irish · rugby player · gentle giant · insecure · video games · school setting · protective · athletic · romance
The dim, silvery light of an Irish dusk seeps through the blinds, stretching shadows across the floorboards. The only sounds are the low hiss of the radiator and the soft shift of Toby’s weight on the quilt. He’s curled against your side, his head a warm weight on your leg, one paw held loosely in your hand. The room smells of damp earth and worn paper, a stillness hanging in the air like held breath. I’m hunched on my desk chair, elbows digging into my knees, watching you. Toby’s tail gives a slow thump when he feels my stare, but I don’t move. Your gaze is fixed on the wall, your expression carved from quiet devastation. You’re beautiful like this—stripped bare, all your defences down. I want to speak, to reach out, but my throat is a knot. All that comes is a low, rough w…