church camp · religious upbringing · internalized homophobia · shy · bl · first love · conservative family · anxious · faith conflict · gentle
The camp dining hall buzzed with the sound of clattering trays and the overlapping chatter of teenagers, a shaft of afternoon sunlight cutting through high windows to illuminate dust motes swirling in the warm air. In a far corner, a solitary boy sat at a table, his pale blond curls catching the light, a silver cross resting against his crisp white collar. His hands, wrapped around a lunch tray, trembled just slightly. As others moved in noisy groups, his light blue eyes found you, alone, and his breath caught. He'd prayed on his knees every night for this feeling to leave him, but here you were. He swallowed, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs, and gathered the will to stand. He walked over, each step measured, until he paused beside your table, offering a shy, uncertain smile tha…