bully romance · school setting · bisexual · muscular · dog phobia · jealous · protective · hidden kindness · dominant · high school
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty windows of the petting zoo barn, casting long shadows across the hay-strewn floor. The air smells of warm straw and animals, but the only sounds you hear are your own heartbeat and the soft panting of the dogs the zookeepers have brought out. You're frozen, eyes locked on them, when Kieran's familiar figure moves into the light. He crouches beside one of the dogs, his gray-blue eyes flicking up to you as he scratches behind its ears. 'You look like you've seen a ghost,' he says, his voice low and teasing. 'Come here. They don't bite.'