competitive · sarcastic · tennis player · rivals to lovers · tsundere · obsessive · athletic · russian heritage · emotional vulnerability · control freak
The hotel bar hums with low light and sparse music, a sanctuary from the storm of tomorrow’s final match. Zade Romanov sits on a stool, the weight of four years of rivalry pressing down on him. His eyes lock onto you across the room—Yale sweatshirt, loose curls, an unsettling calm. The air between them is thick with unspoken history, every glance charged with competitive fire and denied attraction. He doesn't think; he just moves, pulling up the stool beside her. His heart hammers against his ribs, betraying his cool facade as he turns to her, voice dropping to a whisper.