sixteen: forgive me father, for i have sinned

"Hey, it's alright, really," Frank cooed, taking the little girl's face into his hand and watching her lean into it. She was probably around fifteen, but her eyes were already glossy, her brain already swirling with it. It gave Frank a sick kind of high to see people so vulnerable, so usable. He sniggered as she fell forward into him—the spell was near completion. Her body started undulating, shuddering violently and a low cry left her lips. It was painful, yes, but they never remembered it in the end.

All they remembered was the Endarkenment.

Frank sighed as the girl collapsed completely on the floor. It was almost time, almost. The girl looked up at him, eyes greying into black, and Frank grinned. She was taking it so well. Maybe he'd let her be higher up in the ranks. It seemed like she was ready; like she wanted this.

"What's happening?" she croaked and struggled to look into Frank's eyes. They were lightening. "Stop it! Stop it, please!" she gasped, and her nails scratched angrily at her neck, making angry red lines pop up far too quickly.

Frank's heart started beating quickly. This wasn't supposed to happen. Her eyes were lightening to white, and she was dry heaving onto the ground. Her neck and chest were covered in red lines from her nails, and her mouth was filling up with bright red blood. He cringed. They were never supposed to be hurt, but this... this was an exorcism.

Wearily, he turned around and faced the man he was expecting to behind him, but this time, there was another with a black leather jacket and a puffy afro.

"Forgive me, Father for I have sinned," Frank smirked and crossed his arms, jutting out his hip. "Obviously."

"You're awful," the Father shook his head and stepped forward, past the kid in the red leather. "She was so devoted, she loved God, and you corrupted her."

Frank snorted and pointed to her, pulling puppy dog eyes at Gerard. "But Gerard, she was turning so well! She wanted it, she craved it."

Gerard didn't have anything to say to this, so Frank grinned, flashing him a devious smile. "You know I'm right. Let her become herself," he paused to lick his lips and elicit a shiver from Gerard. "She could do it..." he paused for dramatic effect, knowing he was affecting Gerard. "All by herself."

"You don't know that," the black leather jacket kid said, and Frank shifted his attention.

"What? Who even are you?" he snickered and stepped forward, not uncrossing his arms.

"I'm the Father's apprentice. He and I are working together to save these innocent people from your dark magic."

Frank rolled his eyes. "What could you ever do to defeat me? Pray?" he scoffed.

"Well, we could try," he said, and his afro bounced with his frantic nodding.

Frank rolled his eyes, turned back to Gerard and picked the girl up, throwing her limp and struggling body over his shoulder. "Let her go. Just this one. You can turn whoever else you want Catholic," he paused, laid a hand on her forehead and muttering to himself. Her body fell limp and she sagged on his shoulder, her pain diffusing into unconsciousness.

"What did you just do?!" Gerard hissed, hurrying forward, but Frank held out his hand.

"She's an atheist again. Just like right before we started."

"She was never an atheist," Gerard snarled, but Frank just laughed in his face.

"Not in practice, but just because her parents forced her to go to church doesn't mean that reflects her actual beliefs," he smirked again, and Gerard felt a chill run up his spine, shivering again, he frowned.

"Stop that."

"Never," Frank winked, and with another flourish of his cape, he evaporated in a thin black smoke, taking the girl with him and leaving Ray and Gerard astonished in the alley.

"Stop what? What did he do?" Ray asked tentatively and Gerard scowled, crossing his arms in a fashion that the apprentice had never seen in their years of friendship.

"He and I..." Gerard started and put his face in one of his hands. "We used to... We used to be in a romantic relationship, and then when my church found out, they covered for me until I broke up with him. I did, and then, when he felt freedom from our relationship, he felt the freedom to use his powers for Satan rather than for God."

"You guys were..." Ray's mouth dropped open. "You're gay?"

"No. I'm asexual now."

"It doesn't work like that, Father."

Gerard huffed, grabbed Ray's elbow, and transported them to the church.

***

"Hey, Mary," Frank drawled as he walked into the cellar.

"Frank," she greeted. "How was it? You have the girl?"

"I do, I do," Frank said with a dashing grin, setting the girl's body on the table. She was pale and limp, but as soon as Mary put salts under her nose, she fluttered back to life. Her pale arms struggled against Frank's hands, but she settled down, panic and alarm quite clear in her bright eyes.

"I'm glad you could have joined us, Lucy," Frank cooed, and the girl calmed down instantly.

"Oh, thank god, it's just you," she gasped. "I tried to turn by myself, but the thing wouldn't click in my brain."

"You're already..."

"I already believe. I just can't get the blackness to take over. I'm stuck between the worlds," she sighed, and Frank let her sit up and lean against the wall that the table was pushed against.

"Alright, well, I can help you with that, dear," he said gently and moved away from the table. "Meet Mary. She's a dark sister, and she helps me with everything."

Lucy visibly relaxed when she saw the young woman in the corner. "Oh, thank god."

"Scared?"Frank teased and gave her a wink at which she rolled her eyes.

"No, just... nervous. Will it hurt?"

"You won't remember any of the pain," Frank answered vaguely and quietly from where he was opening a drawer. "When did you last eat?"

"Breakfast this morning. Around eight."

"Well, it's around three right now. Eat this," he handed her a sandwich which looked extremely vegetarian. "Your body will need energy with the transformation."

She nodded.

"Any questions?"

She nodded again. "When I turn, will I lose myself?"

"Could you rephrase that?" Frank asked and raised an eyebrow, stroking his chin thoughtfully. This was getting dangerous.

"Like... will I just become a mindless slave to whoever's will, or will I have a will of my own, and conscience and... and whatever remains of self-worth and ego I have left right now?"

Frank smiled giddily. "Oh, honey, you won't be like all the others. You're doing this because you already believe, not because I made you. I was planning on making you high ranked anyway, but your belief and your current devotion to this side will basically make you a powered-up version of yourself, not a regular demon. You'll still take commands from me, but you'll have a voice, or rather a say in situations."

She grinned and took a bite of her sandwich. "If I wasn't excited before..." she began, and Frank smiled with her.

"You're gonna be so good to work with."

And she was. Her eyes were a full, glossy black, contrasted with the white irises of Frank's, and her face was paler. Her lips were purplish, and dark grey veins stood out from her arms and chest and face, and wherever there was visible skin. She smiled at herself in a mirror when Mary had offered to bring one.

"So, what do I do?" she rasped and then revelled at her own voice.

"You help me monitor and take care of matters in Hell while I fight Gerard. We're a team."

"I'm your sidekick? Your substitute?" she asked, but he didn't find any malice or distrust in her voice.

"No, we work together as equals. I give you orders, but you can also suggest things when you feel the need. You trust me completely and I trust you completely."

She grinned. "Got it. When do we start?"

Frank found himself grinning too, and looked over at Mary to find her mirroring their expressions. He inhaled. "Tomorrow."

---

"You didn't bring the afro dude today, I see," Frank purred as he stepped forward towards Gerard, bringing a tattooed finger under his chin. "That's alright, I like having you all to myself. It makes things ten times more interesting."

"I'm not here to fight," Gerard said, sighing and crossing his arms when he felt his cheeks turn rosy. "I'm here to talk."

"Aw, are you gonna try to get me back, sweetie?" Frank asked, grinning, and Gerard rolled his eyes.

"No. I'm not gay. I wasn't gay to start with," he sighed, and Frank rolled his eyes.

"You're still as in love with me as I am with you."

"No I'm not," Gerard insisted, but Frank didn't let his heart shatter. He knew better.

"Yes, you are."

"Okay, maybe I am," Gerard admitted for the first time in years. Frank choked on the shock pouring out of his open mouth while his jaw went slack. "But that doesn't mean I want you back. The Church will murder me if they know."

"Then leave. Live with me."

Gerard gave Frank a look that dripped of sarcasm, his eyebrows pulling together, saying 'what?' like his lips didn't.

"I'm serious. You know you wanna join my side. You know it better than you know yourself. I know it better than your orgasm face."

Gerard rolled his eyes. "Then you obviously don't know my orgasm face. Because it doesn't really exist anymore."

Frank sighed, crossing his arms. "But I miss it," he mocked. "Bring it back, please. Just for me, baby?" he slipped his arms around the Father's neck. "Come on, sugar, you know you want me," he drawled, and Gerard closed his eyes.

Frank pressed his body into Gerard's, his hips pushing forward first and then his chest, his smirk following as he heard Gerard's breath hitch and a little whimper escape his lips.

"Come on, love, you want me," Frank whispered, and Gerard gasped as he felt Frank's lips on his neck.

"N-no, I don't..." he gasped, and then Frank growled, pressing their hips more tightly together. "God, you just make everything so difficult, don't you?"

"Admit it."

"Yes!" Gerard sighed. "Okay, I fucking want you, Frank. I want you so bad, but I can't have you. I'd tear my life apart sting by string, tear my people's hearts in two. They'd probably leave the church, move to a new one because they found out their priest had been gay."

"You're so gay for me, aren't you?" Frank mumbled, pressing his lips to Gerard's throat, revelling in the low whine he heard. "All mine, aren't you?"

"Frank, let's go inside. Last time we almost got caught, remember?"

Frank's eyes glimmered. "Yeah, that was really good."

"Last time you fucking coerced me," Gerard sighed and slipped out from under Frank's grip and then held his hand in his own, taking off his priest collar and slipping it into his pocket. "I swore I'd never do this again."

"Look where you are, sugar," Frank said, pressing a sly kiss to Gerard's neck. "C'mon. Let's get to privacy," he muttered, and then in a flash of black smoke, they were gone, appearing in Frank's favourite room in the back room of the Satanists' anti-church.

"God, I can't believe you brought us here again," Gerard said, looking away as Frank pushed him onto the sofa lying along the far wall.

"It's my favourite place to fuck you," he muttered, and then pressed their lips together in a kiss that was so firey, it rivalled hell.