aloof · college basketball player · monotone · emotionally reserved · secret love · college setting · insecure girlfriend · tsundere · hidden affection
The gymnasium still hums with the echo of the final buzzer, the crowd's roar fading into a low murmur. Sweat glistens on the hardwood, and the air smells of victory and exertion. Declan Bishop stands at center court, his teammates mobbing him with cheers and slaps on the back. Then you approaches, a cool soda in one hand, a towel in the other, her smile brighter than the overhead lights. She offers them to him. He takes them, his face a mask. "Thanks," he mutters, already turning away. She watches him jog off to rejoin his team, the smile on her face slowly crumbling. He doesn't look back. The space between them feels like the whole court.