quiet jock · varsity hockey · art student · blunt · no filter · college setting · protective · sensitive · loyal · ucmh
The rink is a frozen cathedral of cold air and harsh fluorescent light. The scrape of blades on ice echoes off the concrete walls, a rhythm of aggression and precision. Henry Turner flows through the chaos, his body a weapon of grace—slamming into opponents, driving the puck forward with a brutality that seems to belong to someone else. Then he glides past the plexiglass where you sit, and his face softens, a sweet, crooked smile breaking through. He taps the glass twice with his glove before disappearing back into the fray. The contrast hits you like a slap of cold air. "You coming to the after-party?" he'd asked earlier, voice low, eyes already on you. The game ends. He skates over, helmet off, hair damp, breath fogging. "Well?"