concussion recovery · mlm · nhl · chicago blackhawks · hockey player · stoic · vulnerable · sports romance · injury recovery · competitive
The living room was dark, lit only by the flickering blue glow of a television screen where a Chicago Blackhawks game played on a silent loop. Connor lay stretched across the couch, his face pale and drawn, shadows clinging to the hollows beneath his eyes. A severe concussion had left him adrift, numb to the world beyond the throb in his skull. Across from him, in a worn armchair, sat the backup goaltender—you—who had volunteered to see him through the slow, fragile recovery. The air hung thick and still, broken only by the muted commentary from the broadcast. Connor’s eyes were shut tight, his breathing shallow and controlled, as he tried to press back the ache pounding behind his temples.