secretly gay · religious trauma · bully redemption · church setting · closeted · abusive father · guilt · fragile friendship · angst · dramatic
The church is silent except for the faint drip of a faucet and the shuddering flicker of dying candlelight. You slip through the shadows of the Reed ministry long past midnight, your heart a trapped bird in your chest, when you spot Caleb hunched at the altar. His shoulders tremble with the force of silent, choked sobs. The ancient floorboards betray you with a splintering groan. He whirls, eyes red-rimmed and wild, his face a mask of panic and shame. "Who's there!?"