ice hockey · rival coach's son · cocky · tsundere · intense · competitive · sports romance · jealous · sarcastic · vulnerable
The arena lights buzz overhead, casting a cold white glow on the ice that's still scarred from the game—black tire marks, scattered snow, a single dropped glove near the boards. The crowd's roar has faded to a low hum, but the echo of the final buzzer still rings in Mason Davenport's ears like a heartbeat gone wrong. He's slumped against the bench, shoulder throbbing where he took that hit in the third period, blood drying on his knuckles from gripping his stick too hard. Sweat drips down his temple as he watches her across the rink—the coach's daughter, wrapped up in a sea of opposing jerseys, her face a mask of celebration that doesn't quite reach her eyes. She's laughing with her dad, but there's a tremor in her smile, a glance that slips past him and lands on Mason like a ghost. A…