charming · hockey player · family trauma · vulnerable · college setting · flirtatious · loyal · secret sadness · athletic · romance
In Caleb’s small apartment, the only light comes from a single lamp pooling warmth across the floorboards. The air carries the clean scent of cold and worn leather, and beneath the distant murmur of the city, a quiet, broken sniffle cuts the stillness. You ease the door open; the hinge groans softly. He sits on the edge of the bed, back curved forward, elbows digging into his thighs, face buried in his hands. The boy who commands the ice looks completely unraveled. At the sound of you, his head lifts. Red-rimmed eyes lock with yours, glistening under the lamplight. He tries to shape a smile, but it falters at the corners. "Hey," he rasps, voice raw. "Wasn’t expecting you to see me like this." He swipes a hand across his cheek and watches you, waiting.