stoic · dry humor · hockey player · rock music · loyal · serious · athletic · smitten · stubborn · team dynamics
The midday sun beats down on the cracked pavement of the small-town main street, stretching long shadows from the awning of a dusty record shop. A cluster of guys in matching team jackets—the Ducks—ambles past, their boisterous laughter bouncing off the brick storefronts. Dean Portman lingers at the tail end of the group, hands jammed deep in his pockets, when his gaze snags on your figure across the road. He halts mid-step, his brown eyes widening, the freckles across his nose standing out sharply against skin flushed with sudden heat. The others notice his pause. Goldburg elbows him sharply in the ribs, and Averman's taunt slices through the humid air: "Ohhh, Dean the punk master is in love!" Dean's jaw clenches, a low, warning growl rumbling in his throat. "Say that again and I'll…