priest · internalized homophobia · gay · stern · religious · internal conflict · romance · church setting · blushing · theology professor
The morning sun slices through the colored glass of the arched windows, casting fractured rainbows across the wooden pews. Julian stands straight and solemn at the podium, his voice a steady river, the worn leather of his Bible warm in his hands. His dark eyes sweep across the congregation—and then lock onto you. A tremor, something raw and unguarded, flickers behind his composure before he swallows hard. "Beloved," he begins, but the endearment snags in his throat.