Chapter 34: One-on-one Match

Loxus PoV

Dusk meowed as Loxus made his way to the door for his game. He held out his finger, shushing his kitty.

"Dusk, please don't make a lot of noise. If anybody hears you, they'll take you away," Loxus whispered.

The black kitty wiggled his tiny ears and looked up at him with his innocent blue-green eyes. His small tail wiggled as he meowed. Loxus chuckled and reached out to scratch Dusk behind the ears.

"Good boy," he murmured, smiling. While he prided himself as a tough guy, he couldn't help but be hopelessly attached to the tiny creature.

He knew it was against the dorm rules to keep pets. But the moment his goons found Dusk in the trash, he fell in love with the kitten.

Loxus glanced at the clock, his heart sinking a little. It was time for his match with Wilt. While he was looking forward to their game, he didn't like the idea of leaving Dusk alone.

With a sigh, Loxus prepared to leave, hiding Dusk in his room and making sure he had enough food and water. He left a few toys out for him too, hoping they would keep the kitten entertained in his absence.

"Behave, okay?" he told Dusk, giving him a stern look. The kitten meowed again, nuzzling against his hand. Loxus chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll be back soon, little guy. Man the fort while I'm away, okay?"

Dusk gave him a tiny meow as if to confirm.

With one last glance at his furry companion, Loxus left the room, closing the door softly behind him. As he made his way to the basketball court, he couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for Dusk. What if someone found him while he was gone? But if it came down to that, he would just have to use the watch he stole from Wilt to rewind time.

He stopped outside the dorm and slapped himself to get his mind on the game and away from Dusk. This wouldn't be the first time he would be leaving the kitty. He had to get used to it.

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Loxus went to the outdoor court closest to the dorms. He sighed as he realized he'd forgotten to tell Wilt where they were going to meet up. Hopefully, he would be smart enough to figure it out.

He took out his basketball as he waited for Wilt to arrive. The guys had gotten him a new ball, saying his brother's old ball was starting to fall apart. While he hated to admit it, they were right. The rubber was already cracking on Laure's ball.

Loxus spent the next few minutes dribbling the new ball, trying to get a feel for it. It was lighter and smoother than his late older brother's old ball. He was just getting into the rhythm when he heard footsteps approaching.

"Guess you were smart enough to find this place after all," Loxus said, snickering. He turned around, expecting to see only Wilt. But he wasn't alone. The girl from the pet shop was also with him. 

A blush spread across Loxus's cheeks. What was Natasha doing here? This was supposed to be his and Wilt's One-on-one match, not a social gathering!

"Wilt, you brought an audience?" Loxus called out, trying to keep his voice steady despite the sudden tightness in his chest.

Wilt shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face. "She wanted to see the match," he explained.

Natasha gave him a wave, a friendly smile gracing her face. Loxus felt his heart skip a beat. "I hope you don't mind, Loxus," she said. "I just thought it would be fun to watch you guys play."

Loxus felt his face warm up. He didn't want an audience for this, but he couldn't exactly tell her to leave. Well, not without looking like a jerk, at least.

"Whatever," he mumbled, turning his attention back to the ball, his face still warm.

"I'll be keeping score," Natasha said, showing off her phone. She had a score keeping app on it.

He smiled slightly. "Plan to referee?"

She nodded and giggled. "Yup!"

Loxus blinked. He was just being sarcastic, he hadn't expected Wilt to actually get a referee. Did the guy think he would resort to hurting him in order to win? He wanted steak badly, but he also needed Wilt in good condition in order to make it into nationals. Now, if he didn't need Wilt…

"So, ready to start this thing?" Wilt said, grinning.

He turned to look at the fiery redhead and smirked. "I've been ready for a long time now, Princess."

Wilt narrowed his eyes. "Hey, who are you calling 'Princess'?"

Loxus just laughed.

Natasha walked over and held her hand out. "Wait, let me throw the ball. It'll make things fairer."

Scoffing, Loxus did as told.

Natasha smiled, making his heart beat irregularly. She stepped back and threw the ball as high into the air as she could.

The two boys jumped, trying to get the ball. A shockwave echoed throughout the outdoor court.

Loxus smirked at Wilt. "Looks like you came ready to fight, buttercup."

Wilt snickered as he pushed back against Loxus. "Of course. I came here to win, not to lose."

He gasped as Wilt seized the ball. Without hesitation, the redhead fired it into the basket, earning himself a two-pointer.

Loxus could help but smirk as he watched the ball sink through the hoop, his competitive spirit burning.

"Not bad," he admitted grudgingly, positioning himself for defense as Wilt bounced the ball with a confident smirk.

The game was on, and Loxus was determined not to let Wilt have an easy win. He took the ball and rushed straight toward the basket before leaping and landing a slam dunk.

Wilt snickered. "Flashy, but didn't you hear that slam dunks are outdated? They don't help win games as well as three-pointers do."

Loxus scoffed and threw the ball to Wilt. "Who cares. Now it's your turn, buttercup."

He sighed. "And here I thought I had a big ego."

Scoffing again, Loxus grinned. "All great athletes have big egos."

Wilt smiled back. "I guess that's true. And I am no expectation."

Loxus spun and rushed after him. He grinned as he rushed in front of Wilt. This was exactly the kind of match he had been hoping for all of this time. But this was barely the beginning. He wanted to see just how far I could push him. Better yet, how far he could push himself.