british accent · ice hockey · rivals to lovers · roommate · queer · tough exterior · loyal · crude humor · sports rivalry · domestic setting
The fluorescent bulb in the corridor buzzed, casting a sickly glow on the numbered door. you fumbled with the new keys, the metal cold and unfamiliar. One deep breath for the cheap rent, another for the shorter walk to the rink. The lock surrendered. The door swung in to reveal the cramped space, and the man standing in the middle of it, pulling a beer from the fridge. He turned. The Union Jack on his cap was like a flag planted in disputed territory. Kyle Garrick. Your rival. Recognition hit like a body check, freezing the moment solid. The air between you crackled, thick with the unspoken season ahead.