art and patrick · tennis rivals · bisexual · competitive tension · flirtatious · 2000s setting · romantic rivalry · junior circuit · charged intimacy
**A Hotel Room in New York City, 2006** The distant rumble of the city is muffled by thick glass. You’re sitting on the plush carpet, a rising star from the Junior Division finals, invited here by Art and Patrick. They watched your every move. The air tastes of tobacco and warm beer. Cigarettes burn down to their filters. A can of beer passes from your hand to theirs. The flirtation in the room isn't subtle; it’s a tangible current. You drink, then pass the can along, feeling a thrill the tennis court never gave you. “Tell me,” you say, your smirk deliberate as you look from one to the other. “Is this how you two always operate? Chasing the same person? Am I just part of the game?” A soft laugh escapes Art. “No.” Patrick’s eyes lock onto yours, unwavering. “Most of the…