I WANNA BE YOURS ♡ arvin russell (d. kink)

08. PREACHER

IWBY

CHAPTER EIGHT: PREACHER

"i want you looking your best, darling! first impressions are ever so important!" rory grumbled at her mother's perky voice so early on a sunday. she sat infant of her vanity mirror, painting the peachy blush to her cheeks. today was the day that the new preacher would hold service, and aurora's parents wanted to make the best impression. 'we're representing Britain, love!' her father had said.

it wasn't that deep. aurora found herself thinking much more like arvin these days. her faith in the lord was wavering. there was no way she could tell that to her parents, or lenora, for they would say that she had been trained. hell, her parents didn't even know that she was seeing arvin yet. was seeing the right word? they weren't an official couple, they hadn't even been on a date yet. aurora would only call arvin her boyfriend when he asked to be so, at no other time.

the travel to the church was short, and there were only a few cars there so early. aurora's honey eyes looked around for arvin's car, but she frowned when there was no such car in sight. facing the new preacher with her parents, it was.

inside the church there was a line of people, in each of their hands a different type of food. aurora carried a heavy load of pork pies and sausage rolls. "I-i don't understand why you wanted t-to bring british food, mother."

"It makes a nice change, don't you think?"

"yes, dear." aurora's father had changed the most since richard's death. he did little speaking for himself and usually went along with whatever her mother had said before him.

the group of three finally reached the front of the line. rory gulped as she set eyes on the new preacher. he was much more intimidating than their last preacher. the new preacher had light brown locks, falling flat against his sweating forehead. he was tall, the ends of is grey suit swinging higher than his ankles and wrists. his dark, empty eyes stared down at her and a smirk fell on his lips at the sight of -what aurora thought was- the cross necklace against her beating chest, displayed openly by her white dress.

"well, you must be those english folks I been hearin' so much about." the giggle of his wife came after and aurora's timid doe eyes shifted to her. she was beautiful, flowing brown locks and his cheekbones. she fit perfectly into her purple dress and she stood a few inches taller than the little girl.

"it's lovely to meet you, preacher." her mother ecstatically reached forward and shook his hand. her mother and father introduced themselves with a smile and a pass over of their foods. those cold eyes landed on aurora again and her hands shook.

"and who's this little thing?"

"a-aurora, s-sir."

"well ain't you just a sweet thing." his eyes fell to her chest again before landing at her hands. she wished her parents weren't so busy trying to make a good impression on his wife. "now what have you brought me?"

"t-they're british." she cleared her throat. "y-you don't h-have to try them-"

she was cut off as the preacher snatched a pork pie, crushing it between his teeth. she grimaced at the crumbs falling to the clean carpet, and the way that saliva pooled at the corners of his lips. preacher teagardin was no doubt a handsome man; but there was something unsettling about the way he acted. he stared at aurora as though she were his prey. the preacher wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"mm. now, that was lovely." he reached forward, grabbing one of her tiny hands in his. "i wish you and your family the most blessed day. god be with you all."

"a-and you, mister preacher."

"please. call me preston."

she didn't.

all that the little girl did was hand over the food and scurry away as quickly as she could. an unsettling nerve tickled at her spine and sent shivers in its wake. aurora was unsettled until she finally heard that voice that she so deeply needed. arvin's. he walked in with emma and lenora by his side, and although the two were looking for the preacher with big smiles on their faces, there was only one face on arvin's mind.

his coffee eyes scoured the room in hopes to find his little girl. it wasn't hard to spot her blonde locks amongst the crowd of brunette and ginger. her desirable body was turned to face the doors, and her eyes lit up as soon as she spotted him there. the fright from her previous encounter washed away as soon as she set eyes on him. the tiny girl waved happily to the family, who each waved back just as happily. rory watched as the russel family went up and spoke to the preacher themselves, who dipped his finger straight into grace's fine livers. she watched arvin's eyes grow darker, almost black, in his confusion. preacher teagardin was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

the church gathered by the end of the pews, and aurora shuffled her way towards her lover and her best friend. arvin smiled fondly at the halo of blonde hair falling at his side, and the following scent of her strawberry lipgloss. they couldn't be seen to be touching in the church, or at all whilst her parents were around. with a cool coke in her hand, she smiled up at the brown haired boy. the preacher was loading his plate with everything the people of the town had brought, and the girl watched as he placed three pork pies onto his plate. she faltered, however, when he stopped at emma's chicken livers.

"friends. there's no doubt, we're all humbled people gathered here." a few people mumbled amen. "y'all have been awful nice to me, and i thank you from the bottom of my heart for the welcome." aurora smiled. maybe he wasn't so bad after all. "but, friends. the poor soul that brung in them chicken livers on that beat-up plate..." rory gulped as emma gasped. "let's just say i'm inspired to preach on it for a minute before we eat. sure, some of us are better off than others. and i see plenty of white meat and red meat laid out on this table. and i suspect that the folks that carried them platters in eat mighty good sometimes." emma shuffled uncomfortably. rory reached over, comfortingly stroking her arm. "but poor people got to bring what they can afford. so them organs... is a sign to me, telling me that i should, as the new preacher of this church, sacrifice myself. so that y'all can have a share of some of the good meat tonight."

lenora clung onto every word the preacher spoke. rory looked down at her lovers hands, only to find them angrily clenched at his sides. the little girl frowned further.

"and that's what i'm gonna do, friends." the preacher picked up emma's chicken livers. "i'm going to eat these organs. 'cause i model myself of the good lord jesus." arvin wrapped his arm around emma, jaw clenched as he stared up at the preacher. there was a fire in his coffee eyes that aurora had never seen before, so different to the way that he looked at her. "whenever he gives me the chance. and today, he's blessed me with another opportunity to follow in his footsteps."

"amen."

with one final smirk, the preacher scoffed his mouth full with emma's cooking. all the while, his eyes were trained on one little girl.

IWBY
CHAPTER EIGHT: PREACHER