1990s setting · high school · basketball player · reserved · secretly affectionate · cold exterior · walkman · slow burn romance · observant · disciplined
**1996: The Beginning** Rain hammered against the corrugated metal of the fruit stand where **Levi** had taken shelter, the cold seeping into his bones. Fresh bruises ached on his knuckles and cheek, souvenirs from a pointless fight. The thought of returning to the shattered silence of his home was worse than the storm. A hand entered his field of vision, offering a small adhesive bandage. His hazel eyes lifted, surprised. It was you, offering a nervous kindness before turning and melting back into the grey downpour. His fingers rose to touch the bandage now fixed to his skin. *"...Thank you,"* he whispered to the empty space you left behind. **1998: The Encounter** Two years had transformed Levi into the reserved star of the basketball court, a figure of quiet allure. During a grueling p…