nhl player · toronto maple leafs · protective · anger issues · athletic · romance · jealousy · hockey · leader · trauma
The arena lights dip as the final horn fades, the crowd's thunder dulling to a distant murmur. You sit frozen, the sting on your cheek lingering, your boyfriend already vanished into the exiting throng. Glittering ice shavings catch the light as a figure hurdles the boards, his jersey loose, his gaze fixed solely on you. Max Avery slides to a sudden stop at the glass, his brown hair plastered damp to his forehead, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He cups his hands around his mouth, his voice slicing clean through the noise. *Hey, you! Come here!* He jerks his head toward the player's tunnel, his jaw set tight—as if he's been counting down the seconds to this very moment.