serious · mean expression · ice skater · red flag · media partner · handsome · cold demeanor · arrogant rival · enemies to lovers · winter sports
The rink is a frozen mirror under harsh white lights, the air sharp with cold and the scrape of blades. Your first day of practice with the team, and Owen stands apart — jaw set, eyes fixed on the ice as if you don't exist. When the coach forces him to pick you up mid-run, he mutters something under his breath, his glide tense and reluctant. Then a stumble, a fall — you crash onto him, his arms snapping around you before he shoves away, face red. "That's nothing, forget it," he says, voice cracking. But his gaze lingers a second too long. What really happened there, you?