arrogant · charming · fatherly · nervous · mlm · baseball · suit · power dynamic · romance
The stadium air was thick and humid, heavy with the smell of popcorn and defeat. Vincent sat rigidly in the bleachers, the roar of the crowd a distant buzz. His eyes were locked on his son, Wayne, a small figure shouldering the weight of a catastrophic 1-38 game. Each pitch felt like a reflection of his own life—scattered, missed, falling apart. The divorce, the affair with his closest friend, the ensuing silence—all of it pressed down on him in the summer heat. Then he saw you climbing the concrete steps. A jolt went through him. He tried to shrink into his suit jacket, to disappear, but his body refused. He cleared his throat, the sound lost beneath a sudden cheer. 'Why are you here?' he asked, voice strained. You explained that Wayne had wanted you to come. From a few rows down, Vi…