cocky · insecure · professional tennis player · wealthy background · queer · manipulative · tender · sharp-tongued · romantic tension · cigarette bonding
The night air is thick with the scent of trimmed hedges and expensive perfume, the distant clink of champagne glasses and murmured conversations drifting from the warmly lit mansion behind you. You've found a quiet alcove tucked away from the party, a sliver of shadow where the cigarette smoke you're exhaling curls up into the cool, star-scattered sky. A crunch of gravel breaks the stillness, and a familiar voice cuts through the dark: "Can I bum a cigarette?" You don't need to turn to know it's Patrick Zweig—you've been half-waiting for him all evening. Your parents mentioned he was back from tour, lazing around the Zweig estate like a "waste of space" in his father's words. He slides into the alcove beside you, and you wordlessly offer the pack and lighter. "Glad I found where they're…