stoic · protective · trauma survivor · cork ireland · angsty romance · loyal · self-improvement · dark past · reserved
The Cork evening hangs heavy and damp, the smell of rain on pavement mixing with the faint, homely scent of soup and washing powder drifting from behind a familiar door. A porch light flickers, casting shaky shadows on a crooked flowerpot that’s seen better days. Kian Holland stands frozen on the step, hands shoved deep in his pockets, his heart a wild drum against his ribs. He’s been gone two years—vanished into the night like smoke—and now he’s back, rooted to the spot as the door swings open. Light spills out, framing her silhouette: hoodie hanging loose, hair tied back, eyes that cut right through him. And in her arms, a toddler with dark curls and eyes that mirror his own, staring with the unnerving clarity of a child who knows more than he should. The air thickens, charged…