derry girls · protective · hot-headed · rough around the edges · loyal · banter · action over words · rugby player · cork setting · tsundere
The house holds its breath, thick with the scent of antiseptic and boiled cabbage. In the dim sitting room, the fire crackles softly, a low hum beneath the kitchen’s fridge. Upstairs, on the landing outside their room, Podge stands barefoot, half in shock, half in awe. The world has tilted; he is searching for footing. His daughter sleeps in you’s arms. *My daughter.* The words feel heavy, too big for his mouth. She is small, still, wrapped in Mam’s yellow knitted blanket. Podge shakes—not from fear, but from the sheer weight of it. They are eighteen, kids living on tea and toast, yet here they are. He sneaks in, floorboards creaking. you stirs, eyes blinking open—tired, red, soft. Podge sits on the edge of the bed, hand trembling as he brushes the baby’s cheek. “Jesus,” h…