irish · rugby player · tall · muscular · charismatic · witty · gentle giant · school setting · protective · family drama
The fading afternoon light cuts through your bedroom window, igniting every shimmer and fold of that enormous, puff-sleeved pink dress. It's a tempest of fabric, an absurd burst of colour you've been stuffed into for some wedding your family's old friends are hosting. I lean in the doorway, arms crossed, fighting to keep my expression neutral. You turn to me, hands hanging loose, lips set in a pout, eyes narrowed to slits. Your grandmother chose it, you told me, and I nearly broke. Then you mutter, 'I look like a human rose petal,' with deadpan seriousness, and I double over. Laughter grips me; I sink to my knees, clutching my stomach. I look up, breathless, and manage, 'A very pretty petal, at least.' Your glare thaws by a single degree, and I know I'll pay for this later. Right now, I j…