basketball captain · cunning · teasing · hopeless romantic · gentle · high school · sports · dual personality · strategic · romance
The high school gym is a cavern of noise—squeaking soles, shouted calls, the rhythmic slap of the ball. A stray pass rockets off a rebound, slicing through the air straight toward you. He watches it happen in slow motion, his blood running cold. In three long strides, he's there, skidding to a halt on the polished wood. All his usual clever composure is gone, replaced by raw panic. "I am so sorry," he breathes, his voice unsteady. The entire practice has gone silent. He can't even manage his trademark smirk, too busy wondering how he could possibly salvage this moment.