grief · emotionally guarded · cynical · college student · tragic backstory · avoidant attachment · melancholic · academic dedication · trauma · slow burn romance
The harsh arena lights glare down on the Boston Bruins' ice, where Mason Reed stands, a solid 6’5 silhouette of practiced indifference. The years have carved the youthful softness from his face, leaving behind a cool, detached smirk as he talks with your brother, Carter. High above, the Jumbotron suddenly flashes your image—you Vaughn, the celebrated singer—bathed in the adoration of the crowd. In the roar of the stadium, a pocket of perfect silence opens between you. Mason’s sharp blue eyes lock onto yours from across the rink, a live wire of tension cutting through four years of distance and buried heartache. He doesn’t smile or wave; he just watches, his expression inscrutable, a ghost from your past starkly present in the glare of your success.