5

The next day was worse in a way Ethan hadn’t expected.

He told himself it was because of the fight, because Coach had forced them into this situation, because the entire team had seen them lose control. That should have been enough to explain the tight feeling in his chest as he pushed open the gym doors earlier than usual, hoping to get ahead of it all.

It didn’t work.

Marcus was already there.

Of course he was.

Ethan slowed just slightly when he spotted him near the free-throw line, stretching one arm across his chest, expression calm and unreadable, like yesterday hadn’t happened at all. Like they hadn’t been dragged off each other while the rest of the team watched in silence. There wasn’t even a hint of tension in the way Marcus stood there. If anything, he looked more composed than usual, and that somehow made it worse.

Ethan forced himself to keep walking, dropping his bag by the bleachers. He didn’t greet him, didn’t nod, didn’t even look at him again. If Marcus wanted to pretend none of it mattered, then fine. Ethan could do that too.

They stayed on opposite sides of the court, moving through their own warm-ups, the distance between them feeling intentional, like an unspoken agreement neither of them had made out loud. The gym was quiet at that hour, the only sounds the soft squeak of sneakers and the rhythmic bounce of a basketball. It should have been peaceful.

It wasn’t.

Ethan could feel it anyway—that awareness. Even without looking, he knew exactly where Marcus was. Knew when he moved. Knew when he stopped. It was irritating, how his body seemed to track him without permission.

By the time the rest of the team started filing in, the tension had already settled in, low and constant.

Coach didn’t waste time. He walked in, glanced once at both of them, then clapped sharply to get everyone’s attention.

“Pair up.”

No one moved.

It wasn’t hesitation, not exactly. More like everyone already knew what was coming and didn’t want to be the one to acknowledge it first.

Coach’s voice hardened slightly. “Now.”

Ethan grabbed the nearest ball without looking at anyone. He didn’t need to check to know Marcus would come over. A second later, he heard footsteps, steady and unhurried, stopping a few feet in front of him.

Still no greeting.

Still nothing.

They just stood there for a moment, the silence stretching longer than it should have. Ethan bounced the ball once, then again, mostly to give himself something to do with his hands.

“Pass,” Marcus said finally.

His voice was flat, controlled, like he was deliberately keeping everything neutral.

Ethan threw the ball a little harder than necessary. Not enough for anyone else to call it out, but enough that Marcus would feel it.

Marcus caught it cleanly.

“Again.”

Ethan exhaled through his nose and stepped into position. They started moving through the drill, quick passes back and forth, feet shifting in practiced patterns. It should have been simple. It was simple. They weren’t messing up, weren’t dropping the ball, weren’t missing cues.

But something about it felt off.

Maybe it was the silence.

Maybe it was the fact that neither of them was willing to acknowledge anything beyond the bare minimum.

Or maybe it was the way every small point of contact felt amplified.

The first time their fingers brushed during a pass, Ethan barely registered it. It happened fast, just the natural consequence of timing being slightly off. But the second time, when their hands collided again for half a second longer than necessary, he reacted without thinking, pulling his hand back like the contact had surprised him.

Marcus noticed.

Of course he did.

“Relax,” he said, tone even.

Ethan frowned, catching the ball again. “I am relaxed.”

Marcus didn’t look convinced. “You’re tense.”

“I’m not the one overanalyzing everything.”

Marcus stepped a little closer, not enough to invade his space completely, but enough that Ethan had to notice. “Then stop reacting to everything.”

Ethan felt something tighten in his chest. “I’m not reacting.”

“You are.”

He didn’t even think about it before stepping forward as well, closing the gap the rest of the way. “You’re the one making it a big deal.”

Marcus’s expression sharpened slightly. “I’m not—”

They spoke at the same time and stopped just as quickly.

For a second, neither of them moved.

They were too close again.

Ethan became aware of it all at once in a way that made it hard to ignore. The height difference, the steady rise and fall of Marcus’s chest, the fact that he wasn’t stepping back this time. The gym noise faded into the background, leaving just this strange, suspended moment between them.

It wasn’t like yesterday.

There was no anger pushing it forward, no immediate urge to shove or swing. It was quieter than that, heavier in a different way. Uncomfortable, but not in a way Ethan could easily explain.

He swallowed, grip tightening slightly on the ball.

Marcus’s eyes didn’t leave his face. Not immediately. Not like before, when he would look away first, dismissive and controlled. This time, his gaze lingered, steady and deliberate, like he was trying to figure something out.

Ethan didn’t like how aware it made him feel.

Didn’t like that he noticed the slight tension in Marcus’s jaw, or the way his breathing wasn’t as even as he pretended.

For a split second, Marcus’s gaze flicked downward before returning to his eyes.

Quick.

Subtle.

But Ethan caught it.

And that made something shift uncomfortably in his chest.

He stepped back first.

“Just… play,” he said, voice lower than he intended.

Marcus held his gaze for another second, then gave a short nod. “Fine.”

They went back to the drill.

The rhythm picked up again, passes snapping between them, feet moving in sync, but it wasn’t the same. Something had changed, and Ethan couldn’t ignore it anymore. Every movement felt more deliberate, like he was suddenly aware of Marcus in a way that had nothing to do with the game.

“Faster,” Marcus said at one point, catching the ball and sending it back.

Ethan shot him a look. “I am fast.”

“Not enough.”

Ethan pushed harder, increasing the pace, forcing Marcus to match him. The ball moved quicker now, their footwork sharper, more aggressive. It almost felt like a challenge again, but not the same kind as before. There was no shouting, no insults, just this quiet back-and-forth that somehow carried more weight than any argument.

Coach’s voice cut in from across the court. “That’s better. Keep that up.”

Ethan barely registered it. His focus had narrowed down to Marcus, to the way he moved, the way he adjusted without hesitation, the way he seemed completely in control even when things sped up.

It was frustrating.

And distracting.

By the time practice ended, Ethan’s arms were sore and his shirt clung uncomfortably to his back. He bent forward slightly, hands resting on his knees as he caught his breath.

Marcus was a few feet away, doing the same.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Marcus straightened, reaching for his towel. He hesitated, just briefly, before saying, “You’re improving.”

Ethan blinked, caught off guard.

That wasn’t what he’d expected.

He pushed himself upright, trying to recover quickly. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

Marcus shrugged lightly, wiping his face. “I’m not.”

There was a pause, quieter this time, not as tense as before but not exactly comfortable either.

Ethan let out a small breath. “You’re still annoying.”

Marcus huffed, something close to amusement slipping through for the first time. “Yeah. You too.”

Another pause followed, but it didn’t feel as heavy.

Just unfamiliar.

They didn’t say anything else after that. Ethan grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder as he headed toward the locker room. He didn’t look back, but he could feel it again, that awareness, that pull that made it impossible to completely ignore Marcus even when he wasn’t looking at him.

The tension was still there.

Still sharp in places.

Still very much unresolved.

But it wasn’t just anger anymore.

And that realization sat with Ethan the entire walk home, quiet and persistent, like something waiting to be understood