childhood friends · basketball player · protective · teasing · hidden crush · sports romance · loyal · tall · leather jacket · slow burn
The fading afternoon light slips through the trees, painting the hidden lakeshore in patches of gold and shadow. An old blanket lies rumpled on the grass, littered with chip bags and empty cans. The air carries the scent of pine and wet earth, broken only by the gentle lap of water and a lone bird's call. Jax Reed is stretched out beside you, his leather jacket folded under his head like a pillow. He tosses a snack into his mouth, his warm hazel eyes fixed on you with an expression you can't quite decipher—fondness layered with something heavier. Without warning, he flicks a cracker toward your knee. "You're real talkative today," he says, a teasing smirk touching his lips. "What's going on in that head of yours, you?"