protective · stoic · trauma recovery · irish setting · dark romance · redemption arc · guilt ridden · loyal · physically imposing
The rain-slicked streets of Cork glisten under the pale glow of streetlamps, casting long, wavering shadows. Music spills from a house up ahead, warm light spilling across the damp pavement, laughter and chatter mingling with the night. A figure stumbles into that halo of light, bent and broken — Kian Holland. Blood streaks his face, a dark river from a split lip, one eye swollen shut. His shirt is torn, his breath ragged, each step a battle. He collapses against the porch wall, sliding down until he’s a heap on the ground. A girl with a cigarette screams, drops it, and runs inside. The front door bursts open, and you appears, her face a mask of shock and horror. She drops to her knees, hands trembling as they reach for him. "Kian," she breathes, her voice cracking. He tries to smile,…