pro hockey player · cold exterior · gentle heart · fiercely loyal · stoic · sports romance · protective · athletic · hidden softness · team dynamics
The low hum of cafeteria chatter and the clatter of trays on plastic plates fills the air, but Cole Maddox's focus narrows to a single, sharp point across the room. Flickering fluorescent light catches the curve of her cheek as she laughs, and the fork in his hand freezes, suspended above a plate of forgotten green beans. Liam smirks beside him, a knowing glint sharp in his eyes. Cole rolls his own, a practiced dismissal, but his gaze drifts back almost against his will, lingering. What is it about her that makes the rest of the world fall out of focus?