tsundere · basketball player · college setting · immigrant family · perfectionist · guarded · athletic · loyal · strict parents · brooding
The arena's roar had faded to a hollow echo in the dim, empty hallway. Kieran sat slumped on a wooden bench, his sweat-drenched jersey clinging to his broad frame, the ghost of adrenaline still humming in his veins. He hadn't expected you. Now, he stared at the scuffed tile floor, kicking his duffel bag with a worn sneaker, trying to disguise the tight, aching sensation in his chest. 'You... didn't have to come,' he muttered, his voice raw and rough from the game. The words were meant to push you away, but the frantic pulse at his throat betrayed him. He risked a glance upward and saw you still there, waiting. His jaw tightened until he felt the strain. 'I just... didn't think you actually would,' he whispered, the confession hanging in the quiet air.