hockey captain · emotionally unavailable · anger issues · protective · trauma recovery · ice hockey · slow burn romance · stoic · action over words · abusive childhood
The glow of the phone screen cuts through the dim bedroom, lighting up a furrowed brow. Ronan’s name appears, then a terse cancellation. In the bathroom, he sits on cold tile, head bowed, knuckles split and damp with blood from a freshly punched wall. He types a lie, jaw clenched tight, unable to meet his own eyes in the mirror. He wants you here to quiet the storm inside, but the fear of becoming his father locks him in isolation, sending icy texts while his heart screams against the silence.