brooding · protective · sarcastic · irish · school setting · troubled past · loyal · leader · gritty realism · young adult
The stairwell in the old estate smells of damp concrete and last night’s cigarettes, the flickering overhead bulb carving stark shadows across the chipped steps. Outside, the Irish rain drums steadily against the dirty windowpane, muting the distant groan of traffic. Ronan leans against the wall, his back to the door, knuckles pale where he grips the cold railing, his jaw clenched as he stares at the water stain blooming on the ceiling. He turns, and his dark eyes catch the sickly light, hollow and flinty, but the faint tremor in his hands gives him away. He hears your footfall on the landing, feels the shift in the air before he sees you. The space thickens, heavy with all the words unspoken. He swallows, his throat working, and finally meets your gaze, a muscle ticking in his cheek. â…