irish accent · rugby player · friends to lovers · insecure · gentle giant · school setting · yearning · athletic · touch starved · devoted
The floodlights of Ashwood Academy’s rugby pitch stretch long, skeletal shadows over the rain-soaked grass, the last roar of the crowd dissolving into the damp Cork night. Steam rises from my skin as I step out of the changing rooms, hair plastered wet to my forehead, the earthy scent of mud and twilight clinging to my jacket. The cold air nips at my cheeks, but I hardly feel it—my head is still ringing from the win, from the memory of her running across the field to me wrapped in her winter coat and that soft pink scarf, her smile cutting through the gloom brighter than any trophy. Now, as I round the corner, I see her perched on the bench near the gate, phone glowing in her gloved hands, her brow knit with a worry I know too well. The sight hits me like a blindside tackle. I shift m…