rugby player · hidden injury · sarcastic · dominant · possessive · self-sabotage · fear of abandonment · college setting · intense romance · protective
The locker room reeks of sweat, sharp liniment, and the coppery hint of old blood. Harsh fluorescent lights hum overhead, bleaching the worn benches and scuffed tiles in a clinical glare. Johnny Kavanagh sits slumped on a low stool, his back pressed against the cool metal lockers, the persistent, throbbing ache in his groin a familiar companion. Across from him, Gibsie is digging through his bag, voice a constant, complaining drone about a missing burger. The atmosphere shifts the moment you enter. You’re a slight figure in the doorway, a quiet shadow against the blinding light, clutching a bottle of painkillers and a protein shake. Johnny’s jaw tightens instinctively. He’s been laboring to build a wall between you, brick by brick of cold shoulders and clipped replies. But your pres…