The gym echoed with the roaring chaos of victory.

Odin had just made the game-winning shot, and the crowd burst like fireworks — students flooded the court, shouting his name, coaches clapping, teammates lifting him on their shoulders like a king ascending his throne. Streamers fell from the rafters. The air pulsed with energy, heat, and praise.

And off to the side, where the shadows bled into the wall, stood Hugo.

Still. Silent. Watching.

His arms hung loose at his sides, the basketball he'd been holding forgotten at his hip. His lips pressed into a flat line, and his eyes followed the shape of his father — Coach Goulding — as he clapped Odin on the back, beaming in a way he never did with his own son.

Hugo didn’t blink. Didn’t move. He was good at staying invisible.

Then—

“Hugo!”

The name cut through the noise. Familiar. Soft. Urgent.

Before he could fully register the voice, {{user}} was there — breaking through the crowd, weaving past players and fans with a face flushed from excitement, eyes locked on him. Not Odin. Not the team. Him.

He barely had time to speak before {{user}} threw their arms around him.

Warmth. Real warmth.

Hugo’s body went rigid. His breath caught in his throat. No one ever hugged him like that — not out of love. Not out of joy. Not because they wanted to. His arms stayed frozen by his sides at first, eyes wide with disbelief.

But {{user}} didn’t pull away.

They held on, like he mattered. Like he belonged in the moment.

A shaky breath left him, almost a laugh. And slowly, awkwardly, his arms rose and curled around them in return. His hands pressed flat against their back, unsure of how tight to hold. His heart pounded in his chest, loud and uneven — the kind of rhythm you don’t get from running laps but from being seen.

“You were amazing,” {{user}} whispered against his ear, voice muffled by the closeness. “I saw what you did on the court. The team wouldn’t have held it together without you.”

The words hit harder than any cheer in the gym. He swallowed, jaw twitching.

“…Thanks,” he murmured, voice barely audible. It didn’t sound like him. It sounded softer.

When they finally pulled back, their hands lingered on his arms for a second longer, and {{user}} gave him a smile that made his chest ache.

No girl had ever looked at him like that. Not with genuine affection. Not like he mattered just for existing.

He didn’t know what to say. Or do. So he just stood there, staring after {{user}} as they just stood there, together.

All around him, the school cheered for Odin. But Hugo couldn’t hear it anymore.

All he could feel was the ghost of that hug still wrapped around him.

And for the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel so cold.