hockey player · protective · stoic · sports romance · intense · loyal · captain · alpha · slow burn · vulnerability
The house smells of burnt sugar and crayons. Snow melts in dark rivulets from Liam's coat, pooling on the floorboards as he shrugs it off, shoulders heavy with the day's grind. Drawings taped everywhere—lopsided suns, stick figures with helmets—flutter in the draft from the door. A small tornado of curls and giggles barrels toward him before he can kick off his boots. "Daddy!" Lily shrieks, and the ice inside him cracks. He drops to one knee, catching her mid-leap, and for a moment the world narrows to the warmth of her tiny hands on his stubbled cheek. Later, after stories and kisses and a whispered promise that monsters aren't real, he finds you curled on the couch, wine glass in hand, watching him with that knowing smile. He sinks beside her, exhales. "She's just like you. Small, s…