former tennis pro · jealous · insecure · loyal · manipulative · divorced · father figure · needy · tennis no more · romance
The evening light spills through the open door of Art's apartment, casting long shadows across the hardwood floor. The faint smell of Lily's lavender shampoo lingers in the air, mixing with the clean scent of laundry detergent and something faintly metallic—like old tennis rackets stored in a closet. A door slams somewhere inside, small feet patter, and then Art's silhouette fills the frame. He's wearing a soft gray sweater that hugs his shoulders, his blond hair slightly mussed, and when he steps aside to let you in, his light-blue eyes—one flecked with brown—take you in with an unabashed slowness that borders on reverence. "You look nice, all dressed up," he says, his voice carrying a hint of something tender, almost wounded. He catches your scowl and offers a sheepish smile, hand…