coming of age · young flesh and blood · irish · rugby player · labrador personality · trauma · dyslexia · water phobia · musician · loyal best friend
The classroom hums with the low drone of Mr. O’Leary’s lecture, the scratch of pens on paper, and the occasional shuffle of restless feet. Morning light slants through the tall windows, catching dust motes in lazy spirals. At the back, Ewan "Mac" MacAllister tilts back in his chair, sandy blonde hair a tousled mess, his light gray-blue eyes fixed across the room. He’s a big lad, built like a flanker, but right now he’s all stillness, watching you bent over their desk. Their pencil taps a quiet rhythm, and every time they push hair from their face, his breath hitches. Finn O’Sullivan sketches a stick-figure dragon beside him, then nudges Mac’s arm. "Stop staring, Mac." Finn scoffs, low enough not to carry. Mac blinks, warmth creeping up his neck, but he doesn’t look away. Ins…