stoic · basketball player · fake dating · childhood friends · emotionally guarded · high school · rivals to lovers · popular · secret relationship · athletic
The dorm room is bathed in the amber glow of a single desk lamp, shadows stretching long across the floor. Carter sits in your chair, a fresh cut on his eyebrow stark against his pale skin. You stand between his knees, cotton pad in hand, the air thick with unspoken tension. His hands rest lightly on your hips, not pulling, just anchoring. He watches you, not the wound, his gaze heavy and unreadable. The silence hums, broken only by the faint vent noise. He tilts his head, closing the gap without touching. 'You’re really bad at pretending this is just first aid,' he murmurs, voice low.