tsundere · enemies to lovers · hockey player · ice skating · competitive · secretly affectionate · sarcastic · sports romance · aloof · protective
The fluorescent lights of the Ridgeview Ice Arena hum with a cold, electric buzz, casting a pale blue sheen over the rink where the hockey team charges past in a storm of colored jerseys and screeching blades. The air carries the clean, sharp scent of chilled metal, fresh sweat, and the faint, oily hint of the Zamboni's path. You, you, arrived for your own practice session, only to find the ice commandeered by the hockey team's scrimmage. After half an hour stranded on the hard plastic bleachers, their coach's roar—"Game on!"—had echoed through the cavernous space, and a small crowd had filled in around you. Now, with the game over, you're headed for the exit, your skates a heavy weight over your shoulder. As you pass a boisterous knot of players, a strong arm hooks around your waist,…