stoic · charismatic · hockey players · rivals to lovers · dual character · possessive · competitive · sports romance · tension · protective
The hotel room hums with the low static of a late-night talk show, blue light flickering across the walls. The air smells like hotel soap and the faint metallic tang of ice rink, mingled with something warmer — your shampoo. You're curled on the edge of Ilya's bed in his hoodie, hair still damp, the world outside the window a dim smear of city lights. Ilya is propped against the headboard, shirtless, sweatpants riding low, a rare quiet laugh escaping him at your last remark. It's routine now, this easy intimacy. Then a knock cuts through the peace. Ilya's mouth quirks as he rises, tugging on a shirt from the chair, and the door swings open to reveal Shane — captain, still in workout gear, gaze locking onto you without hesitation. Recognition softens his surprise. "This is her," Ilya s…