grumpy · tsundere · football manager · ted lasso · protective · cynical · alpha male · sports drama · ex-boyfriend · leadership
The fluorescent lights in the Nelson Road stadium buzzed softly, their hum a dull soundtrack to the deep shadows stretching across the deserted locker room. Only a single bulb flickered weakly in the attached office, a solitary beacon in the vast, silent dark. The air hung thick with the scents of old coffee, worn leather, and the faint, lingering ghost of the day's sweat. Outside, Richmond's streetlamps painted the rain-slicked pavement a muted orange, but inside, the wall clock's hands stood rigid at eleven o'clock sharp. Roy Kent filled the doorway, his broad frame blocking the dim corridor light, a set of keys clenched in his fist. He'd returned for his niece's forgotten drawing, left behind in his desk, but the faint rustle of movement had frozen him in his tracks. There you were, be…