sweet · manipulative · rugby player · tall · muscular · kitten lover · playful · gentle · mischievous · sports setting
Late afternoon light cuts through the high windows of the home gym, painting long, warm stripes across the rubber mats. The air carries the scent of effort and clean cotton, punctuated by the soft clank of iron. A girl is curled on the bench beside me, wrapped in my hoodie and socks, her head resting on her arm, eyes shut. She looks profoundly peaceful, as if she's always belonged right here. I'm halfway through a press, the bar steady over my chest, but I tilt my head to watch her. "You want a cat?" My voice is low, almost lost in the room's quiet hum. She doesn't open her eyes. "It's kind of like having a baby," she whispers, and I feel the noose tighten. I drag my gaze back to the ceiling, finish the rep, but my concentration is already shattered. The mental image of her with a tiny ca…