4

By the end of the week, it stopped being funny.

At first, people had laughed. Quiet snickers when Ethan messed with Marcus’s stuff. A few amused looks when Marcus bumped into him a little harder than necessary during drills. It had felt like typical team tension. Competitive. Petty. Normal.

But somewhere along the line, it shifted.

No one laughed anymore when Ethan swapped Marcus’s training shoes for a smaller size.

No one said anything when Marcus “accidentally” knocked into Ethan during a drill hard enough to send him off balance.

No one even looked surprised. They just… watched.

Because it wasn’t harmless anymore. It wasn’t JUST pranks. It felt more targeted and deliberate. And everyone could feel it getting worse.

Even Ethan could feel it.

That tight, constant irritation sitting under his skin, like something waiting to snap. Every glance from Marcus made it worse. Every quiet look, every measured movement. The way Marcus didn’t react half the time, like he was above it, like none of this even mattered.

It got in Ethan’s head, worse than any prank ever could.

It happened during a scrimmage.

Of course it did.

Coach had barely finished explaining the play before Ethan already felt it—that restless energy buzzing through him. The kind that made him play faster, harder, sloppier.

Marcus was already in position calm and focused like always. Ethan hated that.

The whistle blew and the game started.

Ethan got the ball and took off, cutting through the court with sharp, quick movements. He didn’t think. Didn’t slow down. Just moved.

Marcus was ahead of him, already creating space.

“Pass!”

Ethan heard him, Ignored him, drove forward and shot.

Missed.

The sound of the ball hitting the rim felt louder than it should have.

Behind him, Marcus let out a sharp breath. Not loud. Not dramatic. But enough.

“Are you serious right now?”

Ethan grabbed the rebound, jaw tight. “Play the game.”

“I am playing the game,” Marcus shot back, jogging up beside him. “You’re playing ego.”

That hit.

Ethan turned on him immediately. “Maybe if you weren’t shouting every five seconds—”

“I was open.”

“And I didn’t trust you.”

It came out before Ethan could stop it. Too fast, too honest, too real.

Marcus stopped completely. Not mid-step, not gradually, he just—stopped.

The rest of the court kept moving, but for a second, it felt like everything had narrowed down to just the two of them.

“You don’t trust me,” Marcus repeated slowly.

Not angry—worse—like he actually couldn’t believe it.

Ethan let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. “Why would I?”

Marcus stepped forward.

“So you’d rather lose?”

“I’d rather not rely on you.”

A few teammates went quiet.

Marcus’s expression shifted. Not loudly. Not dramatically. But something in his face… changed. Like whatever patience he’d been holding onto all week finally slipped.

“Because we’re on the same team,” he said, voice tighter now.

Ethan stepped closer too. He didn’t even realize he was doing it.

“Act like it, then.”

That was it, that was the line.

Marcus shoved him, hard.

Ethan stumbled back a step, more from surprise than force—but the second his balance steadied, he came right back.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Then stop acting like a damn child.”

Ethan’s eyes flashed. “Say that again.”

Marcus didn’t hesitate. “You heard me.”

Ethan swung.

It wasn’t clean, not some perfect, cinematic punch.

It was messy and fast. Fueled by days of tension that had been building without either of them knowing what to do with it.

Marcus’s head snapped slightly with the hit, but he barely reacted before grabbing Ethan’s shirt and yanking him forward.

They crashed into each other.

Hands gripping, shoulders slamming and even louder houting.

“Yo—what the hell—”

“Stop!”

“Are you guys insane?!”

They went down hard, tangled together, fists flying—not controlled, not trained, just raw.

Ethan felt knuckles connect with something solid. Marcus’s shoulder, maybe his jaw. He didn’t care.

Marcus shoved him back just as hard, breathing heavy, grip tightening like he wasn’t planning to let go anytime soon.

For a second, it didn’t even feel like a fight. It felt like something worse.

Something that had been building way longer than either of them wanted to admit.

It took three teammates to pull them apart.

Ethan was dragged back, chest heaving, lip split open just enough that he could taste blood.

Marcus stood a few feet away, jaw tight, eyes still locked on him like the fight hadn’t actually ended.

Like it was just… paused.

The gym went silent.

Not quiet. Just silent, heavy and ugly.

Coach’s whistle cut through everything.

“ENOUGH!”

No one moved.

Coach stepped forward slowly, looking between them, disappointment written all over his face—but underneath it, something sharper—anger.

“You two are done.”

Ethan wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, still breathing hard. “I don’t need—”

“You don’t need?” Coach cut in, voice rising just enough to snap through the tension. “You just cost us an entire practice!”

Ethan’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. Marcus didn’t say anything either, to defend himself which somehow made it worse.

Coach looked between them again, then shook his head slightly.

“You want to act like enemies?” he said. “Fine.”

A pause.

“Then you’re going to learn how to work like teammates.”

Ethan frowned immediately. “What does that even—”

“Starting tomorrow,” Coach said, voice going cold, “you train together. Only together.”

That finally got a reaction.

Ethan straightened. “What?”

Marcus finally spoke, tone flat. “That’s not going to help.”

Coach looked at him. Not impressed.

“I’m not asking.”

Silence stretched between them. Then Coach continued, slower this time, making sure every word landed.

“You don’t leave the court unless the other one does.”

Ethan’s stomach dropped slightly.

“You don’t finish drills unless the other one finishes.”

Marcus’s jaw tightened.

“You work together,” Coach said, “or you both sit out the next match.”

That hit harder than the punch. The next match mattered. Everyone knew it.

Ethan let out a short, disbelieving breath. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Coach didn’t smile.

Didn’t blink.

“Try me.”

Silence settled again, but this time it felt different.

Heavier.

Because now it wasn’t just tension, it wasn’t just a fight. They were stuck with each other whether they liked it or not and for the first time since Marcus had walked into that gym—

Ethan wasn’t sure he was in control anymore.