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Entry tags:
Vatican Miracle Examiners; Fic; The Absolution of Bathsheba
Title: The Absolution of Bathsheba
Fandom: Vatican Miracle Examiners
Prompt: Desecration
Medium: Fic
Wordcount: 877 Words
Warnings: Sexual assault, unwanted pregnancy, religious conflict, and talk of abortion.
Summary: Hiraga misses his menstrual cycle following his subsequent rescue from Father Julia's clutches, and fearing the worst, he runs to Roberto for help. Where he expects to find talk of hellfire and damnation, though, he instead finds words of love and support. Roberto reassures him that he will reverse the damage done regardless of the cost.
Hiraga sneaks through the halls of the priest cloisters, guilt darkening his every footfall, and when he finally happens upon Roberto’s room, he almost loses his nerve entirely. His hand clutches desperately at his nightshirt and it takes every ounce of strength he has to simply knock upon the door.
“Roberto?” he whispers against the grain of the wood. “Are you awake?”
It doesn’t take long for the door to creak open and a very sleepy Roberto to appear within its frame. His glasses are on top of his head and he’s still in his cassock, suggesting he’s been up late hitting the books again. He rubs his right eye a few times and focuses his vision.
“Hiraga, what’s wrong?” he asks, noticing his partner’s distress straightaway. “Come in. Hurry.”
Taking a quick glance around him, Hiraga shuffles inside and breathes a sigh of relief as Roberto closes the door shut behind him.
“You’re so pale,” Roberto remarks and places his glasses atop his desk before returning to him. He looks the other man up and down, presses his hand to his forehead and another to the curve of his neck to check his pulse. “Did you have a nightmare or something?”
Hiraga heaves another shuddering breath and shakes his head. “Remember how I explained all the bizarre symptoms that I’ve been experiencing since you rescued me from Father Julia?”
“Yes,” Roberto says slowly, trying not to rouse any further anxiety within him. “Why? Have they gotten worse?”
“I missed my last menstrual cycle, Roberto,” whispers Hiraga in a low, helpless voice. “I-I think…Oh God, I don’t want to assume the worst, but…”
Roberto draws him close and cradles his head against his broad chest. “Shh. No matter what Julia did to you while in captivity, I will find some means of reversing it. Now, tell me what you remember.”
Hiraga leans heavily upon the larger man. “He had me strapped down to some hospital bed and could smell blood everywhere. Candles were lit along the walls, I could hear chanting or singing of some kind, and the last thing I saw before losing consciousness was Julia standing over me with that cruel smile.”
“God Almighty,” Roberto hisses under his breath. “Did he violate you?”
“I-I don’t know,” Hiraga starts sobbing and grasps at the fabric of Roberto’s cassock as he stares up at him, pleading. “What am I going to do?”
Trying to keep up a brave facade for his partner’s sake, Roberto smiles and touches his cheek. “As of right now, I’m not sure, but I do know one thing.”
Hiraga leans into that warmth and finds some slight comfort in it.
“I’m not about to let you carry that demon’s spawn,” Roberto spits and holds Hiraga tighter this time, kissing the top of his head. “Even if it means performing the necessary procedure myself.”
Worried about the repercussions an abortion may have on them if discovered by the rest of the clergy, Hiraga whispers to him, “What if the Cardinal or archdiocese find out? I-Is it a sin to – “
“Hiraga,” Roberto interrupts him gently, holding him out by the shoulders. “Our God is not so cruel as to force someone to give birth against their will, regardless of the means of conception. Why, I’ll have you know that there are many instances of abortion throughout the good book itself and it has been done for centuries.”
“Really?” Hiraga asks, relaxing a little in that strong embrace once more. “You don’t think that…?”
“No, cara mio,” whispers Roberto to him, reading his mind in an instant. He rubs soothing circles into Hiraga’s back and also moves to run his other hand through Hiraga’s hair. “You will be no less beloved than you were before your traumatic experience. If anything, it will make you stronger.”
Hiraga finally smiles up at him. “I’m sorry,” he says in a soft voice, “but sometimes I forget just how blessed I already am.”
Roberto cracks a grin himself as Hiraga stands tip-toed to kiss him.
“Thank you,” Hiraga adds. “I was just worried about the others finding out.”
“Frankly, it’s none of their business, but that’s beside the point. I know just the person to assist us in this endeavor,” Roberto reassures him and lifts his hand to his lips for a slow, lingering kiss against the back of it. “She’s an herbologist of sorts I once met on sabbatical in Venice and she’s very good about being discrete when the situation calls for it.”
Hiraga clears his throat. “Is this your witch friend you mentioned during that one case?”
Roberto laughs awkwardly. “Quite the case it was, too. Discovering the elixir and its origins were more entertaining than I thought it’d be!”
Laughing a little, Hiraga teases him, “You were by far the most entertaining of the three of us.”
“A-ha! You finally laughed,” Roberto says and smiles again. “Your happiness is mine and your pain also. Together, we’ll shoulder this burden and see it through. I promise.”
Hiraga kisses his cheek this time and pulls away with a wry smile. “I love you.”
“And I you,” Roberto whispers as he leans down to press his lips to Hiraga’s. He murmurs again into them, “More than life itself.”
Fandom: Vatican Miracle Examiners
Prompt: Desecration
Medium: Fic
Wordcount: 877 Words
Warnings: Sexual assault, unwanted pregnancy, religious conflict, and talk of abortion.
Summary: Hiraga misses his menstrual cycle following his subsequent rescue from Father Julia's clutches, and fearing the worst, he runs to Roberto for help. Where he expects to find talk of hellfire and damnation, though, he instead finds words of love and support. Roberto reassures him that he will reverse the damage done regardless of the cost.
Hiraga sneaks through the halls of the priest cloisters, guilt darkening his every footfall, and when he finally happens upon Roberto’s room, he almost loses his nerve entirely. His hand clutches desperately at his nightshirt and it takes every ounce of strength he has to simply knock upon the door.
“Roberto?” he whispers against the grain of the wood. “Are you awake?”
It doesn’t take long for the door to creak open and a very sleepy Roberto to appear within its frame. His glasses are on top of his head and he’s still in his cassock, suggesting he’s been up late hitting the books again. He rubs his right eye a few times and focuses his vision.
“Hiraga, what’s wrong?” he asks, noticing his partner’s distress straightaway. “Come in. Hurry.”
Taking a quick glance around him, Hiraga shuffles inside and breathes a sigh of relief as Roberto closes the door shut behind him.
“You’re so pale,” Roberto remarks and places his glasses atop his desk before returning to him. He looks the other man up and down, presses his hand to his forehead and another to the curve of his neck to check his pulse. “Did you have a nightmare or something?”
Hiraga heaves another shuddering breath and shakes his head. “Remember how I explained all the bizarre symptoms that I’ve been experiencing since you rescued me from Father Julia?”
“Yes,” Roberto says slowly, trying not to rouse any further anxiety within him. “Why? Have they gotten worse?”
“I missed my last menstrual cycle, Roberto,” whispers Hiraga in a low, helpless voice. “I-I think…Oh God, I don’t want to assume the worst, but…”
Roberto draws him close and cradles his head against his broad chest. “Shh. No matter what Julia did to you while in captivity, I will find some means of reversing it. Now, tell me what you remember.”
Hiraga leans heavily upon the larger man. “He had me strapped down to some hospital bed and could smell blood everywhere. Candles were lit along the walls, I could hear chanting or singing of some kind, and the last thing I saw before losing consciousness was Julia standing over me with that cruel smile.”
“God Almighty,” Roberto hisses under his breath. “Did he violate you?”
“I-I don’t know,” Hiraga starts sobbing and grasps at the fabric of Roberto’s cassock as he stares up at him, pleading. “What am I going to do?”
Trying to keep up a brave facade for his partner’s sake, Roberto smiles and touches his cheek. “As of right now, I’m not sure, but I do know one thing.”
Hiraga leans into that warmth and finds some slight comfort in it.
“I’m not about to let you carry that demon’s spawn,” Roberto spits and holds Hiraga tighter this time, kissing the top of his head. “Even if it means performing the necessary procedure myself.”
Worried about the repercussions an abortion may have on them if discovered by the rest of the clergy, Hiraga whispers to him, “What if the Cardinal or archdiocese find out? I-Is it a sin to – “
“Hiraga,” Roberto interrupts him gently, holding him out by the shoulders. “Our God is not so cruel as to force someone to give birth against their will, regardless of the means of conception. Why, I’ll have you know that there are many instances of abortion throughout the good book itself and it has been done for centuries.”
“Really?” Hiraga asks, relaxing a little in that strong embrace once more. “You don’t think that…?”
“No, cara mio,” whispers Roberto to him, reading his mind in an instant. He rubs soothing circles into Hiraga’s back and also moves to run his other hand through Hiraga’s hair. “You will be no less beloved than you were before your traumatic experience. If anything, it will make you stronger.”
Hiraga finally smiles up at him. “I’m sorry,” he says in a soft voice, “but sometimes I forget just how blessed I already am.”
Roberto cracks a grin himself as Hiraga stands tip-toed to kiss him.
“Thank you,” Hiraga adds. “I was just worried about the others finding out.”
“Frankly, it’s none of their business, but that’s beside the point. I know just the person to assist us in this endeavor,” Roberto reassures him and lifts his hand to his lips for a slow, lingering kiss against the back of it. “She’s an herbologist of sorts I once met on sabbatical in Venice and she’s very good about being discrete when the situation calls for it.”
Hiraga clears his throat. “Is this your witch friend you mentioned during that one case?”
Roberto laughs awkwardly. “Quite the case it was, too. Discovering the elixir and its origins were more entertaining than I thought it’d be!”
Laughing a little, Hiraga teases him, “You were by far the most entertaining of the three of us.”
“A-ha! You finally laughed,” Roberto says and smiles again. “Your happiness is mine and your pain also. Together, we’ll shoulder this burden and see it through. I promise.”
Hiraga kisses his cheek this time and pulls away with a wry smile. “I love you.”
“And I you,” Roberto whispers as he leans down to press his lips to Hiraga’s. He murmurs again into them, “More than life itself.”