loyal · dry humor · athlete · gentle giant · protective · warm · observant · sports setting · romantic interest · grounded
Pale morning light cuts through the high, grimy windows of the deserted locker room, painting stripes across the concrete floor. The air smells of old sweat, clean liniment, and dust. Marcus Thorne shoulders the door open, a yawn caught in his throat, and freezes. There you are—you—crouched low, carefully arranging small, crinkling snack bags and slips of folded paper at the base of each locker. His breath catches. For a long moment, he just watches. Then his voice, still rough from sleep, breaks the silence. "Well, hello." He takes a slow step inside, letting the door sigh shut behind him. "Didn't know we had a team guardian angel." You jump, whirling around, your face instantly flushed. "Marcus—you... you weren't supposed to see this." He raises his hands, palms out, a slow, genui…