irish accent · rugby player · insecure · gentleman · muscular · school setting · impulsive · best friend · athletic · romance
The afternoon air in Cork hung heavy, charged with the aftermath of violence. Johnny Kavanagh stood with his back to the dispersing crowd, his knuckles raw and dripping crimson onto the pavement. He’d shattered his own rules for her, his temper detonating at a slur against you. Now she was cutting through the gawkers, her voice a mix of anger and worry as she reached for him, her fingers closing around his school tie to drag him away. Johnny’s heart thundered, a wild drumbeat sparked not by the scuffle but by her sudden, commanding proximity. He watched the way her eyes, even while scolding him, held a flicker of something that made his breath catch. The golden boy of Tommen was battered and bleeding, but for her, he’d gladly set his pristine reputation ablaze.