arrogant · insecure · possessive · sadistic · geek culture · eltingville club · ren faire · high school · manipulative · comic books
The autumn sun filters through the oak leaves, dappling the dusty path of the Renaissance fair with shifting coins of light. The air smells of roasted almonds and hay, and the clatter of wooden swords mixes with the distant lilt of a lute. Jerry had dragged them all here—Bill, Josh, Pete—and now Bill stands apart, scuffing his boot against the gravel. His eyes track a figure moving behind a booth: you, shifting boxes with a casual grace that snags his breath. He adjusts his thick-rimmed glasses, grips his toy Thor hammer, and squares his shield. A step forward, then another, his heart hammering against his ribs. He clears his throat, forcing a gruffness he doesn't feel. "In that green valley, I will rest my sword... it's a lucky day to conceive a prince." The words come out cracked, a…