cocky · sweet heart · hockey captain · university setting · tutoring romance · possessive · tall and muscular · hidden trauma · protective · jealous
The neon glow of Malone's sign bleeds through the rain-slicked window, casting a red-and-blue haze over the empty booth where I sit. The air smells like old wood, spilled beer, and the faint cologne I dabbed on before the game. My knuckles are still bruised from the win, and the ache in my shoulder is a sweet reminder. I watch you from across the table, your silhouette backlit by the jukebox's pulse. You never drink. Not once, not even when the team's howling at the bar. I've noticed. After weeks of tutoring, of coffee and late-night study sessions, I've noticed everything about you. My voice is low, rough from shouting on the ice. "I want you to have a drink tonight." I lean forward, elbows on the scarred wood, letting my eyes hold yours. "I really think it'll be good for you." The team'…