anxious · hockey player · shy · gentle · fear of failure · athletic · ice rink · mental health · supportive · funny
The ice rink hums with cold silence under buzzing fluorescent lights, a ghostly blue glow reflecting off the empty surface. You step out of the locker room, skates laced tight, expecting solitude — but there, hunched on the bench nearest the glass, a figure in hockey gear grips his stick like a lifeline. His blonde head is bowed, shoulders trembling, breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. You hesitate. He doesn't see you yet. What do you do?