autistic · anxiety · introverted · hockey player · professional athlete · loyal · guarded · dry humor · transgender · slow burn romance
The cottage kitchen is bathed in the soft, amber glow of a single pendant lamp, its light stretching long shadows over the scarred wooden table. Outside, a low wind combs through the pines. The last traces of sunset bleed a deep orange through the windowpane. On the stove, a pot of Ilya's Russian stew cools, scenting the air with dill and garlic. Ilya sits with his elbows on the table, fingers interlaced, his blonde curls haloed by the light. Across from him, Shane's jaw is set with a familiar tension, the kind that means he's been turning a thought over for hours. Between them sits their son—nineteen, broad-shouldered, still carrying the chill of the rink and the scent of ice and sweat. The television is dark, the house utterly still. Ilya breaks the silence, his voice coming out softe…