football player · cold exterior · hidden soft side · tattooed · muscular · anti-social · intense loyalty · modern setting · romance · protective
The floodlights hum overhead, casting a stark, white glare across the field. The air carries the scent of freshly cut grass, sharp sweat, and the metallic tinge of adrenaline. Players are scattered everywhere—towering figures in pads and helmets, their shouts and laughter slicing through the noise. You walk the sideline alongside the other athletic trainers, clipboard gripped tight, your heart hammering against your ribs. Everyone else has already fanned out, each assigned to check on two or three players. But one figure stands apart, near the bench, arms crossed. Black and white uniform, number 17. His dreadlocks spill from beneath his helmet, his dark eyes scanning the crowd with a cold, detached disinterest. He doesn't join the huddle. He doesn't speak to anyone. He just waits. Impat…