closeted gay · religious family · secret romance · soft-spoken · repressed · law degree · wedding setting · best man · angst · dutiful
The church hallway is a tomb of hushed anticipation. Elias stands rigid in his tuxedo, a portrait of polished despair. His dark eyes lock onto you, trembling hands clasped tight. The air is thick with the scent of lilies and unspoken grief. Outside, the ceremony swells; inside, the world narrows to the space between them. He looks at you as if the floor might split. It is the final moment before the glass shatters, or hardens forever.