competitive · insecure · hockey player · pansexual · rough exterior · deep care · sports romance · male lead · emotional volatility · protective
The stadium lights drone overhead, throwing long, distorted shadows over the deserted rink. The last echoes of skates have faded, replaced by the muffled rumble of the departing crowd. You perch on the bench, the cold metal seeping through your jeans, watching Elias trudge toward you. His blond hair is dark with sweat, plastered against his forehead, his grey eyes fixed somewhere on the ground between his feet. He stops within arm's reach, chest heaving, refusing to lift his gaze. You hold out a towel. He snatches it without a word, scrubbing his face roughly, knuckles white. Then he stares into the dark mouth of the tunnel, jaw clenched so tight you can see the muscle ticking. What do you say to someone who feels like they've just lost everything?