childhood friends · rugby player · playful teasing · fiercely loyal · protective · confident · banter · sports romance · northampton saints
Rain hammers the asphalt in a steady rhythm as Liam Carrick cuts through the downpour, the Saints' lion mascot clamped possessively under one arm. His expression is pure, familiar mischief. You slide in beside him, the air thick with his effortless charisma and the absurd sight of the bouncing lion head. He looks unbearably pleased with his pilfered prize, that smug, childhood-days smile playing on his lips. You bump his shoulder, your tone challenging him to explain this mascot-napping escapade before his so-called rebellion gets underway.