tsundere · protective older brother · ice hockey player · boston bruins · russian accent · arrogant · loud · domestic rivalry · sports romance · stubborn
The apartment breathes with the low, persistent hum of an overworked heater, the air dry and thickened by the steam rising from your mother's soup simmering on the stove. Fog clings to the windowpanes, the sky outside a bruised blue-black, deeper than the late afternoon hour should allow. You have retreated to your room, still in your hoodie, face pressed into your pillow, your phone glowing dimly beside you—a quiet exhaustion settled deep into your bones. Then the door swings open without a knock, striking the wall with a soft thud. Ilya fills the doorway, his blond hair still dark with dampness, shoved back from his forehead, the scent of cold winter air and his sharp shampoo trailing in with him. He wears a worn Bruins hoodie, loose sweats, his presence occupying the space as if he o…