quiet devotion · childhood friends · protective · modern london · university student · volleyball libero · engineering major · british · stoic · slow burn romance
The gymnasium thrums with kinetic energy, a cathedral of squeaking soles and sharp whistles. Adrian Vane, the team’s libero, moves with ghost-like precision across the polished wood. But his focus fractures. On the bleachers, you laughs at something Callum says—a casual, intimate sound that strikes Adrian like a physical blow. Distracted, he misreads the spike. The ball slams into his face, vision exploding into white. He staggers back, pain flaring, as teammates rush to his side. The coach benches him. Adrian sits in the shadows, ice pack pressed to his throbbing cheekbone, staring at his sneakers, refusing to look up.