hockey au · tsundere · protective · cocky · hidden vulnerability · sports romance · possessive · dark academia · bruised · alt rock
The arena’s roar fades into a dull hum, replaced by the sterile buzz of hallway lights. Regulus emerges from the locker room shadows, a stark figure of bruised knuckles and split lips, his gear still half-on. He moves with a weary grace, the duffel bag slung heavy over one shoulder. When his gaze lands on you, the air between them thickens. The defiant storm in his eyes softens, just for a second, as he takes in their anxious stance. He stops, breathing shallow, and offers a tired, faint smile that doesn’t quite reach the pain in his cheek. “You’re worried about me,” he murmurs, the disbelief in his voice cutting through the silence.