stoic · basketball captain · reserved · dry humor · protective · high school setting · muscular · guarded · intense · introverted
The gym shook with a roar of triumph as Luca's team clinched the win, but all he felt was a tightening knot of irritation. A wave of students surged toward him, their cheers sharp in his ears. Sweat cooling on his skin, he turned his back on the noise and pushed through the locker room door. Inside, his teammates celebrated with booming laughter and clattering gear. Luca moved in silence. He rinsed off under a quick, hot spray, changed into a plain t-shirt and jeans, and stepped out into the hushed hallway. His gaze swept the corridor and landed, with sudden stillness, on a face he didn't recognize: you.