Much better, thank you.

I hope this week treats you spectacularly, ☺️☺️🫶🏻.

I suppose you're right. They deal in other also not so healthy ways, like violence and alcohol. 😅😂

(It did, blessedly, make me feel almost like a person again. 🤣)

Right?! They handle everything with so much more panache, while I'm crying into my ice cream, 😅🤣. Thank you, 🫶🏻.

Thank you, friend. 🫂

Yes! I think that's the perfect way of expressing it. The honesty in the dichotomy. He isn't a bad man pretending to be good, or vice versa, as much as he's a man, capable of both good and bad things.

Thank you for noticing!!!! 🥹🥹🥹

Imo, Ghost, no matter the characterization, is still, at heart, a good man. Even if he completely destroys the concept of "social norms" - and he will always want what is best for Johnny.

🫶🏻🫶🏻 I'm glad you liked it!

John thinks maybe there's something to be said for the devil you know.

-fin-

John can hear the wet smile in Simon's voice when he murmurs, like a caress against John's skin, "as if I would let anyone else have your confession. I would devour your sins before letting God have them, let alone some simple man."

He doesn't need to say that Johnny is his, that much is clear.

The devil is unconcerned with consequence.

And Johnny, so beautiful, and devout, was too much temptation - for even the devil himself.

And then, the priest chuckles, says, "who is confessing now?"

And it's then John realizes - it's Simon - and he asks, "this whole time?"

Eventually John must confess, the priest was right. The devil has him now.

His heart.

His soul.

And the priest, he says nothing for a long moment.

Then, he admits he had feared this outcome, had tried to warn John away, but the devil takes what he wants, without remorse.

And this is not something the priest can abide, must caution John about his immortal soul, as that is a dangerous road to walk but, in the end, John is given his penance. Takes his absolution.

Ignores that voice that reminds him it means nothing when he is going back to his bed and the devil in it.

The priest fails to understand, John means the literal devil, he isn't being metaphorical about his homosexuality.

He is given his penance, sent home to sleep it off, but he's back just a scant few days later.

John confesses, he doesn't want the devil to leave. He wants to keep him. To be kept.

by the time the priest arrives on the other side.

It is, admittedly, very late. But absolution, like death, waits for no man.

When the priest asks what troubles him, John sobs.

It takes him a moment to get himself together enough to admit, "ah've let the Devil into my bed."

I am thinking of him in that confessional, just wrecked with guilt and longing and that stubborn voice telling him there's nothing wrong with him going round in circles. He's crying, fists clenched so tight his knuckles are close to bursting through the skin - he's making little keening noises