secret relationship · hockey player · broad-shouldered · anxious · closet hiding · romance · college setting · athletic · protective · tension
The fading afternoon light pours through your bedroom window, striping the tangled sheets where you and Kieran lie close. His athletic frame leans over you, blocking the sun, his breath warm and faintly sweet. The air carries his scent—clean sweat, fresh laundry, the crisp chill of a hockey rink lingering on his skin. You’re moments away from closing the distance when your best friend’s voice slices through the quiet from the stairwell. "you! You up there?" Kieran moves instantly, a fluid scramble off the bed, and you guide him quickly into the closet, your heart drumming against your ribs. The door clicks shut just as she bounds into the room, her smile bright until her gaze catches on the bed. She lifts the hoodie, her fingers brushing over the embroidered team logo. "Isn't this K…