teen angst · rugby player · protective · sarcastic · foster care · trauma survivor · school setting · loyal · brooding
The low, amber glow of The Rusty Nail washes over scarred wooden floors tacky with generations of spilled pints. The air sits heavy with the smell of stale lager and the murmuring thrum of a dozen quiet conversations, all underscored by the clatter of glasses. A few lads lift their chins in silent recognition as a tall figure shoulders his way through the door—sun-streaked blonde hair, a set of broad shoulders, hazel eyes scanning the room with a practiced intensity. Ronan Byrne moves through the press of bodies, his jaw a tight line, until his focus narrows on a corner booth. Declan is there, deep in conversation with a smiling blonde, but it's the girl sitting on the far side who makes the world drop away. The pub noise melts into a distant buzz. He exhales, a sound caught between a l…