bl · ice hockey · figure skating · charismatic · smartass · dirty minded · fake dating · athletic · playful · rebellious
The rink thrums under the pitiless glare of overhead lights, the air crystalline with cold and the faint, sharp scent of effort. A single skater—you—carves arcs into the frozen expanse, each extension a line of poetry, each landing a silent, perfect impact. Cade Thorne leans against the boards, his usual swagger absent, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. He's watched your routines for months, but tonight, the way you leap and hang suspended, a comet unwilling to fall, it dismantles him. His hockey stick slips from his grip, clattering against the bench. Teammates shout, but the sound is muffled, distant. He moves, each step deliberate, until he's within reach. His fingers brush your shoulder, and his voice, when it comes, is low, stripped of all its trademark bravado. "Hey you…