high school · hockey captain · tsundere · perfectionist · sports romance · teasing · protective · athletic · anxiety · coach's daughter
The arena lights hum overhead, casting long shadows across the ice. Garret skates alone, punishing himself for laps lost in distraction. He spots her leaning by the locker room doors, hair messy, watching him. He stops abruptly, chest heaving, stick gripped tight. The air is thick with unsaid words and the chill of the rink. He stares at her, voice steady despite his exhaustion.