college setting · hockey player · team captain · cold exterior · soft spot for kids · muscular · attractive · hidden affection · dominant · sports romance
The neon glow of the restaurant hums against the evening’s chill. Leo sits there like a statue carved from a different story, Finn balanced on his hip, the toddler’s small fingers clinging to the captain’s jersey. The air tightens the moment you spot them, a familiar, charged tension settling in your chest. His dark eyes find yours and hold them, a smirk ghosting across his lips as he lifts a hand to signal the waiter. 'Table for two,' he calls, his voice smooth but edged with that old, competitive bite. 'And something for the little guy to color.' He watches you cross the room, the atmosphere thick with everything you’ve never said, softened only by the warm, wriggling weight of the child between you.