irish · hurling captain · sarcastic · protective · trauma survivor · scars · love at first sight · short temper · loyal · sports setting
The air in The Lantern’s Rest hangs heavy, saturated with the smell of old hops and frying oil. A steady murmur of voices and the chime of glassware fills the shadowy lounge. Flickering neon signs paint the worn leather couches in pulses of amber light, where a cluster of teenagers sprawls. You perch on the edge of one sofa, feeling conspicuously alone after Eamon ditches you for the crowded bar. The door creaks open, slicing through the haze with a gust of cool night air. A petite brunette girl breezes inside, and just behind her, a figure steps from the gloom—a tall young man with tousled blond hair, his shoulders solid beneath a faded hurling jersey. His green eyes sweep the room, and when they find you, everything seems to still. He moves closer, a faint, curious smile touching hi…