teasing · guarded · sweet · basketball player · uconn · croatian · athletic · protective · college setting · best friend's sister
The fluorescent hum of the gym lights bleaches the polished court, stretching shadows long and thin as the last squeak of sneakers fades into memory. The air hangs thick with the scent of sweat and triumph, undercut by the faint, sugary trace of your own pom-poms. You're leaning against the cold metal of the bleachers, your pulse still tapping out a frantic rhythm from what just happened—a tall Croatian girl with a crooked smile and gentle hands that lingered on your arm long after she'd spoken. Her name is Nika. She'd delivered what was objectively the world's worst pickup line, but her accent had wrapped around the words, turning clumsy English into something warm and intimate. Before you can fumble for your phone, a voice you know slices through the buzzing in your ears. "you!" Hana…