A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Also, I have decided to speed up the story so that it can be told in just a few chapters so that I could get on with my fanfics that need updating.

Third Person POV

The night ended with Off somehow mustering the courage to ask for Gun's contact number before they parted.

A week had passed and Gun got immersed in his work routine. Gun decided to skip his usual Friday karaoke night at the pub. He ate a late dinner at his own place. A year ago, against his parents' protests, he had moved out of his parents' house and bought a small house in an adjacent city. That small house had previously been owned by an aunt who had passed away and Gun's cousin, his aunt's son, had sold the house at an affordable price.

On Friday afternoon there was a little bit of problem solving that he and his assistant manager needed to do. Something about a last minute change of schedule of use of the banquet hall. A wedding planner had mixed up some wedding reception dates. The previously reserved banquet hall had to be shifted to a smaller hall because by the time the wedding planner realized the mistake, it had been given to a different customer who had reserved it for a different occasion. 

Gun was not going to worry about the wedding planner's fate, whether they were going to lose their job or to lose their business or whatever. He just needed to go home now and take care of the beginnings of a headache.

After his late dinner, which was a takeout at a Chinese restaurant along the way to his house, he started to run his bath. While waiting for the tub to fill, Gun poured himself some red wine. Red wine was his natural sleep aid. Reading a good novel also helped with a good night's sleep. Even if it was a mystery thriller that he was reading, halfway through the novel he always managed to doze off.

After testing the water, Gun settled into the tub, a paperback novel in one hand, his wine glass perched beside him on the side of the tub.

Before immersing himself in the water, Gun made sure that his cell phone was within reach on the bathroom counter.

Since it was already half past nine, the whole neighborhood was quiet. The houses in the neighborhood were mostly owned by retirees who went to bed early.

The main character in the mystery thriller that Gun was reading was crouched behind her sofa, hoping that the killer would not find her hiding place, waiting with heart in her throat for the killer to leave her house.

The generic sound of a caller not in Gun's list of contacts rang loudly in the night, making Gun curse because it made him drop the paperback into the water.

Gun debated whether to take the call or not. 

Because he was upset that the caller made him drop his paperback into the water, Gun decided to let the call go to voicemail. If the call was important, the caller would leave a message.

---------

Off waited until he had parked his car inside the garage before sending a text to Father Charles (or Chuck, as he wanted to be called).

While still inside his car, Off replied to Chuck.

What is the best time to call you?

The reply from Chuck was almost instant.

How about can I call you right now?

I'm waiting...  Off texted back.

Again, almost in an instant Off's phone started ringing. Off took the call immediately.

"Are you alone in your room right now? Where is Father Jim?" Off did not waste time with preliminaries. He knew that Chuck's time was important.

Father Jim was Chuck's roommate. The younger priests were housed two in a room while the seminarians were housed four in a room in two double bunk beds.

"He is keeping Father Norman company for the night because he's having asthma attacks," Chuck replied.

Father Norman was the oldest priest in the seminary and his health was failing. Pretty soon the congregation would decide to put him in a nursing home.

"I'm sorry to hear that your papal dispensation has been denied," again Off went straight to the reason for their phone conversation. Off was someone who did not like to waste time on preliminaries. He was a very straightforward person.

"My girlfriend is very disappointed. I'm afraid she's going to leave me for someone else," Off heard the catch in Chuck's voice.

Off kept quiet. Personally he had been against Chuck having a secret girlfriend while he was still a priest. Off was of the opinion that if he wanted to keep a clear conscience he should stay clear of a love interest while still a priest, or just leave the priesthood before pursuing a love interest.

At this time, he did not want to make any judgmental statements to Chuck. He waited for Chuck to continue talking.

"She told me that sending a second application to the Vatican would be futile."

Usually, once an application for papal dispensation had been denied, that was the end of it. Your only other option was ex-communication from the Church. His girlfriend was actually right.

Off continued to keep his opinions to himself.

"She wants me to leave the priesthood already and we could go live in another city far from her parents and mine," Chuck continued.

Off let out a heavy sigh but refrained from saying anything.

"I wish I were in your shoes right now," Chuck said. "I wish I was back to being on the last year of my seminary studies and being on a regency period like you. Then I would be free to have a girlfriend out in the open without being judged and then I would be able to decide not to proceed with my ordination into the priesthood without being judged."

Off sighed again. In his heart of hearts, he knew that at the end of his regency period he was going back to the seminary to start making preparations for his ordination. He had always wanted to be a missionary priest and he knew that the only way to be able to reach as many people and to help as many people as he could was if he remained unattached to anyone, and that meant remaining in the priesthood.

Off and Chuck conversed a while longer, with Off telling Chuck that if he could help him out in any way, to just give him a call.

Off's dad was already asleep by the time he let himself into the house through the back door.

Off was kept busy throughout the week helping out with his father's musical instruments business.

By the following Friday he went back to the pub where he had first met Gun. He was hoping to see Gun again and to listen to him sing his Broadway songs.

There was already someone singing at the karaoke area when one of the staff led him inside the pub. Unfortunately there was no corner table available. He had to make do with sitting at a table near the karaoke area.

Off was disappointed to see that Gun was not in the pub. Throughout dinner and drinks he kept hoping that Gun would show up but Gun never did.

Off glanced at his watch before getting out of his car after parking it in the garage. It was a little past ten. He wondered if Gun was still awake. He fished his phone out of his pocket.

He made the sign of the cross on himself before tapping on Gun's number. If Gun was already asleep and he got awakened by his call there was a chance that he would get a very grumpy reception.