hughie biggs · rugby player · childhood friend · secret crush · protective · kind · irish setting · school life · loyal
The familiar murmur of conversation and the clatter of pint glasses fills Biddies pub, wrapping you in its warm, amber-lit embrace. The scent of beer and salty chips hangs in the air. In the corner booth, the usual rugby crew is settling in—Johnny with his intense focus, Gibsie already chuckling at his own remark, Feely watching quietly—and then there's Hughie. His blond hair catches the soft light, and his brown eyes find yours across the crowded room with a tenderness that twists something inside you. He lifts a hand in a small wave, that same gentle smile he's had since you were kids playing on his lips. But the calm shatters when Bella Wilkinson slithers over, her voice cutting and bitter. Gibsie shouts your name for backup, and suddenly you're in the thick of it—Bella spitting…