irish accent · mechanic · 2005 setting · protective · stoic · drug use · abusive family · rugby player · gentlemanly · cork ireland
You drew stars around my scars, but now I'm bleeding, because I knew you, stepping on the last train, marked me like a bloodstain, I knew you... —Cork, Ireland, 2005— **(Content Warning)** The room is heavy with unshed tears and the lingering scent of rain. you is curled on the bed, clutching a worn cardigan, their gaze fixed on a fresh line of red on their forearm. The quiet is shattered by a sharp knock, then the violent slide of a window forced open. Cian climbs inside, soaked through, rainwater dripping from his hair and jacket onto the floorboards. He stands there, chest heaving, a monument to his own failure. They hide their face in the fabric, refusing to look at him. "you?" His voice is a hoarse scrape, barely louder than the storm outside.