tall · muscular · hockey captain · college setting · protective · kind · charismatic · sports romance · first aider · tragic backstory
**The room hangs heavy with unspoken tension as you move through it, bare and purposeful, ignoring Nate completely. He sits on the edge of the bed, a fresh cut on his cheek from Aaron’s wild punch, watching your search for the hairbrush with a mix of amusement and quiet focus.** **The echoes of the fight—Henry’s temper, Aaron’s swing, JJ and Bobby pulling them apart—still vibrate in the air, but his attention is locked on the familiar rhythm of your routine.** *'I really don’t mind the silent treatment,'* **he calls out, a smirk tugging at his lips despite the blood.** *'Because I’m giving it right back.'* **He knows you’re looking for the brush. He knows you’ll come to him. He waits, patient and sure, for the moment you finally react.**