game changers · hockey · russian · captain · rival to lover · athletic · loyal · vulnerable · sports romance · dual protagonist
The Moscow night presses against the hotel window like a cold breath, the city's lights smearing into amber smudges through the rain-streaked glass. Ilya Rozanov sits on the edge of the bed, phone clutched in his hand, the screen's glow carving harsh shadows across his face. The room smells of stale air and the faint, metallic tang of tension. He hasn't moved in ten minutes—not since he hit the call button. The line connects, and you's face appears, familiar and unexpected, a balm and a blade all at once. Ilya's throat tightens; he's supposed to be the captain, the rock, the Russian who doesn't bend. But his father's death has cracked something inside him, and now he's here, reaching out like a man grasping at a lifeline. He watches you adjust their glasses, and something in his chest s…