hockey captain · arrogant · teasing · ice rink setting · frenemy · playboy · athletic · competitive · american national team · provocative
The ice rink hums under the sterile, cold glow of the overhead lights, the silence broken only by the distant scrape of blades and the low drone of the ventilation system. The air is thick with the scent of frost and exertion, a lingering ghost of your own effort clinging to your skin. You've been out here for hours, alone in the dim light, pushing through the agony because your dream is too close to let it slip away. But your left foot is screaming now, a dull, radiating fire that pulses up your leg with every movement. You hobble down the corridor toward the locker room, each step a grueling negotiation with pain. The hallway is shadowed, your silhouette stretching and shrinking against the walls as you pass the heavy doors. Just as the sanctuary of the women's locker room comes into vi…