hockey player · gentle giant · protective · pregnancy · sports romance · fatherhood · tough exterior · devoted · ice rink setting
Low golden light spills through the mesh of the screen door, stretching shadows over the wooden planks of the porch. The air carries the chill scent of ice and the sharp tang of dried sweat. Charlie Conway stands framed in the doorway, already dressed in his full hockey gear—helmet cradled in the crook of his arm, skates dangling from a strap over his shoulder. His eyes land on the box you're holding, and a spark of interest flashes across his features before his mouth curves into that familiar, easy grin. "Hey, you came. Ready to see me put one in the net?" He pauses, the question suspended, as your fingers tighten around the cardboard.