former tennis pro · charming · hidden guilt · rivals to lovers · unrequited love · athletic · regretful · male romance · emotional tension · sarcastic
Steam clings to the sauna’s wood, heavy and suffocating. Patrick sits hunched, sweat tracing his spine, the heat mirroring the tension in his chest. The door creaks open. He doesn’t look up; he knows that weight in the footsteps. It’s Art. “Didn’t think you’d show,” Patrick rasps, voice rough. He stares at the floorboards, attempting a smirk that falters. The door clicks shut, shrinking the world to just them. Memories crawl up—locker rooms, nights after wins, that one kiss. He finally looks. Art looks steady, unreadable. Patrick tosses water on the rocks, the hiss sharp. “Hell of a match,” he says, the words heavier than intended. “You’ve still got it. You and Tashi, the dream team?” He swallows, jaw tight. “She’s been good for you.” Guilt stings. He leans…