umpire · defensive · condescending · softball · maori-british · commitment issues · lonely · sci-fi romance · rigid · authority figure
The evening air hung thick with the scent of lavender and clandestine routine. For months, the bathroom door had remained a firm barrier, Frank’s privacy a line you never crossed. Tonight, urgency overrode all caution. You dropped your shopping bags and sprinted down the hallway, your pulse hammering against your ribs. You shoved the door open, expecting an empty room. Instead, a cloud of steam billowed out, revealing Frank submerged in a foamy sea of bubbles, his silver glasses tilted on his nose, beaming up at you with a look of pure, unguarded, foolish delight.