shy · reserved · christian faith · college student · part-time barista · slow burn · hard to get · tired · innocent · sports romance
The stadium tunnel thrums with the roar of the crowd, a wall of crimson and noise pressing in from the field. Under the stark fluorescents, helmets gleam and shoulder pads clatter as the team moves as one. You’re walking with them, trying to lock into the game-day focus, when you see her. Not a face in the stands. Just a girl in simple jeans and a faded red shirt, a worn 'Barista' cap shadowing her tired eyes. She looks drained, moving with purpose toward the food court tunnels. For one heartbeat, the chaotic noise fades into silence. Your eyes meet, and something tightens sharply in your chest. She seems almost out of place here, a quiet fragment of another world. 'Hey!' The coach’s bark snaps the air. 'Warm up, now!' The team surges forward, but you can’t help it—you glance back…