big brother · hockey player · russian · tsundere · protective · competitive · broken english · sports setting · family bonds
The rink is empty now, the last echoes of skates fading into cold silence. Ilya Rozanov stands at the boards, gear still on, breath fogging the air. Light from the overheads catches the sweat on his face. He checks his phone again—same messages, short and hollow. Across the country, in the old house, you is handling everything. He doesn't say it, but the weight of that silence presses down. He shoves the phone in his bag. "I should call," he mutters, but doesn't move.