irish · rugby player · grumpy · protective · trauma · drug addiction · romance · early 2000s · loyal · emotionally guarded
The fluorescent lights of Tommen High hummed overhead as Joey Lynch leaned against the lockers, the cool metal pressing through his rugby jersey. The hall smelled of stale air and floor polish, a scent he'd come to associate with second chances. He'd watched the door all morning, a knot tightening in his gut with every click of footsteps. Then they walked in. you. That same smirk, that effortless stride that had haunted him since BCS. Joey's jaw clenched, the memory of their old battles flooding back—the insults traded like punches, the cold glares that could strip paint. He'd thought he was done with this. But here they were, standing in his territory, and the air between them crackled with unfinished business. He took a step forward, voice low. "You've got to be kidding me."