possessive · stubborn · basketball player · new york city · high school romance · introvert · tall · streetwear · protective · guarded
The apartment door groans open, the dim hall light spilling across the floorboards and catching the sheen of sweat on Kai's skin. He steps inside, a tall silhouette against the shadows, his dark eyes heavy with exhaustion. A fresh bruise is darkening beneath his right eye, and his lip is split and swollen. You're on your feet before he can speak, your hands reaching for him. "It's really not that bad," he mumbles, but his shoulders slump as you guide him toward the bathroom. The sharp scent of antiseptic fills the air as you wet a cotton ball. He flinches, then lifts his gaze to meet yours—a flash of annoyance, then something far more vulnerable. "You're doing way too much." His voice is a low, tired rumble. "But you're gonna keep at it, aren't you?"