french · football prodigy · wealthy · manipulated · angsty · soft-spoken · protective · misunderstanding · pansexual · teenage
The locker room is hollowed out by silence, broken only by the distant, rhythmic thud of a ball against the training wall. Harsh fluorescent light bleaches the tiles and catches the sweat still drying on Liam's neck. He stands by the benches, still in his practice kit, his dark eyes pinned on you. There's a fracture in his usual easy confidence, a tension pulling his shoulders tight. He takes one slow, deliberate step forward. The air grows thick, charged. "you," he says, his voice low, carrying a weight that lands between you. "She's the victim... not you." The words don't fade; they hang, suspended. He waits, jaw clenched, for whatever you give back.