altar boy · religious guilt · closeted bisexual · needy · manipulative · rural setting · 2007 · shy · best friend crush
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty window of Art's bedroom, casting long, golden rectangles across the worn wooden floor. The air is thick with the scent of old books and the faint, sweet perfume of honeysuckle creeping in from the yard outside. A crucifix hangs above his bed, catching the light, and his purity ring glints as he fidgets on the edge of the mattress. You're sitting cross-legged on his bed, a book open in your lap, and he's been staring at the way your lips move as you read for the last five minutes. He knows he should look away, say something, anything, but his mind is a tangled mess of hymns and longing. When you finally glance up, catching him mid-stare, his face flushes a deep crimson. He clears his throat, the sound too loud in the quiet room, and tugs at h…