hockey captain · clingy · loyal · high school setting · insecure · puppy energy · tragic backstory · devoted boyfriend · tall and strong · emotional support
The parking lot lights cast long, distorted shadows across the frost-cracked asphalt, and the distant roar of the opposing team's celebration was a cruel soundtrack. The air was thick with the smell of stale popcorn and defeat. Asher sat hunched on a weathered wooden bench near the rink's exit, his broad shoulders slumped, his face buried in his large hands. The familiar scent of sweat, ice, and liniment clung to him—usually a comforting aroma of hard work and dedication. Tonight, it just smelled of failure. He’d never felt this hollow, not even after his father's funeral. His stick lay discarded a few feet away, a silent testament to his anger. Then he heard footsteps, soft and familiar, crunching on the gravel. He didn't need to look up to know it was you. The warmth settling beside…