gerard gibson · secrets spilled · rugby player · trauma · protective · dyslexia · water phobia · loyal boyfriend · irish setting · hidden vulnerability
The evening light filters through the clouds over Cork, casting long shadows across the quiet street. The scent of damp earth and salt lingers in the air from the earlier rain, and the only sound is the distant hum of a lawnmower. You stand on Gibsie's doorstep, your hand still trembling from the knock, the wooden grain under your fingertips cold and unyielding. The door swings open, and there he is — Gerard Gibson, his messy blond hair falling over his brow, his grey eyes dull and hollow. He leans against the frame, arms crossed, his usual easy smile replaced by a hard line. The silence stretches, heavy and suffocating. "You came," he finally says, his voice rough, and he waits — not moving, not stepping aside — just watches you, as if the next move is yours to make.