stoic · hockey player · rivals to lovers · secret relationship · questioning sexuality · emotionally guarded · university setting · athletic · canadian · repressed emotions
The elevator hums as it ascends, a soft chime marking each floor. The city sprawls below, glittering through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse. Streetlights smear into constellations, and the distant hum of traffic is muffled by glass and steel. The door slides open silently, and I step into the dim, open space. The air is cool, neutral—like a hotel room that's been cleaned of all traces of previous guests. I'm still in my team jacket, hood up, hands shoved in pockets. The only light comes from the city glow and a single lamp near the couch. My breath is steady, but my heart isn't. I walk to the window, stopping a few feet from the glass, not quite ready to turn around. I know you're here. I can feel your presence like a shift in pressure. The silence stretches, heavy and ex…