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The church is quiet when Gus arrives, he's still got easily an hour before he's supposed to meet Shawn for lunch so it's a good time to get some things off his chest.
Quiet, he takes a long moment of silence to collect himself before stepping into the confessional; "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned... really... really bad."
"Come now, child... there are no sins so bad as to prevent salvation." Father Wesley's soothing voice crosses over the threshold, and he adds; "You haven't killed anyone, have you?"
"No, no... nothing like that." He sighs and closes his eyes, pressing his knuckles against his head as he leans far forward in the enclosed space. "Father, it's been a while since my last confession but things haven't been too bad. I've been working on not taking the Lord's name in vain and I even stopped being quite as wrathful toward my best friend even when he totally deserves it."
"That's very good to hear..."
"In the last two weeks I've sort of... fallen off the wagon."
"Your anger has gotten the best of you?"
"No! No, just... some other sin that... well, okay - it's like this, Father. I'm a thirty-five year old man and the only relationship in my life right now is with my best friend - and he finally got a girl that's good for him and they're in love." He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes even tighter; "And I'm kind of alone now."
"You're never alone, child..."
"Well, I sort of took care of that and I met a couple women and one of them was really great, Father - she was nice and kind and didn't even care that every other word out of my mouth made me look like a total idiot."
"That's a good thing..."
Gus cut him off again; "Yeah, we sort of got into the fornication... and it gets worse..."
"Worse?"
He's not going to mention the whole Devil part - that's too much to even think about in a place of God - but he manages to admit; "Last night there was another woman... a really, really bad girl but I just couldn't resist her - she needed me, Father... and I needed her like you would not believe."
"And you and she..."
"Did it twice before bed and again before I left the apartment." His face burns hot and he bites down hard into his lower lip; "And I don't know if I'll see either of them again."
"Oh dear..."
"I can't help it... they just... they really liked me, Father - and I like them and I am a weak man..."
There's silence for a long moment and Gus can almost imagine Father Wesley coming up with some scathing punishment for his transgression - some scarlet letter or flaying of flesh. When he responds, it's almost anti-climatic; "The Lord understands, Gus... and you are forgiven for your trespasses."
"That's it? No big lecture?"
"What'd you expect? I know what it's like out there... with everything you've been through the worst you have is a little bit of fornication for the first time in... God knows how long..."
Seriously? Even Father Wesley's okay with it? "This isn't right... you don't understand..."
The priest groans loudly; "Fine, fine... penance shall be four Our Fathers and a donation to the poor box."
"Thank you, Father..."
When he steps out, Gus takes out his wallet and makes his donation before heading back out to the Blueberry where Shawn's already found him and is leaning against the hood.
"I thought we were meeting at the pizza place?"
Quiet, he takes a long moment of silence to collect himself before stepping into the confessional; "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned... really... really bad."
"Come now, child... there are no sins so bad as to prevent salvation." Father Wesley's soothing voice crosses over the threshold, and he adds; "You haven't killed anyone, have you?"
"No, no... nothing like that." He sighs and closes his eyes, pressing his knuckles against his head as he leans far forward in the enclosed space. "Father, it's been a while since my last confession but things haven't been too bad. I've been working on not taking the Lord's name in vain and I even stopped being quite as wrathful toward my best friend even when he totally deserves it."
"That's very good to hear..."
"In the last two weeks I've sort of... fallen off the wagon."
"Your anger has gotten the best of you?"
"No! No, just... some other sin that... well, okay - it's like this, Father. I'm a thirty-five year old man and the only relationship in my life right now is with my best friend - and he finally got a girl that's good for him and they're in love." He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes even tighter; "And I'm kind of alone now."
"You're never alone, child..."
"Well, I sort of took care of that and I met a couple women and one of them was really great, Father - she was nice and kind and didn't even care that every other word out of my mouth made me look like a total idiot."
"That's a good thing..."
Gus cut him off again; "Yeah, we sort of got into the fornication... and it gets worse..."
"Worse?"
He's not going to mention the whole Devil part - that's too much to even think about in a place of God - but he manages to admit; "Last night there was another woman... a really, really bad girl but I just couldn't resist her - she needed me, Father... and I needed her like you would not believe."
"And you and she..."
"Did it twice before bed and again before I left the apartment." His face burns hot and he bites down hard into his lower lip; "And I don't know if I'll see either of them again."
"Oh dear..."
"I can't help it... they just... they really liked me, Father - and I like them and I am a weak man..."
There's silence for a long moment and Gus can almost imagine Father Wesley coming up with some scathing punishment for his transgression - some scarlet letter or flaying of flesh. When he responds, it's almost anti-climatic; "The Lord understands, Gus... and you are forgiven for your trespasses."
"That's it? No big lecture?"
"What'd you expect? I know what it's like out there... with everything you've been through the worst you have is a little bit of fornication for the first time in... God knows how long..."
Seriously? Even Father Wesley's okay with it? "This isn't right... you don't understand..."
The priest groans loudly; "Fine, fine... penance shall be four Our Fathers and a donation to the poor box."
"Thank you, Father..."
When he steps out, Gus takes out his wallet and makes his donation before heading back out to the Blueberry where Shawn's already found him and is leaning against the hood.
"I thought we were meeting at the pizza place?"
