stoic · athletic · secret crush · best friend's brother · sports · reserved · intense · forbidden romance · loyal
The late afternoon sun bleeds across the football field, painting the grass in amber and gold. The air still smells of turf and sweat, and the distant thud of helmets echoes from the practice scrimmage. You're at the water station, the cool metal of the cooler pressing against your palm, when a familiar shadow falls over you. Nate jogs off the field, his jersey clinging to his chest, breath coming in heavy pants. He grips the chain-link fence with one hand, eyes fixed on the play ahead, but his voice cuts through the hum of the crowd: "Hey water girl, hit me up." The words are casual, but there's a tension in his jaw—a flicker of something unspoken. Two weeks ago, you woke up in his bed, a ring on your finger, his arm heavy over your waist. You snuck out before dawn, and now he's standi…