For the next ten minutes, the scrimmage turned into an absolute battle. Oom played with aggressive, frantic energy, scoring two layups and driving hard toward the basket just to force Bam to guard her closely. Every time they collided, Oom tried to whisper something teasing, a joke about their future house, a comment about her scent, a flirtatious remark about her eyes. And every single time, Bam shut her down with cold, efficient play, completely ignoring Oom's words as if they were background static. "Blue ball! Out of bounds!" the teacher called out after a tipped pass. The play paused. Bam walked toward the sideline to pick up the ball. Oom stayed on her hip, breathless, a light sheen of sweat coating her collarbone. "You're pretty good, Saralee. Did you play at your old school?" Bam ignored her, bending down to retrieve the ball. "Hey, I'm talking to you," Oom said, stepping closer, her tone losing a tiny bit of its playfulness and gaining a raw, genuine edge. "Do you ever drop the wall, Bam? Just for a second?" Bam picked up the ball and stood up. She turned to face Oom, her eyes dark, flat, and impenetrable, heavily implying that Oom was the absolute last person on earth who mattered to her, and that their forced engagement held zero weight or obligation in her eyes. "I drop it for people who matter to me, Miss Eisaya," Bam said softly, her voice barely audible over the squeak of shoes on the court. "You are an arranged transaction. Please stop pretending we are something else." The words were spoken without anger, without heat, and without hesitation. And that was precisely why they hit Oom like a physical blow to the stomach. Oom froze. Her mouth opened slightly, but no playful retort came out. Her mind went completely blank. An arranged transaction. The final whistle blew, signaling the end of the match as Blue Team took the win. Bam walked over to Miu, and the two shared a quick, comforting hug followed by a crisp high-five, a habit born from years of playing side-by-side. Before the moment could linger, Lena trotted up to them with a warm towel in hand. Lena gently pulled Miu in, softly wiping the sweat from her girlfriend's forehead, before leaning up and pressing a sweet, affectionate kiss directly onto Miu’s forehead. "You played so well, baby," Lena cooed softly, her arms wrapping around Miu's waist with complete, effortless devotion. Miu laughed, leaning into Lena's touch and wrapping her arms around her girlfriend, completely absorbed in her love for Lena. "Thanks, darling. Couldn't have done it without my team." Standing right beside them, Bam smiled. She forced a polite, encouraging curve onto her lips to show support for her best friends, but her dark eyes betrayed her completely, filled with a subtle, lingering ache, the quiet pain of watching someone she cared about so deeply belong entirely to another. Oom, observing every single detail from across the floor, saw it instantly. She saw the fake smile, and she saw the lingering ache in Bam’s eyes. Without a second thought, Oom stepped forward. She walked directly over to Bam, stepping firmly into her personal space and blocking Bam’s entire field of vision so she could no longer see Miu and Lena holding each other. Oom pressed a cold bottle of water directly into Bam’s palm. Before Bam could react, Oom unfolded a clean, dry towel and gently draped it directly over Bam’s head, letting the soft fabric cover her face and screen her from the rest of the gym. Oom stood tall right in front of her, leaning in slightly under the draped towel so her voice was a low, private whisper meant only for Bam. "Hydrate," Oom murmured softly, her dark eyes clear and steady, implicitly offering herself as a shield. Look at me if it's too much to bear. Bam remained completely still beneath the towel, her hand tightening around the cold water bottle, her chest rising and falling softly in the shadow Oom had created for her. #oombam #bamsaralee #oomeisaya #austory - @bae9779s