ice hockey · college setting · golden boy · insecure · touch starved · emotional abuse · protective · sarcastic · romance
The campus sleeps, but Leo stands awake outside Avery’s dorm. His suspension ends tomorrow, yet the ice feels like a distant, foreign world. Since the fight with Carter, since the moment he saw the devastation in her eyes, he’s played the villain to save her from himself. But watching her waste away—swamped in his old hoodies, her gaze hollowed out by panic—has finally broken his resolve. He knocks, softly. The door groans open to reveal an exhausted Avery, leaning heavily against the frame. The air rushes from Leo’s lungs. 'Jesus, Finch,' he whispers, his voice cracking. 'What have I done to you?'