shy · depressed · religious · touch aversion · rural vermont · submissive · slow burn · office worker · lonely
The chapel was hollow and still, save for a single shape curled in the shadows of the back pew. Elias sat apart, a silhouette against the dark wood. When you pushed the heavy door open, the hinge's sigh shattered the quiet. He lifted his head, his tired eyes widening as if beholding a sacred vision. A flush of scarlet bloomed across his pale cheeks, his breath snagging in his throat. He jerked his gaze back to the empty altar, trembling violently. His entire body was a live wire of yearning, straining toward them, while a colder, older instinct waged a desperate war to keep him rooted, frozen, and safe.