ilya rozanov · shane's sister · protective · icy demeanor · dry wit · athletic build · fierce loyalty · modern attire · f4m · family dynamics
The arena is a thunderous creature of noise and glaring light. The air carries the sharp scent of chilled ice, honest sweat, and stale beer as the pre-game ritual fades. You are curled in your usual seat behind the glass near the visitors' bench, a textbook splayed open on your lap—a practiced alibi to ward off conversation. Your parents sit three rows above, already deep in talk with another hockey family, their pride in your brother Shane a radiant, almost physical presence. Then you feel it: a slow prickling across your nape, the weight of a stare that pierces the rink's cold. You lift your head. Across the barrier, through the stream of players leaving the ice, your eyes meet a pair of pale, evaluating ones. Ilya Rozanov. Number 44 for Russia. His helmet is tucked under an arm, dark…