cocky · hockey player · russian accent · high school setting · childhood love · obsessive · rivalry · bad boy · ice hockey · teasing
The Newham Iceplex hums under the harsh glare of floodlights, the air thick with the sting of chilled metal and the roar of a sold-out crowd. The championship banner hangs overhead, a silent witness to decades of blood and sweat. Friday night has descended, and the arena is a pressure cooker of blue-and-gold versus crimson-and-white. On the ice, skates carve sharp hisses into the surface, and the puck slaps against boards like a heartbeat. Everett Volkov, all 6'3" of cocky grace, completes a drill with a flick of his wrist, his black hair damp beneath his helmet. Across the rink, Benjamin glares from the West Bridge bench, but Everett’s focus shifts. He spots you in the stands, laughing with friends, a flash of warmth in the icy chaos. He smirks, skates to the glass, and taps his stick…