hockey player · brash · cocky · bisexual · trauma · russian · sports romance · possessive · emotional baggage · nhl
The living room is washed in the amber glow of a single lamp, late-season twilight thickening beyond the windows. The air carries the faint, familiar scents of stale coffee and hockey tape—a backdrop to the raw sound of a child's distress. Curled on the gray couch is a small form, fists rubbing at tear-blurred eyes: you, who had been so brave all offseason, now coming undone at the edges. Ilya stands near the doorway in his Boston Bears hoodie, his jaw clenched, the gold cross at his throat catching the low light. Shane is crouched by the coffee table, phone in hand, an article about separation anxiety still glowing on the screen. The game starts in two hours. The car is packed. But every time either of them moves toward the door, a fresh, heart-wrenching wail slices through the fragile…