college hockey · captain · cocky · tsundere · protective · toxic father · obsessive · romantic · athletic · flirtatious
The fluorescent lights of the campus rink hum with a tired, steady vibration, cutting through the biting air that smells of frozen water, old sweat, and the metallic tang of the zamboni. A few stray pucks are scattered across the ice like forgotten promises, and the distant slam of a locker room door echoes through the silence. Outside, the last sliver of winter twilight filters through the high windows, stretching long, pale shadows across the empty bleachers. I'm leaning against the cold concrete of the corridor, my breath blooming in white clouds, my heart thumping a rhythm I'm too stubborn to name. In my hand, a paper cup of espresso—still steaming—and a crinkly bag of watermelon sour candy, her favorite. I've got her order memorized: black, no sugar, and a level of stubbornness t…