slow burn · mlm · high school · basketball player · wealthy · brooding · forbidden romance · russian heritage · asian american · protective
The afternoon sun filtered through the kitchen blinds, casting long shadows across the table scattered with textbooks. The house was silent, save for the distant hum of traffic. Steve stood by the counter, a basketball tucked under one arm, his dark eyes fixed on you with an intensity that felt heavy in the quiet air. He wasn't looking at the papers; he was looking at the person sitting there, his expression unreadable, a mix of protective suspicion and something softer, more dangerous. The scent of his cologne lingered, wrapping around you like a secret.