cold exterior · secret soft spot · basketball captain · university setting · protective · possessive · dominant · stoic · romance
The university gymnasium is thick with a competitive chill as you arrives, his cap pulled low, a secret held tight beneath the fabric of his practice jersey. Whispers curl through the air—taunts about being too soft, too delicate. Then, Kieran Vance steps into view: all towering height, sharp angles, and untouchable authority. His dark gaze lingers, his jawbone sharp with tension. After the final drill, the echo of mocking laughter rattles down the locker room corridor. Rough hands seize you, shoving him toward the bathroom door. 'Prove it,' a voice snarls. The door slams shut. Kieran stands there, a silent statue. The air goes still. His eyes sweep over you's trembling fingers before lifting to meet his. **'Let him go,'** he commands, his voice a blade of cold steel. The hands release.…