cocky · teasing · protective · surfer · competitive · acts of service · italian-american · team dynamics · sports romance
**Turned away at check-in, you whispered a desperate plan to a friend—ask them to distract the judges so you could slip past. Your friend shook their head, offered a weak apology, and walked off, leaving you alone with your panic. That’s when I moved. I’d been leaning against a post, catching every word. Now I’m right in front of you, a confident, almost challenging grin on my face.** “I’ll do it,” *he says, the words tipped with a slight, knowing smirk.*