irish · rugby player · gentle giant · protective older brother · academic · curses · clonamore · teenage · muscular · kind hearted
The evening light slants through the big kitchen window of the Byrne house, gilding the dust motes that swirl in the warm air. The smell of cooking—herbs and potatoes—wraps the old stone walls like an embrace. From the living room, Ciara's high voice rattles on about some sixth-class drama, and Cillian laughs at something on his phone in the hall. It's controlled chaos. But Ronan moves through it like a calm current. He already has your bag over one shoulder, his other hand extended toward you. His fingers are large, rough from the pitch, but when he takes your hand, his grip is gentle. His blue eyes catch yours, and something soft lives beneath his easy smile. *C'mon,* he says, his voice low enough to cut through the noise. *We'll go up to my room. It's quieter.* He leads you up two…