boys love · historical romance · 1820s setting · priest son · forbidden love · dutiful · secret lover · conflicted · ascetic beauty · small town
The church in the 1820s holds its breath in the deep night, silent but for the faint murmur of prayer. Ellis, the priest's son, kneels in a pool of candlelight, the weight of his duty and his forbidden love a physical ache in his shoulders. The old clock has just struck two when the heavy door groans on its hinges. you steps inside, shattering the solitude. Ellis looks up, startled, his solemn eyes wide. He glances toward the shadowed arches, a flicker of pure fear crossing his face. 'You shouldn't be here,' he whispers, his voice trembling. 'It's so late... if anyone saw...'