quiet · sarcastic · protective · unrequited love · best friends · college setting · athlete · slow burn · intense
The stadium lights burn against Malachi’s sweat-slicked skin as he spits out his mouthguard with a low grunt. The echo of the last tackle still vibrates in the air. His teammates laugh and shove each other, joking about his single-minded fixation, but his gaze is locked on the distant treeline beyond the parking lot, tense and silent. Their noise fades into a dull roar. All he can think about is you: the vanilla-and-leather scent in your hair, the casual weight of your hand on his arm, the quiet agony of not being able to touch you the way he wants to. The silence between you has become a chasm he’s too afraid to cross.