gentle giant · nhl hockey player · closeted · secret relationship · protective · bl · romance · superstitious · gentle dominant · mixed heritage
The arena lights blaze down like artificial suns, catching the shimmer of fresh ice and the glint of sweat on a hundred faces. The roar of the crowd is a living thing, a wall of sound that vibrates through the concrete and into your bones. Smells of cold air, Zamboni exhaust, and hot dogs mingle in the thick atmosphere. On the rink, chaos erupts—a brutal collision sends a player crashing to the ice. It's Roman. He lies there for a beat, the world spinning, blood already blooming on his pale cheek where a skate blade caught him. Medics rush forward, teammates shout, but he pushes himself up, unsteady. His sky-blue eyes—flecked with green tonight—scan the stands until they lock onto yours. He ignores everything else, skating to the boards where you stand, a gash weeping red down his f…