​Neil crashed into the ground, barely registering it. All his focus was on the goal lighting up red.

​They won. They fucking won. They won the championship. Under his captaincy. They won!

​A giddy laugh bubbled up in his chest, but his sheer exhaustion turned it into a satisfied grin.

​Gingerly pushing himself away from the wall, he walked over to his already hugging and laughing team. And when Neil turned to look at the bleachers, her eyes were already on him. His shy wallflower was jumping up and down, hands waving wildly. Everything was perfect.

​It all blurred together as Neil hugged and clapped for his team, and they collected the trophy, did post-game interviews, and laughed and hugged some more.

​The daze of joy he was moving in cleared with a snap when his eyes met hers in the shower room. What was she doing here?

​She put a finger to her lips and exaggeratedly whispered, “Shhh!”

Her hair was all over the place, her sweater was riding down one shoulder, and she was trying to hide behind a shelf that didn't even reach her waist.

​She looked ridiculous. She looked gorgeous.

​“Yeah, you guys go ahead. I'm taking a long shower. I'll catch up with you all later,” he called out to his team before walking towards her.

​Her large grin and sparkling eyes were all set on him and made something hot run through his veins.

​Covering the distance in two long steps, he was right in front of her, inches apart. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a shower stall.

​She gasped, but before she could speak, before she could understand what was happening, he put a palm over her mouth. Her eyes, wide and doe-like, questioned him. But even as he closed the stall gate behind them and pushed her against the door, there was no fear in those eyes. She trusted him completely.

​As they stood, her pressed against the door and him pressing into her, he felt a wild desire run through him.

​“Mai hath hata raha hu, don't you dare scream…” (I'm removing my hand, don't you dare scream.)

​Just as he lifted his palm an inch, she took a deep breath.

“Aargghhh—”

​Her scream was cut off as he once again pressed his palm against her. Harder this time.

“Have you gone mad! They'll hear us!”

​The muffled laughter of his teammates made it obvious there were still people in the shower area. But her eyes were filled with mirth. Her mouth curved in a grin beneath his palm. She was too innocent to realize how it would look to the people outside. Both of them pressed against each other, in a cramped stall.

​“I'm removing my palm, and if you scream again… I'll stuff your mouth with something, okay…”

​Her ears reddened at the innuendo, and she nodded slightly. He lowered his hand to grab her waist. Good girl, he wanted to praise her, but didn't, as she remained silent and docile. Her lips, red and lush, were parted slightly. Her chest rose in fast, rapid breaths. But she remained perfectly silent.

​“What are you doing here?” he asked.

​“I couldn't wait. I needed to see you. You were so amazingly good down there! I was cheering the entire time!” She spoke in an excited whisper before stopping slightly. “And I needed to see if you were okay. You took a fall at the end of the game na…”

​His heart did a somersault. How could someone so pure exist? Like a rare spell of warmth on a cold, frigid day in December.

​“Oh, my little wallflower… I'm perfectly fine. Just scratched my hand a bit.”

​“Lemme see it.”

​Though he hated it, he leaned away from her to bring his hand near her face. He was still close enough to her face that he could count her lashes. So he knew the exact second her eyes found the scratch on his hand.

​Her lips parted and her eyes widened.

​“Neil, you should go get it treated. This looks painful.”

​“No! It looks worse than it is, I swear.”

​He was finally so close to her. Even a sword through his stomach could not make him leave her side now.

​“If you are so worried about my hand, why don't you treat it?”

​“Huh?” She looked so pretty when she was confused.

​“I mean, give it a kiss and everything will be healed,” he said, just to watch her blush. And she did, beautifully.

But instead of chiding him with a laugh she remained silent. With hands shaking slightly, she held his hand. And gently brought her lips to his skin.

​Her hot breath and gentle lips sent electricity through him.

​“Feeling better now?”

​He was sure she would laugh now. Call this a prank. A misunderstanding. A mistake. But he was willing to trade his self-respect for a kiss from her.

​“No, I need another.” He had always been a greedy bastard. But this once, the gods answered his prayers.

​She left a trail of kisses, from near his scratched wrist to his palm to his fingertips. He trailed his thumb over her lips lightly, and they parted easily.

​“Enough?” she murmured.

​No. It was nowhere near enough to smother the roaring beast inside him.

​“Do you have any idea what you are doing?” he growled.

​“No… I… I'm sorry…”

​Her eyes fell on the ground below.

​He caught her chin between two fingers and tilted her face up. "Look at me."

​She did. Barely. Her breath came fast and shallow, and something in his chest pulled tight watching her try to hold his gaze and lose.

​"Tell me to stop."

Her lips parted. No sound came out. Just a small, helpless shake of her head—not stop. The opposite.

​That was enough.

​He kissed her the way he'd been holding himself back from all year—slow at first, testing, giving her every second to pull away. She didn't. Her hands fisted into the front of his jersey, like she needed something to anchor her.

The small, startled sound she made against his mouth broke whatever control he had left.

​He pressed into the door, pressing himself against her, one hand braced beside her head, the other sliding into her hair to angle her exactly how he wanted her.

​She kissed him back clumsily, like she didn't know where to put her hands or how much of herself she was allowed to give—and that uncertainty did something to him no confidence ever could.

​"Easy," he murmured against her mouth when her breath hitched too fast. "I've got you."

She melted into that more than the kiss.

​When he finally pulled back, her lips were kiss-swollen, her eyes dazed—and for once she wasn't looking away from him.