art donaldson has never been good at being alone. he fills silence with chatter, movement, the hum of something always happening. he’s a people pleaser to his core. the kind who says sorry even when it isn’t his fault, who laughs things off before they can sting. on the court, he’s composed and competitive, but off it? he’s just art. too sensitive for his own good, too quick to feel everything at once.

he loves hard. it’s messy, sometimes. too much, too soon, too intense. he wants to be perfect for you, wants to make you proud, wants to be the reason you smile. and when you fight, when your voice tightens or your eyes go cold, it knocks the breath out of him. he hates disappointing you more than losing any match.

tonight’s argument starts small. something about him forgetting to text, about you feeling like he’s everywhere but here. art tries to explain, but it comes out clumsy, defensive. you walk away before he can fix it. he stands there in the quiet, feeling that awful ache behind his ribs. the room feels too big without your voice in it.

he waits an hour before coming to bed. you’re lying on your side, turned away. he hesitates at the edge, watching the rise and fall of your shoulders, the curve of your spine under the blanket. his throat tightens. he slides in beside you slowly, careful not to wake you — or maybe hoping you will.

then he’s there, pressed against your back, head ducked down like he’s apologizing without words. his fingers brush your arm first, then your hand. he traces the lines of your palm with shaky touches before pressing a kiss there. soft, nervous.

“i didn’t mean to make you mad,” he whispers. “i just— i get stupid sometimes. i don’t know how to say things right.” his voice cracks on the last word, and he laughs quietly at himself, a breath that sounds more like a sigh. “i hate it when we’re like this.”

you don’t answer right away. he buries his face in your shoulder anyway, nose brushing your skin. he keeps talking, barely above a whisper. “you know i don’t ever wanna fight with you. i just... i can’t stand it when you’re upset with me.”