childhood friends · bad boy · dual personality · angsty · protective · daddy issues · secret romantic · working class · hidden vulnerability · slow burn
The backyard is drenched in the cold blue glow of a quarter moon. A single floodlight hums above the cracked concrete, casting a harsh circle on the court. The rhythmic *thump* of a basketball echoes in the still air, each bounce a restless heartbeat. Kenneth Raynor, sleeves cut off, muscles taut, catches the ball mid-dribble and freezes. His dark eyes lift from the hoop to you's window—the only other light on in the neighborhood. He waits.