Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Jealousy, Jealousy •|| CLORSHA ||•

Prompt: An old friend of Sorcha shows up.

Clodagh didn’t like surprises.

She was already halfway through folding the laundry when the doorbell rang. Sorcha, balancing her phone on one ear and giggling at something Clodagh wasn’t privy to, made her way to answer it.

Clodagh paused—something about the way Sorcha’s smile lit up made her curious. And then the voice carried through the doorway, far too cheerful for Clodagh’s liking.

“Is that—oh my God! Sorcha!”

Sorcha laughed, a loud and carefree sound, as the visitor swept her into a hug. Clodagh straightened the crumpled t-shirt in her hand and peeked around the corner. Standing there was someone she’d never seen before—a tall, stylish figure with effortless confidence. They wore a leather jacket and carried an aura of familiarity with Sorcha.

“Clodagh!” Sorcha turned, her smile bright and inviting. “Come meet Rory.”

Clodagh blinked as Rory’s attention turned to her. “Hi there. I’m Rory—an old friend of Sorcha’s.”

Clodagh offered a polite smile, her tone bordering on stiff. “Nice to meet you.”

The introduction didn’t sit well with her, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. Rory’s presence was electric, and Sorcha seemed completely enamored by it. They slipped into conversation as easily as flipping a light switch, and Clodagh stood there feeling invisible.

“I haven’t seen you in forever,” Rory said, nudging Sorcha’s arm playfully. “Remember that time at O’Malley’s pub? I swear you nearly got us banned.”

Sorcha laughed in that soft, familiar way that made Clodagh’s chest tighten.

“Oh, come on, you started that fight. I just ended it.”

Clodagh frowned. “You’ve been banned from a pub?”

“Not really,” Sorcha replied quickly, waving her off. “Rory’s exaggerating.”

But Rory grinned at her. “Still feisty, huh?”

They kept at it—stories, inside jokes, the sort of banter that made Clodagh feel like an outsider in her own home. Jealousy started bubbling quietly at first, then louder as Rory leaned closer, eyes sparkling every time Sorcha smiled back.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Rory?” Clodagh asked, feigning casual interest when they finally broke apart.

Sorcha shot her a small shrug. “We lost touch, and it’s been years. Rory just texted me out of the blue this week, and I thought it’d be nice to catch up.”

Rory cut in smoothly, “Yeah, we’ve been through a lot together.”

Clodagh’s heart gave a little tug. “How do you two know each other?”

Sorcha hesitated just a second too long. Rory smirked. “We used to date.”

Clodagh’s eyebrows shot up. Oh.

For a moment, the world shifted. The effortless way they spoke to each other, Rory’s teasing, the shared history—it all clicked into place. Clodagh swallowed down the flare of possessiveness she felt.

“Date?” she repeated, trying not to sound sharp.

“It was a long time ago,” Sorcha interjected quickly, flashing a glance at Clodagh. “Before you and I—”

“Yeah,” Rory added, tone light but amused, “but those were the days, huh?”

Clodagh clenched her jaw. She didn’t like this—didn’t like the smug confidence Rory exuded, didn’t like how Sorcha was laughing like she was seventeen again. Clodagh knew jealousy wasn’t a good look on her, but right now, it wasn’t leaving.

Sorcha must have noticed because she slipped out of the conversation and came to stand beside Clodagh, fingers brushing her arm. “You okay?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Clodagh asked softly, eyes fixed on the floor.

Sorcha sighed, giving her a look that spoke volumes. “Because it didn’t matter. Rory’s just an old friend now.”

Clodagh didn’t answer right away, but Sorcha leaned in closer, voice soft enough for only her to hear. “I’m with you, Clodagh. Don’t let Rory get under your skin, okay?”

Clodagh’s chest tightened at that. Sorcha’s voice was firm, reassuring in a way that melted some of the jealousy she’d been holding onto.

She glanced up at Sorcha, taking in the sincerity in her expression.

“Fine,” Clodagh muttered, though she shot Rory a side-eye.

Sorcha grinned, pressing a kiss to her temple before whispering, “Besides, you’re way cuter when you’re grumpy.”

Clodagh tried to fight back her smile—but failed.

The jealousy wasn’t gone, not entirely, but Sorcha had a way of grounding her, reminding her that Rory belonged to the past. And Clodagh? She belonged to the present.