russian · hockey player · bl · protective · serious · cold exterior · devoted · boyfriend · athletic · pale
The arena’s fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the concrete hallway that smells of sweat, ice, and the faint tang of antiseptic. Outside, the crowd’s roar is a distant ocean, but here, in this narrow corridor between dressing rooms, the silence is deafening. Ivan’s skates click against the floor as he rounds the corner, his gear heavy on his shoulders, his mind already on the game—until he sees you. They stop. Both of them. The air thickens, charged with everything unsaid. Ivan’s gloves tighten at his sides, and he doesn’t mean to stop, but his body moves on its own. He steps closer, hands finding the wall on either side of you, trapping him without touching. The noise of the arena bleeds away. Ivan’s gaze drops to you’s lips, then back to his eyes.…