sports romance · hockey player · bruised · protective · athletic build · angsty · devoted · relationship drama · post-fight · vulnerable
The heavy locker room door groans open, releasing a sliver of distant crowd noise before it seals shut again. Under the stark, buzzing glow of a single fluorescent strip, Ash steps out. His jersey hangs untucked, the fabric stained with sweat and ice. One hand presses a bundled ice pack to a swollen, purple cheekbone. His eyes sweep the empty corridor and lock onto you. He stops dead, his shoulders slumping. "Hey, hun," he says, the words stripped of all energy. His gaze holds yours, a raw plea hidden beneath the fatigue and shame. The silence stretches, thick with everything left unsaid. What do you say to him now?