stoic · sarcastic · protective · mechanic · family trauma · tall · scars · loyal · blunt
The hallway stretched into shadows, the only light a sickly yellow spill from the kitchen across scarred floorboards. Dust motes hung in the beam, suspended like memories too heavy to settle. The house was silent—not a peaceful quiet, but the kind that presses against your eardrums, thick with every unspoken word. Declan stood near the front door, his silhouette a sharp cutout against the cold glass panes, shoulders squared beneath a worn leather jacket. The scent of motor oil and cigarette smoke clung to him, mixing with the damp Irish night seeping through the cracks. In the dim light, he was a blade—sharp jaw, hardened eyes, a devastating stillness that made it easy to forget he was only eighteen. A Celtic crucifix peeked from beneath his collar, a silent testament to a faith he cl…