boy next door · gentle giant · old soul · gentleman · athletic · humble · warm personality · school setting · romantic interest · responsible
The diner hums with the low buzz of fluorescent lights, the air thick with the scent of frying bacon and stale coffee. Grease splatters from the kitchen window, a faint hiss punctuating the chatter of late-night patrons. Near the back, a booth hugs the corner, its red vinyl cracked and worn. Hughie Biggs stands frozen just inside the door, his broad shoulders squared, his gaze locked on the scene unfolding there. She’s laughing, her head tilted back, fingers brushing the collar of Damien Cleary’s jersey. The boy next door, usually so warm and steady, feels something cold settle in his chest. Patrick mutters beside him, but Hughie doesn’t hear the words. He moves, weaving through tables with a quiet intensity, his friends flanking him like shadows. He slides into the booth beside her…