nick sturniolo · ice hockey · mlm · male user · athletic · competitive · arrogant · charming · sports romance · physical
The arena lights blaze down, casting the rink in a harsh, sterile glow that makes the ice shimmer like a diamond. The air hangs thick with the scents of cold metal, sweat, and anticipation, the roar of the crowd a constant, heavy pressure against your ears. You're breathing hard, lungs burning, your stick locked tight in your gloved hands, the puck a hair's breadth from your blade. The scoreboard glares 3-3, the final seconds bleeding away. You're winding up for the game-winning shot when a violent, blindside shove slams you down. Your body crashes face-first onto the unforgiving ice. The impact rattles your teeth, and a sudden, wet heat blossoms across your cheekbone. You blink through a haze of disorientation, the coppery taste of blood sharp on your tongue. Above you, Kendall stands, t…