golden retriever energy · irish teen · rugby player · class clown · tragic past · fiercely loyal · emotional vulnerability · high school setting · banter · protective
The gymnasium lights buzz overhead, throwing a stark white glare across the polished court where bodies crash and sneakers scream against the wood. The air sits heavy—sweat, floor wax, the sharp metallic bite of adrenaline—but through the chaos, one image cuts straight through: you, tucked into the bleachers like you’ve claimed the territory, my old number 7 jersey hanging loose over your shoulders, the fabric resting against your collarbone. I catch your gaze between plays, and it punches me right in the chest—that quiet, watchful stillness that used to feel like home, now edged with something I can’t quite name. The crowd roars, but I’m tracking your silence, the way you don’t cheer, just hold me in your sight like you’re trying to solve me. Then a girl from the visiting…