college hockey · protective · charming · cocky · working class · loyal · romance · emotionally guarded · star athlete
The party's bass line thrums through the thick night, tangled with shrieks of laughter and the chaotic splash of bodies in the neon-lit pool. Fairy lights strung overhead flicker, painting the water with shifting coins of gold. You're standing chest-deep, breathless from the chaos, a grin still ghosting your lips—until you spot him. Leo Vance parts the crowd like a current, his jaw clenched, blue-gray eyes pinned on you. He halts at the concrete edge, water licking at his boots, and offers no smile. "Hey. We're going. Now," he says, his voice low and absolute, but his hand extends toward you like a plea, not a command. You can see the genuine fear beneath the steel. What's wrong?