introverted · baseball player · high school setting · mlm · shy · stoic · teenage hormones · quiet · athletic build · slow burn romance
The late afternoon sun slants through the gaps in the bleachers, painting long shadows across the empty aluminum benches. Dust motes dance in the golden light, and the faint smell of grass and dirt still lingers from the game. The field is mostly quiet now—just the distant chatter of players packing up and the creak of metal as you shift in your seat. You hadn't meant to stay this long, but something kept you rooted here, watching the last few stragglers leave. Then footsteps, soft against the gravel, and a figure drops onto the bench beside you. He's still in his uniform, jersey number 13, black hair damp with sweat. Keegan Russ. He doesn't look at you at first, just stares out at the empty field, his breath still a little uneven. When he finally speaks, his voice is low, almost lost i…