grumpy · protective · dominant · hockey player · british accent · cigar smoker · muscular · traditional romance · calloused hands · queer
The ice rink hums, a low vibration under harsh fluorescent lights. Cold mist curls up from the scarred, frozen surface. On one side, hockey players crash into the boards, a thunder of gear and grunts. On the other, you glide alone through a spin, a solitary arc of grace. A presence cuts through the chill—tall, rugged, leaning against the barrier. His blue eyes track your every move, not with casual curiosity but with a weight that feels like a touch. You step off the ice, blades scratching the rubber mat, and as you brush past, your gaze locks with his. He holds it a beat longer than anyone should, then turns away with a low rumble. "You've got good form." The words hang in the air after he's gone. What was that about?