swagger

III

Y/N stood at the edge of the basketball court, clipboard in hand, watching intently as the Cedar Cove High School basketball team ran through their drills. As the athletic assistant, she had a close working relationship with the players, helping them with their training and ensuring everything ran smoothly. She was all in all the boys mangers to be simply out and she really did enjoy her job. Although the boys definitely did get annoying she couldn't help but love them like brothers.

One player, in particular, had caught her attention lately—Drew Murphy. He was not only a talented player but also had a charming smile that could light up the entire gym. Y/N couldn't deny that she found herself stealing glances at him more often than she should. And she knew damn well the boy was doing the same thing when she wasn't paying attention.

One afternoon, while going over practice schedules with the coach, Y/N noticed Drew lingering nearby, pretending to be busy with his shoelaces. She couldn't help but smile at his antics.

"Hey, Drew, do you need something?" Y/N asked, walking over to him.

Drew looked up, his cheeks slightly flushed. "Oh, uh, hey, Y/N. I was just, um, checking something."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, amused. "Checking what? Your shoelaces?"

Drew chuckled nervously. "Yeah, exactly! Can't have them coming loose during practice, right?"

Y/N laughed, finding his flustered behavior endearing. "Well, if that's all, I'll leave you to it. Practice will start soon."

As she turned to leave, Drew spoke up again. "Wait, Y/N."

She turned back to him, curious. "Yeah?"

Drew took a deep breath, gathering his courage. "I, uh, I wanted to ask if... if you'd like to grab food with me sometime? Outside of school, I mean."

Y/N couldn't hide her surprise, but she smiled warmly. "I'd love to, Drew."

His face lit up with a bright smile, relieved and excited at her positive response. "Great! How about this Saturday afternoon?"

Y/N nodded. "Sounds perfect. Saturday it is."

From that day on, Drew and Y/N's interactions shifted from friendly banter to something more, tinged with a budding romance that blossomed on and off the court. They found moments between practices and games to steal glances, share inside jokes, and get to know each other beyond their roles at Cedar Cove High School.

As they sat together at a cozy lunch cafe that Saturday afternoon, sipping their drinks and talking about everything from basketball to their favorite books, Y/N couldn't help but feel grateful for the unexpected crush that had brought them together, courtside and beyond.