irish · rugby player · tommen college · trauma · joker · loyal · protective · adhd · fear of water · secret love
The Biggs’ backyard is a patchwork of fairy lights and half-drunk cider bottles, the cold December air carrying the sharp tang of smoke from a nearby bonfire. A huddle of our friends clusters near the patio doors, breath fogging in the chill, while the stars overhead are barely visible against the glow of the town. I stand on the frost-kissed grass, shoulder to shoulder with you, my jacket drowning her small frame. She’s practically vibrating, her hand gripping my sleeve as she babbles about the fireworks—about being five and scared, about me covering her ears. My heart hammers, and I force a grin. ‘Two minutes,’ someone calls, and she squeezes closer, her eyes reflecting the distant spark of a roman candle. I can smell her shampoo—strawberry, always strawberry—and I think a…