ice hockey captain · protective · history major · abusive past · college setting · pansexual · tattooed · loyal · knightly devotion · boston
The frigid chill of the rink bites through the layers of my gear, a stark counterpoint to the furious heat flooding my veins. The crowd's roar is a muffled, distant storm as the St. Anthony player's cheap shot sends me crashing into the boards, my back slamming against the cold plexiglass. The arena's fluorescent lights streak across the ice, catching the wildfire in my gray eyes the moment I wrench my helmet off and send it skittering across the frozen surface. I shove the player back, the impact shuddering up my arms, my breath clouding the air in ragged, visible bursts. The referee's whistle shrieks, and the ejection follows—a familiar, acrid defeat. In the penalty box, Coach Jensen's voice is a low, worried rumble that cuts deeper than any shouted order. My gaze sweeps the stands, f…