Watching the exchange with a faint smile Kiel brushes her hair quietly, glad to see Sarah interacting with someone so calmly, besides himself. 'Before she was afraid to even talk to my brothers of the cloth, but here with Zach. . . .It's almost like he's her big brother or something' Giggling softly at the thought he covers his broad grin with a hand, his eyes dancing as he looks between them. He continues working diligently on her hair, smoothing the soft curls down into something cute and manageable. Once it's done she stands up happily and gives the priest a hug before settling into her seat at the table to eat. She looks to Zach and smiles, nodding shyly at the idea of walking around looking at the flowers.

Kiel turns and goes back to eating, setting aside the brush to clean out later as he watches the two little ones interact. Humming happily he looks towards the church, the sliver he can see of it through the window calling to him as he reminds himself of how foul his mind had gotten during the night. 'I should spend some time in the chapel today, praying. I need to wash this from me if I am to continue being around little Zach. . .' Nodding to himself he looks back at the other two, smiling cutely. “That sounds wonderful you two, and while you're enjoying God's creations I can get to some work I have to do in the church!”

Sarah nods, not looking completely thrilled that Kiel won't be coming with, but clearly not considering it a deal breaker. She looks back at Zach with a half hidden smile, tugging at her hair out of habit. The priest recognizes the nervous action and reaches over, giving her hand a squeeze. “I shouldn't be gone long Sarah, and Zach will look out for you, okay?” She looks back at Kiel, then nods again, squeezing his hand back before digging into her food. The priest does likewise, giving Zach a look clearly reading 'sorry to put this on you like that'.

Zach notices the unspoken apology in the priest's face, but he smiles and waves it away easily. He's not bothered in the least by spending time with the child, apart from that it will give him less time with the priest. If Kiel really wants to do him a favour, he should stay away from the church and spend time with him instead. Preferably in bed - or on any horizontal surface. Zach isn't picky.

He also knows, however, that a situation like that is a long way off yet. No, the priest will go into his stupid church and come out drenched in the scent of frankincense or whatever blessed concoction they're burning today. It's never holy enough to do him any harm, but it's usually biting enough to itch fiercely if he breathes in too much of it.

At least he'll be away from the most consecrated parts of the church grounds. Sure, the gardens are tended to by the clergy, but it is also where they bury their stashes of hard liquor and where the younger ones mull about as they indulge in the sin of sloth. All in all not a bad place for him, especially since the flowers really are quite beautiful this time of year.

Zach leaves the clean-up to the priest for once, and quickly shoves a few things into a bag before he is off to leave Kiel to his groveling - or whatever he has to do to make up for the 'sin' he imagined he committed. Sarah still seems a bit nervous as they head out, looking back to the priest's house several times as they make their way over to the church gardens. He knows not to try and push her, and instead chats lightly about everything and nothing to give her something to focus on if she prefers.

They pass the vegetable part of the garden - what's the point of looking at something if it isn't beautiful after all - and then they are surrounded by a variety of sweet-smelling flowers.

"I like to look at flowers when I feel sad," he says, without really meaning to. "It's nice to see that there are beautiful things in the world, even when bad things have happened." There is no point to talking to the girl; she isn't part of his assignment. It shouldn't matter that she shrinks back from unexpected motions and that her eyes constantly dart around like she is constantly on guard. I shouldn't matter, but with her walking close and holding on to the hem of his shirt, it kind of feels like it does.

He sighs internally, but doesn't wipe the gentle smile that had crept onto his face away. Whatever. It's not like caring about an insignificant human child is going to impact his mission in any way, and it might score him points with the priest if the kid likes him. It won't be the first time he followed his whims and still got the job done.

"You know what? Kiel couldn't come with us, but I think he would like to see the flowers as well. We can't pick any of them, so I guess we'll have to find another way to bring them to him." he reaches into his bag and takes out not one, but two sketch pads and a handful of pencils. He gestures to the stone bench in the middle of the flower patches and extends the art supplies to the little girl.

"What do you say, Sarah? Want to make something nice for Kiel?"

Smiling gratefully at Zach, Kiel watches the young man leave with a soft smile and a wave. Sarah looks a bit reluctant, but she leaves peacefully, giving a small wave of her own as she vanishes from sight. Letting out a happy sigh he looks around at the morning mess and is actually glad of if. 'A few moments of calm reflection before heading into the temple of god to confess my sins. . .' His stomach falls at the recollection of what transpired in the night, but he keeps his expression soft and calm, just in case the little ones return. He works hard, scrubbing each dish and every crack in the table, his sleeves rolled up, his hair pulled back, until he can put it off no longer.

Pulling his sleeves down and wiping his brow he makes his way out the door, making sure to leave it unlocked in case the little ones come back before he does. His walk is a little wooden as he makes his way towards the side door to the church, and once inside he can feel himself drawing inwards a bit. 'I didn't mean to, and it was an err made in sleep and an impulse, not a will. . .' He bites down on his excuses and shakes his head. There are no excuses for sins in his eyes. He forgives his little ones, he thinks no less of them, but he himself can not make these mistakes. He must hold himself above such things, even if he can and does forgive it in others.

His eyes trace across the crosses and stain glass artwork of the small church, the light decoration making it quaint, but beautiful. He smiles as he looks at it all, moving off to a corner of the main room where he takes a seat at the far end of a pew. He adopts his usual position of submission, hands clasped together, head hanging between his arms as his elbows rest on the pew in front of him. His hands are behind his neck, somehow making him feel safer as he begins murmurs soft prayers to the lord above, seeking absolution, and forgiveness.

~*~

Sarah agrees with a shy smile, nodding her head rapidly. Taking the sketch pad she begins making rough drawings. Her hand seems unsteady, moving in an almost infantile manner. The abuse she's suffered in his life has obviously messed with her fine motor function. It's not as pronounced when she eats, as she's got a lot of practice with that, but tasks she's not used to caused her to seem rather clumsy. She doesn't look up at Zach, afraid of being judged, but eventually she does address him. He quite, timid voice can barely be heard on the light breeze.

“Father Kiel is great.” She is smiling, beginning on something that looks suspiciously like Kiel's priest robes amid a forest of flowers. “I've known him so long it seems. . .He found me, one time when I ran away. When I wanted to feel safe, and. . .And it wasn't safe at home. . .” She glances at Zach before looking back down quickly. “You're bigger, stronger than me. Who hurt you Zach? How did father Kiel find you?” She is blushing, though her dark skin hides it well, the rush of blood sounding loud in her ears. She keeps her hand moving, muttering something about Zach not having to answer if he doesn't want to.

~*~

No one bothers the young father for the full hour he spends with his head bowed. A few of the nuns walk past, keeping an eye on him as they pass with a hint of worry in their gaze, and the bishop's protege spends several minutes watching him from the pulpit as he organizes the papers for the next sermon. They've known the young man for most of his life and they know when he's upset about something. His usual prayer last only a few minutes, but when he doesn't come up for air after ten minutes, the older church members begin to worry.

When at last he does raise his head however, they all see his soft smile and decide not to ask. Kiel himself feels cleansed, and calm. He looks around, feeling once more completely at home in his church and he thanks the lord one last time for granting him such a wonderful place to call home. Rising, he makes his way to the kitchen and asks for lunch made for three today. The nun in charge raises an eyebrow, but as she was one of the ones who saw him praying so hard, she doesn't question his need for more food today. After thanking her Kiel heads outside and begins slowly circling back towards the gardens. He wants to see his little ones enjoying their time outside without being spotted so he takes his time, his eyes sweeping the area calmly, his smile calm and happy

Zach's very skilled in observing the people around him from the corner of his eye, without appearing to do anything of the sort. He's never used to look after a child before, but he supposes there's a first time for everything. Getting closer to Sarah can still broadly fall within the parameters of his assignment, after all, and a bit of practice is never a bad thing.

The child has a tremor in her hands when she draws. He might chalk it up to her being nervous, had her face showed anything other than intense concentration at getting the lines right. Of course there is always the chance that it is a genetic thing, but from what Zach could tell those kinds of things are relatively rare in humans. Plus there was the way she flinched and turned her face away every time Zach makes even a small unexpected movement. Humans are fragile things, and prone to accumulating injuries and defects when they get hurt bad enough.

Something dark flashes over his face at those thoughts, but he smooths it over into a guileless smile when the child peeks up at him. He knows the things humans do to each other, and it really shouldn't phase him. But the thought of someone harming a child, and harming her bad enough and often enough to have her come seek out a priest on her own... It's more disquieting than he likes to admit to himself.

His eyes widen slightly in surprise at the questions she's asking. They're quite astute for such a young human, but then again he supposes she needs to try and stay on top of things, if her life is as dangerous as it seems it might be. He feels another thread of unease at that observation, but ignores it. Humans are humans, and they have done horrible things to each other since before her came into existence and will continue to do so until long after he's left this world. It is none of his concern.

"He didn't find me, I kind of found him," he tells the girl, still sketching out the flowers as he does so. "I did some things... bad things that made people mad and they hurt me pretty bad. I had heard in town that he was a good man, that he could be trusted. I didn't really believe it at first, but it felt like there was no other place for me to go..."

He looks at her now, letting the smile on his face go a little brittle at the edges. He doesn't know for certain whether this will reach Kiel, but he's nothing if not thorough.

"He didn't even as me what happened when he took me in, so I guess he really is a good man. I... think he's great too. It's almost sad that I'm getting better because that means I will have to go soon. But I guess it's for the best, because if he knew what I'm really like he would want me to go away anyway and that would be even worse than leaving by myself."

He lets his his voice crack a little at the last bit, and quickly looks back to his paper while letting his eyes tear up.

"Um, yeah. But like you said, I'm big and strong and I'll be more careful in the future so I'm going to be all right. And you'll have Kiel all for yourself again."

He throws that last bit in to test the waters on where she stands with him. He thinks she's taken a shine to him, but it seems equally likely that she's only attached to him because he's with Kiel at the moment.

Kiel creeps in slowly once he spots the little ones in the distance, intent on seeing how they are fairing and to not interrupt should they be doing fine on their own. He manages to find his way behind a rose trellis near enough to see and hear the youth and smiles softly as they seem to be both calm and talking quietly. He can hear her question to Zach, asking about how anyone could pick on him, and finds himself more curious for the answer than he thought he would be. He's wanted to work with Zach, to help keep him from winding up a bloody pulp again once he takes his leave, and thinks that perhaps he can gain a little insight if he listens carefully.

What the boy has to say however makes him a bit sad inside, his heart calling out as he hears the crack in his voice. 'I would never reject you little one. Please, don't think like that. I'm here for you, just as I am for all my children. I am sorry I've made you feel this way, please, forgive me. I will right it all with you, I promise. . .' His own eyes tear up a bit and his betrayal of the past night seems even worse inside his heart as he sees the boy ready to cry and he moves away from the garden, taking to the path so he can enter the scene properly and not just appear from out of nowhere. He knows eavesdropping is bad, but when it reveals vital information Kiel needs to help his little ones, he can accept that the lord will forgive him his behavior.

~*~

Looking up at Zach sadly Sarah shakes her head hard as Zach's claim that Kiel would reject him, biting her lip as he talks about her having him all to herself once he's gone. “Father Kiel won't hate you. He's not like that. No matter what!” She feels almost affronted that Zach thinks that the “perfect” father would be anything but completely accepting and loving of anyone. “No matter what you think, Father Kiel doesn't push anyone away, not ever!” She looks down at her hands, watching them shake more now that she's upset. Clasping them together she speaks a little softer. “None of us have him all to themselves. I. . .I know I'm just another lost little kid to him, but. . . .I'm not gonna be mad that I have to share.” Her voice drops to a whisper. “It's better to have a little love from a friend than living unloved. . .” After a beat, she goes back to trying to draw her flowers, feeling very embarrassed at having spoken up so firmly and kind of afraid that Zach will be mad.

~*~

Reaching the garden proper Kiel calls out softly, alerting the little ones to his presence and giving them both a big smile and wave. After a moment's hesitation Sarah stands up, setting the sketchbook down, and races over to give Kiel a hug. He's worried for a moment that she's upset. Looking to Zach questioningly he tilts his head, then turns his gaze back to her, his warm smile quite soothing as he pets her hair gently. “Something wrong Sarah?” he murmurs kindly. She shakes her head against his middle and pulls back, looking both nervous and happy.

She leads him back towards the bench and picks up the sketchbook, holding it in front of her chest for a moment. “Don't laugh.” she demands softly, then holds it out to Kiel without waiting for his promise not to.

“I see no reason to laugh.” he says softly, looking over the shaky lines with the same reverence one would a finely carved work of art. “It's beautiful. I can see how hard you worked on it.” She squirms, but looks happy. Kiel shifts his focus on to Zach, tilting his head. “Did you work on something as well?” he asks, his gaze going to the sketchbook in the boy's hands.

It's a bit of a surprise how strongly the little girl reacts. Zach had expected her to push back a little, certainly, but from how softly he had to coax her out of her initial timidity, he hadn't quite expected a passionate rebuttal of his morose thoughts. He allows some of the surprise to seep into his eyes as he adjusts his already quite high opinion of the girl upwards a bit more. Kiel sure knows how to pick them, or perhaps his care just has a way of bringing out the best in people. His first instinct is to ruffly her hair, but since he doesn't want to spook her he just gently bumps his shoulder against her's.

"I don't think you can ever be 'just' anything to Kiel," he starts, but before he can finish his thought the priest calls out to them as he comes strolling up the path. 'Speak of the devil..,' Zach thinks by way of a private little joke, smiling gently at the way Sarah runs up to the man. He doesn't have to pretend very hard to care for the little squirt. Children have never been his domain, and most of them haven't yet picked up the nastier sides of humanity. That this one might help him work into Kiel's good graces is just the cherry on top. The smile is still on his face when Kiel asks to see his drawing, and he turns his sketch pad so the priest can take a look. It's still in the sketchy stage, with just a few of the flowers starting to take shape in the middle.

"A little bit, nothing concrete yet," he says, "Did the work go well?"

Kiel looks over the emerging bushel of flowers and smiles. “It is coming along very well. I like it.” he murmurs, handing the sketchbook back to Zach with a warm, encouraging smile. “My time in the church was well spent.” he says with a nod, giving Sarah a quick squeeze as she comes to stand next to him. “We can stay in the garden if you two want to keep working on your lovely artwork, but if you'd rather head inside I was thinking we could do some bible studies before lunch. I got a look at what they were preparing, and it looks to be chicken and rice!” he announces the meal plan cheerfully knowing that home cooked meals are not something these two likely have had a lot of. Sarah gives Kiel a look when he mentions bible studies but doesn't say anything, clearly not enthusiastic about the idea. She does however perk up at the idea of some real meat for lunch and smiles up at the priest happily.

Zach does his best not to wince at the mention of bible studies, but he does allow himself to share a dubious look with Sarah over the idea. A simple bible will do nothing to hurt him, of course, but he doubts he can get away without at the very least an annoying itch with Kiel reading passages and talking about god in that earnest way of his.

"I think I'll stay to finish my drawing," he says, aware that he's not being terribly subtle about his avoidance. "I'd love some company, Sarah, but I understand it if you'd rather head over to bible studies with Kiel," he adds with a smile, offering the girl an out if she wants it.

"After all, isn't it the best kind of piety to witness and enjoy the creation, in all it's forms?" He adds with a little wink at the priest. Zach doesn't spend much time thinking about the big guy upstairs, but when he does it's to wonder why he would make the world with such pleasures and then tell the humans to lock themselves up in cold churches and enjoy precisely none of those pleasures. Either something got lost in translation, or the G-man is a sadistic bastard.

It's clear that neither child is in the mood for bible studies as Sarah gives Kiel a big, pouty grin and scoots closer to Zach. “Alright, alright.” he murmurs with a little pout of his own, ruffling her hair gently before taking a seat on the grass by the bench. The older priests would not be able to accomplish this so easily, and would likely disapprove of him plopping down on the ground like this, but as he is trying to connect with children and youths, he's more than used to sitting in such an undignified manner.

Sarah is happy to see she doesn't have to leave the garden and slips down off the bench to sit with the father. He smiles at her and watches with a smile as she goes back to drawing what she's been working on Kiel can feel the peace of the moment wash over him and he enjoys the feeling of God's creations all around him. The peaceful breeze, the soft sounds of birds, the light scratch of pencil on paper. It's all very relaxing. Time passes like this until Kiel catching the telltale sound of the church's side door opening. “It seems the food is ready. We should head inside now.” he murmurs, helping Sarah up gently before holding out a hand to Zach.

After his prayers, he feels ready to be himself around the young man once more and feels nothing inappropriate when he helps the youth to his feet. Sarah half hides behind him as they make their way inside, the sister delivering the meal smiling and waving as she passes. 'I am so sorry Sarah that you have suffered so much as to be afraid of such a kind person' Letting out a sight, he opens the door for them and waits for both to enter before slipping in behind them.

The smell of food is already permeating the small house and Kiel takes a moment to breath in the scent. He grins at how tasty it smells and instructs them both to wash their hands while he prepares the table. Once they are ready, he washes his own and takes a seat. Prayers are brief and Kiel lets them dig in without much of a wait. He can tell that Zach is still less than enthusiastic about “The whole God thing” so he keeps to more earthly talks. Sarah chatters on happily about her budding interest in art, and Kiel turns the talk on to Zach, eventually asking if he has any interest in looking for local art classes. “Perhaps we could look into the classes offered at the free centers. I have heard of art teachers coming down in their off time to teach stuff like music and art. Sometimes even math and reading!” He looks at the older youth merrily, hoping he's found something of interest to offer the young man.

"Hmm," Zach hums non-commitedly around a bite of food, pretending to think about the art classes the priest had obviously thought of just for him. He could probably make a bit more of an effort to act happy about it, but he was still kind of bummed out by the renewed sense of priestly distance Kiel had managed to conjure in the few hours they'd been apart. At least Sarah was warming up to him, as he'd smugly noticed when she was more afraid of some soft-faced human nun than him. At least he could still charm some humans into his good graces.

"It could be fun?" he eventually said, feeling like he should probably throw the priest a bone. Being around the man the entire time didn't seem to be helping, so perhaps it would be good to get out of the house from time to time.

"Are those free centres a church thing?"

Kiel lets out a little chuckle, shaking his head. “No, the centers are community run. The church helps out on occasion but. . .” Kiel still, his eyes snapping to Sarah. The girl has gone rigid, her eyes wide with terror. While instinct tells him to comfort her, the priest instead stands and tilts his head, holding up a hand to shush Zach. After a moment, he hears what Sarah did and with a determined look he pulls a key from his pocket. Kneeling down in front of Sarah he speaks softly. “You know what to do little one.” he murmurs, pressing the key into her hand. The touch of the sharp metal seems to shock her out of her fear and with a cry she rushes to the spare room. Another sound from outside, definitely an angry voice this time, spins Kiel on the spot, a determined look on his face.

Some time ago, when she first came, she knew her father was a strong man and might be able to get the key to the room from Kiel, so to comfort her when her father comes looking for her, he took to giving her the key so it will be her choice to unlock the door and let people in. Kiel doesn't have time to instruct Zach and leaves it to him to act responsibly as he hurries out to confront the angry man who can now be clearly heard outside on the church grounds. The man is just coming into sight of the small cottage as Kiel Exits and with swift, firm steps the priest moves to meet him before he reaches the building proper.

Upon spotting him, the man goes off like a bomb, his dark face getting right into Kiel's to begin screaming. “Fucking you! It's god damn fucking you again, isn't it!?” he hisses, the smell of drink and meth hanging off the man clearly marking him as not in his right mind now, if ever. Kiel doesn't move despite the man having a hundred pounds on him. He doesn't get the chance to speak, as the man continues to yell in his face. “You're fucking keeping her locked up in there like some little slave girl aren't you?! You fucking pervert! Takin' my little girl, telling her it's okay to run away from her family, that it's okay, that you're there for her. You fucking pedophile!”

Kiel can see his fellow priests out of the corner of his eye, and he knows they will call the police. He can't give them any attention however as he stands his ground, not giving the man a clear line to the cottage. “Sir.” he begins as politely as he can manage. “Sir, I am not keeping your daughter against her will, and I've not laid hands on her in that manner. I've only offered her a safe place to stay under the lord's care while your family settles down from whatever scare-” Kiel stumbles back as the man shoves him hard in the chest.

“I've read about you fuckers, don't give me those fucking lies! You fuck little kids because that's all you can get, you fucking perverts! Pedophiles all of you!” He screams this at the top of his lungs, taking the couple feet he got from shoving Kiel who is once more standing steady and not looking to move out of his way.

'He's clearly in the middle of some nasty trip here. . . I hope the police come soon. When a person is this deep in, there's no reasoning with them. I know she can hear every word of this, and poor Zach. . .' Kiel shakes his head, not backing down as the man shoves his face into his once more and continues to scream that Kiel is “raping his baby”. Kiel is unhurt by this accusation normally, but faint flickers back to his foul dream leaves him a touch vulnerable and despite his prayers before, he can feel the man's words cut him ever so slightly.

He has to admit, the shouting man is a surprise. Neither the priest nor the girl seem to be, though, and before Zach can fully grasp what is happening Sarah is off towards the back, while Kiel strides out the door. Zach follows him at a distance, keeping a worried frown on his face even though he kind of wants to roll his eyes over the bullshit the other man is spewing. Sarah's father, no doubt. Charming.

The man might be an insignificant mortal, but Zach still feels himself seethe when he sees him shove the priest from his position at the door. His first instinct is to rush out there, to give the brute something he can really scream about, but he clamps down on that. What could he do? Kiel is keeping calm even in the face of threatened violence, and there's a whole bunch of priests watching on as well. In another situation Zach might step right in the middle. It would be easy to goad the brute into beating on him, which in turn might give someone else and excuse for retribution. But it's not like any of these priests are going to beat the snot out of him, and Zach is in no position to make a stand with help of the law. According to human laws, he doesn't exist, and he knows that that will make it difficult to get the human out of the picture.

No, loath as he is to admit it, stepping in would only make things worse. He slowly slinks back into the house, and eventually ends up sitting in front of the room the girl has locked herself into. He can hear her crying through the wood, choked off little gasps that she's muffling well enough that this can't be the first time she's had to do it.

Zach doesn't care for humans- he doesn't- but this is just... It's pitiful, is what it is. That must be why it makes him so angry. That and listening to the bullshit the man is spewing out there, loud enough to carry all the way into the little cabin. He starts singing without really noticing it, a soulful little tune that he picked up a couple of decades ago in a country on the other side of the world. By all accounts it shouldn't be enough to drown out the shouting, but he lets his voice take on the unnatural cadence of his nature and suddenly it's the most interesting thing in the room. He's not supposed to, of course, but what could this little girl tell anyone anyways?

It doesn't take long then for the sniffling to quiet down, the shouting outside still audible, but suddenly the easiest thing in the world to ignore. Even Zach stops focusing on the world outside their little bubble for a few moments, drawing out the notes until he is pretty sure the kid's calmed down as much as she's going to.

"Hey kid," he mutters then, voice soft but still perfectly audible to the human child on the other side of the door.

"Do you ever wish he was dead?" The question would seem terribly out of place from anyone else, but from Zach it just sounds like a casual question.

"No need to answer now. Just think about it. Let me know if you ever make up your mind." There's still the hint of otherworldliness to his voice. Enough that she'll be able to pass it off to her imagination should she want to.

Should she not want to however... Well, he hadn't really meant to ask the question in the first place, but it feels kind of right now that it is out there. The man is a distraction to Kiel, after all. And that is what bothers Zach. If he doesn't think too deep about it, he can even keep believing that.

The yelling and screaming seems to go on forever, but Kiel stand strong. The sound of police sirens in the distance seem to set the man off however and with a cry he falls back as the man punches him hard in the chest, knocking him down. Kiel takes barelyt a moment to regain his breath as the man rushes towards his house before climbing to his feet and chasing after him. A handful of other priest join him, shouting as the man hits Kiel again, this time in the arm, as he braces himself in the doorway to keep the enraged man from passing. Not ready to put up with an actual attack on one of their own, the handful of younger priests grab hold of the man and work on pulling him away from the house. He is once more screaming obscenities and accusing them all of raping children when the police finally arrive. The men of god hand him over to them, and begin giving their statements about what's happened.

Kiel himself slumps against his door, taking in pained breaths. Every inhale makes his chest ache and he wonders if something got cracked. As an officer approaches to question him however he breaths through the pain and speaks softly about the situation. Eventually, the head priest talks to the police about their sanctuary laws and they agree to not drag the girl off as long as she's willing to come out and tell them in person she's there of her own free will.

Inside, Sarah had listened to Zach's voice, listened to his question, and felt her pain ease as his voice became so sweet in her hears. Somehow, despite her hearing being damaged, his voice sounds so clear to her. His question is a bit scary, but for some reason it doesn't make her feel afraid. Instead, she just takes it in, thinking about it, and nodding as he says she doesn't have to answer right away. The small quiet between them is broken as the shouting fades, and she can feel her tears coming back.

Kiel steps in, spotting Zach sitting in front of the door to Sarah's temporary room. He smiles faintly and helps the boy carefully to his feet. “The man's gone now. I'm sorry if that scared you.” He takes a moment to comfort Zach, grasping the back of his neck in a gentle sign of affection, then turns to kneel beside the door Sarah is hidden behind. “Sarah, the police are here. They want to make sure you want to be here. They want to know, if this is what you want. . .” He knows she has very little choice in her life, and he hopes that presenting their requirement this way it will inspire her to come out. With a soft smile, he listens to her shift, coming to his feet as the click of the key being turned in the lock tells him she's coming out. Still smiling, he looks at the crack of the door where her face appears and holds out a hand to her. After a long moment, she comes with him outside to tell the police she wants to stay.

It takes another half an hour for things to settle, the head priest wanting to check on Sarah before letting her return to where she feels safe. Once back in the cottage, Kiel settles the stressed girl down for a nap. Closing the door to her room, he returns to the main room and settles for making he and Zach some tea. “I'm sorry you had to listen to all of that.” he murmurs, giving the youth a sympathetic look. His movements are stiff and he doesn't use his left arm as he shuffles around, trying to make the tea. His arm and chest are still paining him, but he wants to wait until Zach is settled in to slip off to the bathroom for some painkillers.

Zach is stiff and uncomfortable under the priest's hand as he comforts him, and he forces himself to relax at least a little at the touch. He stays back as the humans shuffle around, the police offers taking statements here and there and the priests fussing rather more uselessly. He focuses on looking closed-off and upset in case someone looks at him, but inside he is seething.

The priest got hurt. He hadn't even noticed, but somewhere in the whole mess the priest got hurt and now there's a roil of anger inside of him that he can't do anything with. It doesn't even matter. He's just some dumb mortal who can't even take care of himself apparently. Dumb mortals hurt each other all the time, and this doesn't even make the scale of the bad shit Zach's seen over the years. It shouldn't rattle him. It doesn't.

If anything, he's just... annoyed. That idiot came blundering into his house and messed up his priest- er, his mark that is- and Zach did bloody fuck-all. There's a shiver under his skin that he stubbornly ignores, a reminder that this young and harmless form is not the only one he could possess. It would be so easy to catch the brute unawares some time, without the pesky complexities of witnesses and busybodies blathering about 'the sanctity of life'. Hell, there was plenty of damage he would be able to do without leaving even a mark.

But the girl is out of the room again and looking like she might crumble at the slightest provocation, so Zach doesn't let any of his darker thoughts make it to his face. He just stands around in the background, looking slightly shaken yet still encouraging. Just some harmless human thinking worried thoughts.

The priest, of course, is a self-sacrificing idiot who doesn't stop fussing over others even when he is in obvious pain. Does he really think he's fooling anyone with those careful movements and aborted twitches every time his body tries to move its left arm before he remembers he shouldn't? Then again, none of the assorted humans outside seemed to have made him sit down and take it easy, so perhaps they really just were such big idiots.

"Oh no you don't," he says when the priest starts making tea, gently but firmly taking the tea pot out of his hands.

"No more fussing over others until you get checked out. Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice?" He abandons the teapot on the sink and waves the priest over to a chair.

"I don't know whether to feel offended that you apparently think I'm stupid, or to worry whether that asshole gave you a concussion as well. Take off your shirt." He's taking out the first aid kit from where he'd seen Kiel grab it before.

"Oh, don't give me that look. Someone's going to have to make sure you're not going to puncture a lung with a broken rib, and you lost your chance when you didn't ask for a doctor to check you up earlier. Don't worry, I'm not going to assault your virtue or whatever." He rolls his eyes.

"Or would you rather take the chance that Sarah will find you drowned in your own blood in the morning? Because I'm sure that would go over real well." It's a low blow, and he knows it. He just doesn't care. Honestly, the chances of it being that bad are pretty slim, but he's not feeling very charitable towards the priest at the moment.

His eyes snap up as Zach comes over and he can't help the faint smile as the youth takes the pot from him. 'Busted. . . I'm sure the others thought I just wasn't very hurt, but Zach is very attentive. . .' He'd done his best not to move munch in front of the others, his history of getting hit on the street from angry addicts, parents, and gang members giving him a good idea of his injury's severity and telling him that he's just severely bruised. Feeling “caught” he doesn't object to sitting down and with a long sigh settles into the chair, wincing as the expansion of his lungs still pains him. He opens his mouth to tell Zach he doesn't think the boy is stupid and that he should be fine with some rest when the young man demands he remove his shirt.

A painful twinge having nothing to do with his injuries passes through him and on impulse he reaches up to hold his collar closed, eyes wide. Zach is having none of it however and insists that if he's not going to at least talk to a doctor, then he himself is going to make sure the injuries aren't that bad. The added bit at the end about “assaulting his virtue” catches him and his eyes drop to his lap. 'He just wants to help, right? That's natural. . .' His eyes squeeze shut as the upset youth puts a sickening image in his head and with reluctance he lets out another sigh, looking up at Zach sadly.

“I'm sorry Zach, I don't think you're stupid. I'm pretty sure that these are just bruises, but if it will put your mind at ease. . .” Using one hand he carefully undoes the top of his robes, sliding them down carefully until they've settles around his waist. With even more care, he tries to get his under shirt off, but the T isn't willing to cooperate with one arm limp. He has to get some help from Zach to get the bit of fabric all the way off, and settles back against the back of the chair after, the strain on the bruises during the activity tiring him out a bit.

The left side of his chest as a slightly larger than fists sized bruise just below his peck, while a lighter, barely visible bruise settles around square on it. His arm looks a bit worse, the dark color showing the man put more weight into his punch aimed at it and showing clearly why he doesn't want to move it. Kiel looks down at his own injuries and then smiles faintly at Zach. “I'm pretty sure they're just bruises. As you can probably see, I've been on the wrong end of misdirected ire a few times before.” He points to the small handful of scars here and there from times he stood up for those who needed standing up for and didn't come out unscathed. Still smiling, he gives Zach a bright look. “My breathing is fine, and I'm sure if there's any real damage it's just a crack, and even that's unlikely. I don't feel any burning.” He had to learn to self diagnose a long time ago. He prays Zach will be satisfied quickly, not wanting to remain uncovered for long. Despite feeling he's no longer a danger to Zach, he doesn't want to accidentally spook the little one should the boy need comfort after the ordeal.

The priest says he's fine. And sure, there's no immediately visible danger or something that he can see- but that doesn't have to mean anything with humans. They're such... fragile little things when it comes down to it. They don't make their own bodies, and as such they're dreadfully unaware of how they're put together and how they work. If Zach would manage to break a rib, he would know. It comes with having a body that he consciously shapes himself. With humans... He's heard enough stories on the street to know that 'I feel fine' can still lead to plenty of unforeseen complications- some deadly.

All of this flicks through his mind in mere moments, and he realises he's been frowning for several seconds at least.

He sighs and sets the first aid kit down again.

"Fine. Just... can you at least try to not overextend yourself? On purpose at least?" The priest is radiating waves of discomfort at having some skin exposed, and Zach didn't want to make him all uncomfortable just so he could be at peace that the man wasn't bleeding internally or whatever other way human bodies could mess up. Whatever relief came with confirming that he was okay would undoubtedly be tainted by the jerky sense of discomfort Zach could already feel skittering under his skin. It was usually easier to shrug off unwanted human emotions, but it was now biting him in the ass that he'd been getting more attuned to the priest over time.

"Can I at least help you getting dressed for bed, or is that too much touching as well?" He adds sharply. He's been drawn into worrying about the human, but that doesn't mean anything. He's can't forget his mission and this just makes it more clear he needs the priest to stop putting him in the same mental category as Sarah. He keeps up the narrowed eyes for a moment, then lets out a deep sigh, relaxing his shoulders and rubbing his eyes.

"Shit, sorry, forget what I said, okay? That's not fair of me. You've been very kind to me and not all... 'religious' or whatever and it doesn't matter that you don't like me around. It's fine. I'm fine."

Kiel can't help being uncomfortable under the young man's gaze, but he does his best to hide this on the outside. Zach seems rather upset, and he wants to do what he can for the young man, but fear of himself keeps him rooted to the spot. 'I know I won't do anything, and I know he's not trying to upset me, but I just can't. Not like this. I knew this upset him more than he was letting on. I'm sure this upset comes from the commotion. . .' He lets out a sigh, feeling very much like he's failing this 'Little One'. “I will do my best to not exacerbate my injuries, I promise.” he murmurs, nodding. His skin tenses at the idea of Zach helping him dress, especially since he follows it up with words about “too much touching” and a glare.

He's helped over a hundred kids treat their wounds, get off soiled clothing, clean blood and filth from their bodies, and helped them get into fresh clothing. He's done it so many times, and never felt uncomfortable doing so. He would always check of course, to make sure they are okay with the help, but this is the first time he's really been on the other side of things with someone besides a doctor or a fellow priest. Normally, he would hide any injury he got and have one of his brothers under god look him over before either letting them patch him up, or letting them bring him to the hospital. Now, with Zach however, he has a very competent, forceful young man with a strong will and a protective nature of his own. He normally deals with, bless them, very selfish kids and teens, but Zach is different. He knows somehow that this worry over him is his own fault, and he chides himself silently for that, but as he watches the youth sag and back off Kiel knows that he needs to do something and not just sit there.

Zach following words make his insides tighten and flip, even as he recognizes the tactic being employed. He's seen it several times before, from youth trying to get something out of him, but in this case he knows it's not a selfish thing. Despite recognizing it, and knowing it for his sake, Kiel can't help the pained feeling at hearing Zach's accusation. Carefully standing up, Kiel gently brushes Zach's hand from his face, and cups his cheek. “Now, that's not fair Zach. When did I ever say anything about not wanting you around?” His voice is warm and gentle, but firm in it's denial of the accusation.

“Nothing about how I'm acting reflects anything about you specifically Zach.” he says softly. “I have been in the priesthood for as long as I can recall, and you know well enough that would mean I'm not exactly comfortable showing any bit of myself to anyone really. I don't think you're going to do anything to me, and I'm not afraid of you.” He looks down, eyeing his own bruises. Looking back up, he strokes Zach's cheek gently with his thumb, and smiles. “I will admit I'm being a little unfair to you. I know you just want to return the favor and take care of me a little bit, and that is very sweet. I'm sorry for making you feel upset, and I will try to give you that freedom in the future, okay?” Kiel beams softly. “And I would love some help getting my sleeve back over this arm, if you still want to help.”

The priest is all but radiating a patronising sort of concern for his feelings, and while it should by all accounts annoy the shit out of Zach, he can't help but crack a bit of a smile at the familiarity of it. Annoying as it is, he can't help but be endeared by the sheer persistence of the man in the help he wants to offer his 'little one's'. There's probably quite a few humans that are genuinely honest in their motives, but Zach usually doesn't have the pleasure of meeting them. Not to say that he doesn't enjoy the more sinful and depraved side of humans- on the contrary! It's just interesting in it's novelty, if nothing else.

"Yes priest, you are very caring and selfless and all that shit- no need to convince me even further." He rolls his eyes and helps the priest get his arm in his sleeve with a care that belies his words.

"You probably believe what you say too, all you religious types seem to do. But don't think I didn't notice you being all... stiff and weird after tonight. I don't know if you guessed or if you talked to someone, but I know what you 'good' book says about... people like me. You don't have to force yourself to be all forgiving and shit if you're just going to be weird about it later." He makes sure to inject just enough covered-up hurt to make it all the more tantalising for the priest to want to break his wall down again.

Of course the man has no idea what he's talking about. He is pretty sure Kiel hasn't figured out yet that Zack had cheerfully slept his way through an impressive list of guys in the months before he ended up on the priest's doorstep. And if he wasn't going to figure it out on his own, Zach would have to tell him himself. And what better way than to pretend to assume he already knew?

Despite how upset Zach seems to be at being “babied”, his hands are gentle as they help guide his arm back into his sleeve. Thanking the boy softly, he works on closing up his top at the youth continues speaking. His movements still as what sounds like accusations seem to flood out of the young man, and he turns to look at Zach fully with his top few buttons still undone. The hurt behind his voice stings, and Kiel thinks wildly that his unconscious depravity somehow has caused the youth some hurt. He thinks back over thew day, trying to pinpoint being stiff and standoffish, and he realizes he has been a little less close to the young man since waking.

'But I don't know what that has to do with Zach himself. . . He's acting like I found out some secret about him that is causing me to stand away from him, but I can't imagine any such thing. I mean, I know why I have been acting a bit different, but he. . . He's not acting like he knows of my failing. . .' Shifting slightly, he gives Zach a gently confused look. “Zach, I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about. I. . . Am not perfect, and I have some issues that I realize now caused me to act strangely this morning, but that had nothing to do with you. It was a fault of my own, I swear.”

Shifting again, to take some pressure off his ribs, he finishes buttoning his top. “If there's something bothering you however, please, I am here to listen. If you feel I've dome something wrong or inappropriate, please, tell me. I don't want you to feel unwelcome or uncomfortable here. I am here for all of my Little Ones, and if you feel I am not doing my best, I want to know what I can do better for you Zach. I want to be someone you can talk to, you can trust. . . Please.” His voice in sincere and full of warm feelings for the young man in front of him, his desire to help full and clear even as the talking makes him wince in pain.

Zack frowns, making sure to give the expression a suspicious edge as well.

"You... don't? I thought you... You're not fucking with me, are you?" He says carefully, mind working quickly as he tries to figure out how to spin this. If he tried to wave it off, perhaps the priest would get curious and try to figure it out a bit more. Of course he might very well get some sort of noble idea in his head about 'respecting his privacy' and then there would just be the spectre of a secret hanging between them creating more distance. No, perhaps he should just out with it and take the chance to give the priest the sense that he is being trusted with something. Showing vulnerability will probably reinforce the 'little one' bullshit for a bit, but at least there would be the appearance of a foundation of trust to work from.

"You don't have to do anything to make me feel unwelcome here," he starts off haltingly, "there's been plenty of so called 'holy men' before who made that exceedingly clear to me." He crosses his arms in front of him, as if to steel himself for rejection. Kiel seems to like breaking through emotional barriers, so lets give him one to break through.

"The truth is, I don't belong here. I'm headed straight to hell and perdition or whatever. Supposedly." He shifts uncomfortably in place, breaking eye contact for a moment then looking back at the priest as if steeling himself for rejection.

"Yeah, your fellow priests were always very clear on the 'hell' part. On account of all the sleeping around with men, you know? Really bad for my eternal soul or whatever." He's staring at Kiel now, face hard and brittle underneath- the very picture of someone expecting rejection but still hanging onto a little sliver of hope.