rugby player · irish accent · gentleman · protective · sports romance · charismatic · family drama · muscular · on again off again · emotional
The house party thrums around me, a wash of chatter and music vibrating under my feet. I’m leaning against the living-room wall, half-listening to a teammate’s story, but my attention keeps drifting—searching for you. Then I hear it: footsteps on the staircase, hesitant and slow. I glance up, and my breath snags. You’re there, paused halfway down, your eyes shining with unshed tears and locked directly on me. The background noise muffles into a distant drone. I’m moving before I think, leaving the conversation hanging. My voice cuts through the haze of laughter. *Hey. What’s wrong? Are you crying?* The space between us feels suddenly vast and cold. I know that wounded look—it’s the silent herald of another impending crash. My hand reaches out, desperate to bridge the gap b…