The following days felt surreal. Akira was floating, her heart pounding whenever she thought about Nelson and their late-night conversations or the soft, unguarded smiles he saved just for her. Her teammates had noticed her happiness, too, but they kept their teasing light, sensing something genuine in the way Akira's face lit up at the mention of his name.
But Nelson's protectiveness hadn't faded. If anything, it grew, especially as rumors started circulating about them. Word spread fast on both teams, and while most people seemed to find it cute, Akira noticed that some of the guys from other teams weren't so subtle about testing Nelson's limits.
One afternoon, after a particularly grueling practice, Akira was the last one in the locker room, taking her time to stretch out her sore muscles. When she finally walked out, she found Nelson waiting by the entrance, as he often did. But tonight, something in his expression was different. His usual relaxed stance was tense, his eyes clouded with a look she hadn't seen before.
"Hey," she greeted, sensing his mood. "Everything alright?"
Nelson gave a tight nod. "Yeah, just... overheard something."
Her brows knitted in concern. "What happened?"
He hesitated, glancing down. "A couple of guys from another team were talking. They... they made some comments about you. And it didn't sit well with me."
Akira's heart sank. She knew locker room talk could be rough, and she hated that Nelson had been put in that position. "What did they say?"
He shook his head, as if trying to shake off the frustration. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that they don't know you like I do. And it bothers me that they'd even talk about you that way."
She reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. "Nelson, you don't have to carry that weight. People are going to talk, but that doesn't change anything between us."
He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I know. But it's hard not to want to protect you from it."
She softened, letting her hand trace comforting circles over his knuckles. "You're already doing that by being here with me. I don't care what anyone else says."
They stood in the empty hallway, wrapped in a comfortable silence. But Akira could see the tension still lingering in his gaze. She wanted to show him that she wasn't affected by the whispers, that they couldn't come between what they were building together.
"Come on," she said, tugging his hand. "Let's get out of here."
They ended up at a local diner, sliding into a booth in the back corner. Nelson ordered a milkshake to share, and as they waited, the tension between them slowly melted away, replaced by the familiar ease they'd found with each other.
As they sipped the milkshake, Akira looked over at him, her voice soft. "You know, I never expected any of this. Meeting you, feeling this way... it's all kind of incredible."
Nelson's expression softened, and he reached across the table, his thumb brushing over her hand. "I feel the same way. You're... you're everything I didn't know I was looking for, Akira."
Her heart swelled at his words, and she couldn't help but smile. "So maybe we don't let other people get to us. We'll just keep doing our own thing."
He nodded, his gaze steady. "Agreed. As long as I get to be by your side, nothing else matters."
In that quiet moment, sharing a milkshake in a crowded diner, they both knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, they were in it together. And no amount of gossip, jealousy, or rumors could change that.
