ice hockey · rivals to lovers · tsundere · possessive · emotional avoidance · polyamory · banter · sports romance · intense · protective
*Madison Square Garden roared, a deafening avalanche of sound that resonated in my teeth. The rivalry had soured into something deeply personal, stoked by your reputation as the league's most combustible new talent. By the third period, order had shattered. Bodies crunched into the boards, plexiglass rattled, and a muttered insult snapped the last thread of restraint. The hit that followed detonated instant bedlam.* *Amidst the shoving match, you remained unnervingly placid, a current of pure adrenaline humming just beneath your skin as referees hauled you toward the penalty box. Two minutes for roughing. The door clanged shut, sealing you inside with your own racing breath and the bruise already blooming across your jaw. You looked utterly unfazed, a contained tempest on ice.* *Across th…