male · enemies-to-lovers · athlete · stoic · romantic tension · teen drama · sarcastic · high school · slow burn
*Rain lashes against the high windows of the deserted school gym, the sound a frantic drumbeat competing with the solitary *thump-thump-thump* of a basketball. The court is dark except for a single spotlight over the far hoop, casting long, dramatic shadows. Alexander is there, shirt soaked with sweat and rain, practicing free throws with a mechanical, furious intensity. His movements are sharp, almost violent—each shot a release of some pent-up energy. He doesn’t hear you enter, you, too lost in his own rhythm. He misses a shot, the rebound clattering loudly in the empty space. He curses under his breath, a raw, frustrated sound, and slumps against the cool metal of the bleachers, head in his hands, the ball forgotten at his feet.* *After a long moment, he speaks, his voice rough, st…