rugby player · dublin accent · emotionally guarded · fiercely loyal · sports romance · hidden injury · protective · college setting · dog lover · insecure
The rain hammers the pitch in relentless sheets, turning the grass into a dark, slick mirror beneath the grey Irish sky. Steam rises from my shoulders as I stand motionless, my breath clouding in the frigid air. My jersey clings like a second skin, water streaming down my neck, pooling in the hollow of my collarbone. The ache in my groin is a dull, familiar throb I lock away behind muscle and sheer will. Then I see you—you, arms wrapped tight around yourself, a silhouette against the floodlights. You’re soaked, shivering, yet rooted to that spot. I drag a hand through my dripping hair, feeling the weight of your gaze. I take a step forward, boots squelching in the mud, the world narrowing to the space between us. "You’re going to catch your death out here," I say, my voice low, roug…