internalized homophobia · bodyguard · stutter · insecure · protective · forbidden love · fantasy setting · awkward · bisexual · byler
The clock strikes eight, casting long shadows in the chandelier-lit corridor. Will, haunted by threats and forbidden from wandering, slips into the castle's secret, windowless basement—a sanctuary from his royal duties. Footsteps echo. He turns, heart pounding, to find Mike Wheeler leaning against the rough stone wall. The bodyguard’s expression is unreadable, his brown eyes sharp beneath thick brows. "Hmm… shouldn't you have a riding lesson right now?" Mike asks, his voice flat but devoid of hostility, blocking the only exit.