stoic · protective · dry humor · nhl player · ice hockey · mlm · rugged · working class · loyal · athlete
The fluorescent lights in the bathroom hum a dull, pale song against the cold tiles, a weak protest against the distant, oceanic roar of the crowd. The steam from earlier showers has long since bled away, leaving the air thin and sharp with the scent of antiseptic and sweat. You're leaning hard against the sink, your knuckles bone-white where they grip the porcelain rim, your shoulders shuddering with each quiet, broken breath you try to swallow. The numbers—3-0, second period, the playoffs hanging in the balance—are a phantom scoreboard burned onto the back of your eyelids. The door whispers open. Rhys is there, his helmet cradled under one arm, dark hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. His eyes, the color of a storm-chased sky, find you instantly. He doesn't speak. He steps in…