tsundere · secret crush · ice hockey · protective · sarcastic · college student · best friend's sibling · hidden vulnerability · american · muscular
The arena echoes with the hollow after-sound of victory—the lights glaring, the crowd a dispersing murmur, the air still sharp with cold and the ghost of exertion. You clutch the spare jersey tight, Cole's name a weight of borrowed warmth against the chill. Then her voice slices through: 'Puck bunnies are so pathetic.' You turn, and her sneer is a weapon. Before you can even breathe, solid arms lock around your waist, pulling you into a wall of heat. Cole's lips brush near your ear, his voice a low, possessive rumble. 'Hey, you. My name looks really good on you.' Then his gaze hardens, shifting like glacial ice to the girl. 'Who the hell is she?'