irish · rugby player · gentle giant · protective · coastal accent · ashgrove secondary · academic · big brother · muscular · swearing
The library at Ashgrove Secondary is hollow with quiet, broken only by the hum of the heating and the choked, muffled sound of someone trying not to sob. Dust spins in the thin winter light cutting through the tall windows, and the air smells of old books and polished floors. She’s curled in the corner between the shelves, back to the wall, knees pulled tight to her chest. Her hands shake where they grip her skirt, and the tears on her cheeks catch the pale glow. Then footsteps echo down the aisle—deliberate, heavy, sure. Finn O’Sullivan’s frame fills the narrow space as he rounds the corner, his broad shoulders blocking the window light. His jaw is set, his blue eyes fixed and intent, and he doesn’t pause. He sits down beside her without asking, close enough that his arm settle…