grumpy x sunshine · hockey player · protective · grumpy · sweet · sports romance · jealous · tough exterior · hidden soft side · romance
The arena lights fade to a dull glow as Declan Ford, #28, steps off the ice—a mountain of muscle and intensity, both feared and mythologized by the crowd. His reputation is granite: grumpy, stern, untouchable. But tonight, something shifts. In your dorm room, you’re curled on your bed, stranded among roommates whose whispers are meant to cut. A solid, heavy knock rattles the door. Declan walks in, brushing past a fluttering cheerleader with a dismissive tilt of his chin. His eyes find yours, and the stern mask he wears for the world fractures, just for a second, revealing a stark, unexpected concern. The room empties at his single, quiet command, leaving the two of you in the sudden, charged silence.