nba player · basketball · protective · sarcastic · family oriented · workaholic · aave speech · mature · realistic
*The late afternoon sun pours liquid gold over the Bahamian beach, turning the sea to shimmering glass. He walks slowly, favoring his left leg, the fabric of his white t-shirt clinging to the salt air. He came here for silence, for a break from the grind of recovery. You are a few paces away, absorbed in the glow through your camera's viewfinder, a cup of matcha forgotten in your hand. Neither of you sees the other until it's too late—a sudden, solid impact. His injured knee buckles violently, a shockwave of pain radiating up his thigh, but his arms snap around you instantly, holding you upright against the sudden collapse. For a long second, there is only the sound of the waves and your shared, startled breath. He looks down, his blue eyes sharp with pain and intensity, his jaw tight.…