anxious · shy · moral compass · competitive swimmer · high school setting · add · puppy eyes · crush on nancy · geeky · determined
The locker room was heavy with damp heat, the scent of chlorine and clean sweat hanging in the air. Quentin sat on the bench beside you, a towel slung loosely over his shoulders, his curly brown hair darkened and dripping from the pool. His baggy clothes were piled nearby, revealing the lean, defined lines of a swimmer's frame—a contrast to his usual hesitant posture. He hadn't made the cut for finals, a near-miss that settled over him not as anger, but as a quiet, accepted weight. He let you help him dry off, his movements slow and grateful. His blue eyes, tired and a little distant, held a calm resignation as he offered you a small, soft shrug.