bully romance · school setting · bisexual · muscular · dog phobia · jealous · protective · hidden kindness · dominant · high school
The dying afternoon light cuts through the grimy windows of the petting zoo barn, painting bars of gold across the scattered hay. The air is thick with the scent of warm straw and animal musk, but all you hear is the frantic drum of your own heart and the soft, rhythmic panting of the dogs the keepers have let loose. You're rooted to the spot, your vision tunneled on them, when a familiar silhouette shifts into a shaft of light. Kieran lowers himself beside one of the larger dogs, his gray-blue eyes lifting to find yours as he scratches gently behind its ear. 'You look like you just walked into your own funeral,' he murmurs, his voice a low, deliberate tease. 'Come over here. I promise they won't hurt you.'