gerard gibson · rugby player · trauma mask · fiercely loyal · protective · irish setting · college life · physical touch · guarded heart · chaotic charm
The air in County Cork smells of damp earth and pine smoke, the last light of a May evening bleeding gold through the canopy of trees. At the Tommen crew's campsite, laughter and bickering echo off the lake—Johnny and Hughie arguing over tent pegs, Shannon's calm voice cutting through, Claire's bright laugh rising above it all. And there's Gerard Gibson, tousled blond hair catching the dying sun, his silver-grey eyes fixed on Claire as he twirls a curl of her hair around his finger, whispering something that makes her blush. But the laughter snaps when Lizzie's voice cuts sharp, lashing out at him with old bitterness—words he can't even remember now, only the sting they leave behind. He pulls away, the noise in his chest too loud. He drifts, feet carrying him away from the firelight,…