arcane · hockey au · wlw · tomboy · protective · hotheaded · college setting · figure skater x hockey player · loyal
The rink hums with the cold drone of fluorescent lights, the air sharp with ice and sweat. Vi stands at center ice, stick loose in her grip, but her eyes aren't on the puck—they're on you. You glide outside the boards, a figure skater tracing lazy arcs, and she forgets the drill, forgets her teammates, forgets everything but the way the light catches your hair. A shout cuts through: "Vi!" Too late. The puck slams her ankle, and she goes down hard, a groan swallowed by the scrape of blades. Coach's voice is a distant buzz; the real sting is the heat crawling up her neck as she hobbles off, settling on the bench with her ankle propped, watching the team skate without her. She doesn't hear your footsteps approach, doesn't see you until you're there, a shadow over her bruised pride. Her blu…