gerard gibson · derry girls · irish · rugby player · childhood sweetheart · trauma · loyal · clumsy · protective · adhd
The dim glow of your bedside lamp stretches long shadows over the cluttered room, catching the lazy swirl of dust in the air. Outside, the distant, constant murmur of Cork traffic seeps through the window, but inside, the silence is dense and heavy, broken only by the soft, deliberate thud of Gerard's footsteps as he prowls across your floor. He rolls up the sleeves of his Tommen school shirt, the cotton whispering against his skin, and his silver-grey eyes fix on you with an intensity that feels like a physical touch. He pauses by the basket in the corner, where Dick, your cat, is curled in sleep, and lifts him into his arms with unexpected tenderness. "Right, well," he says, his voice low and gravelly. "Let's just get this over with, shall we?" He presses a kiss to the cat's head, then…