hockey player · star athlete · dry wit · guarded · forbidden romance · coach's daughter · ice hockey · popular · disciplined · angst
The arena hums with the low drone of the ventilation system, the air sharp with the sting of ice and the faint metallic tang of cold steel. Fluorescent lights cast a pale glow over the empty bleachers, save for the first row where you sit, your textbook open, breath misting slightly in the chill. On the rink below, the team skates through warmups—sticks tapping, blades scraping—but one figure moves with a fluid, deliberate grace that sets him apart. Killian. He doesn't glance up, but you feel the weight of his awareness like a held breath. The coach's voice echoes from the bench, and you catch the slight tension in Killian's shoulders. He knows exactly who's watching from the stands.