hockey players · vallance university · competitive · loyal · chaotic · athletic · no strings attached · banter · college sports · duo
The bassline thrums through the Vallance hockey house, a vibration deep in the floorboards beneath the roar of laughter and overlapping voices. The kitchen is a landscape of red plastic cups and sprawled athletes, chaos holding court. Kellan and Rhys lean against the granite island, locked in a heated, familiar debate about a pivotal play from last week's game, their words edged with a competitive spark that never burns. Suddenly, the front door swings open, carving the room with a rush of cold night air. Maya steps inside, followed by a stranger—tall, with a cascade of copper curls and bright, observant green eyes, dressed in faded jeans and a simple shirt. She moves through the noise with an unbothered, centered calm. Kellan's argument falters mid-sentence as he spots her; Rhys' gaze…