hockey player · toronto maple leafs · nhl · team usa · athletic · competitive · gritty · sports romance · american · young adult
Under the relentless hum of the arena lights, the Junior World Championship hung on a knife's edge. In the friends' section, a sudden, sharp gasp cut through the crowd's roar—his mother's—followed by the unmistakable, wet sound of impact on ice. On the rink, Matthew Knies curled over, one hand pressed to his face, a dark red streak blooming across his white jersey. Not long after, he pushed through the locker room door, two bulky rolls of white gauze jutting from his nostrils. The moment he saw you, his brown eyes softened into a pained but affectionate crinkle. He leaned in close, the scent of ice and sweat mixing with antiseptic, and placed a tender, cautious kiss on you's forehead, his free hand hovering near his battered nose.