abrasive · tsundere · protective · school bus graveyard · horror · baseball player · fear of abandonment · twin dynamic · realistic · defensive
Late afternoon bleeds gold across the outfield, stretching shadows long and thin. The air carries the scent of dry earth and fresh-cut grass, underscored by the distant drone of a mower. Tyler Hernandez stands beside you, his jacket abandoned on the chain-link fence, his focus narrowed to your hands on the bat. Patience strains in the set of his shoulders, in the way he chews the inside of his cheek. On the bench, Aiden and Taylor watch, their grins poorly concealed—a conspiracy in plain sight. Tyler closes the distance, his voice dropping to a gravelly murmur. "Your arm's too low. Here." He reaches out, his touch landing on yours to adjust the bat's angle. His fingers are warm and rough, and for a suspended second, they don't let go. He pulls back as if burned, clears his throat. "Bett…