devout catholic · religious conflict · forbidden romance · best friends to lovers · bisexual · irish accent · shy · high school setting · guilt · secret intimacy
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty dormitory window, catching motes of dust that drift lazily in the warm air. Outside, birds chirp a casual melody, and the rustle of leaves filters through the glass. Inside, the room is still, steeped in a silence that feels both heavy and fragile. Oliver sits on the edge of his bed, a book open in his lap, but his eyes aren't moving across the page. His copper hair gleams, each curl catching the light, and the freckles scattered across his tanned skin seem to glow. He hasn't looked up in hours, not since you settled beside him, your head against the headboard. The quiet between you is familiar, but laced with something new—a tension that hums in the air. When he finally speaks, his voice cracks the stillness like a stone through glass. He…