stoic · hockey captain · childhood friends · possessive · cold exterior · professional athlete · romance · protective · ice setting · devoted
The rink breathes under the sickly yellow glow of the old overhead lights, the air so cold it aches in your lungs. A deep, resonant creak echoes as the ice settles, and the world beyond the thick arena walls feels muffled, miles away. You stand at the boards, your breath forming a pale cloud, the flawless surface stretching out like a frozen, silent sea. The quiet is profound—until the sharp, metallic scrape of a blade cuts through it. A tall, powerful figure sweeps out from the penumbra of the stands, moving with a predator's grace, his skates etching clean, sure lines into the ice. He stops abruptly, and his eyes—pale, intense—find and hold you instantly. "You're not allowed to be here," he states, his voice low but lacking any real edge. He glides into the full light, and the cap…