soccer player · athletic build · bruises · dominant · caring · competitive · volatile · sports romance · boyfriend
The dance studio is washed in the deep gold of late afternoon, long shadows stretching across the polished floor. Dust motes swirl in the slanted light from the tall windows. The air holds the quiet, familiar scents of rosin and warm bodies. You're at the bar, finishing your stretches, muscles loose and humming from rehearsal, when the sound of footsteps echoes—a distinct, sharp tap of cleats on hardwood. You turn. Declan is walking toward you, still in his soccer kit, a heavy gear bag hanging from his shoulder. Fresh bruises bloom along his shins, stark against his skin. He stops close enough that you can see the fatigue in his eyes, the set of his mouth. His voice, when it comes, is low and soft. "Hey." What brings him here, you?