Kindred Spirits | Juan Toscano-Anderson

10 x Fire & Desire

Juan couldn't sleep that night, which was unusual because he was all about ball, food and sleep. He couldn't shake the look on her face as she pulled herself away from him.

He was late to practice and that was as a red flag being as though he's the most punctual, his trainer schedule would be forever engrained in him.

Kerr pulled him to the side and asked him what was going on and his answer was "things happening at home but it'll work itself out".

The preseason had been going well, working hard to prove himself on the court and getting some time in. He was definitely being looked at as a Rising Star. Critics were looking forward to his regular season debut.

"Y'all ever been balls deep in someone and accidentally say you love them?" The infamous Gary Payton II asked.

Steph looked at him disappointedly, "I've been happily married and balls deep in the same woman for a long time so I wouldn't have accidentally said it. What do you get into Gary?"

"JP? JTA?"

"Now why am I in it?" Jordan asked holding his chest. "Hell nah, I ain't never do that though."

"Can't accidentally say something you never said before." Juan laughed.
"You've never been in love before bro?" Wiggins asked.

Juan had never been in love before. Looking back on life he realized he spent his time working and caring for his family. Love never crossed that bound. He had been in relationships: casual and consistent partners, dated but never gave that effort other than his high school girlfriend. But at that age, what is considered love? What is considered effort?

"That's crazy? Nobody came close?" Klay asked dribbling the ball.
"I guess high school but I was a kid, what did I know?"

"Steph fell in love with Esh when he was fifteen. So I mean its possible. You ever thought about rekindling that?"

"Never crossed my mind. I'm not who I was back then, I'm learning that the person for me, is not someone I already experienced but someone I'm waiting to. It doesn't even matter who my ex ends up being today, that came and went."

"This a smart man," Draymond praised. "Now let's see if he has a good a defense as he is a talker."

Juan had a gruesome practice but it was needed. He needed to spearhead a staff meeting at Round 1 since Cynatra had some things to do. He wondered what it was but, he wasn't on a need to know basis anymore. She meant what she said when she would keep him at an arms length, and only talking to him about work.

He tried, he did. But, her guard was back up to the max and she was almost someone he didn't recognize. Moreso, mirroring the woman she was after Taquan. Although her response to his presence was aggressive in comparison, Juan still felt like she hated him the same. 

Entering the Round 1 facility, he greets everyone he passes, making his way to the office. Cynatra couldn't help herself by trying something unsafe.  A trophy fell from the top of the shelf, a shelf that needed to be moved over, because it was right behind the door. In the meantime, she was standing ontop of the arm of an old chair trying to put it back.

Juan opened the office door not knowing she was behind it. For some reason he didn't knock, which he normally did before entering and now Cynatra was falling backwards. His hands were firmly against her back and ass holding her up.

"Dammit Juan, of course you come in at this time."
"You wanna stay up there or come down?"

"Up, just spot me please."

She adjusts back on the arm of the chair but she's still not able to reach it. "Just sit on my shoulders."

Planting her legs on either side of the chair, Juan ducks in between them grabbing her thighs to lift her up with ease. "Am I hurting you? I might be a little heavy."