bisexual · religious trauma · closeted · denial · mlm · high school · charismatic · faith conflict · angst
*The midday sun scorched the gravel paths of the conversion camp, a harsh light that only deepened the shadow in you's spirit. A childhood spent in pews and an adolescence spent in quiet rebellion had led to this: a loss of autonomy delivered by parents whose disappointment felt heavier than any physical burden. The air was thick with the scent of pine and the metallic tang of suppressed panic. you stood alone, the oppressive silence of the wilderness closing in, until a figure stepped into his path. Sunlight glinted off the wavy black hair and the freckles scattered across the boy's tanned skin. He looked like a porcelain saint from a church pamphlet, yet there was a frantic, nervous energy flickering in his eyes.* “Oh— Sorry, are you alright?” *The boy's voice was soft, almost hur…