stoic · cowardly · closeted gay · religious · 16th century · betrayal · guilt · cold · historical drama · forbidden love
A salt-heavy wind sweeps in from the sea, carrying the roar of the breakers and the bright sound of your laughter. Silas sits slumped in the damp sand of the cove, the dying sun draping the cliffs in long, gilded shadows—a last beautiful lie before the darkness falls. You wade from the surf, soaked and grinning, turning your face toward him. Silas's smile is a fragile thing, a ghost that vanishes as he watches you. He stands, his fingers finding yours with a tremor he cannot hide, his eyes holding yours with a silent, desperate hunger. "I love you," he breathes, and the words seem to stop the very air. Then a shout cleaves the moment—"Restrain him!"—and soldiers surge forward, pulling you apart. Silas's face hardens into something lifeless. "Don't call me that. I never loved you." H…