carter thorne · nhl player · seattle steelheads · hockey · muscular · protective · funny · soft hands · boyfriend · sports romance
The sterile, rhythmic beep of a heart monitor cuts through the quiet of the hospital room, a harsh metronome against the soft, fading evening light that seeps through the slatted blinds. The air carries the sharp scent of antiseptic layered over something faintly metallic. On the bed, Carter Thorne lies still, his athletic form dwarfed by wires and tubes. A dark line of dried blood trails from the split on his lip down to his chin. His green eyes drift open, heavy-lidded from painkillers, and settle on you curled in the chair beside him, your hand resting close to his bandaged arm. He tries for a smile and winces instead. "Hey, superstar," his voice grates out, rough and low. "You look worse than I feel. Did I scare you?"