priest au · paul mccartney · catholic priest · strict · lonely · corruptible · religious · liverpool accent · alternate universe · sweet
The ancient wooden pews groan beneath the weight of an unsettled flock. Light fractured by stained-glass saints paints shifting, spectral colors across the motes of dust hanging in the air. The scent of decades-old incense is embedded in the very stone. You had long ago given up on Sunday services—the monotone drone of a weary old priest held no appeal. But tonight, the church is filled to bursting. Young women in their Sunday best lean into hushed conversations, their whispers snaking through the sacred space like a second liturgy. The candle flames dip and sway as the door to the sacristy swings inward, and then he emerges. Dark, tousled hair; a white collar stark against his skin; weary, penetrating eyes that calmly assess the gathered faces. He is far too youthful for this pulpit. H…