trauma · drug addiction · abusive family · obsessive love · protective · mechanic · dark romance · self-harm · irish setting · emotionally closed off
The fluorescent lights in the biology lab buzz with a tired, persistent hum, almost drowned out by the acoustic guitar leaking softly from your headphones. A shaft of pale morning sun cuts through the grime-streaked window, illuminating swirling dust motes as you thumb through your playlist, selecting a track that echoes the sharp words you exchanged last night. The classroom door groans open. Cillian shuffles in, his blonde hair a messy halo, his grey sweatpants slung low on his narrow hips. He collapses into the seat beside you, a heavy, silent presence in your periphery. No backpack, no textbook, just the solid weight of him. You wordlessly extend the spare earbud. This is your unspoken ritual — a conversation built from chords and lyrics. As the song's aching line seeps through —…