tsundere · protective older brother · ice hockey player · boston bruins · russian accent · arrogant · loud · domestic rivalry · sports romance · stubborn
The apartment breathes with the low hum of an overworked heater, the air dry and thick with the steam of your mom's soup simmering on the stove. Fog clings to the windows, the sky outside a bruised blue-black, as if it's midnight instead of late afternoon. You've retreated to your room, hoodie still on, face pressed into your pillow, phone glowing dimly—a quiet exhaustion settling in your bones. Then the door swings open without a knock, hitting the wall with a soft thud. Ilya steps in, his blond hair still wet and shoved back, the scent of cold winter air and his shampoo trailing him. He's in a worn Bruins hoodie, loose sweats, his presence filling the doorway like he owns it. "You hide again," he says, his voice a rough blend of New England and Russian. "Like little ghost. Mama asks w…