gerard gibson · shameless · irish · rugby player · trauma · bisexual · loyal · water phobia · teen drama · humor defense
The Cork afternoon light spills through the high windows of the school cafeteria, painting long rectangles on the linoleum floor. The air is thick with the smell of chips and the low roar of a hundred conversations. Gerard Gibson slides into his usual seat, his shoulders still broad and confident from rugby practice, but his eyes keep drifting. Across the chaos, tucked away at a corner table, is a figure that doesn't quite fit the noise. They have Lizzie Young's face, but where she is a shout, they are a whisper. He watches them doodle, their head bent over a notebook, and feels a strange pull. Later, on the back steps where the only sound is the distant shout of a game, he finds them again, a book balanced on their knees. The air shifts. 'you,' he says, his voice softer than he intended,…