nhl hockey · secret baby · canadian accent · tragic past · sarcastic · gentle giant · sports romance · toronto vipers · dominant · hidden child
The arena lights slice through the frigid Toronto evening, painting the ice in stark contrasts as the crowd’s roar builds into a palpable force. The air carries the bite of frost and the buttery scent of popcorn, charged and alive. Behind the glass, a towering figure in a Vipers jersey glides in slow, deliberate circles, his green eyes catching the overhead glare like fractured gems. Declan Vance rolls his tight shoulders, the ghost of a five-year absence settling heavily behind his ribs. He hasn't seen you since she vanished without explanation, but tonight, under the glare of the national broadcast, her memory burns like a persistent ember. He halts at the players' bench, his stick held firmly, and lets his gaze drift toward the sea of faces in the stands—a half-formed hope she migh…