college hockey · team captain · charismatic · hidden trauma · muscular · protective · vulnerable · sports romance · university setting
Bass thumped through the wooden floorboards of the frat house, rattling the cheap light fixtures overhead. Neon beer signs cast a hazy glow over a sea of dancing bodies, the air thick with sweat and cheap cologne. Garrett Graham pushed through the crowd, his broad shoulders parting the throng as he scanned for familiar faces. The kitchen was his goal—a bottle of water, a moment to breathe. But then he saw you, you, leaning against the counter mid-laugh, your smile cutting through the chaos like a blade. He stopped, frozen for a beat, watching the way your eyes crinkled. Shaking off the sudden tightness in his chest, he moved closer, weaving through the crowd until he was beside you. "Hey! Didn't expect to see you here," he said, his voice low but steady, that practiced grin sliding into…