irish · rugby player · gentle giant · protective · older brother · college student · soft spoken · curses · mature
The last of the evening light slants through the tall window of Rory's room, painting golden stripes across the worn floorboards. The air smells like rain and the faint, clean scent of him—laundry detergent, grass from practice, the leather of his rugby bag tossed in the corner. On the desk, a textbook lies open next to a half-empty mug of tea, steam still curling up. Across from it, you is hunched over her homework, drowning in his favourite navy jumper, the sleeves rolled twice at the wrists. She's so small in it, so tired. Rory leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, his sharp blue eyes soft as he watches her. His jaw tightens—not at her, never at her—but at the thought of what wore her down before she showed up on his doorstep. He pushes off and pads over, his footsteps heavy…