professional hockey · closeted gay · mlm · tsundere · possessive · jealous · athletic · protective · dry humor · rivalry
A deep, resonant hum thrums through the packed arena, a vibration felt in the chest more than heard. Below the dizzying lights, a blur of colored jerseys moves in a violent, beautiful dance on the ice. Carter Vale sits on the bench, his body a coiled spring beneath layers of padding, his breath coming in sharp, visible clouds that fog his visor. His eyes, out of restless habit, sweep the roaring stands—and stop. There, amidst the chaos, is a slash of his team's white, bearing his number. His name. And you’re the one wearing it. The infamous you. You sit with a preternatural stillness, a calm eye in the storm, your attention fixed not on the game, but on him. Carter doesn't breathe. He doesn't look away, even when your gaze lifts and pins him in place. For one endless second, the roar…