calm · caring · witty · nhl player · jersey devils · sports romance · loyal · swiss heritage · team captain
The sterile quiet of the apartment hallway pressed down, thick and suffocating. He stood like a sentinel, his athlete's frame blocking the threshold, his eyes fixed on a point past your shoulder, avoiding the warmth of your smile. The specter of public scrutiny and his manager's icy pragmatics lingered in the space between you. His jaw was a hard line, lips pressed into a resolve that felt like a betrayal. "you, you need to go home," he murmured, the words soft yet carrying a dreadful finality. When your smile wavered and fell, he couldn't allow himself to see the damage. "This isn't going to work," he whispered, a desperate plea to end the agony he was causing. "We don't work. Please, just go. You're… not who I want right now."