Church | Klance

1

This fanfiction will deal with the talk of religion and some of the stricter ideologies that it holds. In no way am I saying that all religious people hold these beliefs, the strictness of these characters is for the plot of the story. There may also be mentions or suggestions of abuse, if this triggers you, please do not read or if you chose to, proceed with care for yourself.

I myself am not religious so there may be times when something is incorrect, please comment and tell me, I will fix it.

If anything to do with religion or talk about it offends you and you feel it may impair your enjoyment of the story, I suggest you don't read.

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Lance sat on the first row of benches at the church, his family was the only family that did. It was as if the seats were reserved. His hands were on the bible, but his mind was wandering. As his father read the verses of the Bible aloud to the congregation, Lance was focused on the stained-glass window beside the cross at the front of the church. The sun was hitting it in just the right way, the same way it always did on Sundays. The colors were pouring through the windows and blending onto the faces of the people around him.

The pastor stopped his reading when the door slammed shut with a bang, a disruption to the service. Lance, along with many others, turned to see who came into the church with such a disruption. Two of them were faces that he recognized one of them, however, was new. He wore all black aside from a red jacket, even down to his knuckles. On his hands were fingerless gloves which still couldn't quite conceal the purple bruises on his knuckles, no doubt from fighting with another person.

The two people the boy walked in with he knew as Mrs. and Mr. Kogane, he didn't know their first names, only their last names. They kept to themselves most of the time and left soon after the service was finished unlike many of the others who attended. This boy obviously didn't fit in with them, he was different.

Lance tore his gaze from the boy and tried to focus on the bible and fall back into his Sunday routine.

Every Sunday was the same, wake up at six-thirty and eat breakfast at seven-thirty so that his family could be at the church half an hour before the service began. His father was the pastor of the church so he'd been religious his whole life, every Sunday it was the same routine with the same people and the same verses being read over and over again.

The new boy added a change, it was a different face, a change in the routine.

Lance felt an elbow to his side and glared at Veronica, his sister, who motioned for him to look back up to his father in a way to tell him to pay attention. His whole family was strict on religion, everything had to be in God's plan and nothing could differ, anyone who did was a sinner.

While Lance was never as strict as his parents, he knew not to go against them, so he followed along and tried to push away any unholy thoughts or feelings he had. He was just glad that it was Veronica who noticed him not paying attention and not anyone else, like him, she was a bit more relaxed as well.

Lance looked up to his father once more but the boy stayed in his mind and so did all the verses that he reminded him of.

-

After the service, the Kogane family stayed later than normal and got into a line to speak with the pastor which Lance, in all his years of being at the church with his family, had never seen them stay later. Lance stood at the front of the church near his father, only around six-feet away so if people wanted their privacy when talking to him they could have that.

"Hello Mrs. and Mr. Kogane, it's a pleasure to speak with you." Joseph, Lance's father smiled as he greeted them.

"You as well, Father." Mrs. Kogane smiled, "We're sorry for the interruption today, we had some trouble getting out of the house." As she spoke, Mr. Kogane glared at the boy with them.

"Not to worry, may I ask, who is this with you today? I don't believe I've seen him before." Lance turned his head and made eye contact with the boy with the Kogane's only to find he was already staring at him.

"This is Keith our only son. He attended when he was a child, but later in life he lived with my sister to fix out some attitude issues." Mrs. Kogane smiled, Keith's eye contact with Lance broke when his father pushed him forward a bit to look at the pastor. Lance watched and felt bad for the boy who didn't fit in with his parents.

"It's a pleasure to have you attending church again, young man." Joseph smiled at Keith who didn't say anything in return.

Keith's father cleared his throat and gave Keith another small shove, "Pardon his manners, he is not the most well-behaved boy. Unlike your Lance here, he seems so well behaved."

Veronica laughed at this, not loud, just so that Lance could hear. He glared at her before his mother stepped in, "He is, most of the time anyway."

"You see, you should behave more like Lance here, he'd be a great influence for you." Mrs. Kogane looked at Keith as she spoke.

"Well, how about this afternoon our two boys meet up with each other, I'm sure with him just getting back he'd want some peers, Lance can introduce him to his friends." Lance's mother recommended.

Lance looked up at his mom and then to Keith, he was intrigued by the boy, but he wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful! How about Keith stays with Lance today then, he'll be able to find his way home tonight." Mrs. Kogane smiled.

"Lance, you go with Keith then, be back at the house by three." The pastor said smiling at his son.

Lance looked at his watch, it was ten-thirty five now, so they had lots of time although Lance wasn't sure they'd use it all. He'd likely be at the house earlier than his set time. He nodded at his parents and then to the Koganes and walked down the church aisle with Keith, neither of them saying anything until they got outside when Keith was the first to speak.

"Wow, how can you stay in there for so long and not go crazy? It's so righteous and mighty." Keith groaned.

"I've never noticed anything wrong with it." Lance lied, he knew he did.

"You're also the pastor's son. You have to say that." Keith looked at Lance, "I bet you've never done anything your parents would get mad at you for."

For some reason, Lance was offended. He knew that it should be a compliment, but coming from him, that was an insult. "I have!"

"Oh ya? Like what?" Keith cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, I've lied, I've been greedy-" Keith cut Lance off.

"How about something that isn't one of the Seven Deadly Sins. I mean a real 'sin'." Keith used his fingers to put air quotations around the word "sin".

Lance stayed quite.

"I thought so."

"I can though." Lance sputtered, "I can sin."

Keith laughed, "Anyone can say that they can sin, Lance. But not everyone can follow through with it. That's what you can't do, that's why we're different."

"But I can." Lance was surprised, ten minutes ago he was standing beside his father as people confessed their sins, now he was saying he was able to. He was trying to convince Keith that he could in fact sin.

"Really?"

Lance nodded quickly, "But you'll have to help me."

Keith laughed a bit thinking that Lance was joking "Help you to sin?" Lance nodded again.

"Alright," Keith started, "I don't know how long I'm here before my parents send me back to my aunts again, but before I go I'll teach you to sin."