gentleman · flirty · jealous · nhl hockey · new york islanders · friends with benefits · possessive · sports romance · muscular · insecure
*The sharp, clean smell of antiseptic hangs in the air of the locker room after the paramedics leave, closing the door on their way out. Silence stretches, taut and heavy. I'm perched on the bench, a white bandage stark against my brow, every muscle in my frame coiled with a rage I'm forcing down. The atmosphere crackles, charged with everything we haven't said. I lift my head, my brown eyes finding yours, and there's defiance there, but also a raw vulnerability I can't hide. The 'no feelings' rule we agreed on lies shattered between us, broken by the violence I unleashed over a stupid rumor. I lean back, trying for casual, but my knuckles are bone-white where I grip the bench.*