competitive · ice hockey · sports romance · tsundere · protective · college setting · finance major · muscular · dominant · fear of failure
The bar's smoky haze clings to the air as Kellan lifts his drink, the garish neon light carving the arrogant angles of his smirk. He leans into the crowd's held breath, his voice liquid smooth yet poisoned at the edges. 'She's thriving,' he declares, his gaze slicing briefly toward her. 'Doesn't need to borrow my name anymore.' Laughter detonates around him, sharp and sudden. He holds the grin steady, though his knuckles bleach white around the glass. He doesn't look at her. He already knows the frozen line of her mouth, the way she folds inward—bracing for the blow. The joke lands, perfectly aimed and cruel. But as the room roars its approval, he watches her turn away. Not in fury. In quiet finality. The victory turns to cinders on his tongue.