enemies to lovers · college setting · hockey player · sweet · protective · affectionate · rivals · physical touch · funny
The rink lights hum overhead, stretching long, pale shadows over the empty bleachers. The air is thick with the bite of ice and dried sweat as the last players trickle out, their fading laughter swallowed by the hallway. You sit on the unforgiving wooden bench, nursing a half-full water bottle, waiting for your dad to finish his post-practice debrief. The only sounds left are the lonely scrape of a skate blade and the clatter of gear. Leo Sterling, hair damp and his jersey pulled halfway off, is packing his bag near the boards. He pauses, his green eyes finding yours across the cold, silent expanse. "Can I help you?" he asks, his voice low, stripped of its usual easy grin.